Solved Initial provision overwrites configuration - subsequent provisioning doesn't

[rancho]

The below was submitted to 3CX support but I thought I'd post it here as well.

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I have 90+ guest room phones to provision for the hotel this license is assigned to. These are Yealink T21P E2 phones. I am trying to make the initial setup process go as fast and as efficiently as possible.

I have one phone provisioned and with configuration changes. I exported this phone's config file (001565d71014-all.cfg). I made 90+ duplicates of this file, each renamed accordingly to the phone to which each will be imported. I modified each config file with the extension number, and password (uncommented the password lines) for a successful provision and registration. The phone's model and MAC address have been set up in the management console.

I took one phone out of the box, imported it's appropriate config file that I copied and modified. After the phone restarts it registers successfully. The custom configuration is there. The phone then makes a call to the provisioning server. After it restarts again, the custom configuration is overwritten requiring me to reset the changes I made. This is defeating the purpose of creating all these config files to begin with.

After I then reconfigure this phone, save and reboot, my changes remain and are not overwritten. The phone is set to auto provision on start up and repeatedly yet my changes remain.

So why are my configuration changes being overwritten on the initial auto provision but not on subsequent auto provisions? Is there a way I can perform this task efficiently for 90+ phones and not have to edit the configuration in the web interface?

Thank you.

 

[craigreilly]

What is the reason for 90 provisioning files instead of using the 3cx method?
If you do not want 3cx to config, then do not put the Mac Address into the extension.

 

[Saqqara]

As above,

 

[rancho]

What is the reason for 90 provisioning files instead of using the 3cx method?
If you do not want 3cx to config, then do not put the Mac Address into the extension.

I'm aware that I can leave the MAC address off but that doesn't answer my question.

 

[YiannisH_3CX]

Hello @rancho

So why are my configuration changes being overwritten on the initial auto provision but not on subsequent auto provisions? Is there a way I can perform this task efficiently for 90+ phones and not have to edit the configuration in the web interface?

Without having tried your method of provisioning i cannot be sure of what is going on in the background and how the PBX is behaving to a phone that has been provisioned this way. I would assume that the PBX is not detecting any changes to the configuration and not re-provisioning the phones. Try to make a change to an extension setting (add a blf etc) through the management console and click ok. Then try to re-provision the phone. Does that overwrite the phones settings?

What you are doing however seems counter productive and might cause you issues in the future. First of all this method is not supported so if you face any issues in the future 3CX support will not be able to assist you.
Then what happens if you need to make a change to the phones in the future like adding a BLF or changing a codec? You will lose the ability to use the management console to do so by selecting all phones and applying the change one time.
I would choose a supported provisioning method to avoid future issues and to be fully supported.

 

[rancho]

Thank you, 3CX, for providing an answer. My goal was to save time and i understand the reason you provide suggesting i not do this. So, I'll have to spend the time required to set up the changes on each phone manually. These changes are intended to lock down the phones for use by hotel guests. It does bring up another question. Provisioning the phones through 3CX, then logging in to each phone to lock it down, will I still lose support? This will not require editing the default template and I've already proven to myself that the configuration stays on reboots. Locking the phones down MUST be done. There is no other option.

 

[YiannisH_3CX]

What do you mean by locking the phones down? What changes are required in order for you to do so? Generally speaking any manual configuration done to the phone will cause it to not be supported. However if you face an issue and you need to open a ticket with our support department then factory reset a phone and provision it with through the management console so you can replicate your issue with that.

 

[rancho]

In my initial post I clearly stated that these are hotel room phones. The standard 3CX configuration is completely unsuitable for this setting. I can't have willy nilly room guests doing things on these phones other than making/taking calls, getting voice mail, calling the front desk and scheduling wake up calls. Everything else on the phones are not accessible. That's what I mean by "locking down" the phones. I don't have any issues now and I have already closed the original ticket. 3CX really needs to think more critically about having a configuration suitable for hotel phones.

 

[YiannisH_3CX]

Thank you for your feedback and glad to see the issue has been resolved.