If your Vonage Contact Center (VCC) account is enabled to use WebRTC, and you have the feature switched on for your individual agent account, you can make and receive calls using your usual computer or device; you do not need a physical telephone. For more information, see ContactPad with WebRTC.
WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
Previously, to use ContactPad with WebRTC you had to install the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension into your Chrome or Edge browser. From January 1, 2023, this extension will no longer work due to changes in how extensions work.
Over the coming months, your account will be migrated to the new way of using ContactPad with WebRTC. When your account has been migrated, we recommend that you disable or remove the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension from your browser or browsers. Until January 1, 2023, if the extension is still enabled, buttons for accepting and rejecting the call appear in the extension as well as in ContactPad. Buttons to to mute and hang up the call appear in the extension too and there are some additional options available. For more information about using the extension, see the Using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension section later in this page.
Limitations when using ContactPad with WebRTC
We develop, test, and support using ContactPad with WebRTC in the most recent version of Chrome only.
Supervisor monitoring does not work with WebRTC (unless you are using the Team Dashboards (beta access)).
Best practices for using ContactPad with WebRTC
When using ContactPad with WebRTC, you should follow these best practices:
- Web browser:
- Reduce the number of windows and tabs you have open.
- Regularly clear browsing history, cookies, and cached images and files, ideally weekly.
- Hardware:
- Upgrade computer hardware if CPU or memory limits are being reached.
- Regularly restart computer, ideally daily.
- Use a wired Ethernet connection (rather than a wireless connection) to connect to the network. Disable WiFi.
- Software
- Remove any non-essential applications.
- Update audio and headset drivers to their latest versions.
- Other:
- Configure your headset as the default device for audio (playback and recording).
Disable exclusive mode settings for your audio (playback and recording) devices.
Setting up WebRTC for ContactPad
Before you use ContactPad with WebRTC, remember to set up audio devices properly. These devices include microphone, speakers, recording and playback equipment, and browser. Then you must perform the following steps:
- Turn on WebRTC in ContactPad. See Turning on WebRTC in ContactPad later in this page.
- Set your initial state. See Setting your initial state for using ContactPad with WebRTC later in this page.
- Configuring optional settings for WebRTC. See Configuring optional settings for WebRTC for ContactPad later in this page.
Turning on WebRTC in ContactPad
To use WebRTC in ContactPad, you or your supervisor must switch the feature on for your individual ContactPad. To do so, perform the following steps:
In ContactPad, click Settings.
A new dialog box appears. If your account has been configured to use WebRTC and you are permitted to control the feature yourself, the Use Softphone check box is available.
- Select the Use Softphone check box to use ContactPad with WebRTC. The WebRTC button appears. Click Save. Next time you make or receive a call, ContactPad will use WebRTC.
You can use the Use Softphone check box to switch between using WebRTC and a physical telephone whenever you need to, without help from your supervisor.
Your supervisor can also switch on WebRTC for you. For information for supervisors to switch on WebRTC for your account, see How do I enable an agent to use ContactPad with WebRTC? in Configuring individual users. Whether you or your supervisor switches on WebRTC, the two methods have the same effect; updating one will change the other.
When you have turned on WebRTC in ContactPad, the first time you use it, your browser might ask permission to use the device's audio hardware. In all supported browsers, Allow and Block buttons appear. Click Allow.
Whenever you log in to or reload ContactPad, a Connecting To Telephony message appears briefly in ContactPad.
Setting your initial state for using ContactPad with WebRTC
If WebRTC is turned on in ContactPad and your initial ContactPad state is set to Ready, you may receive a call before you, ContactPad, or WebRTC are ready. If you log in to ContactPad before you are ready to use it, you should set your initial state to either Ready (Offline) or Away, for example. If you cannot set your initial ContactPad state, contact your supervisor for help.
Configuring optional settings for WebRTC for ContactPad
If WebRTC is enabled for your individual user account and you have turned it on in ContactPad, you can optionally configure various settings. To access these settings, go to ContactPad Settings and click WebRTC Options. The available options appear in a new browser tab.
The following options are available:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Auto answer | |
| Inbound | If you select the Inbound check box, when you receive an inbound call, ContactPad automatically answers the call and you are connected to the caller. This setting overrides your account settings. Select or clear the Inbound check box to enable or disable the auto-answer feature. By default, the check box is cleared. |
| Outbound | If you select the Outbound check box, when you make an outbound call, ContactPad automatically initiates the call and you hear ringing until you are connected to the target number or agent. This setting overrides your account settings. Select or clear the Outbound check box to enable or disable the auto-answer feature. By default, the check box is selected. |
Audio devices | |
| Primary ringing volume | The volume of ringing in the primary output device. Select a ringing volume from 0% to 100%. The default level is 100%. |
| Primary output device | A list of available output audio devices. Specify the audio device (speakers) you want to use. By default, ContactPad uses the default device for your system. When you receive an inbound call or make an outbound call, unless you have selected Auto answer, you will hear ringing in your selected device. When the call is connected, you will hear the other party through the device. |
| Secondary ringing device | A list of available output audio devices. Optionally specify the secondary ringing device (speakers) you want to use. By default, ContactPad does not use a secondary ringing device. When you receive an inbound call or make an outbound call, unless you have selected Auto answer, you will hear ringing in your primary audio device. You can optionally select a secondary ringing device. If you do not answer the call within the time period you specify, you will also hear ringing in your secondary ringing device. When the call is connected, you will hear the other party through your primary audio device. |
| Secondary ringing delay | The number of seconds before ringing starts in the secondary ringing device. Specify the number of seconds to wait before ringing starts in your secondary ringing device. By default, the delay is 0 seconds. |
| Play a short tone when the call ends | Select the Play a short tone when the call ends check box to enable a call end tone. When a connected call is disconnected by either the agent or the customer, a short tone is played. By default the check box is selected. The volume of the tone is determined by the ringing volume you select in Primary ringing volume. |
Advanced | |
If you select this check box, during the call you can see the volume levels of your and your customer's audio. Your audio level is in color in the right half of the banner; your customer's is in gray in the left half. | |
| Test WebRTC | Click Test WebRTC to open a page that tests your connection to Vonage's WebRTC. On this page you will see your computer's throughput, call quality, location, bandwidth speed, and more. Used for troubleshooting. |
| Connection status | Shows the statuses of your connections to WebRTC. Statuses can be Connected or Not connected. |
Receiving an inbound call using ContactPad with WebRTC
To receive an inbound call using ContactPad with WebRTC, you must set your status in ContactPad to Ready. You cannot receive an inbound call before the Connecting To Telephony message has disappeared.
Refreshing ContactPad during a call
If you refresh or close the webpage that contains the ContactPad that is connected to the call, you will be disconnected from the call. While you are disconnected, the other party will remain connected but won't hear anything.
- If you have multiple webpages with ContactPad running in them, you will be reconnected to the call within a few seconds in one of the other webpages.
- If you don't have any other webpages running ContactPad:
- If you refreshed the webpage, you will be reconnected when the refreshed webpage reloads.
- If you closed the webpage, you must open a new webpage containing ContactPad within 20 seconds and you will be reconnected in that page. If you do not open a new webpage containing ContactPad, or do so after 20 seconds, you cannot be reconnected to the call and the call will end.
When using the backup WebRTC provider
(If ContactPad loses connection with Vonage's WebRTC and if enabled for your account, we will automatically connect ContactPad to a backup WebRTC provider to restore service.)
If you refresh or close the webpage that contains ContactPad during a call, you will be disconnected from the call. You will go into a wrap state.
Using ContactPad in the usual way, when you receive an incoming call, instead of your telephone handset ringing, additional buttons appear within ContactPad and you hear a tone through your configured headset or speakers.
No ringing tone
Sometimes you might not hear the ringing tone when you receive an inbound call. This usually happens if you have more than one instance of ContactPad open and is due to your browser not allowing audio to autoplay. To hear the ringing tone when you receive an inbound call, you must interact with, or click somewhere in, the tab that contains the active ContactPad.
You can use the buttons in ContactPad to accept the incoming call. For information about receiving an inbound call in the usual way, see Making and receiving calls in ContactPad.
If enabled for your account and in your browser, a web notification also appears. For more information, see Call notifications.
- If you do not have auto-answer enabled for your account, Accept and Reject buttons appear in ContactPad.
- To ignore the call, click Reject. The call ends.
- To answer the call, click Accept. You are connected to the caller. The Accept and Reject buttons are replaced with Hangup and mute buttons.
- If you have auto-answer enabled for inbound calls for your account, Hangup and mute (a microphone icon) buttons appear in ContactPad and you are automatically connected to the caller
When you are connected to the caller, you can hear the caller through the speakers that you have configured and the caller can hear you when you speak into your configured microphone.
You can perform any of the tasks described in Making and receiving calls in ContactPad. During your inbound call, you can also control the call using a WebRTC keypad in ContactPad. For information about using the keypad during a call, see Controlling a call using the WebRTC keypad in ContactPad in this page.
You end a call using ContactPad in the usual way. For information about ending calls, see Working with an inbound call. To hang up, click Hangup.
Making an outbound call using ContactPad with WebRTC
Refreshing ContactPad during a call
If you refresh or close the webpage that contains the ContactPad that is connected to the call, you will be disconnected from the call. While you are disconnected, the other party will remain connected but won't hear anything.
- If you have multiple webpages with ContactPad running in them, you will be reconnected to the call within a few seconds in one of the other webpages.
- If you don't have any other webpages running ContactPad:
- If you refreshed the webpage, you will be reconnected when the refreshed webpage reloads.
- If you closed the webpage, you must open a new webpage containing ContactPad within 20 seconds and you will be reconnected in that page. If you do not open a new webpage containing ContactPad, or do so after 20 seconds, you cannot be reconnected to the call and the call will end.
When using the backup WebRTC provider
(If ContactPad loses connection with Vonage's WebRTC and if enabled for your account, we will automatically connect ContactPad to a backup WebRTC provider to restore service.)
If you refresh or close the webpage that contains ContactPad during a call, you will be disconnected from the call. You will go into a wrap state.
To make an outbound call, you must initiate the call in ContactPad in the usual way. You cannot make an outbound call before the Connecting To Telephony message has disappeared.
When you make the outbound call, instead of your telephone handset ringing, additional buttons appear within ContactPad and you hear a tone through your configured headset or speakers. For information about making an outbound call in the usual way, see Making and receiving calls in ContactPad.
If you do not have auto-answer enabled for your account, Accept and Reject buttons appear in ContactPad.
To cancel the call, click Reject. The call ends.
To continue with making the call, click Accept. You hear ringing until you are connected to the target number or agent. The Accept and Reject buttons are replaced with Hangup and mute buttons.
- If you have auto-answer enabled for outbound calls for your account, Hangup and mute (a microphone icon) buttons appear in ContactPad and you hear ringing until you are connected to the target number or agent.
If the person you are calling answers their phone, you are connected to the target number. You can hear the person who answers the phone through the speakers that you have configured and that person can hear you when you speak into your microphone.
During your outbound call, you can control the call using a WebRTC keypad in ContactPad. For information about using the keypad during a call, see Controlling a call using the WebRTC keypad in ContactPad in this page.
You end your outbound call in the same way as you would end a normal inbound call. For information about ending inbound calls, see Working with an inbound call. To hang up, click Hangup. The only difference is that all outbound calls receive the same amount of wrap up time, as set by your supervisor, while inbound calls receive a wrap up time that depends on the type of inbound call.
Controlling a call using the WebRTC keypad in ContactPad
To control an ongoing call using a WebRTC keypad in ContactPad, click the arrow below the Hangup and mute buttons. The panel expands and displays the keypad.
For information about tasks you can perform during a call using a keypad, see Controlling calls using your telephone keypad.
Identifying which webpage contains the active ContactPad
If you have multiple open webpages or tabs containing ContactPad, you can identify which ContactPad is active or is connected to a call.
- A telephone icon in the top-right corner of ContactPad indicates that this ContactPad is active and either ready to be connected to a call or is currently connected to a call.
- During a call, a video icon appears in the address bar in the webpage or tab that contains the connected ContactPad.
- During a call, if ContactPad is open in a tab, a recording icon appears in the tab.
Popping out the active ContactPad
To avoid disconnecting from your call by closing the webpage or tab containing the active ContactPad, you can open (or 'pop') a separate WebRTC tab. This tab contains and runs the code required for WebRTC. Doing so enables you to work with and close any of your webpages or tabs containing ContactPad without risking being disconnected (temporarily or permanently) from your call.
To pop a separate tab with WebRTC code, click the arrow in the top-left corner of ContactPad. The arrow is only visible when you are not on a call.
The new tab contains information about your WebRTC connection status and clearly indicates that you should not close the page.
Ending a call using ContactPad with WebRTC
You end a call using ContactPad with WebRTC in the usual way. For information about ending calls, see Working with an inbound call. To hang up, click Hangup in ContactPad.
Using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
The extension will no longer be supported from January 1, 2023.
Over the coming months, your account will be migrated to the new way of using ContactPad with WebRTC. When your account has been migrated, we recommend that you disable or remove the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension from your browser or browsers. Until January 1, 2023, if the extension is still enabled, buttons for accepting and rejecting the call appear in the extension as well as in ContactPad. Buttons to to mute and hang up the call appear in the extension too and there are some additional options available.
This section includes extension-specific information. Most of the information earlier in this page applies.
Limitations when using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
We support using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension only in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium).
We develop and test the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension only in the latest versions of Chrome and Edge.
Best practice when using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
- Enable Periodic extension reload for the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension. For information, see the Configuring optional settings for WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension section later in this page.
Setting up the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
You must then add the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension to your Chrome or Edge browser. For information about adding the extension, see Adding the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension to your browser later in this page.
Adding the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension to your browser
To use the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension, you must add the extension to your Chrome or Edge browser. On adding the extension, you can browse away from the browser window containing ContactPad during a call. You can open and close any number of Chrome or Edge browser windows—even the window containing ContactPad—and the call remains connected. You can also use the extension to answer and control calls from any Chrome or Edge browser window.
To add the extension to your browser, perform the following tasks:
- Depending on which browser you want to use, go to one of the following pages:
- For Chrome: WebRTC for Vonage CC.
Alternatively go to the Chrome web store at https://chrome.google.com/webstore. Search the store for WebRTC for Vonage CC. - For Edge: WebRTC for Vonage CC.
Alternatively go to Edge Add-ons at https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/Microsoft-Edge-Extensions-Home. Search for WebRTC for Vonage CC.
- For Chrome: WebRTC for Vonage CC.
- Click to add the extension to your browser.
If prompted, click to confirm that you want to add the extension. A new browser window opens. At this point a pop up may appear requesting to use your microphone—if so, you will also see an error message in red: WebRTC permissions denied. Click to allow the extension to use your microphone—the error message is replaced by a success message in green: WebRTC permissions granted.
- In the new browser window, check that all the messages are green and correct any errors.
Now, when you receive an incoming call, click WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center's icon in any Chrome or Edge window to answer and control the call. For information about receiving a call using ContactPad with WebRTC, see Receiving an inbound call using ContactPad with WebRTC later in this page.
You can also click the icon during an existing outbound call to control that call in the same way. For information about making an outbound call using ContactPad with WebRTC, see Making an outbound call using ContactPad with WebRTC later in this page.
You can open and close any number of Chrome and Edge browser windows—even the window containing ContactPad—and the call remains connected.
Configuring optional settings for WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
When you have added the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension to your Chrome or Edge browser, you can optionally configure various settings. To access these settings, right-click the extension's icon in your browser's address bar click Options. The available options appear in a new browser tab.
The following options are available in addition to the options described earlier in the page:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Preferred Output Device | Your preferred output audio device. The audio device you select as your preferred audio device will be selected as the Primary Output Device whenever that device is available. |
| Auto Gain Control | Select the Auto Gain Control check box to enable automatic gain control. By default, the check box is selected. |
| Echo Cancellation | Select the Echo Cancellation check box to enable echo cancellation. By default, the check box is selected. |
| Noise Suppression | Select the Noise Suppression check box to enable Noise suppression. By default, the check box is selected. |
| Highpass Filter | Select the Highpass Filter check box to enable a high-pass filter. By default, the check box is selected. |
| Periodic Extension reload | Select the Periodic Extension reload check box to reload the extension in the following circumstances:
or
By default, the check box is not selected. |
Receiving an inbound call using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
To receive an inbound call using ContactPad with WebRTC, you must set your status in ContactPad to Ready.
Using ContactPad in the usual way, when you receive an incoming call, instead of your telephone handset ringing, the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension contains buttons that you can use to accept the incoming call. For information about receiving an inbound call in the usual way, see Making and receiving calls in ContactPad.
To receive an inbound call using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension, ContactPad does not need to be visible in any browser window. You can use the extension in any Chrome or Edge browser window.
Buttons to control the call appear in the browser extension.
- If you do not have auto-answer enabled for your account, Accept and Reject buttons appear in the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension. Click the extension's icon in your browser's address bar to see the available buttons.
- If you have auto-answer enabled for inbound calls for your account, Hangup and mute (a microphone icon) buttons appear in the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension and you are automatically connected to the caller. Click the extension's icon in your browser's address bar to see the available buttons.
Making an outbound call using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
When you make the outbound call, instead of your telephone handset ringing, the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension contains buttons that you can use to continue with outbound calls.
You can use the extension in any Chrome or Edge browser window and ContactPad does not need to be visible in any browser window.
If you do not have auto-answer enabled for your account, Accept and Reject buttons appear the extension. Click the extension's icon in your browser's address bar to see the available buttons.
- If you have auto-answer enabled for outbound calls for your account, Hangup and mute (a microphone icon) buttons appear in the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension. Click the extension's icon in your browser's address bar to see the available buttons.
Ending a call using the WebRTC for Vonage Contact Center extension
To hang up, click the hang up button in the WebRTC extension.