MP-114 pre-configured BOARD.INI for Lync 2010

Looks like a small device like Audiocodes MP-114 is a hot topic here on lynclog.com. The number is visits of the post about it prompts me to extend the subject and offer a pre-configured “BOARD.INI” file, which with small changes should be easy to deploy and save you time while building your lab.

There are few things to consider:

Just because it works in my lab, does not mean it will necessarily works out of the box in yours. I will explain later.

Pre-configured only means - “shortcut” for deployment. Reading and understanding Audiocodes terminology and concept is still necessary to complete the setup successfully.

Having said that, let’s start with the preconditions:

1. This is configuration file for Audiocodes MP-114 with 2 FXS and 2 FXO ports. This means, ports 1 and 2 (FXS as marked on the back of the device) are to be connected to an analog phone, and ports 3 and 4 (FXO) to an analog telephone line.
2. I have configured already two “Analog Phone Device” in my Lync server with phone numbers +14785551010 and +14785551020.
3. The co-located Mediation server is configured to the defaults – port 5068 for TCP and 5067 for TLS.
4. While adding the gateway in the Topology, the default gateway port for TCP – 5066 was used.
5. Lastly, read carefully the rest before uploading the file to your MP-114. While it will not “break” it, making changes with understanding why doing so will make your experience less frustrating (else you will not be reading this to begin with).

Download and save the file form this location:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=74f5d774855b9fca&id=74F5D774855B9FCA%21160&authkey=!

On your MP-114, go to Management -> Software Updates -> Configuration File; browse for the file you just downloaded and upload (Send INI File) it to the device.

 

Wait for the device to restart and prompt for login.

There are several changes you need to make now in order to use it in your environment.

Go to Configuration -> Protocol Configuration -> EndPoint Phone Number and change the phone numbers above to the numbers you have configured for Analog Device in your Lync Environment. Delete the values if you have not configured Analog device. As of how to configure Analog Device Support, refer to this post: http://www.lynclog.com/2011/04/analog-phone-support-with-lync-2010.html

Go to Configuration -> Protocol Configuration -> Endpoint Settings -> Automatic Dialing and change the values to phone number in your Lync environment. This number can be user’s, RGS, Auto Attendant; basically a valid Lync number.

Go to Configuration -> Protocol Configuration -> Proxies, Registration, IP Groups -> Proxy Sets Table and replace the current value with your Lync co-located or Standalone Mediation FQDN:port number.

Go to Configuration->Network Settings->Application Settings and enter the IP address of your DNS internal DNS Server.

Next step – number Manipulation. This is the most complicated part and requires understanding of number manipulation in PSTN world.

Go to Configuration -> Protocol Configuration ->Dest Number IP -> Tel and… this gets tricky as it could.

Let’s talk about Milledgeville, Georgia. The local PSTN service provider requires local calls to be dialed as 7 digits. Any other number of digits causes the call to fail. Lync, however, sends E.164 to the gateway. So, for local calls, I need to “manipulate” the number i.e. leave the last 7 digits only and send them to Windstream. On other hand, here we have several NXX… 

 Little side note – the PSTN format is NPA-NXX-xxxx or AreaCode-Exchange-Extension. This is how Ma Bell knew where to send the call years back. Magic…

So, Milledgeville’s NPA is 478 and several NXX – 387,452,453,454,357 and so on. In order to “recognize” if the call is local or outside the Local Calling Area, I need to build a rules to do so. Look the example:

1. On line 1 and capture all calls the begins with 1478378 and remove 4 digits on front, so 387xxxx will be send to the PSTN as local call.
2. On line 2 I do so for numbers beginning with 1478452. I will need to do so for all NXX in my area.
3. On line 3 I have a rule to catch E.164 number (if one sneaks in somehow) and remove + from front
4. And on line 4, a general rule that sends everything else as it is i.e. number that DOES NOT start with 1478 and it is outside my Local Calling Area.

One more step and we’re done.

Go to Configuration -> Protocol Configuration -> Routing Tables -> IP to Trunk Group Routing

1. The first line tells MP to route call for 14785551010 (the Analog Phone on FSO port 1) to… port #1. So, replace this number with the phone number you configured in Lync. Remove the value if you have not.
2. Second line is same (applies to the second Analog Phone)
3. Line #3 tells MP to send any other number to Trunk group #3 (which includes our FXS ports) and so, any call for number different from Analog Phone #1 or #2 will be send to PSTN (after manipulation).

This is it. Burn the changes and test your new configuration.

Let me know if I missed a step or something does not work as expected.

Common Area Phone configuration with Lync 2010

Because I have Aastra 6721ip a.k.a. Common Area Phone, I want to test the configuration and functionality of this unit as well. The procedure is described here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg425854.aspx

First, I must prepare my DHCP server for this task.

Configuring DHCP Search Options

Configuring DHCP Options to Enable Sign-in for IP Phones

 

Now, this is the way I prefer to do it. Technet describes it a little different and so, it is your decision how to proceed further…

On my Domain, controller (also hosting DHCP server) I will copy “DHCPUtil.exe” AND DHCPConfigScript.bat located in “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Lync Server 2010” on my Lync Fe server, to C:\WINDOWS\System32. Since I extended the Schema and prepaider the forest and domain from my Domain Controller, vcredist was already installed.

The utility MUST be run from Command prompt with elevated privileges.

My command will look like this: DHCPUtil.exe -SipServer fe.drago.local -WebServer fe.drago.local –RunConfigScript where fe.drago.local is the FQDN of my Lync server where the Contact will be homed.

…and verify the result in my DHCP server console (if the console was open while you ran the command, you must Refresh the view to see it)

Using NTP to Set the Correct Time and Date for Devices

The assumption is that you have already configured NTP server for your domain. If not, follow the directions here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398829.aspx

Because this is new domain environment, I just remembered that I have never set a SRV record for my time services.

Configuring Common Area Phones

Now I can proceed to create Contact Object. The content is self-explanatory.

New-CsCommonAreaPhone -LineUri "tel:+14785559999" -RegistrarPool "fe.drago.local" -OU "OU=Telecommunications,DC=drago,DC=local" -Description "My Test Common Area Phone" -DisplayName "My Test Common Area Phone" -DisplayNumber "1 (478) 555-9999"

…and set PIN with “Get-CsCommonAreaPhone -Filter {LineUri -eq "tel:+14785559999"} | Set-CsClientPIN -PIN 0800”

Ah, the default PIN length is 5 digits and I used 4 only.

Looks good now. At this point, I could rush, connect the phone and see what happens, but how about checking first if our DHCP options are set correctly.

In Command Prompt on my Lync server, I navigated to “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Lync Server 2010” and then ran “DHCPUtil –EmulateClient”. The result is Success.

Let’s now connect the phone and see what happens. I will use “14785559999” as Phone Number and “23680” as PIN.

It works!

Again, this is just a sample setup for the purpose of Proof Of Concept. I have not created  specific Client Policy, Voice Policy, Conferencing Policy etc., something you definitely want to do in Production environment.