No Internet connection, not even internal calls allowed...is this normal??

[flactemnad]

Has anyone tried running your own DNS server on the PIAF box? Seems like that might fix it as well.

Under PIAF 1.4, Asterisk 1.6: I'm running this with local BIND namecache configuration. I setup the dummy sip trunk and extension as outlined in this thread. (http://www.pbxinaflash.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7528&postcount=23) My PBX system is using itself as the only DNS server.

BUT, whenever I disconnect the gateway link on the network the PBX will loose connectivity on the internal extensions. Sometimes takes a couple of minutes, but it will eventually drop the connections. Everything is pingable, but no SIP registrations stay live.

Next test was creating a reverse lookup zone on that same system to resolve my local IP addresses. That didn't help any either.

I think this issue might have surfaced only after migrating to SIP trunks from IAX2.

 

[dghundt]

Yes, if you have only iax2 trunks, you should not be affected. I have noticed some weird sip extension behavior as noted above.
Finally got my sipura 3102 configured, so I'll try to do some more testing tomorrow to see if I can still keep sip trunks.

I plan to test loss of internet with following scenarios:
1. change my pbx fixed ip setting back to dhcp with netconfig. Let my router assign a fixed address. My old box was this way.
2. try sipura 3102 sip trunk (dongle)
2. remove all sip trunks completely.

 

[dghundt]

Ok, well I gave up..... I'm happy now.

I put in all IAX2 trunks, and now my system works great even if the internet is down, even sip extensions/pots lines. No delays or odd behavior. Now I can go on vacation or stay home sick and not worry that we'll lose internet service, and the phones will fall apart. Now I'll work on backup, redundancy again.

This longstanding Asterisk bug is analogous to losing FM reception in your car, and now the car itself won't start.
I just feel badly for the unsuspecting business owner depending on backup land lines and internal calling. I see posts as far back as 2006. A critical bug. Of course, Asterisk is free, Ward and the whole gang here are great, and I still love Asterisk.

One tip if you do play with the pingtest file, the sip_registrations.conf registration line seemed to persist even though I deleted the sip trunk in freepbx. So if you have odd problems with just IAX2 trunks without internet, check sip_registrations.conf for any left overs.

 

[jroper]

Hi

This is one of the main reasons for chosing IAX as the protocol for the PiaF service, although I did have some initial "raised eyebrows" and questions about this approach.

It also serves as an excellent show case for PBX in a Flash and A2Billing in a commercial environment.

Joe

 

[wardmundy]

What everyone says will work (but I've never gotten it to) is to make sure your very first SIP trunk is a connection to some other SIP device on your LAN, e.g. another Asterisk server. Asterisk apparently starts at the top of the trunks and looks for a connection when the Internet dies. There was an old message thread on the Australian Whirlpool forum, and I'll try to dig it up one day soon.

 

[dghundt]

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/960451.html

Thanks for your comments and interest. I had my sipura 3102 in the office with everything set up on the sipura side. Was going to do the asterisk side when I realized just wasn't worth it for me as long as I can use IAX trunks exclusively. It becomes too complicated to depend on the sipura as part of my pbx.

For well established providers that are dropping IAX2, if we drop them, perhaps they will reconsider their 'business' model. I had to remove Voicepulse today, which is a shame since they have been extremely reliable for a year or two with excellent voice quality. They were my primary trunk.

I do have Joe's service as one of my trunks now! Keep it up with good voice quality, and I'll stay with ya!

 

[TDF]

I believe this problem has finally been fixed in 1.6

 

[flactemnad]

I believe this problem has finally been fixed in 1.6

Have you tested it under 1.6? It doesn't work on my installation of PIAF 1.4 with Asterisk 1.6.0.1. I'd be interested to hear if you got it working on 1.6.

 

[dghundt]

If it is fixed, it should be back ported to 1.4.
It wasn't working in 1.2 either.

 

[TDF]

Have you tested it under 1.6? It doesn't work on my installation of PIAF 1.4 with Asterisk 1.6.0.1. I'd be interested to hear if you got it working on 1.6.

Sorry I've not tried it, but remembered reading something and thinking ah finally.

I can't find it for the life of me though.

 

[drvcrash]

I just had my down internet take out my new phone system. before i go fudging around in my system . What is the Real Fix ? There are hundreds of threads on multiple boards about this but noone seems to have a real solution

thanks

 

[dghundt]

I have played with this over the years. There appears to be no real fix except going into the code itself which, obviously, has not been done.

Work around options:
1. Use only IAX2 providers
2. See my comments on pingtest which will require some modification and testing (needs proper path names for all sip config files).
3. Sipura ATA 'dongle' approach.
4. Some report DNS or numerical ip address type fixes but they never seem to be reproducible for the majority of users.

For me, it is easiest to use IAX2 only providers. (The shame is I loved voicepulse which dropped IAX2 support earlier this year.)
If you have to use sip providers, then I would recommend pingtest php script.

 

[Alex728]

I installed BIND and it seems to make the system slightly more robust but internal extensions still all deregister after about two hours offline (something to do with the local DNS cache refreshing maybe?)

at the moment I have a couple of SIP trunks which are really only used for testing and my main VOIP trunk is IAX (from Fonicaprojects) and a SIP remote extension

I don't mind losing the two SIP trunks but would like to keep the functionality of the remote SIP extension.

if I use only IAX providers, will this stop the problem when the internet goes down?

Of course the SIP extension will also disappear but will the internal SIP extensions still work?

 

[jroper]

Hi

Using exclusively IAX providers - FonicaVoip, then I have never had any problems with phones deregistering.

This is important to us in Spain, as Broadband can be something of a hit and miss affair, and our service has, shall we say, been hardened through the blacksmith's fire.

We don't do compression and we only do IAX to avoid NAT issues, and we only use the premium routes offered by our carriers, not the cheap ones, and finally we concentrate on offering service to PBX systems, and some wholesale traffic. The idea is to pick one thing we really understand, and hope to do it well, and at the same time make contributions back the the PBX in a Flash Project, as we have promised when we are doing better than break-even, which in turn, we hope, helps the overall acceptance of OSS telephony.

Joe

 

[drvcrash]

I think im just gonna change to iax. i have it setup for joe's service but ive never done the account verication so i havent really used it. I think i can change vitelity to iax also.

 

[Alex728]

Using exclusively IAX providers - FonicaVoip, then I have never had any problems with phones deregistering.

is this with having SIP remote extensions in use as well?

 

[jroper]

Yes, it seems to be only trunks that cause the issue

Joe

 

[rugby]

Voipstreet has IAX2 available. I just set up a PIAF system with it and will be testing it out this weekend.

 

[dghundt]

I installed BIND and it seems to make the system slightly more robust but internal extensions still all deregister after about two hours offline (something to do with the local DNS cache refreshing maybe?)

if I use only IAX providers, will this stop the problem when the internet goes down?

Of course the SIP extension will also disappear but will the internal SIP extensions still work?

People have tried BIND/DNS adjustments, but as I've said, no one can produce a DNS work around that is reproducible for the majority.

If you have only IAX trunks, then when the internet goes down, you only loose services that require the internet. For us this means we can still use our Zap trunks and SIP extensions without any issues.

If you have one or more sip trunks, when your internet goes down, you loose not only your sip trunks, but all internal sip extensions.

I have scoured the net for fixes over the past 2 years and my summary of work arounds represents a pretty good list of things proven by others to consistently work.

 

[tshif]

People have tried BIND/DNS adjustments, but as I've said, no one can produce a DNS work around that is reproducible for the majority.

If you have only IAX trunks, then when the internet goes down, you only loose services that require the internet. For us this means we can still use our Zap trunks and SIP extensions without any issues.

If you have one or more sip trunks, when your internet goes down, you loose not only your sip trunks, but all internal sip extensions.

I have scoured the net for fixes over the past 2 years and my summary of work arounds represents a pretty good list of things proven by others to consistently work.

Thanks for the concise info. Please clarify one thing for me. I have never experienced this problem - but I have read about it over and over again. If all provider trunks are IAX, but you have SIP extension, with the problem of all phones going down still occur, or, is it only when there is at least one SIP provider trunk?