> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.get2dial.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect a SIP carrier

> Add a SIP trunk so Get2Dial can send and receive calls through your carrier — the first thing any workspace needs.

Connect your SIP carrier to Get2Dial so it can send and receive calls. This is the first
thing every new workspace needs — nothing else in Get2Dial can make or take a real call
until a carrier is connected and approved.

## Before you start

* **Carrier setup is a self-service feature that must be enabled for your workspace.** If
  you don't see **Carriers** in the left navigation, contact Get2Dial to have it turned on.
* From your carrier (your SIP trunking provider), you need:
  * The SIP host or IP address you send calls to and receive calls from
  * The port and transport they expect (UDP, TCP, or TLS — UDP on port 5060 is most common)
  * Whether they authenticate you by **IP address** (they allowlist Get2Dial's IPs) or by
    **username and password** (SIP registration or digest auth)
  * A phone number to send as your outbound caller ID, if your carrier requires one

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Carriers">
    In the left navigation, select **Carriers**, then select **Add carrier**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name the carrier">
    Enter a **Name** you'll recognize later, such as "Primary SIP trunk".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the trunk type">
    Select **IP trunk (no registration)** if your carrier authenticates by IP address, or
    **Registration trunk** if Get2Dial needs to register with your carrier using a username
    and password.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the direction">
    Choose **Inbound + outbound**, **Outbound only**, or **Inbound only**, matching what
    your carrier provides.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the connection details">
    Enter the **Remote host**, **Remote port** (defaults to 5060), and **Transport** (UDP,
    TCP, or TLS) your carrier gave you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter authentication, if your carrier uses it">
    For a registration trunk, enter **Auth username**, **Auth password**, and **Auth
    realm**. Leave these blank for IP-based authentication.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your outbound caller ID">
    Enter the **Outbound caller ID number** your carrier expects on calls you send, in
    E.164 format (for example `+442012345678`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the carrier">
    Select **Save**. The carrier is created with status **Pending**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Verify

<Check>
  The carrier needs two things before it can carry real traffic: its **Status** must be
  **Active**, and its **Approval** must be **Approved**. A carrier you create starts pending
  on both. You control **Status** — a carrier you created and believe is correctly
  configured can be set to Active. **Approval** is granted by Get2Dial; if it's still
  **Pending review** after you've confirmed your settings are correct, contact Get2Dial
  support.
</Check>

Once both are set, continue to [Add a phone number](/voice/phone-numbers) or
[Add an outbound route](/voice/outbound-routes) — a carrier alone doesn't send or receive
anything until one of those points at it. Then confirm it actually works with
[Verify your connectivity](/voice/test-your-connectivity).

## Common problems

* **Approval stays pending.** Approval is performed by Get2Dial staff, not automatically.
  If it's been pending longer than expected, contact support with your carrier name and
  workspace.
* **Calls fail with a SIP error after approval.** Double-check transport (UDP vs. TCP vs.
  TLS) and port match exactly what your carrier told you — a mismatch here is the most
  common cause of registration or authentication failures. See
  [Registration failures](/troubleshooting/registration-failures).
* **You don't see Carriers in the navigation at all.** Self-service carrier setup isn't
  turned on for your workspace — contact Get2Dial to enable it.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add an outbound route" href="/voice/outbound-routes" />

  <Card title="Add a phone number" href="/voice/phone-numbers" />
</CardGroup>