[WXC/VFX] Anyone using 3CX working with VFX?

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aarond

33 posts

Geek

Topic # 30745 19-Feb-2009 20:54

Hi,

For the last 6 months or more I have been using a Trixbox VMWare image at home running on my server on a WHS OS. Its been working fine for the most part - about every 6 - 8 weeks I have to restart VMWare image, and gradually over time the VMWare image clock gets out of synch with the computer clock which causes a few issues with voicemail. Minor inconveniences at most.

I have a new server, so was considering putting Trixbox on a dedicated native Linux OS running on the old server (ie no VM) - then at the last minute I found 3CX PhoneSystem. Seemed like the perfect solution - a Windows based free PBX that ran silently in the background as an NT service, with a web based GUI.

Has anyone got this working with VFX? I have tried several nights now to get it working, but I have two problems:

1. Even though I have configured the hosts file with as.wxcnz.net, 3CX doesn't seem to picking it up. I get eror messages in the log complaining about "Could not contact domain server for as.wxcnz.net"

2. I can't get it to register - the logs say auth failed. There is no registration field like in Trixbox, so I think it is a problem with how I have configured the auth ID, secret and phone number.

I have configured a seperate SIP provider (an Australian provider) that uses a more standard authid:pwd@host.com and makes the server visible and registration works. So I believe it is the extra "security" that VFX requires (i.e. weird configuration) that causes the issues. Has anyone else any experience with this?

Thanks
Aaron

jedney

39 posts

Geek

Reply # 196797 19-Feb-2009 21:53

I tried 3CX as I thought it might be a nice way of avoiding having to keep a dedicated Linux server around. The server looks very friendly and very powerful and can fake the client string it sends to your service provider - getting around any checks the service provider might be doing for Asterisk.

The problem you are having is that 3CX for some reason (and somehow!) doesn't use the hosts file. I don't know how that can be as "hosts" is part of the Windows TCP/IP stack and I can't imagine how its being bypassed, but it is, and if you search the 3CX knowledge base you will find a few references to it.

The only solution I could see was to setup a DNS server on my machine, add the static name resolution to that and set windows to use 127.0.0.1 as the DNS server. Unfortunately my search for a free Windows DNS server lead me to a number of apps which were about as friendly as Linux (mainly because they are Windows versions of BIND).

Despite setting up the DNS, I still couldn't get 3CX to register and with so many setting to tweak, potential DNS misconfigurations, and so little usefull debug information, I gave up.

The ultimate answer would have been to use a packet sniffer to compare 3CX to Asterisk and tweak the settings appropriately, but by then the novelty had run out and I decided Linux, Asterisk & FreePBX weren't so bad after all :-)

If you ever get it going I would love to know how. Although I guess by posting the info on here WXC may put up another barrier up, so maybe you could PM me?

Thanks,
Jon.

JAMMAN2110

871 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Reply # 196815 19-Feb-2009 23:01

Pro tip: Don't use trixbox.

Use Ubuntu Server with Asterisk and FreePBX or a distribution such as Elastix.

Trust me :)

[Yes I did read your post and all, just for everyone else who reads this thread really]

mruane

420 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 2

Reply # 196862 20-Feb-2009 09:38

My understanding was that VFX only supports terminating devices that it can configure from its own servers. Asterisk is an exception to that rule but only on request. So I would not expect you to be able to configure 3CX to act as a trunk terminator for a VFX trunk unless VFX agree to allow that to happen.

Try calling the VFX help desk and see what they say.

PS The 3CX version is quite good but the free version does have some limitations which can get in the way. Check the NCH website for a listing of the limitations. Not sure what Jamman's issue is with Trixbox, but from my experience the latest v2.6 is perfectly adequate for any home based solution and easy to install and setup.

Cheers Mike