DocsQuickstart

Quickstart

From nothing to a running server with two connected users. Budget 30–60 minutes the first time, mostly for DNS and router settings.

What you need

  • A Windows or Linux machine to host the server (a regular PC works)
  • A domain name pointed at your public IP (a dynamic-DNS name works; the guided installer supports DDNS)
  • The ability to open/forward ports on your firewall or router if hosting from home
  • The Speakeasy desktop client (free download) for each user
  • The server package — available through Patreon

Steps

  1. Install the server. Follow the server install guide for your platform. The guided path handles TLS certificates automatically (Let's Encrypt) and uses an embedded database, so there is nothing extra to install.
  2. Open ports. Forward the HTTPS port (default 443 TCP), port 80 TCP (certificate issuance/renewal), and the WebRTC media port shown by the installer (UDP and TCP). Details in the ports section.
  3. Get the first admin credentials and change the password. The installer creates the first admin account. If you did not set a password during setup, the generated one is written to first-admin.txt in the server's data directory. The desktop client cannot connect until you change it in a web browser: open https://yourdomain/auth/login?redirect=/change-password (add :port after the domain if your HTTPS port is not 443), sign in with the generated email and password, then on the Change Your Password page enter the generated password as Current Password, enter a new password of at least 8 characters twice and click Change Password.
  4. Install the desktop client on your machine (Windows / Linux).
  5. Add your server in the client. Click Add Server, enter a name, your domain as the host, and the port (443 by default), then sign in with the admin account.
  6. Invite a second user. Have a friend install the client, add the same server, and create an account.
  7. Join a voice room together and check you can hear each other.
  8. Set up push-to-talk and confirm it works while the app is unfocused.
  9. Test screen sharing.
  10. Make your first backup. It covers the database, the config file, and the certificate state — do it while everything is fresh.

Stuck? The troubleshooting guide covers the common failure points: DNS, ports, NAT, and audio devices.