This guide covers the network and system requirements and recommendations for running the Nooks Dialer.

Background

The Nooks Dialer places calls as a live WebRTC audio session directly between a rep’s browser and Twilio, the telephony infrastructure provider Nooks uses for calling. Because that audio stream runs in real time between the browser and Twilio’s servers, network configuration has a direct impact on call quality. This guide walks through what your network needs to allow, and how to configure it correctly. 

Network Configuration

Use this section to confirm your firewall, VPN, and network policies will not block or degrade the real-time audio connection the Nooks Dialer depends on. 

Firewall Configuration

Corporate firewalls often block or restrict UDP traffic by default. Twilio’s media path (and its TURN relay, which handles cases where UDP cannot get through directly) depends on UDP. A restrictive firewall configuration is a common cause of call-quality issues on locked-down networks. 

Open Ports

Nooks calls travel over specific ports for signalling and media. If any of these are blocked, calls may fail to connect, drop mid-call, or suffer from one-way or choppy audio. Confirm these ports are open on your network. 

Allowlist Twilio IPs and Domains

Allowing these IP ranges and hostnames ensures your network recognizes Twilio’s traffic as legitimate. 

Allowlist Twilio’s global media IP range: 168.86.128.0/18.

Additionally, allowlist *twilio.com. If your network requires exact hostnames rather than a wildcard, use the signaling gateways below.

For the full, most-up-to-date list of Twilio IP ranges by region, see Twilio’s Voice SDK Network Connectivity Requirements and Twilio’s IP Addresses documentation. 

If your reps use the Salesfloor, also allowlist .opentok.com and .tokbox.com to prevent video and audio quality degradation while on the Salesfloor.

VPN Configuration

Many organizations require reps to stay on a VPN for security compliance, but VPNs and real-time audio tend not to mix well by default. Understanding the possible complications can help you identify how to accommodate both requirements. 

We generally do not recommend using VPNs with Nooks due to potential negative impacts on call quality, connection times, and the overall user experience. Using a VPN can introduce latency, egress IP address switching during calls due to saturation, and other network performance issues. These complications may negatively impact services that rely on low-latency communication, such as VoIP and real-time collaboration tools like Nooks.

Split Tunneling

If your organization requires reps to stay on a VPN, configure split tunneling so that Twilio traffic (the domains, IPs, and ports listed above) routes directly to the internet rather than through the VPN tunnel.This keeps real-time call audio off the tunnel while the rest of the rep’s traffic remains protected by your VPN policy, which can improve call quality. 

Device and Equipment Recommendations

Network configuration alone does not guarantee a good calling experience if the underlying hardware cannot keep up. This section provides the specs to evaluate or provision rep machines against. 

Minimum System Requirements

Meeting these device specifications ensures Nooks runs, but call quality and performance may degrade under load (for example, during parallel dialing or with many browser tabs open).

Recommended System Requirements

These specifications provide headroom for parallel dialing, multiple browser tabs, and other applications running concurrently. 

Browser Requirements

We recommend using Chrome or Edge on desktop. Other Chromium-based browsers (for example, Brave) generally work, but are not recommended. Keep Chrome or Edge updated to the latest version, as older versions accumulate WebRTC bugs. 

• Click here for the steps to update Google Chrome. 

• Click here for the steps to update Microsoft Edge. 

Non-Chromium based browsers (such as Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera) are not supported.

Best Practices

Follow the best practices below for the smoothest experience making calls through Nooks. 

Audio Device Best Practices

Clear and consistent audio is also essential for Nooks to accurately transcribe calls, generate summaries, and deliver coaching insights. 

• Use a wired USB headset. Bluetooth headsets and wireless earbuds (like AirPods) can introduce audio lag and latency, produce poor microphone quality, and randomly disconnect, especially during long or multi-app usage sessions.

• Select your microphone by its exact name, not “Default”. In Nooks, go to Settings → Audio and Video and choose your microphone from the list by name. The “Default” device in Chrome follows whatever the operating system currently considers default, which can change mid-call if a headset is plugged in or unplugged. Selecting a device by name pins it. 

• Keep Nooks open in a single browser tab. Multiple open Nooks tabs may compete to publish microphone audio and are a common cause of silent-call issues.

Wifi and Bandwidth Best Practices

Because Nooks relies on real-time audio connection, network stability matters just as much as raw speed. These practices help avoid the dropped packets, jitter, and congestion that most commonly cause choppy or silent calls. 

• Prefer wired Ethernet over wifi. Ethernet delivers consistently higher speeds and has virtually zero latency spikes. Wifi can be prone to local network congestion and less stable. If you must use wifi, avoid moving between access points mid-call, which can drop audio. 

• Close bandwidth- or CPU-intensive applications when dialing. Video conferencing apps, large downloads, screen recorders, and streaming all compete for the same network and CPU resources. This is especially relevant when parallel dialing, which is more CPU intensive than power dialing. 

Troubleshooting Audio Issues

If you're experiencing audio problems (e.g., poor mic quality, no sound, or dropped input), try the following steps:

1. Check your system's default audio devices:

   • On macOS: Go to System Settings > Sound and confirm the correct input/output devices are selected.

   • On Windows: Go to Settings > System > Sound and check your input/output devices.

2. Verify browser permissions (especially in Chrome):

   • Visit chrome://settings/content/microphone and .../camera

   • Make sure the correct devices are selected and that app.nooks.ai is allowed to use them.

3. Close other applications that might be using your mic or audio (Zoom, Teams, Discord, etc.), as they can sometimes take exclusive control of your audio devices.

4. Refresh your browser or restart your machine after plugging in a new headset to ensure it's detected correctly.

5. Test your microphone and output:

   • Use online audio test tools (such as this Twilio test) or your system settings to ensure your mic is capturing sound and your speakers/headset are working properly.

6. Disable Bluetooth temporarily if using a wired headset—some systems will prioritize wireless connections unless manually changed.

7. Disable Chrome's automatic volume adjustment if experiencing audio dropouts or volume fluctuations:

   • Navigate to chrome://flags/ in your browser

   • Search for "webrtc"

   • Find and disable the setting "Allow WebRTC to adjust the input volume"

   • Restart Chrome for the change to take effect

8. Restart your device and browser. A full restart can help clear your computer's RAM and terminate buggy background processes, restoring your system to a clean state.

9. Switch to a wired Ethernet connection if Wi-Fi is unstable. Ethernet typically provides a more stable connection and is less prone to latency.

10. Make sure hardware acceleration is enabled in your browser. This is especially important in Chrome.