FYI Licensing: Confused??

hwcltj

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Hello all,

I've been using IPBX/PIAF for as long as I can remember and following Ward's NV blog since ~2010-2011 - thank you Ward for all your hard work and for everything you've done for the community.

In all these years though, with all the different editions, releases, updates and flavours of various PBX's I've never been this confused about what is currently being offered.

Specifically, by 3CX.

In October 2016 a free version was released - great!
Limited SIP trunks and limited extensions - OK this was clear, understood.

Soon after is when the confusion started... Between:

- The various sign up links here, on NV and the 3CX site itself
- The NV reader only offer last month and having to guess what is included and what isn't.
- The super ambiguous sales e-mails from 3CX (I think?) - "$289 license for FREE" - which one? What comes with it? Where do I claim?
- The many threads on this forum discussing which link gets you which license
- This license is perpetual
- That license has maintenance
- This other one is the pro edition but only for one year?
- 2 or 4 G729 channels?
- Unlimited SIP trunks or 1 SIP trunk?
- Is it Free or Standard?
- 4 or 8 simultaneous calls?

Basically, you've all done my head in.

Could someone please explain - as if I was 5 years old - what the difference between all these "free" offerings are?

I realise the free version is supposed to entice us towards a paid license - which FYI, I don't mind paying for at all - but I'd really like to know what I'm getting first.

BONUS QUESTIONS - to help negate all ambiguity:
  • If/when I wanted to, could I upgrade my "free" license to a paid one without having to rebuild/re-configure my/client's server?
  • Can I use my own domain with one of these "free" licenses? If I'm not mistaken, only if I provide my own certificate? What about Let's Encrypt?
  • I've installed 3CX using a "free" license for testing/evaluation purposes, can I change the FQDN?
I'd like to have a shiny new PBX installed by the end of week and that frog distro is looking very attractive right about now...
 

YiannisH

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Hello @hwcltj

Let me see if i can clear up some of the confusion. The free licence is free for a year and it includes maintenance a 3CX FQDN and Let's Encrypt certificates. This is the free licence that is available to anyone who wishes to try out 3CX. The second licence type was offered to the members of this forum and it is a standard licence with 4 simultaneous calls. You should have received an email regarding this.

What is included in each version can be found in this link . The features of each version are standard. On each version however you can have a higher number of simultaneous calls.

"If/when I wanted to, could I upgrade my "free" license to a paid one without having to rebuild/re-configure my/client's server?"
Yes you can. You will need to provide your free key to a re-seller so it can be upgraded. Once upgraded you only need to reactivate the licence and the features will be unlocked.

"Can I use my own domain with one of these "free" licenses? If I'm not mistaken, only if I provide my own certificate? What about Let's Encrypt?"
When using a free licence you there is no option to use your own FQDN. You will need to use a 3CX provided FQDN that comes with Let's Encrypt certificates.


"I've installed 3CX using a "free" license for testing/evaluation purposes, can I change the FQDN?"
The FQDN of a PBX can only be changed by re-installing the system. The FQDN is bound to the licence during the installation process so to change the FQDN you need to re-install. You can perform a backup without licence and FQDN, save the backup to a non 3CX location then re-install using the backup you created. You will need to release the FQDN from the licence from your costumer portal before the re-installation.
 

hwcltj

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@YiannisH - thanks for trying to clear up the confusion - although I'm still not 100% clear on a few things.

Through the NV blog, I've got a standard license - which is now telling me I've got:
10 extensions, 4 simultaneous calls, unlimited trunks, 2 G729 channels, a perpetual key and updates/maintenance until August 2018.

Using this license - can I use my own FQDN with Let's Encrypt? The table says "Custom FQDN" for standard.
What is the pricing for another year of updates/maintenance? $75 USD/year?

The offering from this forum/the e-mail gets me what exactly?
Unlimited extensions, unlimited trunks, 4 simultaneous calls, unlimited G729 and 1 year of maintenance?
 

wardmundy

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The Nerd Vittles free license gets you everything you've said and a year of free maintenance with your 3CX FQDN. If I'm not mistaken, you can specify your own FQDN and credentials when you first install the free license. Otherwise, you get the 3CX FQDN. I don't think you can change it later. Yes, there's an annual maintenance fee to cover updates and FQDN after the first year. My recollection is that it's less than $100. Extensions really aren't limited as I understand it. The 10 extensions is just a ballpark number for how many extensions would typically be supported by 4 simultaneous calls.
 

hwcltj

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If I'm not mistaken, you can specify your own FQDN and credentials when you first install the free license.

Yup - but it seems as though I couldn't use an LE certificate automatically?
During setup I had to provide my own certificate?

Extensions really aren't limited as I understand it. The 10 extensions is just a ballpark number for how many extensions would typically be supported by 4 simultaneous calls.

That's good to know! I thought it was hard limited to just 10.
 

wardmundy

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Just tested...

DHS0v2mWAAAcVDA.jpg
 

hwcltj

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In regards to installing a Let's Encrypt certificate using your own FQDN for 3CX with at least a standard license - I figured out a pretty basic way to do so and wrote a quick and dirty bash script to help with the process.

The below assumes a fresh installation of 3CX.
The LE certificates are generated using the acme.sh script - https://github.com/Neilpang/acme.sh.

Usage:

1 - Install acme.sh
If installing in the cloud, install acme before installing 3CX - be sure to logout of your shell and re-login for the acme alias to work.

[UNTESTED] If installing on the 3CX distro, I'm guessing you can install acme just after 3CX prompts if you'd like to continue the installation via the command prompt or via the web installer. Again, don't forget to logout and log back in for the alias to take.

2 - Save the script below to your /root folder and make it executable with chmod +x .
Easiest way is to copy and paste using nano.

3 - Install 3CX and when prompted at the end, proceed to the web based installer.
Go through the web installer using your own FQDN.

4 - When the installer prompts you to upload your certificate go back to the terminal and run the script.
You'll be asked to enter the hostname you'd like to generate the certificates for.

The script will then ask acme to generate the LE certificates using the standalone TLS method on port 443.

5 - Using your favourite SFTP client download the certificate and key file presented in the script to your desktop and upload them to the web-based installer. The .PEM file first and the .key file second.

6 - Keep going through the web based installer to the point where you've logged into the 3CX dashboard for the first time and activated your insallation.

7 - Go back to the script and hit the return key to continue.
Acme will then install/copy the certificates it automatically generated to the correct paths.
As acme automatically renews the certificate every 60(?) days it will now know where to copy the renewed certificates to.

8 - Enjoy an LE certificate on your own domain with 3CX.

Code:
#!/bin/bash

host_name=""

if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "Please run this as root."
    exit 1
fi

if [ ! -f "/root/.acme.sh/acme.sh" ]; then
    echo "ACME.sh doesn't seem to be installed?"
    echo "Exiting"
    exit 1
fi


while [ -z "$host_name" ]; do
echo "What is this server's hostname?"
read host_name
echo ""
read -r -p "SSL certificates will be generated for $host_name. Continue? [Y/N] " hostConfirm
if [[ $hostConfirm =~ ^([nN][oO]|[nN])$ ]]
then
  echo ""
  echo "Failed to set hostname. Exiting."
  unset host_name
  exit 1
fi
echo ""
done

echo "Generating SSL certificate for $host_name"
~/.acme.sh/acme.sh --issue --tls -d $host_name

echo "Creating .PEM file"
cat ~/.acme.sh/$host_name/$host_name.cer ~/.acme.sh/$host_name/$host_name.key >> ~/.acme.sh/$host_name/$host_name.pem

echo ""
echo "################################################################"
echo "You now need to upload the following files to the web interface:"
echo "################################################################"
echo "1 - /root/.acme.sh/$host_name/$host_name.pem"
echo "2 - /root/.acme.sh/$host_name/$host_name.key"
echo "################################################################"
echo ""
echo "Continue when you've manually uploaded the certificates to the 3CX web-based installer and activated your 3CX installation."
echo ""
read -p "Press ENTER to continue"
echo ""

echo "Backing up 3CX NGINX config"
cp /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/3cxpbx /root/3cxpbx_nginx_backup

echo "Installing/Re-Copying SSL certificates"
~/.acme.sh/acme.sh --installcert -d $host_name \
--certpath /var/lib/3cxpbx/Bin/nginx/conf/Instance1/$host_name-crt.pem \
--keypath /var/lib/3cxpbx/Bin/nginx/conf/Instance1/$host_name-key.pem

echo ""
echo "Restarting NGINX"
service nginx restart

echo ""
echo "Done!"
echo ""
echo "Make sure you still have HTTPS connectivity for $host_name."
echo "You can now delete the 3cxpbx_nginx_backup from the root folder if everything went well."
 

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