Can't intercom from iOS app to W56P

[Peter Richardson]

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out the pattern here but it's hard to crack!

Here are the facts:

• *2 is the dial code for paging
• All extensions are in the same group - default and manager
• Manager has rights to intercom enabled
• iOS app can intercom T58 but not W56
• W56 can intercom T58 but not iOS app
• W56 has had extension deleted and re created, phone reset to factory and then reprovisioned

I'm out of ideas! How can I get the iOS app to intercom the W56 and vice versa? I have had it working in the past, I'm not sure which change affected it.

 

[Evolute IT]

Have you tried intercom from the T58 to the W56 directly?

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi Peter,

Intercom implies that you will call the extension and it will auto-answer the call. But you cannot intercom an app, or the DECT phone as destinations because they will not auto-answer.

Please read the limitations here:
https://www.3cx.com/sip-phones/yealink-dect-w52p/#h.8owp0itk5r99

 

[Peter Richardson]

@Frederick Marcoux - yes I have tried to intercom between the T58 and the W56, but it doesn't work, it just rings/dials as if I had dialled the extension normally. Surprisingly, I can still intercom from the T58 to the W52 (older model cordless)!

Thanks @JohnS_3CX I appreciate your answer, but I have been intercomming that W56 for about 2 years now. I'm not sure exactly which change of hardware or software or 3CX update broke this function, but that's what I'm trying to work out now.

That link you posted, at the bottom of the page, shows known limitation for "no paging groups, including multicast" - it's not in a paging group and it's not using multicast.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi Peter,

Can you kindly confirm the following?

1. Model of Base
2. Model of Handset
3. Firmware revision of Base and Handset

Note: version can be seen on the UI of the base under Status, and under Handset&VoIP

 

[Peter Richardson]

@JohnS_3CX

1. Model of Base: W60B
2. Model of Handset: W56H
3. Firmware revision of Base: 77.81.0.35
4. Firmware revision of Handset: 61.83.0.90

 

[Vali_3CX]

@Peter Richardson

• W56 can intercom T58 but not iOS app

If I properly understood, the bottom line question is "why the iOS client doesn't accept intercom calls". If this is the question, here's the answer:

the iOS client ignores by design the intercom (auto-answer) flag present in the SIP, so there is no reason to search for a bug in the caller phone or for some hidden settings in the PBX. The iOS client doesn't auto-answer due to two main reasons:
- privacy. It's a mobile device, it can be in your back pocket when a call is coming, and auto-answering it without you paying attention would transform it into a "spying device" (eavesdropping I think is the term).
- iOS platform. On iOS, every action an application does should be validated (confirmed) by device's owner. In our case, an application cannot open the microphone while in the background: it should be in the foreground, owner should explicitly "answer", and only after that application can go in the background. Therefore, always is the user the one who answer, so the "auto-answer" is excluded from start.

Hope it helps.

 

[Peter Richardson]

Hey @Vali_3CX thanks very much for your detailed reply, makes a lot of sense!

However the issue I'm having is that I can't intercom from iOS app to W56P....well actually, after a bit more testing, it seems that I can't intercom to the W56P from any phone.

I have checked to make sure that the W56/W60 has the "right" to intercom and that it's in the same group as the other phones that I want to intercom to/from. There's only one group and I have set all extensions to "manager" and all extensions have the intercom right.

I can interfrom from the cordless, but not to it.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi Peter,

Try upgrading the base firmware to the latest version 77.83.0.20 following the link in this guide
https://www.3cx.com/sip-phones/firmware-upgrade-yealink-dect-w52p/

 

[Peter Richardson]

@JohnS_3CX

I upgraded the firmware yesterday and then tested it by dialling *2109 (109 is the extension of the cordless) and it worked, but today I just tested it again from the T58 and the iOS client and it didn't work, it just continued to ring.

Firmware version is now 77.83.0.20
Handset version is now 61.83.0.90

 

[Evolute IT]

iOS doesn't support auto-answer.

Said by @Vali_3CX above: "Therefore, always is the user the one who answer, so the "auto-answer" is excluded from start."

 

[Peter Richardson]

@Frederick Marcoux please see post #8 above.

 

[Evolute IT]

@Frederick Marcoux please see post #8 above.

Oh.

If you directly go into Status -> 109 -> Intercom, does it work?

 

[Peter Richardson]

No that doesn't work. Doesn't work from the T58 either by dialling *2109.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi Peter,

Give use some more details on the instance as per
https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/information-to-provide-when-requesting-help.67558/

 

[Peter Richardson]

• 3CX Version, 16.0.4.493
• Server OS, Debian 9.5 Stretch
• Is the 3CX Server Hosted and where? hosted at our data centre in the same city.
• IP Phone Make/Model/Firmware:
• W56P Firmware version: 61.83.0.90
• W60B Firmware version: 77.83.0.20

• W60B Hardware Version: 77.0.0.48.0.0.0

• Provisioning Method: VPN
• Trunk Provider: Telnyx / DID Logic
• Has the Firewall Checker passed: YES
• Are custom Phone Templates being used: NO

 

[YiannisH_3CX]

So a few things to try:

Try changing the paging dial code in case it is conflicting with another dial code and try again.
You can also run a wireshark capture and see if the PBX is sending the correct info to the phone.
In the Invite message from the PBX to the phone the PBX should include an "Intercom-true" and a "sip:3cx.pbx>;answer-after=0" values.
You can also use the activity log to see this.