Algo 8301 Paging Adapter Extension Will Not Stay Registered with 3CX Remote Hosted Setup

[David_Maynard]

Hello All,

I am integrating an Algo 8301 Paging Adapter with our 3CX system and it was easy enough to get up and running with just creating an extension for it in 3CX, and then adding the appropriate SIP Domain, Extension #, Auth ID and Auth PW in the device Admin page.

Our 3CX setup is running on Google Cloud Compute and has been close to flawless for the phones. YAY!

However, the Algo 8301 has been going to "unregistered" status after almost exactly 30 minutes of operation, over and over, since I installed it several days ago. It will re-register after a slightly more random time, which in most cases is very close to 24 minutes.

The device seems pretty great, but it's going to be a hard thing to explain to the boss if they can only page if they happen to get the right 30 minute window of opportunity to page each hour.

Any ideas what I can do to make this thing stay registered?

I did NOT set up provisioning.
I have NOT changed any settings that relate to SIP Transport.

I HAVE given the device a static IP on the network.
I HAVE turned on Keep-Alive Method - Double CRLF - Interval 15 seconds (Doesn't seem to have any effect at all)

Thanks!

 

[eddv123]

First things first, this is not a supported end-point device with 3CX so not really the most ideal scenario: https://www.3cx.com/sip-phones/

Also you have not clarified the connection method you have with the Cloud PBX - STUN, direct connection, 3CX SBC or VPN ?

If it were me I would run a Wireshark capture and see if it can give any indication as to why the registration fails and from what end. You could do this from the device end also if it supports PCAP.

https://www.3cx.com/docs/capture-network-traffic/

 

[David_Maynard]

Ok, bear with me, I'm very inexperienced with this stuff. I failed to realize the Algo is unsupported before I purchased it, but I found a couple posts on here saying they are a good unit and work fine.

Our phones use STUN to provision, and I presume to connect. They work great.

The Algo I presume is direct connection. I have not figured out how to setup STUN with it, or even if I need to, but I do see an option for it in the device settings. (Media NAT - None, ICE, STUN). "None" is currently selected (default).

I will attempt to run a Wireshark capture, but that's a new can of beans for me too.

I would be open to suggestions for a paging adapter that has similar features to the Algo 8301 that IS supported, if necessary.

 

[eddv123]

Un-supported does not mean it strictly won't work, only that 3CX won't support you directly and that users on the forums will have less experience than with a supported device.

Sounds like a direct SIP extension out to the internet - not a very good security option I will be honest, if you are using STUN to connect you would need a STUN server configured on the device.

ICE is not setup connection that 3CX supports as far as I know but FYI ICE is a combination of STUN and TURN methods commonly.

I would be open to suggestions for a paging adapter that has similar features to the Algo 8301 that IS supported, if necessary.

I am un-aware of a supported variant, see the list I sent previously which will outline all devices available for support.

 

[leejor]

I would confirm the re-registration time, set, in the device. 30 minutes had been the default time-out before re-registration was required, on 3CX. I have seen many devices with a 3600 minute re-registration time as the default. Most will change that to whatever time is specified during the initial registration, but, your device may not be doing that. You may have to correct manually.

 

[David_Maynard]

I would confirm the re-registration time, set, in the device. 30 minutes had been the default time-out before re-registration was required, on 3CX. I have seen many devices with a 3600 minute re-registration time as the default. Most will change that to whatever time is specified during the initial registration, but, your device may not be doing that. You may have to correct manually.

Ok, the device is un-registering at almost exactly the 30 minute mark every time, like clockwork. In the device SIP settings, the register period is set to 3600 seconds (60 minutes) by default.I'm not sure if you meant to say 3600 seconds or minutes.

So, the device's 60 minute default is greater than 30 minutes and if I understand right, you are saying that 3CX defaults to a 30 minute time out, right? So, either the device time-out isn't being transmitted or it isn't being honored by 3CX it seems. I'll play with the Register Period on the device and see if that does anything.

Any guesses why it will re-register in 24 minutes? Why 24? Seems like such an oddball time period. Why not sooner or later? What even tells it to re-connect? I guess when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter that much if it re-registers every half hour, its the 24 minutes of downtime each hour that kills things the way it stands. As little as we use the intercom, if it were down 1 minute of each hour, no one would probably notice.

 

[leejor]

Sorry, you are correct, I should have said "3600 seconds". It is 3CX (as the server) that tells the device how often it should re-register, most will acknowledge that and disregard any default or manual settings unless they are less than the time specified by the server. You could try manually changing to something less than 1800 seconds, say 1700, and see if that solves the problem. however, if that parameter is included in the configuration settings, and the device is set to auto configure, it may very well be over-written unless the file is modified. given that this would seem to be an unsupported device, i'm going to assume it was manually configured to begin with.

There may be an additional setting, in the device (there are generally a number of timers) related to registration that may be causing it to happen when it does

 

[David_Maynard]

...You could try manually changing to something less than 1800 seconds, say 1700, and see if that solves the problem...

I changed it to 1700 and it's going on two hours now without a disconnect. Time will tell but I think you nailed it.

Thank you SO much.

Now if I can sort out this STUN stuff.

 

[eddv123]

STUN should not be that much of an issue as long as your device supports a field to input a STUN server address. https://www.3cx.com/pbx/what-is-a-stun-server/

Here are a list of public STUN servers: https://gist.github.com/mondain/b0ec1cf5f60ae726202e

On 3CX it is required to have "PBX delivers audio" on and "disallow use of extension outside the lan" off. Disallow use of extension outside the LAN blocks any registrations from outside of the network. This setting applies to 3CX apps and IP phones.

I would imagine you already have these set for the direct connection however. I must mention however that for added security and reliance you are best off using a VPN connection.