Help please on 3CX system

[AllianceLaundry]

I've posted some in the past trying to figure out my phones, but this is a general SOS. Our system just isn't working well. We have major problems across the board.

- Phones randomly ring and won't stop - I've tried the security settings in the phone and each setting has caused other issues, if they even fixed the original problem. For instance, on the one sip security settings option, if I enable it I can no longer get anything from the hold lines.

- Phones constantly ringing after someone else already answered. Trying to answer does nothing and it will continue to ring for many minutes unless we reset the phone.

- Phones are unable to pick up calls - We will hear someone else's phone ringing, but one person's phone randomly won't ring(even though it's an all desk phones dialer)

- If you go to pickup your phone it will be dead air. I'll continue to pick it up and hang up and it will start randomly working after a minute or so. Happens quite often.

All in all, my whole genius idea to move to the cloud and get rid of landlines has been horrible. We end up resetting our phones at least once per day each, if not 2-4 times a day.

Please help!!

Stats -

3CX Server - Google Cloud - recently upgraded the server to hopefully help which almost seemed to make things worse. 16.0.6.641

Phones - All Grandstream GXP2160 Phones on default supported 3CX templates

Office based server running the 3CX software to connect phones to the 3CX google server.

 

[leejor]

Are you by chance using STUN? If so, that may very well be the problem if sets are not all set to use a unique local port and you have not correctly setup voice port forwarding . Setting extensions to use PBX Delivers Audio can also help, but the router used at the remote end can make a big difference in how the sets behave.

https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/stun-nat-configurations.60681/

You may want to consider using a 3CX SBC, at the location, the type, depending on the number of extensions.

 

[AllianceLaundry]

We are using an SBC setup on our internal server. I have also ran the Firewall check from 3CX and manually checked what I have found online to try and make sure everything is being forwarded as needed.

Are you by chance using STUN? If so, that may very well be the problem if sets are not all set to use a unique local port and you have not correctly setup voice port forwarding . Setting extensions to use PBX Delivers Audio can also help, but the router used at the remote end can make a big difference in how the sets behave.

https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/stun-nat-configurations.60681/

You may want to consider using a 3CX SBC, at the location, the type, depending on the number of extensions.

 

[asafayan]

Did you deploy this system yourself or did you use a reseller? The reason I'm asking is that we are hoping to migrate from Cisco to 3CX - on prem and are going to use a 3CX reseller.

All of the issues you are describing should have been resolved during pre-go live testing. Are you in production?

 

[leejor]

Behaviour, such as phones continuing to ring after the call was answered elsewhere, and sets not ringing when they should, would suggest that SIP messages are not getting through. You may want to employ Wireshark to see if the SBC is getting these messages from the PBX. If it appears they are getting through to the SBC, then check to see if they are being sent out on the local LAN, and if they look correct. It could be a local firewall, or router issue.

 

[AllianceLaundry]

I deployed it myself with testing before we went live. We have now been live for a while and it's hit or miss day to day, but we almost always have to reset at least once per day. Testing, everything always seems to be fine. No Firewall Issues, all phones will pickup, call etc. Most of the time all 7 Desk phones work perfect and we can dial out or in to all seamlessly. It's just when things do mess up it's so annoying. And it seems sometimes its all at once and I'm getting everyone mad at me.

Did you deploy this system yourself or did you use a reseller? The reason I'm asking is that we are hoping to migrate from Cisco to 3CX - on prem and are going to use a 3CX reseller.

All of the issues you are describing should have been resolved during pre-go live testing. Are you in production?

 

[asafayan]

Man - sorry to hear about that. I've been in IPT for over a decade and understand the stress level when phone issues arise. It's not fun.

I've been engaging a really nice reseller in our area. I hate to say it - but perhaps it's time to write a check to have someone who is very experienced resolve this. Alternatively, did you purchase direct support from 3CX?

I do think that leejor's advice sounds like the correct troubleshooting path. But SIP protocol analysis is a significant skill set and you can't just pull up a wireshark trace and have a magical answer to your issue.

 

[CentrexJ]

Make sure your Grandstream GXP2160 phones are running the properly supported 3cx firmware. If the firmware is very old this can happen.

 

[AllianceLaundry]

I'll try wireshark and check firewall/routes again.

Behaviour, such as phones continuing to ring after the call was answered elsewhere, and sets not ringing when they should, would suggest that SIP messages are not getting through. You may want to employ Wireshark to see if the SBC is getting these messages from the PBX. If it appears they are getting through to the SBC, then check to see if they are being sent out on the local LAN, and if they look correct. It could be a local firewall, or router issue.

 

[AllianceLaundry]

Make sure your Grandstream GXP2160 phones are running the properly supported 3cx firmware. If the firmware is very old this can happen.

I have checked this(plus we just installed the system so they were upgraded when we first installed). I know the 2160's aren't the best anyways, but man have these issues been kicking our butt. Hopefully wireshark and some deep diving yet again into firewall might help.

 

[leejor]

When you "reset", is it the phones, or have you tried resetting (power down, then up), the router? Or...the SBC....

 

[AllianceLaundry]

When you "reset", is it the phones, or have you tried resetting (power down, then up), the router? Or...the SBC....

It's usually the phones since they wont shut up or start until we reset them. I will try the route next time as well.