Beside relies on your internet connection to make and receive calls, send texts, and deliver notifications - whether you're using the Beside mobile app or the web app at app.beside.com.
VPNs and corporate firewalls can interfere with these connections on either surface, causing calls to fail, audio to drop, or notifications to stop arriving.
Using Beside with a VPN
VPNs route your internet traffic through an intermediary server, which can increase latency and block the specific ports Beside uses for VoIP calls (including WebRTC on the web app). Common symptoms when using a VPN:
Calls fail to connect or drop immediately
No audio on one or both sides
Notifications stop arriving
Call forwarding verification fails (mobile)
What to do
The simplest fix is to disable your VPN while using Beside. If you need to keep the VPN active for other work, check whether your VPN client supports split tunneling - this lets you route specific apps (like the Beside mobile app) or domains (like app.beside.com) outside the VPN tunnel while keeping other traffic protected.
📌 Split tunneling availability depends on your VPN provider and plan. Check your VPN app's settings or contact your IT team if you're on a corporate VPN.
Using Beside behind a corporate firewall
Corporate firewalls may block VoIP traffic or the specific ports Beside needs to function. If Beside works fine on your personal network but not on your company's Wi-Fi, a firewall restriction is likely the cause.
What to do
Mobile - switch to cellular data - this bypasses your company's Wi-Fi and firewall entirely. If Beside works on cellular but not on office Wi-Fi, the issue is confirmed to be network-side.
Web app - try a personal hotspot or a different network - connect your computer to your phone's personal hotspot or a home network to confirm whether the issue is specific to your office Wi-Fi. If Beside works outside the office network, the firewall is the cause.
Contact your IT team - ask them to allow Beside's traffic. Beside uses standard VoIP protocols (SIP/RTP) over UDP and TCP on the mobile app, and WebRTC on the web app. Your IT team can whitelist traffic from Beside's infrastructure (and the
app.beside.comdomain) to ensure calls and notifications work reliably on both surfaces.
FAQ
My calls work fine but notifications stop when I'm on VPN. Why?
My calls work fine but notifications stop when I'm on VPN. Why?
Push notifications use a different delivery path than calls. Some VPNs block or delay push notification traffic even when call audio works. Try disabling the VPN and check if notifications resume - if they do, split tunneling or temporarily disabling the VPN when you need Beside is the best workaround.
I need to use a VPN at all times for security. What are my options?
I need to use a VPN at all times for security. What are my options?
Check if your VPN supports split tunneling, which allows you to exclude specific apps or domains from the VPN tunnel. On mobile, exclude the Beside app; on the web, exclude app.beside.com. If split tunneling isn't available, you can use the Beside mobile app on cellular data while the VPN is active on your work Wi-Fi connection.
Beside works on my phone's data but not on office Wi-Fi. What should I tell IT?
Beside works on my phone's data but not on office Wi-Fi. What should I tell IT?
Let your IT team know that Beside uses standard SIP/RTP traffic over UDP and TCP on the mobile app, and WebRTC on the web app at app.beside.com. They'll need to whitelist Beside's servers, allow VoIP and WebRTC traffic through the firewall, and allow the app.beside.com domain. If they need specific IP ranges or port information, reach out to our support team via the in-app chat and we can provide the technical details.
The web app won't connect calls from my work laptop. What should I check?
The web app won't connect calls from my work laptop. What should I check?
Corporate networks often block WebRTC traffic or the ports it uses, which will prevent the web app from completing calls even if the page loads normally. Test on a personal hotspot or home network to confirm - if calls work there, the office network is the cause, and your IT team will need to allow WebRTC traffic and the app.beside.com domain.