XLite4 intermittently does not ring when called

[gglaze]

Calling **9 (my softphone number) sometimes rings. Sometimes not. First attempt is usually greeted by recorded message, "the number you dialed has not received a response from the service provider." Next attempt immediately following the first rings properly. Reliability of subsequent attempts declines rapidly as interval between calls increases. Only incoming calls to softphone fail. Outgoing calls work properly. Calls to Google Voice number linked to OBi110 respond similarly. Handset attached to the OBi110 rings properly. Softphone rings intermittently as described above. Ideas anyone? Thanks

[pc44]

Hi gglaze,

Some random shots in the dark ...

• Does your router have an SIP ALG feature, and if so, is it turned on?  This can cause problems sometimes.
  
• Do you have your particular VoIP ports forwarded in the router to your Obi?  RonR has a good post on this somewhere here.
  
• Lastly (and I hate to say it, because I know it's a hassle), have you tried temporarily connecting the Obi directly to your ISP modem to see if the intermittent call reception problem improves?
  

Hope it helps,
pc44

[gglaze]

* Router, a WRT54G with DD-WRT, does not have SIP ALG. DD-WRT has a service, not enabled, called "Milkfish SIP Router."
* Router preferentially assigns 192.168.1.28 to the OBi110, but OBi is not configured as static. I'll keep looking for posting by RonR. He has several.
* OBi110 receives calls perfectly. Attached handset rings every time. Problem is with OBiApp/X-Lite 4. Connecting the OBi110 directly to the modem would unfortunately leave the host PC to OBiApp/X-Lite 4 without internet access.

Thank you for your thoughts.

[QBZappy]

I'll keep looking for posting by RonR. He has several.

The understatement of the year. 

[gglaze]

Solved: Solution is to configure router so that port 10000 remains open. OBiTalk network signals OBi endpoints using this port. OBi110 responds both to calls over the OBiTalk network at port 10000 and to calls from service providers specified at SP1 and SP2. The OBi110 implements simultaneous ringing of the softphone serviced by OBiApp by forking calls from SP1 or SP2 to OBiApp over the OBiTalk network using port 10000. This explains how a call arriving by way of Google Voice at SP1 can ring the handset attached to the OBi110 without ringing the softphone linked to OBiApp. Thanks to pc44 and customer service for helping to resolve this issue.

[pc44]

Solved: Solution is to configure router so that port 10000 remains open. OBiTalk network signals OBi endpoints using this port.

I was unaware of the port 10000 requirement. Thanks for posting your solution as this could certainly help others with the same problem.

Glad you fixed it!! 

[GregoryZ]

GGLAZE,

Solved: Solution is to configure router so that port 10000 remains open.

I'm still fighting this same issue.  Exactly what do I need to enter and where?  I'm running DD-WRT also on a WRT54Gs. 

Do I Port Trigger or Port Forward?

UPD, TCP, or Both??

If I Port Forward, do I enter the IP of the OBi100 or my PC that is running the OBiAPP/X-lite?

Thanks!
Gregory

[pc44]

Hi Gregory,

You want to use Port Forwarding (not triggering) in your router.

For 10,000 use UDP.  For more info, here is a link to Obihai's FAQ on the subject: Obihai FAQ.

Hope it helps!
pc44

[GregoryZ]

PC44,

Thanks for the link.  I had already seen it, but I was confused about "Outgoing" and "Incoming".  I only see on my Router one place to enter Port Forwards, and it doesn't define wether it is Outgoing or Incoming.

I am not sure if I am getting the desired results, by just entering the information into the fields that DD-WRT allows.

When it says:
Allow Outgoing:
TCP Ports: 6800, 5222, 5223
UDP Ports: 5060, 5061, 10000 to 11000, 16600 to 16998, 19305
Allow Incoming on UDP Port: 10000

I wasn't sure how to enter this.  As you can see, port 10000 is listed in Outgoing using a range to 11000, and it shows to enter it as an Incoming by itself.  Confusing to me.    

Since GGlaze said he got his problem fixed by setting port 10000 as always open, and he is using the same router and firmware, I figured he has done something I wasn't doing.

One of my questions was that in all of the Port Forward settings, should I set them to the IP address of the OBi100 or the IP address of my PC.  I'm sure the answer is the OBi100, but I wanted to be sure.

I'll see what happens now that I have set up all of these ports in the Port Forwarding and Port Range Forwarding sections of DD-WRT. (no way of knowing if they are Outgoing or Incoming)

Again, the problem is the intermitten ringing of XLite4.  The problem is mostly noticed after a period of inactivity of calls.  IE: overnight, or even shorter times, but not always.  (I leave my computer on 24/7)

Call history from the OBi100 shows calls are being forked to the OBiAPP #, but Xlite doesn't ring.  Registration is always good.   



Your additional thoughts are appriciated! 

GregoryZ

[pc44]

Hi GregoryZ,

For all practical intents and purposes, the Port Forwarding options within your router refer to Incoming traffic.  Most basic firewalls allow outgoing traffic without issue; however, incoming, unsolicited traffic is usually where a firewall will try to protect you the most, though not always successfully.

If I understand your setup properly, your OBIAPP/X-Lite is on the same local network as your OBI, and the calls you are receiving hit the OBI first before being relayed to your OBIAPP/X-Lite?  If so, then yes, I believe you would want to use the IP address of your OBI in the port forward setup.  I'm not that familiar with the path/direction of OBIAPP traffic with Obitalk; so I could be wrong on this part, but I would definitely try forwarding to the OBI first.

So, in your Port Forwarding settings, you could set Start 10,000 and End 10,000 to the IP address of your OBI.  Please also note that with certain providers, additional port forwards are recommended.  Others in this forum have mentioned forwarding ports 5060, 5061, 16384 to 16998, etc, if using certain SIP providers.  That information is usually provided to you by your SIP provider (i.e. Voip.ms, Callcentric, Anveo, etc).

Lastly, the universal plug and play option present in some routers may also be worth checking (UPnP).  I would imagine the OBI supports UPnP; so you may also try enabling (or disabling) that option, if present in your router, to see if it helps.  This allows devices within your network to open and close ports on the router at will, so to speak.

pc44

[GregoryZ]

For all practical intents and purposes, the Port Forwarding options within your router refer to Incoming traffic.  Most basic firewalls allow outgoing traffic without issue; however, incoming, unsolicited traffic is usually where a firewall will try to protect you the most, though not always successfully.

Thanks for this info.  Clears things up for me. 

If I understand your setup properly, your OBIAPP/X-Lite is on the same local network as your OBI, and the calls you are receiving hit the OBI first before being relayed to your OBIAPP/X-Lite?  If so, then yes, I believe you would want to use the IP address of your OBI in the port forward setup.  I'm not that familiar with the path/direction of OBIAPP traffic with Obitalk; so I could be wrong on this part, but I would definitely try forwarding to the OBI first.

Yes.  That is how things are set up.  Sure wish I knew the answer too.  I've tried various combos of setting ports to the OBi100 IP address, and the PC running the OBiAPP/X-Lite. 

So, in your Port Forwarding settings, you could set Start 10,000 and End 10,000 to the IP address of your OBI.  Please also note that with certain providers, additional port forwards are recommended.  Others in this forum have mentioned forwarding ports 5060, 5061, 16384 to 16998, etc, if using certain SIP providers.  That information is usually provided to you by your SIP provider (i.e. Voip.ms, Callcentric, Anveo, etc).

I've set all the ports now, as described in the link you gave, to the OBi100.  Still have issues.

FYI: SP1 is GV, and (just changed) SP2 is now Sipgate.  I want to see if it's a Keep Alive problem that may resolve with actually having a Sip provider.  Doubtfull, because that would mean I would have to setup the Sip info (to request the keep alive) in X-Lite, not the OBiAPP info.  In other words, if I had set the Sip info in Xlite, it would process a Keep alive.  But that isn't how things work with the OBiAPP.  I don't think that the OBiAPP processes a "Keep Alive" to the server. (OBiTalk or OBi100 is it's server)  Right??

I've used Sipgate as a Forwarding Numer from GV on an SPA2102 prior to getting my OBi.  Back then I used the Ninja Softphone, and of course no OBiAPP.  I don't recall ever having it go to sleep on me like I'm currently seeing with the OBiAPP & X-Lite combo.

Lastly, the universal plug and play option present in some routers may also be worth checking (UPnP).  I would imagine the OBI supports UPnP; so you may also try enabling (or disabling) that option, if present in your router, to see if it helps.  This allows devices within your network to open and close ports on the router at will, so to speak.

I've played with the PnP setting too.  Still getting the "Sleep Mode" or "Intermitten" problem. 

Sure wish I could figure out if it is the OBi100 (doubtfull) or the OBiAPP, or the X-Lite Program that is not getting the signal.  In my mind, I'm thinking it is the X-Lite.  But I don't know how to be sure.

Anyone have any ideas of how to trace that?

I was hoping GGLAZE might see this so I could pick his brain too.  Especially since He and I  seem to have the same setup- and he fixed his problem.  Not to put you in the back seat pc44.   You have been a great deal of help so far. 

[GregoryZ]

Update:

I've put the OBi100 in DMZ on my Router.

I ditched X-Lite, becuase it forced me to Up-date to V.5

Using two different softphones for tests....

I got the PNP function of my Router to finally see the connections.  But it is only seeing the Softphones info.  Thus, it is forwarding ports (5060 & 5061) to the IP address of the SoftPhone (My Desktop Computer) , not the OBi100.   As stated before, I was very confused as to where to direct these ports on my router.  Mabe it's not the correct way of doing this, but IT WORKS, ofr me.   

My OBiAPP is set at it's defults.
The Softphone is setup using method 127.0.0.1:5060 for Proxy and Domain settings.  It doesn't want to work right if I don't specify the Port #.

Also, I am now using a Stun Server within the SoftPhone. (stun.sipgate.net:10000)

The only other change I made was in the OBi100 settings;
>Service Providers, >Profile A, >Sip, >OutboundProxyPort:  I changed this to 5061.

I'm now only using GV on SP1, so I've not tried to see what happens with two Service Providers.  I really don't need two providers, so I'm going to leave well enough alone. 

Thanks everyone!!!

-G