3CX v18U5 failed to establish a TCP connection to activate.3cx.com

[davide.bonavita]

Hi there,
after renewing our subscription I've tried to refresh the license but the server fails to communicate with the activation service.
- The server version is 18.0 Update 5 (Build 418), from what I've read in the other posts it should only fail for versions < U5
- I've tried using 8.8.8.8 as only dns server and reboot the server, no luck. This is the output of dig:

root@ip-172-26-12-148:~# dig activate.3cx.com

; <<>> DiG 9.11.5-P4-5.1+deb10u5-Debian <<>> activate.3cx.com
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 1339
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 512
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;activate.3cx.com.              IN      A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
activate.3cx.com.       300     IN      A       104.18.40.127
activate.3cx.com.       300     IN      A       172.64.147.129

;; Query time: 4 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Mon Aug 21 15:09:48 BST 2023
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 77

- I can ping the service, I can only curl the url with https://

root@ip-172-26-12-148:~# ping activate.3cx.com
PING activate.3cx.com (172.64.147.129): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 172.64.147.129: icmp_seq=0 ttl=49 time=0.747 ms
64 bytes from 172.64.147.129: icmp_seq=1 ttl=49 time=0.720 ms
--- activate.3cx.com ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.720/0.734/0.747/0.000 ms


root@ip-172-26-12-148:~# curl -I https://activate.3cx.com
HTTP/2 404
date: Mon, 21 Aug 2023 14:13:28 GMT
content-type: text/html
x-powered-by: ASP.NET
cf-cache-status: DYNAMIC
set-cookie: __cf_bm=qL1W0tfJYGvByuufi8RgHYBq.54.KGOF2353E.nydu4-1692627208-0-AWzVoE7Pb+OmiP9E1vnQe4yZs7DVMy0A9JvFljRF15UQegBYn0sM39WWe2KUCbz/667Ygg7kncDW14GnUiQSBRc=; path=/; expires=Mon, 21-Aug-23 14:43:28 GMT; domain=.3cx.com; HttpOnly; Secure; SameSite=None
server: cloudflare
cf-ray: 7fa37a0fc81020d5-IAD

- There are no rules that restrict the outbound traffic

 

[Alexbg89]

Was expiring tomorrow. Bad timing really. I just updated to 8a and it shows the new license information now.

 

[SteveITS]

It'd be handy if 3CX (re)released update 8 then. More customers would/could update automatically before it became a problem.

 

[bitn2]

Really? 18.0.7.312 is the last final... U8 is final since this month. There is really no time to update before you change the activation servers. Thats really bad!!! This info should be send by mail to every partner and user...

 

[UncleSoup]

This is crazy, I have a new install, new customer, not sure I want them on a Beta!

 

[davide.bonavita]

So to clarify, Older builds remain activated, but going to license will stop due to the certificate change.

The system will remain working, but if you want and need to activate it, you must update to the latest update 8 build 917.

This is the latest version available for us, shall we update in multiple steps?

 

[bitn2]

This is the latest version available for us, shall we update in multiple steps?View attachment 36873

Yes, you need to update in several steps or take a backup, reinstall und restore.

 

[SteveITS]

For the sake of the thread, one can go from 18u7 to the beta hotfix for 18u8 and it will upgrade to 18u8. That step just has to be a manual install since it's marked as a beta. (note manual updates do not install Debian security fixes).

 

[danielino1981]

Good afternoon everybody.
3cx PBX Professional 18.0 - Update 7 expiring on August 27, 2023
Purchased license, but when I update in the console I get the following error

3CX was unable to establish a TCP connection to activate.3cx.com.
Make sure your local or hosting Firewall is configured to allow traffic to activate.3cx.com

Ping responds correctly. What can I do?

Running an nslokuup I have this

C:\Users\XXXX>nslookup activate.3cx.com
Server: dns.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8

Response from a non-authoritative server:
Name: activate.3cx.com
Addresses: 2606:4700:4400::6812:287f
2606:4700:4400::ac40:9381
104.18.40.127
172.64.147.129

I open the blank page correctly


https://activate.3cx.com/

No outgoing block

I noticed that if I go into product details I get the same error, it doesn't load the license details.

3CX was unable to establish a TCP connection to activate.3cx.com.
Make sure your local or hosting Firewall is configured to allow traffic to activate.3cx.com
From what I've read in your previous posts
Do I have to upgrade to beta? With the risk of trouble?

Just do manual update on the console?

Are there any special precautions once the beta is installed?

 

[SteveITS]

You need to upgrade to update 8 per this thread. If it helps, update 8 was released then pulled because of an issue with interface detection, then the beta hotfix for that was released a few days later. They just never "released" the hotfix.

 

[danielino1981]

You need to upgrade to update 8 per this thread. If it helps, update 8 was released then pulled because of an issue with interface detection, then the beta hotfix for that was released a few days later. They just never "released" the hotfix.

Thank you
So I proceed with update, I have windows machine

 

[Chris Walters]

Based on previous experience, if the license has expired, you will not be able to update to the new version. You'll need to take a backup and then reinstall 3CX and then add your license.

I love the sound of doing that on 100 servers.

 

[Mike P]

I love the sound of doing that on 100 servers.

No kidding. And once again, a post in a user forum is how they get the news out.

 

[Charles_3CX]

Based on previous experience, if the license has expired, you will not be able to update to the new version. You'll need to take a backup and then reinstall 3CX and then add your license.

If you allow the license to expire before updating then yes, older versions can’t not activate, therefore if you renew the subscription the system will not communicate with the activation server to take the renewed subscription.

You may contact us at 3CX Techical support in such cases. As long as the version is u7 312 from where we can assist.

 

[fatianow]

The speed of updates, along with the removal of the ability for consumers to individually choose deployment options for a phone system, as soon as the image and suggested servers are USA-based, and also the discontinuation of support for old versions that have worked for years, raises concerns about a rapid departure from customer-centric policies. Such a policy increasingly makes me contemplate the switch to alternative systems.

 

[rmauer]

I just had to deal with a u5 server that had an expired license. I was able to get it updated without re-installing.
I had to stop ntp, change the date, do the update to u6, wait, re-enable ntp, then rinse and repeat.
Step by step to do those things:
1) Log into the console or ssh as root run these:
systemctl disable systemd-timesyncd
date -s 2023-10-20 (my license was valid on this day)
2) log into the management console and update the system
3) Wait about 5 minutes
4) Enable timesync again:
systemctl enable systemd-timesyncd
5) Get logged back into management console and verify it updated.
6) Repeat steps 1-5 until on the latest u8 and your license is getting validated by the server again.

Thank you 3cx for the top tier support

 

[turkeyman]

I just had to deal with a u5 server that had an expired license. I was able to get it updated without re-installing.
I had to stop ntp, change the date, do the update to u6, wait, re-enable ntp, then rinse and repeat.
Step by step to do those things:
1) Log into the console or ssh as root run these:
systemctl disable systemd-timesyncd
date -s 2023-10-20 (my license was valid on this day)
2) log into the management console and update the system
3) Wait about 5 minutes
4) Enable timesync again:
systemctl enable systemd-timesyncd
5) Get logged back into management console and verify it updated.
6) Repeat steps 1-5 until on the latest u8 and your license is getting validated by the server again.

Thank you 3cx for the top tier support

I tried to follow these instructions and it hasn't worked for me. When I get to step 2, the login prompt just says "Server Error"...

I can't believe 3CX allowed this chicken & egg situation to occur... who did this, and have they been sacked?

 

[SweetAction]

who did this, and have they been sacked?

What is it with you and sacking people? You made the same comment in another thread and seem to forget that it's you who didn't update your PBX - perhaps you should be sacked for your negligence?

Regardless, the official fix is to backup, reinstall, and restore. You said you weren't comfortable with doing that so perhaps you should reach out to your partner and have them assist. You could try the steps in the above posts, but you won't find official 3CX support if you do them.

 

[turkeyman]

What is it with you and sacking people? You made the same comment in another thread and seem to forget that it's you who didn't update your PBX - perhaps you should be sacked for your negligence?

Regardless, the official fix is to backup, reinstall, and restore. You said you weren't comfortable with doing that so perhaps you should reach out to your partner and have them assist. You could try the steps in the above posts, but you won't find official 3CX support if you do them.

Because someone made a conscious decision that on a particular date peoples installations would all break, and then create a system where it's not possible to fix it!

I didn't NOT update my system... I just didn't update my system. Why would I? It was working fine!
It's not like I received an email saying "if you don't do this thing, we're going to blow up your infrastructure and we're also going to make it impossible for you to fix it"...
What sysadmin in their right mind goes and messes with perfectly well working installations of software? This isn't an unusual position. And the window for updating really wasn't very long. I actually did update not too long ago, and I'm on the version one less than the version that I am supposed to have.

I have been trying to reinstall a new instance all day, but the installation instructions no longer work either.
I seem to be having this problem: https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/issues-installing-netinstall-debian.68201/
Step 17 in the installation guide just doesn't work... and meanwhile my customers are all having major issues with their phones, I'm getting hassled constantly and there's nothing I can do to help them! It's hard to focus on rebuilding a server in a hurry when I'm fighting fires.

This is a sackable offence... whoever at 3CX decided this was acceptable needs to rethink their career choices.

How do I fix this without reinstalling? I need a solution, and I need it fast.

 

[SteveITS]

@turkeyman There are other threads like https://www.3cx.com/community/threa...d-and-installed-version-is-18-0-5-418.123762/ but as noted there using apt directly is not encouraged/supported, so read through it all.

 

[SweetAction]

Because someone made a conscious decision that on a particular date peoples installations would all break, and then create a system where it's not possible to fix it!

I don't think anyone went out and said "lets break all systems on this date". More like "we're changing our activation cert and people on old releases need to update so the new activation cert info is present". 3CX does this every year.

You're stuck in a catch 22 of the PBX doesn't allow updates if the maintenance expiration date is past and it can't get the new maintenance date because it can't talk to the activation server. It can't talk to the activation server because of the wrong cert - the correct one is in the newer version.

I didn't NOT update my system... I just didn't update my system. Why would I? It was working fine!
It's not like I received an email saying "if you don't do this thing, we're going to blow up your infrastructure and we're also going to make it impossible for you to fix it"...
What sysadmin in their right mind goes and messes with perfectly well working installations of software? This isn't an unusual position. And the window for updating really wasn't very long. I actually did update not too long ago, and I'm on the version one less than the version that I am supposed to have.

I mean the version you need was released in September 2023 (that's almost 4 months ago). I assume your license expired in the last few days. 3CX does send out emails and while they don't say "update or it will explode" it does usually say that cert needs to be replaced for it to work. And even if you don't get the email, you can subscribe to the blog (via email, RSS, and more) and the posting there mentions this as well.

I have been trying to reinstall a new instance all day, but the installation instructions no longer work either.
I seem to be having this problem: https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/issues-installing-netinstall-debian.68201/
Step 17 in the installation guide just doesn't work... and meanwhile my customers are all having major issues with their phones, I'm getting hassled constantly and there's nothing I can do to help them! It's hard to focus on rebuilding a server in a hurry when I'm fighting fires.

You may wish to engage a partner/paid support to help you here.