FreePBX initial setup: from login to internal calling

Make the installation identifiable

Record the host name, software versions, network address, time zone and administrative owner. Confirm the browser is connecting to the intended system through a trusted management path. Use a unique administrator credential and maintain a documented recovery route for access.

Review dashboard notifications and installer logs before dismissing them. Separate a licensing prompt for an optional capability from an actual failure of a required service.

FreePBX manages the Asterisk configuration

Establish the network assumptions

Confirm name resolution and time synchronization. Document how local and remote phones will reach the PBX and which interface is used for carrier traffic. A server moved from an office network to a VPS needs a new topology review, not just a new address on the phones.

Keep management access restricted. Plan signaling and media policy separately, using the actual configured ports and carrier requirements.

Build a minimal internal system

Create two PJSIP extensions with individual secrets, submit and apply configuration, then provision two endpoints. Test each direction and verify audio, hangup and recovery after a handset restart. Do not attach a paid trunk as a workaround for an internal test that is not understood.

If a call fails, record whether it was rejected, unanswered or connected without sound. Those outcomes lead to different investigations.

Establish the first recovery point

Configure off-host backup storage and run a backup. Save the deployment notes alongside the recovery procedure, without exposing secrets in shared documentation. Only after this baseline is stable should you add incoming numbers, outbound permissions and more complex call handling.