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Error in 3CXPhone Provisioning Files

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JonnyM

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3CX is ignoring the values entered into the "Phone Provisioning" tab in "Settings" for the Internal/Local IP Address that specifically apply to 3CXPhone. Instead it is using the IP address of the interface selected on the "Phone Provisioning" tab that applies to that extension - even if there isn't a phone set up (e.g. if the extension is for softphone use only).

If I change the IP address in the Internal/Local IP Address box all the config files in TcxProvFiles are updated, but they are updated with the value of the Interface on the extension.

I am using 3CX 12 - 33517.465 (SP Update)
 
I am not certain that I follow, but the gist seems to be that:

You have gone into the settings tab and under phone provisioning, IP address, installed both the internal and external addresses desired. The system should then show the paths used to obtain their respective provisioning paths if located internal or external.

However, when you actually set-up an extension in 3CX and then look at the provisioning tab for that extension, it shows a different IP, that of the NIC card.

This is where I am losing the issue as to me, the first set of IP is simply setting up the path where the extension's provisioning file can be found once created. The second setting where the IP is that of the NIC card is just that, the IP address that will be used by the phone to establish a link with the system over which it will communicate to make and receive calls and to get the provisioning files as well. In practice, the NIC IP will also be the same IP as used for the (local) internal provisioning path unless you have stored the files somewhere else and stated that in the earlier step above.

As you provision phones, and depending on the phone, the system will query you as to the phone's location. It is here that you specify if internal or external and using STUN or the Proxy. Again, the provisioning tab for the extension will show this feature for all phones, so perhaps the issue is somehow in this aspect. However for those that do, I think this is where the system will then, using your selection, determine which provisioning path to populate the phone's internal setting.

You also mention 3CXPhone which implies the softphone client. Can you provide which version of the client as there are two than can be used with V12 of the system. There is V6 which is the standalone version that was in use prior to the V12 release and then there is the new V12 version that also supports the presence and CTI features.
 
Ignore the physical handset for now, it's not relevant as this issue occurs even if I set extensions up and don't provision a phone.

I'm using the latest version of 3CXPhone (http://www.3cx.com/downloads/3CXPhoneforWindows12.msi). The problem I have is the XML files that get emailed to users has the External IP address set correctly, but the Internal IP address is whatever 3CX has decided to pick as the interface for a provisioned handset, regardless of whether I have provisioned a handset for the extension or not.

The 3CX interface reflects what it should do - the phone provisioning interface and the internal IP address for 3CX phone can both be set independently, but when the XML files are made the internal IP address is ignored and instead whatever IP is picked in the phone provisioning tab is used. Updating the internal IP address and hitting 'Apply' writes to every 3CXPhone provisioning file, but it writes the wrong value.
 
The attached screenshot should hopefully explain it better.

The external IP is set to the internal one at the moment because it eventually fails over and works.
 

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Johhny

Sorry, but I am still not following.

OK, I get that you are using a softphone and it is V12.

Where I lose it is with this statement:

The problem I have is the XML files that get emailed to users has the External IP address set correctly, but the Internal IP address is whatever 3CX has decided to pick as the interface for a provisioned handset, regardless of whether I have provisioned a handset for the extension or not.

The above indicates that 3CX is picking an IP address for your internal address and however it goes about picking it,,,,,is wrong.

OK. So looking at the screenshot I do see some issues, but the one that appears fundamentally incorrect are the subnet ranges used to define the paths. I saw the comment about ultimately failing over as to why it is changed, but this may be masking the real problem affecting the softphone or perhaps causing the other issue you noted.

1. Because 3CX recognizes the subnet 192.168.0.0/16 as being reserved for local use only, I do not know its reaction when using this subnet as one that is also stated as Public. Fundamentally speaking, they should be entirely different.
2. I do however see where the XML file has somehow or another picked up 192.168.3.6 as the IP rather than 192.168.0.6, so this begs the question of whether there is or was at one time another NIC installed and this is/was its IP? It may (guessing here) also have to do with trying to use the same IP for both internal and external.

Go to settings and advanced and custom parameters and look through the listings for the 192.168.3.6 reference and if found see the variable it is attached to and perhaps this will shed some light on why. You might change it to the 192.168.0.6 and see.

I use all the same versions as you and have examined by XML files and they are all written correctly.
 
The server in question is sitting on several IP ranges, 192.168.0.6 is the address that the PC clients connect to, 192.168.3.6 is the IP address that the VoIP phones connect on, as they are on a different VLAN.

There is no mention of 192.168.3.6 in the Custom Parameters, it is getting this address from the Phone Provisioning tab on the Extension - if I change the interface there then it changes it in the XML files for 3CXPhone. The problem is that I need these IPs to be different - the IP that the phones are using for 3CX is different to what PCs are going to use. The wording on the tab in the screenshot above is written like 3CXPhone uses the values entered into that screen, when in fact it's ignoring the Internal/Local IP Address entry and substituting in whatever the provisioned handset has been told to use.
 
Johnny -

For the future, it is helpful to know the configuration of the system and LAN. You never mentioned a VLAN and multiple systems (virtualized, maybe?) and as a result I had no idea that the system had a need or requirement other than a standard install and why I could not understand statements like "whatever 3CX has decided to pick".

So, let's try this a little differently -

Is the LAN also running over two different physical cables, one voice and the other data?
The phones will be on subnet 192.168.3.X
The PCs will be on 192.168.0.X

Ideally, you would have the 3CX system in the subnet 192.168.3.X and on the same phone VLAN. Is there a NIC card on the 3CX system set to this subnet & VLAN? Ideally, there should be and the 192.168.3.X IP selected for both the NIC interface for provisioning on the extension provisioning screen is correct as will be the provisioning path for the Local LAN phones.

Then, you would also have another NIC with the 192.168.0.X for the PC aspect and it too would be set for its appropriate VLAN. Then the questions becomes what kind of WAN interface(s) are you using to go external and what phone carriage is being employed - PRI, PSTN, SIP Trunk. etc.

Finally, the public IP would not be in the private subnet range and the router would be forwarding the packets back to the 192.168.3.X 3cx instance where appropriate and the router will be passing the firewall checker.

Does the above not get what you need?

I may still be missing something. Also, how many phones total in the LAN. Where I am assuming there may still be an issue is that the softphones do not support VLANs in their configuration as do hard phones and you may need to manually provision.

I seem to recall that the software is picking up the interface out of the system registry and I assume that in a multi-NIC environment it might be that which it sees first.
 
You're over thinking this, I'm not asking for help getting it working, I'm trying to point out to the 3CX guys that the part of their software which is there for specifying which IP addresses 3CX Softphone clients should use doesn't work for the internal/local IP. I didn't mention the networking because I had already spent a good few hours making sure this is a bug as opposed to my setup. The Polycom handsets in 192.168.3.x work fine, the 3CX server has an interface in this subnet. For some reason it is sending this address to 3CXPhone clients instead of whatever is entered onto the tab for it.

I know the WAN IP should be a public address, but by setting it to the local IP it eventually fails over to out-of-office mode and works so for now that's my workaround to this bug.
 
well, all I can say is that I do not seem to have the same issue and I have checked several client systems as well. The 3cxPhone provisioning files are correct as are the emails; they are indeed using both the public and private IPs I expect.

in any event, I do not discount the idea that there is a problem that I am unable to understand, so, I will bow out and hope that others are following and will assist.
 
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