# Set Up Cloud Voice as an LDAP Server

Cloud Voice can act as an LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) server, holding your contact directory on the phone system itself. LDAP is a standard way for devices to look up records in a shared directory. Once it is running, IP phones (desk phones that connect over your network) reach Cloud Voice over LDAP and search those contacts on demand, so you don't have to load a directory onto each device by hand.

## Turn on the LDAP server

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice management portal and open **Contacts > LDAP Server**.
2. At the top of the page, switch **LDAP Server** on.
3. Open the **LDAP Server Settings** tab to review the values Cloud Voice uses, and adjust any of them to suit your environment.

   
   ![Cloud Voice, LDAP server settings tab showing host, mode, ports, and base DN fields](/images/pbx/cloud-ldap-settings.png)

   | Setting | What it controls |
   | --- | --- |
   | LDAP Host | The address of the Cloud Voice LDAP server. Clients use this address to reach the server. |
   | LDAP Mode | The connection protocol the server and its clients use to communicate. |
   | LDAP Port | The port the server listens on for standard (unencrypted) LDAP connections. |
   | LDAPs Port | The port the server listens on for secure LDAP (LDAPs) connections, where traffic is encrypted. |
   | Base DN | The top-level entry of the directory tree that searches start from. DN stands for distinguished name. Use the format `dc=XXX,dc=com`, where each `dc` is one domain component. For example, `dc=example,dc=branch,dc=cloudvoice,dc=com`. |

   :::note
   The Base DN accepts only numbers, letters, and the characters `*` `.` `@` `-` `_`. Keep it short enough to fit within the length your phones and other connected clients support.
   :::

   :::tip
   If your phones support it, pick the secure LDAP mode and its LDAPs port so contact lookups travel encrypted instead of in plain text.
   :::

   :::caution
   The LDAP Host, LDAP Mode, port, and Base DN you set here must be entered exactly the same way in each IP phone's LDAP settings. If the phone's configuration does not match the server, contact searches return nothing.
   :::

4. Open the **LDAP Nodes** tab and enable or disable individual nodes as needed. A node is one branch of the directory tree (a group of contact entries). A disabled node can't be searched, so its entries won't be returned to clients.

   
   ![Cloud Voice, LDAP Nodes tab with per-node enable and disable toggles](/images/pbx/cloud-ldap-nodes-enable-disable.png)

## Result

Cloud Voice now serves your directory over LDAP. Store contacts directly on the phone system, connect your IP phones to it over LDAP, and look up contact details right from the phone.