asterisk users - Apr 2007 - Polycom SIP Phones On LAN can't register without WAN (Internet) Access

We are having an issue that I have been unable to figure out how to resolve.
I think its related to the Polycom Phones and not the Asterisk
configuration, but I'm not positive.

We have several Polycom 500/501/601's on both a LAN and at employee homes.

The problem we are having is if our internet connection goes down the Local
LAN phones loose their connection to the Asterisk Server.
I've checked everything I can think of but can't figure out why its
happening.
I believe since the Asterisk Box is on the LAN and the phones are on the
same LAN then it shouldn't need internet to function.

The closest I have narrowed this down is to the DNS area. I found that if I
block access to our ISP's DNS that the phones aren't able to register
with
asterisk.

This baffles me because the phone has the LAN address for the Asterisk
server so I don't know why it's doing DNS lookups.

Phone Example: (SIP 600)
        Phone's Config File:
        reg.1.address="254"
        reg.1.label="x204"
        reg.1.type="private"
        reg.1.thirdPartyName=""
        reg.1.auth.userId="254"
        reg.1.auth.password="mypass"
        reg.1.server.1.address="192.168.0.5"
        reg.1.server.1.port=""
        reg.1.server.1.transport="DNSnaptr"
        reg.1.server.2.transport="DNSnaptr"
        reg.1.server.1.expires=""
        reg.1.server.1.register="1"
        reg.1.server.1.retryTimeOut=""
        reg.1.server.1.retryMaxCount=""
        reg.1.server.1.expires.lineSeize=""

	Phone's IP Info:
        IP is 192.168.0.160
        IP Gateway: 192.168.0.1
        SNTP: 192.168.0.5
        DNS Server: 192.168.0.1
        DNS Alternate: 192.168.0.5

	Phone's Software:
		BootBlock: 2.4.0
		Bootrom: 3.2.1.0012
		SIP: 1.6.7.0098

The Asterisk Box has	2 Network Cards.
	1 on the LAN with IP of 192.168.0.5
	1 on the WAN with a public IP


Does anyone have any idea on what direction I need to go to resolve this?
Let me know if you need to know any further details about the configuration.
Also, FYI: when this occurs the logs show no activity on the Asterisk
server. No attempted subscribes/logins/registers.

Thanks in advance!!
--Shawn
shawn@sellersaide.com

Hi Shawn -
> We have several Polycom 500/501/601's on both a LAN and at employee
homes.
> The problem we are having is if our internet connection goes down the Local
> LAN phones loose their connection to the Asterisk Server.
> I've checked everything I can think of but can't figure out why its
> happening.
> I believe since the Asterisk Box is on the LAN and the phones are on the
> same LAN then it shouldn't need internet to function.
>
> The closest I have narrowed this down is to the DNS area. I found that if I
> block access to our ISP's DNS that the phones aren't able to
register with
> asterisk.
>
> This baffles me because the phone has the LAN address for the Asterisk
> server so I don't know why it's doing DNS lookups.
Hmm.  Well, you've got me.  I don't know why it would be doing that,
it certainly shouldn't be.  You might try a newer version of the SIP
firmware or the 3.2.2 bootrom.

If it still happens with the latest bootrom/firmware, you could do a
packet trace on the phone.  Is it doing DNS queries?  If so, I'd call
your Polycom reseller and have them take this up with Polycom (support
requests are supposed to go through the reseller).  Actually, in any
case, I'd take it up with your Polycom reseller.


- Noah

Check sip.cfg to see if the voip server is set up as a dns name.

-- 
Chris Mason
(264) 497-5670 Fax: (264) 497-8463
Int:  (305) 704-7249 Fax: (815)301-9759 UK 44.207.183.0271
Cell: 264-235-5670
Yahoo IM: netconcepts_anguilla@yahoo.com 


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