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Starting a Conference Call on 3CX

How to set up ad-hoc 3-way calls, use dedicated conference room extensions, and host web meetings — all from your 3CX system.

Ad-Hoc Conference (3-Way Calling)

The quickest way to bring a third party into an active call is to use the built-in conference feature on your desk phone or the web client. This creates an ad-hoc conference — no scheduling or room extension required.

  1. While on an active call, press the Conference key on your desk phone, or click the Add Call / Conference icon in the web client.
  2. The original caller is automatically placed on hold.
  3. Dial the second participant — an internal extension or an external number.
  4. When the second party answers, press the Conference key again (or click Merge in the web client) to join all three parties into a single call.
  5. All three participants can now hear and speak to each other simultaneously.

If the second party does not answer or declines, press Cancel or the Swap key to retrieve the original caller from hold.

Adding More Participants

To add a fourth or fifth participant to the conference, repeat the process: press Add Call, dial the next number, wait for them to answer, and press Conference to merge. Most 3CX deployments support between 10 and 20 simultaneous conference participants depending on your plan and server resources. Contact DVGVoIP if you regularly host large calls and want to confirm your capacity.

Using a Dedicated Conference Room Extension

3CX can be configured with virtual conference room extensions — for example, extension 800. A conference room extension works like a meeting bridge: anyone who dials that extension joins the same audio conference. This is useful for scheduled meetings where multiple people need to join from different phones.

  1. Ask DVGVoIP to confirm your conference room extension number if one has been configured on your system.
  2. At the scheduled time, each participant dials the conference room extension from their own phone.
  3. All participants who dial in are merged into the same call automatically.
  4. For external participants, share the main office number and ask the receptionist to transfer them to the conference room extension.

Web Meetings via the 3CX Web Client

The 3CX web client includes a built-in web meeting feature that allows video conferencing directly from a browser — no software installation required for participants. This is ideal when you need to share screens or when participants are outside your office network.

  1. In the 3CX web client, click the Video Conference icon or navigate to Meetings.
  2. Click New Meeting to create an instant meeting room.
  3. Copy the generated meeting link and share it with participants via email or chat.
  4. Participants click the link and join through their browser — no 3CX account or login is required on their end.

Web meetings support screen sharing, video, and chat. They are hosted on 3CX's servers and do not consume your phone system's concurrent call capacity in the same way as audio-only conferences.

Muting Participants

During a conference, the host can mute individual participants from the 3CX web client management view. Open the active conference panel, locate the participant's name in the list, and click the microphone icon next to their name to mute them. This is useful when background noise from one location is disrupting the call. Participants can also mute themselves from their own phone or app.

Removing a Participant

To drop a specific participant from an active conference, open the participants list in the 3CX web client and click the X icon next to their name. The removed participant's call is ended while the remaining participants stay connected. On a desk phone in a 3-way call, the host can typically end the connection to one party by pressing a soft key or using the conference management menu — the exact method varies by phone model.

Conference Call Tips

Designate one person as the host before the call starts so there is a clear person managing the participants list. Ask all participants to mute themselves when not speaking to reduce background noise. If you are hosting a recurring scheduled meeting, the 3CX conference room extension is more reliable than ad-hoc conferencing — it eliminates the need to merge calls manually each time.

Need Help?

Open a support ticket by emailing support@dvgvoip.com before calling — this helps us resolve your issue faster. Or call (807) 700-7111.

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