Audio service/MOH hangs

[benjaminm]

Hi all,

I've set up the audio service for music on hold.
When someone calls to a queue, there is a little bit music played from the previous caller, and then the system 'jumps' to the current song.

Another example:
When I change the music on hold for a queue to the standard music, and someone calls to the queue, and after that, I change the music on hold to the audio service, the next caller will hear a few seconds of the standard music on hold, and then he'll hear the audio service playing music...

It's not nice for the caller, and sounds unprofessional to the caller... It sounds very messy sometimes.

How can I solve this weird problem?

Benjamin

 

[lneblett]

More detail is needed.

Is the audio service using a configured play list or is it using the line in source? I assume a play list given the "jumps to" statement you made.

Why is there a need to switch back and forth between one method of MOH to another? I tend to think that unless the system queues are empty and no one is on hold by another process, that switching sources or methods might tend to cause some issues. However, if you simply set-up and leave the audio service running with no interference or changing, are there any issues then?

Is it only the first caller after the change that is hearing the prior set-up and then the jump.........somewhat akin to possibly emptying the buffer that may have been built before it starts building and sending the "new" stream?

I don't have an answer for you at this point as I am simply trying to get a better understanding of the problem and how configured relative thereto.

 

[benjaminm]

It's a playlist.

We are not going to change the music on hold, like I did (standard => audio service), but the problem exists also when u are using the same method for a longer time. (also with the standard music on hold!!)
But sometimes our queue is empty, and the next caller hears the messy mix-up then...

 

[lneblett]

Still need to know is it a play list or line-in source?
What version of 3CX and SP?
What OS are you using and what are the machine specs (memory, processor, hard drive capacity and type, virtual environment, etc.?
Can you post a snippet of how a queue is set in your case?

This is one of those that likely needs to be replicated in order to understand and come up with an answer.

 

[benjaminm]

As said above, it's a playlist.
I'm using 3CX v12.0.33517.465 on a Win8Pro
It's on a VMWare ESXi virtual platform
Virtual host specs: 100 GB Harddrive, 4GB RAM, 2x Xeon E5520 2.5 GHz processors

 

[lneblett]

Sorry, missed the play list...rather obvious.

What happens if you take the ring timeout and extend to say 15 or more seconds?

In most cases, you enter into the queue immediately upon selecting whatever the option is that takes you there. You have no greet message so you should get MOH almost immediately as well. My guess is that in the test scenario presented, there is never anyone in the queue, so the system then sends you to that agent and you may or may not hear the ringback given the very short duration for the strategy ring selected and only one agent. You either answer in which case the call is completed or you don't in which case the system ends the call. You might also give yourself a little more wrap up time than what you have allotted.

It also makes me wonder what might happen if you were to select the greet and simply have a very short duration empty or blank wav file.

An interesting issue. Can you try each of the above and both in conjunction with one another and let us know?

 

[benjaminm]

I have tried with a ring timeout of 15 seconds, changed the wrap up time, tested with an empty wav file as greetings, ...
But that didn't change anything...

 

[lneblett]

I'll try to emulate and see if I get the same results tomorrow when back in the office and I have a system I can play with. I was thinking a timing issue or other and I was hopeful that one of your results might be impacted to the extent that we could come up with a workaround.

 

[complex1]

Hi,

@Ineblett
I think you will encounter no issues if you emulate the setup of benjaminm on your system.

@benjaminm

It's on a VMWare ESXi virtual platform

Are you sure your 3CX Phone System runs on a reliable and steady platform?
There are a lot of virtual platforms who are not really suitable for running VoIP PBX’s.
They are dealing with timer issues and therefor create unexplainable problems

 

[benjaminm]

Elastix ran without any problems for years...

 

[SY]

Hi Benjamin,

Thanks for report. Please open a support ticket and attach capture of the network traffic (by using wireshark) which will show this "unprofessional" part of the sound. It will help us to understand what is going wrong and fix a problem, if it exists

Thanks

 

[lneblett]

I have a number of clients running queues and all in Virtual environments and some are rather large and have done so without issue. This is not to say they wouldn't have issues if configured exactly the same way, but rather that I do not think there are enough facts to draw the conclusion that 3CX, in particular, and with this set-up, is likely experiencing the issue due to it being virtualized.

Given SY's request, I will back down as they certainly have more insight on it than I do.

I may still play with it as I am now curious and assume it possible that it may be a bug. I have held-off, with a few exceptions, of putting V12 out in the client base waiting for a) versions that do not require uninstalls and install/restores and b) for the client software to mature to where most of the features in MyPhone have been re-developed and can now be deployed. I was going to start that process just after the first of the year.

 

[benjaminm]

Support ticket submitted!