VFX VOIP rings for caller but not for receiver

andynz

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Master Geek

Topic # 97759 20-Feb-2012 09:53
I have an ongoing problem with our VOIP line. People call and the line just rings and rings however ir odes not ring here. Then they ring again and it rings straight away. The call register only shows the second call which works but not the first. I have 2 lines on a 2102 and the problem has been going on for months. It is hard to say though what ratio of calls do this as the caller does not always tell us when they can't get through. Anyone else having this sort of intermittent problems? Cheers Andy

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Reply # 583777 20-Feb-2012 11:22
I am not an expert on VFX (ask Maverick if you need that) but have been using it for over 5 years now, so have some idea what might be wrong. I am wondering if you have your SPA2102 set to router mode and then have another router between it and the internet? What you are experiencing may well be a case of "Double NAT" which is to be avoided if at all possible. Basically, the first phone call opens a tunnel through the NAT, so that the second one gets through OK, because the tunnel is still in existence. This theory doesn't account for why it only happens sometimes though, so maybe you have a faulty SPA2102 or a faulty router. Failing that, if you have a separate router to the SPA2102, it may have issues with SIP traffic. I remember some routers offering a "SIP ALG" function, which actually did more harm than good. If that function exists in your router, you could try disabling it and see if that helps. Failing all of that, it might be a good idea to post the make and model of your router (if you are using a separate one to the SPA2102), so others can comment as to whether it has known issues with SIP. For myself, I only use the hardware which is directly supported by WxC, and have never had any issues such as you describe. Prior to VFX, I was using iTalk, and that frequently misbehaved in the way you mentioned, along with other problems.

166 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 583794 20-Feb-2012 11:46
Thanks Grant for the comprehensive reply. I did wonder about the NAT but not sure it is that when the fault is intermittent. The setup here is a WAG54GP2 with 2102 behind it. The 2 lines in the WAG went faulty after an electrical storm some years back hence installing the 2102. Maybe I should try changing the router out but the fault only seemed to start a few months back so I am a bit reticent to buy a new router if this one is fine. Cheers Andy WAG2

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Wannabe Geek

Reply # 583798 20-Feb-2012 11:51
You may want to check another setting on the WAG54GP2. Some f/w versions include a SIP ALG that can also hinder SIP traffic to adapters behind it. The setting should be under Applications & Gaming > ALG (depending on your f/w version.) The SIP option should just need to be un-ticked to disable.

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Reply # 583802 20-Feb-2012 11:56
Thanks for the suggestion. I checked this and it is unticked. I went through that a month back when I contacted Xnet CS. I had added the second VOIP lne at that point and was getting a problem with the 1st line loosing registration. Not the same fault as the current one I think. I haven't had a registration problem since. Cheers andy

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Reply # 583803 20-Feb-2012 11:56
Given that you have a WAG54, there should be no issues with SIP compatibility, so that one is ruled out. I had been using a WRT54GP2 for around 4 years until replacing it recently. Over time, the LAN ports lost the ability to run at 100Mbps, dropping down to only 10Mbps. We noticed occasional brief dropouts in the audio during phone calls too, but put it down to our connection. However, after replacing the WRT last month with a Cisco SRP521W, we realise how much better the new router sounds. Audio is crisper and cleaner, and the dropouts have completely gone. Based on this experience, and yours, it seems as though the Linksys devices sometimes degrade over time, so I would suggest giving serious consideration to buying a new all-in-one VoIP device such as the Cisco SRP527 to replace your current setup.

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Reply # 583819 20-Feb-2012 12:13
I quite like having the 2102 separate to the main router my thinking being that it better to separate different functions into different boxes in case one fails you don't loose the lot. Do you think the call quality could be due to your old router dropping back to 10mbs. Our WAG is fine in that respect.

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Reply # 583865 20-Feb-2012 13:43
Hi Andy, If you want want to PM me your vfx ph# i'll look into this for you as if its a natting issue we'll see it pretty quickly. If it is the case there is a couple things we can do to work around this that require no configuration on your side. Nicholas Cuc Network Support WorldxChange Communications www.xnet.co.nz

166 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 583953 20-Feb-2012 15:37
Great response and help from the guys at World Exchange. Looks like it might have been port conflict between the WAG and SPA lines, so the guys have reconfigured my SPA. Hopefully the problem is fixed. Great service!

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Reply # 584112 20-Feb-2012 19:08
Interesting that you get only the 1 notification e-mail, but the guys are on the job so I'm sure it will get sorted if not already. You can never have enough Volvos!