Hey BJ, Two different issues. When you're talking about a physical phone, ata186, whatever, then the device is identified by the mac address. This is really just a placeholder and a unique way to keep track of the individual phones. It's merely used for configuration, not necessarily for communication. (obviously it is used for communication on whatever L2 segment its connected to). When CM sends keepalives, sets up negotions and RTP streams, its not querying based on the MAC address, CM queries and connects based on IP and lets the network stack handle the rest. As previously mentioned, when a phone boots, this 'unique' identifier, the mac address, is used in the TFTP process. The phone will request a number of files with various syntax, all having the phones mac address in the name of the .cnf or .cnf.xml file. If none of those requests are successful, it will request a generic config file which has the auto-registration parameters in it. This allows the phone to boot, download the latest code, and inform CM of its model and mac address. Then CM builds the appropriate sep.cnf.xml file (which is the name of the device.cnf.xml), the phone reboots and goes through the query process again, this time pulling its individual config file.
Now, when you're talking softphone, the mac address has nothing to do with the config. It's all about the user name and password. You create several CTI Ports with a single DN each, then assign each of those CTI Ports into the device assocation of the user. So when the user logs in via softphone, it pulls the .cnf.xml file that has the name of the CTI Port. So, I've got two CTI Ports that I use, therefore the config files are VGK_Remote_108 and VGK_Remote_308, so I have two lines. 108 is a shared line appearance with my physical phone at work, so I can see it ring and pick it up if I please, and 308 is unique so I know when someone wants to talk to me and they know this extension. Hope this helps. Vance """"B.J. Wilson"""" wrote in message news:200210171132.LAA26731@;groupstudy.com... > This all makes a lot of sense, but I have one remaining nit-picky issue. > Going back to the original example of the remote user: when the user is in > the > office, they are connected to the network via their Ethernet port which > certainly has a MAC address. However, when they're dialed in from home, they > might be using a modem which certainly does not have a MAC address. Is the > H.323 application (whatever it may be, SoftPhone or whatever) smart enough to > send the Ethernet port's MAC address even though it's not being used in a > dial-in situation? If not, how does CallManager learn the user's MAC > address? > > Thanks, > > BJ > > > > On Thu, 17 Oct 2002 11:20:39 GMT Vitaliy Vishnevskiy > wrote: > > > Yes, call manager cares a great deal about mac > > addresses. When a phone > > boots, it pulls its config from a TFTP server > > (learned through dhcp or > > statically). The phone configuration file is > > generated when the phone > > mac address (along with other stuff) is entered > > into call manager > > database. The phone can be anywhere and have > > any ip address. The mac > > address flows the phone and so does the > > directory number. > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:nobody@;groupstudy.com] > > Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 7:03 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: VoIP Clarification. [7:55682] > > > > Great answer. Finally an explanation that makes > > sense for the marketing > > babble about IP Telephony making Moves, Adds, > > and Changes easier. ;-) > > > > One quesiton though, does CallManager really > > care about MAC addresses? > > Unless the receiving phone is on the same > > network segment as the calling > > phone, the MAC address won't help matters. ARP > > would take care of > > getting > > the MAC when it's needed. > > > > Priscilla > > > > > > Bruce Enders wrote: > > > > > > B. J. > > > The only trick here is to remember that the > > User phone number > > > "1111" is > > > "mapped" to the MAC address and IP address of > > the ethernet > > > interface > > > associated with the hard phone, or the laptop > > in the case of > > > Softphone. > > > (Both are PCs running specific applications > > software). Whenever > > > either is > > > disconnected from the network long enough for > > link to drop, > > > they have to > > > check in with DHCP when they are re-connected > > to the network. > > > Both also > > > have to check in with their CallManager. > > During that process, > > > they > > > identify themselves using their MAC address, > > and announce their > > > current > > > IP address. After that, the CM can simply > > forward based on the > > > IP > > > address. This capability is one of the > > primary reasons that > > > Moves, Adds, > > > and Changes in an IP Telephony system are far > > more simple than > > > in a > > > legacy PBX environment. (The logic behind > > your response sounds > > > like it > > > comes from the legacy telephone world, which > > is very used to > > > working in a > > > very static addressing environment). > > > Bruce > > > > > > B.J. Wilson wrote: > > > > > > Hi Vance - > > > > > > I too am studying All Things VoIP, and > > I'm curious how > > > this would work. > > > Say you have User A trying to call User B. > > User B is > > > currently in the > > > office. So User A dials '1111' which is > > User B's phone > > > number (or "route > > > pattern" if you want to be specific). > > CallManager picks up > > > the route > > > pattern, looks up User B's location, and > > forwards the call > > > on. All is good. > > > Now, say User B is telecommuting. How > > does CallManager > > > know this? How > > > does your RAS (remote access) server notify > > CM that User B's > > > geographical > > > location has moved? Is there something in > > User B's RAS > > > (Registration, > > > Admission and Status) setup that alerts CM > > to the fact that > > > they're dialing > > > in from home? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > BJ > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Vance Krier" > > > To: > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 4:08 AM > > > Subject: Re: VoIP Clarification. [7:55682] > > > > > > Hey Stu, > > > > > > In simple terms, yes you are correct. > > However, as I'm sure > > > you know, you > > > need to take this type of setup with a > > grain of salt. If > > > you have a > > > > > > decent > > > > > > bandwidth, low latency, consistent > > connection between the > > > phone and CM, it > > > works fine. There's absolutely no > > guarantees for QoS on > > > the Internet. > > > Now, FWIW, I use softphone on my laptop > > when I travel and > > > I've gotten > > > satisfactory results (IMO) better than > > 75% of the time. > > > > > > I always pitch this as being a *kewl* > > feature, but never as > > > a selling > > > > > > point. > > > > > > I'm > > > very, very cautious with customers over > > this. As long as > > > the user > > > using it is understanding and realizes > > there will be times > > > when it doesn't > > > work or the quality is really crappy, > > then typically they > > > stay happy. Not > > > something I'd give to > > Internet/computer/technology > > > illiterate executive. > > > > > > I love it, by the way. > > > > > > Good luck, > > > Vance > > > > > > ""Stuart Pittwood"" wrote in message > > > news:200210160746.HAA10542@;groupstudy.com > > ... > > > > > > Good Morning all, > > > > > > I am just starting to look into VoIP as > > I have been asked > > > by my manager > > > > > > to > > > > > > do some research and find out if there > > are any benifits > > > from VoIP for > > > > > > our > > > > > > firm. > > > > > > Am I right in saying that if we had a > > solution based on > > > Cat 6000 (or > > > similar) switches, with a cisco VPN > > solution for the home > > > workers, that > > > users who use their laptop at home with > > cisco softphone > > > or hardware > > > > > > phone > > > > > > could have their telephone extenstion > > follow them? > > > > > > Please forgive the simplicity of my > > question, just making > > > sure I am > > > > > > thinking > > > > > > along the right lines. > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > Stu > > > -- > > > > > > Bruce Enders Email: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Chesapeake > > NetCraftsmen > > > o:(410)-280-6927, c:(443)-994-0678 > > > 1290 Bay Dale Drive, Suite 312 WWW: > > > http://www.netcraftsmen.net Arnold, MD > > 21012-2325 > > > Cisco CCSI# 96047 > > > Efax > > 443-331-0651 > > to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=55810&t=55682 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
