Add International Reach to Your PBX

Overview

You have a working PBX in the UK on Asterisk. Now you want Dutch and German numbers for your European clients. The traditional approach: negotiate with a Dutch carrier, sign a contract, wait for provisioning, configure a new trunk. That takes weeks.

With DIDfarm: add a second SIP trunk to your existing PBX, order numbers in NL and DE from the dashboard, assign them to the trunk, and you're live in under 10 minutes. Your existing trunk stays untouched.

Architecture

Your PBX (3CX / Asterisk / FreePBX)
├── Trunk 1: Current provider (BT, KPN, etc.)
│   └── Handles: UK domestic numbers + calls
│
└── Trunk 2: DIDfarm
    ├── +49 30 123456 (Berlin, Germany)
    ├── +31 20 123456 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
    ├── +33 1 2345678 (Paris, France)
    └── Handles: All international inbound + outbound

Inbound routing: PBX routes based on which DID was called
Outbound routing: Use DIDfarm trunk for international calls (cheaper)

Step 1 — Add DIDfarm as a Second Trunk

1. Go to My Numbers → SIP Trunks → Create Trunk
2. Add the trunk to your PBX as a second trunk (don't replace your existing one)
3. See PBX setup guides for platform-specific instructions

Step 2 — Get International Numbers

1. Go to Browse Numbers
2. Select country and city (e.g., Germany → Berlin)
3. Order one or more local numbers
4. Assign them to your DIDfarm SIP trunk

Step 3 — Configure Routing

Inbound routing

Create inbound routes for each DIDfarm number. Route them to the appropriate extension, queue, or IVR based on the called number:

[from-didfarm]
; German clients
exten => +4930123456,1,Goto(german-ivr,s,1)

; Dutch clients
exten => +31201234567,1,Goto(dutch-ivr,s,1)

; French clients
exten => +33123456789,1,Goto(french-ivr,s,1)

Outbound routing

Route international outbound calls via the DIDfarm trunk (often cheaper than your domestic provider for international calls):

Pattern +49X.  → DIDfarm trunk (Germany, caller ID: +4930123456)
Pattern +31X.  → DIDfarm trunk (Netherlands, caller ID: +31201234567)
Pattern +33X.  → DIDfarm trunk (France, caller ID: +33123456789)
Pattern 0X.    → Current provider (domestic UK calls)

Example: UK Company Adding DE + NL + FR

Total: €4.50/month for 3-country European presence. No new PBX, no new carrier contracts, no infrastructure changes.

Best Practices

• Keep your domestic trunk for local traffic — it's likely cheaper for domestic calls
• Use DIDfarm for international inbound and outbound — single provider for all countries
• Set country-correct caller ID on outbound routes (use the German number when calling Germany)
• Add local-language IVR greetings per DID for a professional impression
• Start with 1-2 countries to test the setup, then expand as needed

FAQ

Do I need to change my current trunk?

No. DIDfarm runs as a second trunk alongside your existing provider. You can keep both indefinitely, or migrate fully to DIDfarm later.

Can I use the international numbers for outbound calls?

Yes. Set the DIDfarm number as the outbound caller ID on your PBX route. Recipients will see a local number from their country.

What about fax?

DIDfarm SIP trunks support T.38 fax for countries where fax is still common (Germany, Japan). Enable it in your trunk settings.