Groundwire as FreePBX extension

FreePBX Endpoints
1

I would be grateful for advice using Groundwire as FreePBX extension when on an external network (cellular or WiFi). I have enabled incoming calls using push notifications and that works. I use my ddns as my domain and I can see in Asterisk that my extension points to a SIPIS server. But I cannot make outbound calls and Groundwire does not register to my FreePBX server (the ext icon top left has a green dotted outline which means “registering”). The Groundwire SIP log shows registrations timing out. If I capture the packets from the phone when on WiFi I see the REGISTER outbound and the response from my server says “port unreachable”.

Port forwarding is set in my UniFi UDM to allow SIPIS traffic and I have the FreePBX firewall set similarly and I have responsive firewall switched on.

Two theories: 1) UDM is blocking REGISTER or 2) I have not understood how this setup is meant to work and I am attempting the impossible.

Any advice will be much appreciated. Many thanks

2

We use Groundwire on about 20 devices :

The first questions is, do you have FreePBX working with other internal extensions and dialing out, etc ? Or is the Groundwire one the first you are trying to configure ?

On Groundwire :

  • The Title : anything you want.
  • Username : just the extension number
  • Domain : add the port. So full IP address :5060 xx.xxx.xx.xxx:5060

Also, If you are using WiFi and on the same internal LAN that your FreePBX is on, then you either need to turn off the WiFi on your phone, or set up a 2nd extension account and use your internal LAN IP Address as the domain.

I noticed on all of our phones, that the WiFi overrides (tries WiFi first) the cell network when it comes to data and therefore you cant use an external IP Address if your WiFi is on the same LAN as the phone system

3

I have FreePBX working with six extensions and has been live for over a year now. Getting Groundwire to work as an “external extension” is the next project. I can get Groundwire working on my local LAN using nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:5060 as the domain - that has been working for some time now. I have also managed to receive incoming calls using my ddns address as the domain e.g. xxxxxxxxx.ddns.net. This works whether I am on my local LAN or on cellular connection externally using push notifications. FreePBX sees my extension as….

Contact:  1003/sip:[email protected]:60307;rinstance 8067d023de Avail        84.359
Transport:  0.0.0.0-udp               udp      3     96  0.0.0.0:5060

i.e. registered to acrobits sip instance server. But I can’t make outbound calls either in your local LAN or externally. I can see registration attempts when on local LAN (wifi packet sniffing phone traffic) which are returned with port unreachable which means my FreePBX server is contacted but REGISTER is rejected. I can also see those REGISTER packets in the Groundwire SIP log.

4

I have multiple Groundwire phone extensions running without any problems.

5

Are those extensions working with FreePBX? That is the crux of my problem. If so do you have advice on configuration please?

6

That port : 60307

I am not following this, Is that Groundwire trying to connect in ? Or your server sending traffic to groundwire ?

What firewall are you using ? We use pfSense and it randomizes outbound ports, So you have to make the outbound a static port 5060

Also, in Groundwire, in the account settings way at the bottom there is a “HACKS” option, in there you can set the RTP port range to use, by default it is 10,000 - 65535, I am fairly certain that needs to be changes to 10k -20k

7

Oh, Now I see you are using UniFi UDM.

You are port forwarding 5060 ? are you also port forwarding 10k-20k ?

8

Yes. The setup was pretty standard. Set the SIP port, forwarded it, also the RTP port range. You will need a NAT loopback if you are testing from inside your wifi.

9

Thanks - that contact is Acrobits SIPIS which triggers push notifications. That contact is what FreePBX sees so incoming calls go there. Yes my UDM is forwarding port 5060. I have adjusted the RTP port range as you suggest but no difference. The current state of play is that incoming calls are now working, whether Groundwire is in the foreground or not, with audio in both directions. I can make an outbound call which reaches the destination; destination answers but no audio in either direction.

10

Yes port forwarding 10k - 20k

11

Thanks - I test with wifi switched off - as you say. With Wifi on I can take incoming calls but not outbound. Groundwire won’t register with Wifi on. I need to work out how to do NAT loopback on my UDM once I have solved the no audio issue.

12

Thank you to all who offered suggestions @StephanK @HawaiianHopeOrg I have now solved the problem. I discovered that my rtp port forward rule had been “paused” some time ago and I had not noticed. All seems to be good now. It raises an interesting question - why did my other extensions work???

1 Like