Queue call continues to ring in agents headset after answering call

[Tim Mrazek]

• 3CX Version, Enterprise Annual 16.0.3.676
• Server OS, Debian 9
• Is the 3CX Server Hosted and where? Local hosted
• IP Phone Make/Model/Firmware 3CX App
• Provisioning Method: Local / VPN / STUN / SBC Local
• Trunk Provider or Gateway Make/Model Twilio
• Has the Firewall Checker passed: YES
• Are custom Phone Templates being used: NO

We have an issue where random inbound calls, about 10% or more, to our queues keep ringing in the agents headset when they answer a call. The 3CX app looks like it answers the call, because it shows the 'End' Button. Also, when you go back and listen to the recordings, there is audio from the caller on the line.

Agents setup:

• Win10Pro with latest updates
• Separate subnet from 3CX Server, with no firewall between them
• Sennheiser D10 ML Wireless headset
• 3CX App version 16.0.1.81
• Sennheiser 3CX Plugin
• Latest version of Sennheiser Headsetup Pro
• Latest firmware on headsets

We have also tried with a USB wired headset and get the same results.
We can see the calls sitting in queue just fine, but the agents have this problem when they get to them.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi Tim,

Are we talking about the ringtone wave file that the 3CX client would normally play through the speakers?

Or are we talking about the headset-generated ringtone that Sennheiser produces on models that support having their own built in ringtone?

 

[Tim Mrazek]

It is the 3CX wav ringtone.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Does the ringing sound briefly when they answer the call or does it continue throughout the whole call lets say?

 

[Tim Mrazek]

The ringing continues in the agents ear. They have left it there for a while. I'm not sure exactly how long, but the ringing doesn't stop. The caller is never heard by the Agent. The recordings show show the caller just there, but no ringing in the backround. So it seems like the client doesn't stop the ringing and connect the two parties.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

This sounds like there may be an issue in the establishment of the call, and may be causing the client to ring continuously I would speculate.. Regardless, I was not able to replicate this here using the same headset. The Sennheiser plays its own ringtone, it does not play ours when using their software so I'm wondering why this is even happening at all (even if the problem didn't exist I mean).

Tim can you try running a user over the webclient instead so we can test this? I'm wondering if the issue will stop when in webclient mode via Google Chrome (3CX app for windows must not be running). If this works well, it may points network issues that may be affecting the windows client due to the different subnets and the intercommunication between them.

You can also enable integration from there

 

[Tim Mrazek]

Ok, after switching to the web client, they are hearing the 'sennheiser' ringer. I can test that on my machine as well. If I use the 3CX windows App, the ringer is the wav file, but when I use the web client it uses the sennheiser ringer. I can further verify that as the ringer light on the headset base station blinks with the web client and not with the windows app. So something isn't working with my plug on the windows app.

 

[Tim Mrazek]

Ok, so I just remove the 'Sennheiser Headsetup Pro' software from my machine and the 'sennheiser' ringer is working. I'll remove that on the agents phone tomorrow to see if that fixes this weird issue.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

I will outline the whole procedure from the start and I believe this will solve the issue for all the users:

1. Install the 3CX app for Windows and provision it, but shut it down afterwards
2. Install HeadSetup Pro https://en-de.sennheiser.com/headset-software-pc#
3. Install this plugin linked here https://www.3cx.com/blog/docs/sennheiser-plugin-integration/
4. Launch HeadSetup Pro and plug in the headset USB cable
5. Pick up the headset and press the button so it will appear in HeadSetup
6. Now we are ready to go and launch the 3CX client again
7. As soon as you launch it the Sennheiser icon will show a green dot in the tray
8. Change the audio settings in the 3CX app to all point to the Sennheiser device (audio, mic, ringer)

You should now be running correctly and the buttons should also work (answer/hangup, mute, volume)

I think you were only missing step 3 from the whole description, and the Webclient test confirmed this (it does not need the extra plugin because it has it built in and ready to go, but the Windows client needs it)

 

[Tim Mrazek]

OK, so we removed the headsetup pro from a few of the agents and that is now ringing the basestation. We also took a new test PC and performed the steps you provided and that also worked. We will do that in for the agents next week and see if this resolves the issue with the random calls not being able to be answered. Thank you for the assistance.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Great Tim, let us know how it went after you're done

 

[Tim Mrazek]

ok, so after removing the headsetup pro software the ringer used is the sennhieser provided one, and the issue we are noticing goes away. I tried the install procedure that is mentioned above and the ringer sound is provided by the 3cx app, and the problem shows up again.

One interesting thing that we noticed is that when we were in a state where the 'ringer' issues wasn't a problem, there then seemed to be an issue with call audio. This new issue seems to be where both parties cant hear each other. I haven't been able to replicate this issue by calling in adn experiencing it yet. So I can't say if it's a one way audio problem or both ways. All I can say is that the agent cannot hear the caller. However, when listening to the recordings you can hear the caller, but not the agent.

So here is what I have compiled between the two states of the PC using 3CX.

• With Headsetup Pro and 3cx sennheiser plugin installed
  • The Sennheiser basestation does not ring. Ringing is using the 3cx App wav file
  • 'Ringers' occur
  • Agent cannot hear caller
  • Audio can be heard from caller on recording
  • Audio can not be heard of the agents on the recording
  • Web client rings using sennheiser provided ringer, and sicnece issue below is noticed
• With only 3cx sennheiser plugin installed
  • The Sennheiser basestation DOES ring.
  • 'Silence' issue occurs
  • Agent cannot hear caller
  • Audio can be heard from the caller on the recording
  • Audio can not be hear of the agents on the recording
  • Same experience on Web Client as 3CX App

With audio being and issue with both states. I'm wondering if these 'silence' calls are actually manifesting as the 'ringers' when the headsetup pro software is installed. So what should I be looking at with the missing audio.

Interestingly enough, the callers are not complaining about the calls dropping, so i'm not sure what their experience of the situation is unfortunately.

 

[Tim Mrazek]

Also, when I listen to the recordings I do not hear the caller saying 'hello?'. It just seems to be background noise. Personally, I would think that if our MoH was playing and then stopped all of the sudden that they would think the call was answered and start saying 'hello?'. Now we have called in many times from a cell phone and hear the MoH everytime. To add to this as well, we are seeing calls dropped with our provider saying 'call termiated because of no audio received'. I have verified that they drop calls for this after 60 seconds of no audio from one party. However, I have many instances of calls that have 2mins+ call time in the log, and I know the agents are not waiting 60 before hanging up these problem calls.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi Tim,

If you follow the procedure outlined in post #9 you should not be hearing the 3CX ringer, because the Sennheiser ringer would "take over" due to the plugin.

I'm wondering if something was amiss during the installation procedure. In case you reinstalled the 3CX client and its directory was deleted, the plugin must be reinstalled.

As for the audio issues, it sounds like a one-way audio problem. This will need to be checked separately once the client/headset/plugin matter is settled.

You can call * 777 to check the echo of your own voice as a test for the client-to-PBX path.

 

[Tim Mrazek]

If you follow the procedure outlined in post #9 you should not be hearing the 3CX ringer, because the Sennheiser ringer would "take over" due to the plugin.

I'm wondering if something was amiss during the installation procedure. In case you reinstalled the 3CX client and its directory was deleted, the plugin must be reinstalled.

Ok, we'll look at that thank you.

As for the audio issues, it sounds like a one-way audio problem. This will need to be checked separately once the client/headset/plugin matter is settled.

You can call * 777 to check the echo of your own voice as a test for the client-to-PBX path.

I"m working with Twilio now regarding a possible pattern for these calls. I noticed that some of them are calls that go to another call center that we contract with, and they use and IVR to send calls to our phone system for certain calls. Well I can see two records for the call in the logs. for example, the orignal to the external call center could show 4 mins and the call to our our call center shows 3:30. And they end at the same time. So there is and issues with the calls not disconnecting or transfering fully to our site.
The external call center is using a number that we own to recieve our calls, so they are on the same 'account' as us. I'll be interested to see what they come back with here regarding what I found.

 

[Tim Mrazek]

Ok, so I have more info on the 'ringing' issue. After we redo the installation as described, the agent hears the sennhieser ringer. We do a reboot and it no longer works. I'm curous if it might be a Group Policy setting. I've noticed the previous admins really went to town on GP for the agents. We are going to keep testing internally to see if there are any polcies that could be breaking the integration. Anybody have any ideas on what could be breaking these across reboots? I'll post with my findings.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

I would recommend to check if the Sennheiser tray icon green dot lights up after reboot.
You should see both the Sennheiser HeadSetup Pro icon and the 3CX icon


This is an indication that the software detected the client and is ready to go.

After setting it up as per description, I reboot the PC and it remains in a working state.

Perhaps it may be a good idea to set the 3CX client to have a delayed start as a troubleshooting measure, to ensure Sennheiser HeadSetup Pro is already running.

 

[Tim Mrazek]

the green light it lit and we are still getting these errors. We setup a test machine with a new user account and are not replicating the issue across reboots. Digging further into it with Process Monitor to see if there are some permissions that group policy is blocking after a reboot on these older machines.