Redundant Connections to VoIP Provider

[packetwire_59]

Hi all,
Here's is my scenerio. I have two office locations, connected together via a WAN. Both these offices have a 3CX server and internet connection. What I want to do is establish a connection to my VoIP provider from either office, so that in the case of one of the ISP connections going down, we can still receive incoming calls (Outgoing is a non-issue, as each site would be using the local VoIP provider connection anyway). Any thoughts on how I could do this?

Thanks,
Rick

 

[leejor]

Are you talking about running the office with the failed ISP connection as a set of extension off the other 3CX? If this scenario happened a lot and not for just a brief outage, you could perhaps have a proxy server set up and ready to go at each end. Kill the 3Cx at that end and turn up the proxy server. Of course the extension numbering plan between offices would have to take this into account. At the end with 3CX still running you could have the addition trunks, from the office that is down built, tested, than saved in a backup. You would then have to apply that backup for the duration of the outage. the working 3Cx would then have all working trunks and be providing service via the proxy server at the far end.

This is a lot of work and would only be useful, if, as I said, your ISP goes down for an extended period (like one or two days at a time) on a semi-regular basis.
If that is the case, I'd be looking for a new ISP.

 

[packetwire_59]

Sorry,
I just re-read my message and it wasn't very clear. Here is the proposed setup:
SITE #1 SITE #2
INTERNET INTERNET
| |
| |
3CX SERVER --------------WAN-----------3CX SERVER

SITE #1 is configured as the master bridge, while site #2 is a slave. Both sites are registered with the same VoIP provider via the local internet connection. Basically I am trying to understand the fault tolerance options if certain parts of the system go down. For example;
1)Lose internet connection at site #1
2)Lose internet connection at site #2
3)Lose WAN connection
4)Lose 3CX server at Site #1
5)Lose 3CX server at Site #2

etc, etc.

 

[leejor]

I should think that any of these scenarios should be pretty self evident.

1)Lose internet connection at site #1 -Direct VoIP trunks at that site fail, Bridged calls to other 3CX fail if run over the same ISP
2)Lose internet connection at site #2 -Direct VoIP trunks at that site fail, Bridged calls to other 3CX fail if run over the same ISP
3)Lose WAN connection - any interoffice calls that don't have a second route out on ISP and back in on DID at other 3CX, fail
4)Lose 3CX server at Site #1 -sets at that site fail, no calls
5)Lose 3CX server at Site #2 - sets at that site fail , no calls

If you are relying on the master site for all incoming and outgoing trunks then obviously there would be total isolation if that site lost either the ISP or 3CX server. If each site has it's own outside trunking then failures at one site will only affect users at that site or calling that site.

 

[packetwire_59]

So I guess my question is, is there a way to deploy active/standby 3CX servers? For example, have all extensions register with a primary server and a secondary in the case of primary failure?

 

[leejor]

You would have to have a device, I think there are some available, that allow you to datafill two servers, one as a backup/ second choice. Or... the ability to forward all request to a local IP onto another site. That is what the 3CX proxy server does.

You should be trying to engineer a system(s) that don't fail (or extremely rarely) in the first place.