phoneblock/answerbot2 repository overview

⁠PhoneBlock spam-call blocker for the Fritz!Box

This image runs the PhoneBlock Dongle⁠ firmware as a Linux service. It registers as an IP phone with your Fritz!Box and answers a call only if the caller's number is listed in the community-maintained PhoneBlock spam database⁠. Spam callers hear an announcement; all other calls ring as usual.

It has the same web UI, settings and version as the ESP32 dongle, and contains exactly the Debian package from the PhoneBlock APT repository⁠.

⁠Tags

Platforms: linux/amd64, linux/arm64, linux/arm/v7 (e.g. Raspberry Pi, most NAS).

⁠Quick start

docker run -d --name phoneblock --network host --restart unless-stopped \
  -v phoneblock:/var/lib/phoneblock -e TZ=Europe/Berlin \
  phoneblock/answerbot2:latest

Or with Docker Compose:

services:
  phoneblock:
    image: phoneblock/answerbot2:latest
    network_mode: host
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      TZ: Europe/Berlin
    volumes:
      - phoneblock:/var/lib/phoneblock
volumes:
  phoneblock:

Then open http://<docker-host>:8080/ in your browser and follow the setup:

1. Fritz!Box: enter your Fritz!Box login. The service creates its IP phone in the Fritz!Box by itself (TR-064; confirm on the box if it asks for two-factor confirmation). You can also enter the SIP credentials of an IP phone you created yourself.
2. PhoneBlock: log in with your PhoneBlock account (free of charge). This gives the service the API key it needs to check callers.

Until the PhoneBlock login is set up, the web UI only accepts access from the local network.

⁠Network

Use host networking (--network host): the Fritz!Box must reach the service directly via SIP and RTP (UDP) at the host's address. The local ports are 15060 (SIP) and 16000 (RTP) by default (settings sip_lport and rtp_port).

Without host networking you have to publish these UDP ports as well as the web UI port, and set contact_host/contact_port in the settings to the address of the Docker host.

⁠Configuration

All settings are made in the web UI; the quick start above needs no further options. Only the time zone and, if needed, the web UI's port are set as environment variables when the container is created:

With host networking the web UI uses the port directly on the Docker host. If port 8080 is already taken there (e.g. by the NAS's own interface), choose another one: add -e PHONEBLOCK_WEB_PORT=8090 to the docker run command, or with Compose:

    environment:
      TZ: Europe/Berlin
      PHONEBLOCK_WEB_PORT: "8090"

The web UI is then at http://<docker-host>:8090/. Use these variables rather than the --web/--web-bind options, so the container's health check finds the web UI.

⁠Data

Settings, the device ID and the announcement are stored in the volume at /var/lib/phoneblock (file dongle.conf). The service runs as user phoneblock (UID 100, GID 101). On start, the container hands a mounted host directory over to this user. If you don't want that, start the container with --user <uid>:<gid> and a directory this user can write to.

⁠Updates

docker pull phoneblock/answerbot2:latest
docker rm -f phoneblock
# then run the docker run command from above again

With Compose: docker compose pull && docker compose up -d. The settings are kept in the volume.

⁠Logs and health

docker logs -f phoneblock

The container reports healthy once the web UI responds at /health.

⁠Coming from phoneblock/answerbot

This image replaces the Java-based phoneblock/answerbot⁠. Its environment variables (SIP_USER, PHONEBLOCK_API_KEY, …) are not used any more; set up the Fritz!Box and the PhoneBlock login again in the web UI. The service answers spam calls and plays the announcement; it does not hold a conversation with the caller like the old answerbot (yet).

⁠Links

• PhoneBlock: https://phoneblock.net/phoneblock/⁠
• Source code and issues: https://github.com/haumacher/phoneblock⁠
• Installing without Docker (Debian, Raspberry Pi OS): https://haumacher.github.io/phoneblock/apt/⁠

License: GPL-3.0-or-later