slow phone registration after 3cx services start?

[asinshesq]

I had 3cx installed on a windows 7 pc and whenever I restarted 3cx services my 5 ip phones would register quickly (within a minute of starting the 3cx services). I just got a new windows 10 pc and I am finding that when I restart 3cx services the phones regularly take 9 minutes to register (the first one registers at almost 9 minutes and the others register within 30 seconds thereafter). At first I thought that during bootup the pc was starting other things before turning to 3cx, but when I go to service status in the console and click restart all, it takes 9 minutes for the phones to register. Any idea what is wrong? Are there settings I should be tweaking? Thanks.

And bonus question
What's the difference between navigating to the console via localhost:5000 vs via localhost:5001 since both seem to work.

 

[leejor]

If I understand you correctly, the answer would be that "normally" SIP devices working off 3CX will re-register every 30 minutes (that was/is, the default sent to devices upon first registering) unless they have been programmed, manually to do so more often. When 3CX re-starts, it will wait to see that re-registration, assuming that the set is not there, until it gets it. The set would be unaware that 3CX re-started and not normally re-register until it was programmed to do so.

I'm not certain why you are seeing a difference. I'm surprised that even when using Win 7, that the sets would re-register so quickly unless that parameter was set to be a very short time.

 

[asinshesq]

Thanks for the reply. What you say makes sense but given what I've observed I think that's not quite right. I have the sip devices themselves set to re-register every hour (3600 seconds), and on my prior set up 3cx would find them (indicate them as green/registered in the extension status page of the consol) within a minute of restarting the service, regardless of when I restarted the services. On my new windows 10 setup, it always takes the same 9 minutes regardless of when I restart services. I think this means that the devices aren't really re-registering at the appointed once an hour mark but instead that 3cx - when it restarts - simply recognizes that those devices already were and remain registered. If that's correct, what made the windows 7 installation so much faster than the windows 10 installation in recognizing the registered devices as registered? That's the puzzle, I think.

I imagine I could work around this problem by setting each of my 5 sip phones to re register every 60 seconds, but something tells me that's not a good idea. Agree?

 

[leejor]

I have the sip devices themselves set to re-register every hour (3600 seconds),

As I said, normally, 3CX will normally dictate that devices are to re-register every 30 seconds (this can be changed in the settings). Depending on the device, this time will normally override a longer time period set in the device. I have a number of Cisco/Linksys device,s and the default of the device shows, and continues to show 3600 seconds even though they do re-register every 1800 or so. When configuring I try to remember to manually set to 1700 seconds.

imagine I could work around this problem by setting each of my 5 sip phones to re register every 60 seconds, but something tells me that's not a good idea. Agree?

I suppose it depends on your network. It could cause congestion and is probably a bit of an over-kill. If re-starting 3CX happens that often, as to impact the sets registration, then you could lower it to 5 minutes or so, or simply cause the sets to re-boot after a 3CX re-start. If they were using POE, then it would be fairly simple to do so.

Someone else may be able to explain why the difference between the two operating systems.

 

[asinshesq]

Thanks, Lee. Just thinking some more about this.

You said 3CX will normally tell the phones to re-register every 30 seconds (I think you meant minutes) but you went on to say this can be changed in the settings. Where are those settings? More generally, where can I find the configurations that 3cx has given a phone?

Are the phone templates only used to tweak the phone's own settings (which I could otherwise reach by the phone's webpage on my lan), or do they create some separate set of config files that I can look at somewhere?

I notice that when 3cx restarts and I click the phones link in the 3cx console, it quickly shows the unregistered phones as 'new'...what causes 3cx to finally flip those entries from new to registered? Is it the setting in the phone for how often to register? Or is that setting overridden as I think you were saying, and if so where can I set that time?

Finally, my lan has only a few devices on it at any given time (when the kids are in town, maybe it goes up to 10 devices). And I've only got 5 phones tied to 3cx. So, as a practical matter is there really anything wrong with setting the server expires time in the phone interface to 120 or 180 seconds? Will I really notice that?

Thanks again.

 

[leejor]

You said 3CX will normally tell the phones to re-register every 30 seconds (I think you meant minutes)

Yes, I did mean minutes, sorry.

you went on to say this can be changed in the settings. Where are those settings?

I seem to recall seeingwhere that was changed a long time back, and as I recall it wasn't in one of the places you'd think to look. I should have book-marked it but didn't. Tried a search but didn't come up with anything. Perhaps someone else remembers where it is.

When you create an extension, a config file specific to a set (MAC) is created. I've done some editing on files created for some Cisco sets. Depending on the format of the file crated, you may be able to use a text editor, or you may require a programme to properly edit.

I'm not certain, but may it be waiting for the set to register.

Is it the setting in the phone for how often to register? Or is that setting overridden as I think you were saying, and if so where can I set that time?

Yes, there is a setting in the phone. Depending on the device, it may have different names. In most devices, the time-out will be set by the PBX upon the first registration. However it can also be set in the device, either manually, or through the configuration file. Generally, the device will use the lowest setting between what 3CX wants, and what is set in the device.

Or is that setting overridden as I think you were saying, and if so where can I set that time?

I've never had a need to change that setting myself, but do recall seeing a post on changing it somewhere in the PBX.

Finally, my lan has only a few devices on it at any given time (when the kids are in town, maybe it goes up to 10 devices). And I've only got 5 phones tied to 3cx. So, as a practical matter is there really anything wrong with setting the server expires time in the phone interface to 120 or 180 seconds? Will I really notice that?

The only way to know for sure is to try. Nothing is going to blow up if you do set devices to re-register that often, and if you do notice anything negative (congestion?), you can just increase the time. For the majority of users, 30 minutes or even longer works just fine.