multicast paging help

[tylachau]

Hello,

I am trying to get multicast paging working with our phones. We have a mix of polycom 335/331, and yealink 42s.

So far I've enabled multicast on our layer 3 switch for our voice vlan:

i can see the listener.224.0.1.75 on my switch

I have configured the polycoms to match the multicast ip 224.0.1.75. Both phones have the same mutlicast ip and port setup, are subscribed to the same group.

I've also tried setting up a multicast ring group in 3cx with the same multicast IP.

None of it is working. What could be my roadblock?

 

[tylachau]

Update. I have managed to get multicast paging working by configuring each phone manually. I would like to use the 3cx multicast paging group extension 3797. I have this configured using the same multicast IP 224.0.1.75 port 50001 but it isn't sending the pages to the phones.
Codec options on the polycom phones are g.711Mu, g.726Qi, and g.722. 3cx list g729, g.711 ulaw and g.711 alaw. I assume they have to match??
How can I get this working with the paging multicast extension with 3cx???

Also, I do not see an add extension to multicast ring group as an option when using any of the templates.

Please help

 

[tylachau]

Attached wireshark when trying to use extension multicast paging

 

[craigreilly]

You do not add an extension to the multicast group like you do a normal ring group - but you do tell the phone to listen to that multicast ring group... and the template has to support it. ie: Grandstream:
This is under the Extension -> Provisioning.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi @tylachau

Follow what @craigreilly describes and you should be able to set it up easily. You can also check one of our pre-recorded webinars if you want a more step by step process:

 

[tylachau]

This is working when setting up the phones manually to multicast. What isn't working is when I use a multicast paging group extension. When dialing extension "8005" for example there is no page that comes through. If I use a configured BLF on the phone to multicast page it works fine.

Why isn't the 3cx extension working? They are both using the same configured multicast IP and port.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

You will need to check verbose logs, as well as run a wireshark capture from the phone's side to see if your multicast message actually reaches the phones.

 

[tylachau]

Can I post my logs here for assistance?

 

[tylachau]

So the multicast paging only works if the phones have a supported template that allows them to be in the multicast group on the phone provision. It does not work if phones are provisioned manually with the same multicast config.
Any plans to allow multicast to go out to any device listening? I don't understand why you'd have the restriction.

 

[CentrexJ]

So the multicast paging only works if the phones have a supported template that allows them to be in the multicast group on the phone provision. It does not work if phones are provisioned manually with the same multicast config.
Any plans to allow multicast to go out to any device listening? I don't understand why you'd have the restriction.

That is not correct or possible. Multicast is multicast. There must be something different in the ip, port or codec that you are using. We use this at several sites with some devices 3CX configured and others (paging speakers or adapters for instance) not.

 

[tylachau]

The phone configuration is the same in both of my cases. The only difference is the group membership drop down for the template.

I setup the phones manually with the multicast IP and port and it works no problem. When I setup the multicast paging extension in 3cx with the same ip and port it does not page any of the phones until they are put into the group on the extension provisioning.
My users are currently trained to dial an extension to page so I am hoping to just convert it to a multicast extension with no training. Our number of phones for a paging ring group has increased and the delay is too long.

 

[CentrexJ]

are you configuring the multicast in the phone under directory/multicast? Please confirm they match for manual configured and 3CX configured. If that’s the case then the only difference is possibly the multicast codec let me know and I’ll find for you how to check that.

 

[tylachau]

yes that is where the multicast is configured on the yealinks and match what is set on the 3cx multicast paging ring group extension. i will verify codec. Phones were configured with g722, but I see that is not an option in 3cx paging extension. I will try g.711 on 3cx and polycom and PCMU on the yealinks. Polycoms have g.711Mu, g.726Qi, and g.722.

 

[CentrexJ]

Compare multicast codec on the phones web GUI.

Codec for Multicast Paging:

1. Click on the Features tab.
2. Click General Information in the left of your screen.
3. Scroll down to find Multicast Paging

 

[tylachau]

The codecs on the phones Polycom g711u, yealink PCMU, and 3cx g711u. This does nothing. There is no audio on any devices.

If I use g729 in 3cx and g729 in yealink. *(The polycom phones do not have g729 as an option). * However, I can page from the polycom to ext 8005 (multicast paging) and both of the yealinks pickup. BUT... when I page from the yealink to ext 8005 only another yealink phone will pickup, except the call is immediately put on hold and the hold music plays.

If I configure ALL phones (polycom and yealink) with G722 I can multicast page and it works without the 3cx extension. However, 3cx does not have g722 as an option. Also polycom phones start with multicast on channel 1, and 3cx multicast paging only works on channel 0.

It seems to get this to work all together I need 3CX to give me g722 codec option on multicast paging, and allow for the channel to be configurable so that I can set it to channel 1.
As I said before in an ideal world I would like to be able to keep using my paging extensions so our 200+ employees do not have to be retrained.

Please let me know if you have a solution for me.

 

[tylachau]

Any comment from 3cx or anyone else on possible solutions or at least guidance?

It seems to get this to work all together I need 3CX to give me g722 codec option on multicast paging, and allow for the channel to be configurable so that I can set it to channel 1.
As I said before in an ideal world I would like to be able to keep using my paging extensions so our 200+ employees do not have to be retrained.

 

[craigreilly]

The "channel" should simply be a priority for paging and have nothing to do with it working or not. When I manually did this - I used to set my default everyone in position 5 - so I could easily add or remove others with different priorities.

 

[tylachau]

The "channel" should simply be a priority for paging and have nothing to do with it working or not. When I manually did this - I used to set my default everyone in position 5 - so I could easily add or remove others with different priorities.

Well, in my case the polycoms seem to be the problem. They only work with the yealinks when the yealinks are set on channel 1 to match the priority. I'm not sure if that is the problem with 3cx or not, but as I also mentioned the codecs cannot be matched between all 3 devices/systems. g722 is needed.