How to AutoProvision 3CX Softphone?

[BobD]

When a user download 3CXPhone6.msi and runs the install, it pops up question:

[Auto-Provision] [Create Profile]

The user choses Auto-Provision and it says to Wait while settings are downloaded.

On the Admin console under Phones, I see "3CXPhone for Windows 6.0.18" new new new new...
I right-click on the phone and have options of "Add Extension" or "Assign to Existing Extension".

Regardless of my choice, nothing happens on the Admin console or the user's Windows Desktop.

What am I doing wrong?

Bob

 

[Vali_3CX]

Hi
When, in the PBX management console, you choose "Add Extension" or "Assign to Existing Extension", 3CXPhone's autoprovisioning dialog dissapear after, let's say, 5 sec? Or it remains indefintely until you press Cancel?
Which PBX version do you have (as listed in management's Login page)?
Regards
vali

 

[kylejoe1]

Same here, have to manually add.

 

[Vali_3CX]

Hi
I had the same issue accidentally. Shortly, the reason was PBX machine's IP changed (I didn't used that machine for quite a long time and, when restarted, it got a new IP). Now, the long(er) explanation:
- PBX machine's IP is "stamped" in extension's provisioning file when it's created. When PBX machine's IP is changed, these existing files remains unchanged, therefore with the old - actually incorrect - IP. Therefore, when, with the current IP, a 3CXPhone require autoprovisioning and you choose "assign to an existing extension" having this file, phone will receive an invalid link, so it will not be able to download the provisioning file.

For this case, there are two workarounds:
1 - always "create new extension" for autoprovisioning requests;
2 - manually delete existing provisioning files everytime your PBX machine's IP change.
My opinion is that 2 is a better solution, having a "wider" covering.

PBX development team is aware about this issue I described, so a fix will be available.

Hope it helps
Regards
vali

 

[kylejoe1]

Thanks Vali, that is it, we rebuilt our 3cx test machine utilizing IIS and restored from old IP backup file, before that we never tried to provision softphone.

Anyway...what are exact steps for workaround #2? Where exactly are those files located? Will workaround #1 work if extension already assigned to physical phone?

Version 11 coming soon?

 

[Vali_3CX]

Hi Ryon

3CXPhone's provisioning files are located in
C:\Users\All Users\3CX\Data\Http\Interface\Provisioning\TcxProvFiles folder.
However, I asked people here and I understood this issue may affect also some other kind of phones, so there is a more convenient solution than roughly delete provisioning files:
- In the management console, you may update extension's provisioning files by going in the extension's "Phone Provisioning" tab and only clicking Apply button.
I'm not an experienced PBX user, it also might be possible to perform this update for all extensions at once, instead of one extension at a time.

Hope it helps
vali

P.S I don't know when ver 11 will be released, but looks better than ver 10 8)

 

[kylejoe1]

Ok, all good! Thanks.

 

[cporantes]

Is there any way to AutoProvision the 3CX Soft Phone for an Asterisk PBX/Sip system?
Can I send an ini file or modify the msi file?

 

[antler]

Hi Vali et al,

I downloaded the recent version msi6 of the 3cx softphone on to my laptop. As there are no accounts configured, I received the expected response to select either 'Auto Provision' or 'Create Profile'.
Selecting 'Auto Provision', I would expect to observe 'new' I believe on the 'phone' tab of the 3cx management console, but I do not.

I have restarted the 3cx pbx server, have configured a new extension, nothing!

Please note that due to hardware restrictions, I have to use a non-default sip port, i.e. I can not use 5060 BUT should I still observe the 'new' option under the 'phones' tab?

Is there another reason as to why I am do not see the words 'new' referring to a new extension anywhere. I have made no changes to suggest the above is the reason!

Appreciate any help,

Antler.

 

[antler]

Hallo Vali et al,

Any ideas on the previous post.

One other question whilst I am here...what is the latest version / build of the 3cxsoftphone. I have observed from previous posts that even when one has 'Automatically check for updates' checked, as I do, that, in the past, this has not actually happened!

Fantastic pbx / service / tool / and all help and assistance greatly appreciated,

Antler

 

[antler]

Hallo Vali,

Any information re the above would be appreciated,

Thanks in advance,

Antler.

 

[antler]

Hallo forum,

Sometimes I do think 'Why do we bother!! if no-one answers!

Anyway, I have been looking at this provosioning function and first and foremost I do not understand as to why, in an extension 'Phone Provisioning' tab we do not have the option to select a 3CX_SoftPhone, even in the latest V11, maybe I am missing something?

In an attempt to get this provisioning or maybe more to the point, an attempt to distributed changes/additions to e.g. extension numbers I have manually entered dummy MAC addresses and selected 'dummy' models. Depending upon the model, I'm not quite sure as to why the 'Phone Display' language differs depending upon the model selected, from 'English' to 'English - US', to 'English - United States' etc. Thats the first issue.

The next, and again it depends upon which model you select, but for some you are given the option to 'Select Provisioning Method', either nothing or 'LAN', or 'Remote with STUN / SIP proxy', again I can not ascertain why? Please note that I do not have any 'hardphones' as I am only using this package at home, so I am completely in the dark here.

Next, and specifically looking at the 3CX_SoftPhones, please note here that due to hardware restrictions I am unable to use the default SIP port 5060 so read on...when the 'Provision' file is created and one has the check box at the bottom of 'Account Settings' 'Perform provisioning from URL: checked, the following happens...
a) The 'Account Name' in the file is not populated in to the 'Account Name' of the softphone
b) If one has 'checked' under the '3CXPhone Provisioning' label the 'Provision 3CXPhone with Tunnel enabled for remote connections', the SIP port is not populated in to the 'Local IP of remote PBX:' and the extension can not register.

It may be easier to understand if you look at this taken from the 'account settings' of my softphone...

'My Location'
Specifiy the IP of your PBX/SIP server
I am in the office - local IP 001.002.003.004:50xy
I am out of the office - external IP [here I have my 'dyndns' account followed by :50xy as the previous line

and then...

Use 3CX Tunnel
Eliminates firewall configuration. blah blah blah
Local IP of remote PBX: 001.002.003.004 BUT there is no 50xy
Tunnel password, port etc etc

And the last problem is that I use a 'dyndns' account and I have this account configured on the 3CXPBX 'Settings', Network Settings' and 'Public IP' even though it states 'Static Public IP Address.
It is here where it states 'Specify your external public IP address [static but I think this is old!!] here. This will be the IP Address that will be sent to remote §CXPhones and 3CX MyPhone via provisioning'..
Static Public IP Address....I have my 'dyndns' account and everything else works fantastically.

So why, in the 'provisioning' file that is 'reproduced' when one updates an extensions settings does it state at the <ProvLink>http://[my internal network card, ie. my local 3CX PBX IP address]' which obviously, external remote extensions will never find / see. I have overwritten the local IP address with my 'dyndns' address and I can 'push' any new data towards the sofphone but as soon as I make a change to an extensions settings, my 'dyndns' address is again overwritten.

Something else that has just come to mind but I have read that 'AutoProvisioning' will only happen on port 5060. So why
a) does the 'perform provisioning...' state port 5000 and
b) why can the 'AutoProvision' function not go one step further and ask z.B. 'Which SIP port number do you wish to use'.
Lets not forget, 5060 is the 'default' but it does not HAVE to be this port

Sorry but yet another thought but why, with all of the hype re iPhone, Android & Windows does the area re 'Phone Provisioning' and 'Model' not include iPhone, 'Android' type and future 'Window' type models or should I post this question in the '3CX Phone System' forum?

And whilst I am in the mind set, may I suggest that due to the fact that so many people are technologically ignorant, that the 'Startup' default for the 3CXSoftPhone is set to 'Yes', as it does not appear to be a configurable administrator parameter!

Apologies in advance if I have missed something logical, maybe a check box here or there but any advice, information would be greatly appreciated and if it helps i.e. if anything above is unclear, I would be quite prepared to provide contact details etc for direct communication.

Thanks for a fantastic product,

Antler.

 

[frinklabs]

Again, here's a thread from a year ago in which I posted a way to brute-force auto-provision for an Asterisk system; I tested with the version 6 installer and it works ok:

http://www.3cx.com/forums/documentation-on-automatic-provisioning-19032.html