Multiple Phone Instances can not use different Network Adapters ?

[Yan Tian]

Hello all

I am currently build up a Voice lab using GNS3 + VMware. Laptop OS: windows 7 (64 bit). Topology is as below:

PC loopback 192.168.100.200 is binding with NIC of Cloud in GNS3, NIC of VMware based CUCM is working in bridge mode.

In order to run multiple SCCP phones on a single PC, I run each phone istance on seperate Sandboxie instance.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/community/netpro/collaboration-voice-video/others/blog/2012/11/30/run-multiple-cipcs-on-just-one-single-pc

I have also tried using IP Blue but failed with error message "IP Blue can not find any local network adapter". So IP Blue VTGO is not able to access LAN network. That is why I switch to Sandboxie to run multiple phone instance on one single PC.

Query 1: does anyone know how to fix this IP Blue problem ?

When I successfully run several phone instances on a single PC with the help of Sandboxie, I encounter another issue that all phone instances are actually using the same local Network Adapter to connect to CUCM and register with CUCM using the same IP address (192.168.100.200). The problem persists even though I select different NIC for each Phone instance as indicated in below picture.

When I power off SiteB-VG, SiteB-Phone1 can still successfully register with CUCM, which further confirm that all phone instances are using the same NIC (192.168.100.200).

Query 2: How to let each phone instance using different NIC so that traffic between SiteB-phone1 and CUCM really traverse SiteB-VG, FR-Switch, HQ-VG and finally to CUCM ?

Thanks in advance.

[Carlo Poggiarelli]

Hi Tian.

For query number 2, you can use Device name option in order to run multiple istance.

HTH

Regards

Carlo

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"The more you help the more you learn"

[islam.kamal]

Hello

Q1 for IP blue is the best to allow many phones runon the same P.C. Please find the below:-

1-Download IP Blue softphone trial edition. It is a limited version, but will allow you to do whatever testing you need to do.

2-Create three loopbacks on your OS, this will generate the MACs you need to register 4 different phones

3-After the softphone is installed, create a shortcut to the executable using the /d flag. This will allow multiple instances to come up.

4-You can then create different profiles that will register the different mac addresses to your CME.

5-Load one phone, change the profile, then load the second phone, etc...

Have a look for the below links

http://www.blindhog.net/how-to-run-multiple-ip-blue-softphones-on-a-single-pc/

http://corner-il.blogspot.com/2007/07/using-multiple-ipblue-phones-on-one-pc.html

Thank you

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[islam.kamal · Accepted solution]

Hello

for Q2 : The best way to run more than one IPC , create more than VM , but have a look on the below link which may help you

https://supportforums.cisco.com/community/netpro/collaboration-voice-video/others/blog/2012/11/30/run-multiple-cipcs-on-just-one-single-pc

Thank you

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[Yan Tian]

Hello Carlo & Islam,

Thanks for your reply. It seems that the only way to let multiple phone instances on a single PC to contact CUCM using different local network adapters is running multiple VM XP instances. (Here contacting CUCM means originating traffic to CUCM, not just registering with CUCM using that Network MAC address).

[islam.kamal]

Hello Tian

Please try to use IP blue , if you dont need to create more VM.

1-Download IP Blue softphone trial edition. It is a limited version, but will allow you to do whatever testing you need to do.

2-Create three loopbacks on your OS, this will generate the MACs you need to register 4 different phones

3-After the softphone is installed, create a shortcut to the executable using the /d flag. This will allow multiple instances to come up.

4-You can then create different profiles that will register the different mac addresses to your CME.

5-Load one phone, change the profile, then load the second phone, etc...

Have a look for the below links

http://www.blindhog.net/how-to-run-multiple-ip-blue-softphones-on-a-single-pc/

http://corner-il.blogspot.com/2007/07/using-multiple-ipblue-phones-on-one-pc.html

Thank you

Please rate all useful information

[Robert Thomas · Accepted solution]

Problem is simple:

CIPC uses that NIC to generate it's MAC Address to register, but it's not the NIC used to contact to CUCM. CIPC doesn't pick which NIC to use. That's up to windows routing

Can I ask why you need all of them to register with different address? Is it giving you issues?

I think your best option is to virtualize multiple instances of Windows XP with virtual cable and run CIPC on those. You can get away with 256MB of RAM, I think even 128 although I'm not sure.

RAM has become so 'cheap' nowadays I would question the use of multiple CIPC on the same OS. It would be interesting to see your rationale behind it.

[Yan Tian]

Hey Robert,

thanks for your reply.

Can I ask why you need all of them to register with different address? Is it giving you issues?

-- Actually, what I really want is to let different Phone instances use different NICs to contact CUCM, so that I can emulate the real scenarios in Production system, such as the phone reactions to WAN is outage, AAR when WAN BW is inefficient etc. However, in my lab, no matter I run multiple phone instances throught IP blue or Sandboxie, all the phone instances will contact CUCM using the same local NIC Adapter even though they register CUCM with different MAC address, and this issue disables me to emulate IPT reactions to WAN problems.

In summary, based on all your inputs, it looks like the only way to achieve my goal is multiple VM XP instances with CIPC installed.

[Robert Thomas]

Tian,

I understand. Also keep in mind, your CIPC will behave like an ip phone, but there might be slight differences to some models regarding timing and failover.