IP Communicator and Checkpoint VPN SecureRemote Client

[g.gil]

Hi Guys,

I have Cisco IP Communicator v1.1.4.0 with Checkpoint VPN SecureRemote Client R56 (latest). Cisco Call Manager 4.0 SR2

Users connect to the enterprise network via VPN Ras using the Checkpoint client.

then use VoIP.

THE PROBLEM.

When there is more than one VPN Client using IP Communicator @ the same time.

IP Communicators phones loose registration with CCM and try to register using another users details ramdom effect).

THE OUTCOME

I have investigated the problem further and here is the outcome:

1. The IP Communicator phones are bound to the Checkpoint VPN SecurRemote Client interface.

2. Virtual MAC address for ALL Checkpoint SecureRemote VPN Client's adapter is the same - 54-55-43-44-52-00

3. Because Checkpoint VPN client's MACs addresses are the same, the IP Communicator Hostname is always the same (SEP545543445200)

4. This is the reason why client re-register using someone else details.CCM gets confused with another IP Communicator's clients already registered.

5. I looked at the Windows Registry and I tried to change the hostaname SEPxxxxxx name - then rebooted.

No luck with the registry changes.

Are you guys aware of this problem?

Looks like everyone running IP Communicator + Checkpoint VPN Client will have same problem as I tried it on several PCs - several OS.

Any feedback will be much appreciated.

Cheers

goncalo.gil@hotmail.com

[jasyoung]

IP Communicator can be told to use a different network interface for identification purposes, and still source its traffic from the VPN interface.

Right-click anywhere in the IPComm window and select Preferences. Go to the Network tab, and choose another interface from the Network Adapter list. The user's local Ethernet interface is always a good choice, since it should be unique. This will be what you configure as the MAC address in CallManager, and what the phone will register as.

Audio traffic should still be sourced from the VPN interface. You can change that manually from the Preferences menu as well. Go to the Audio tab, and hit the Network button. You can manually select an interface or address, or ideally, use the "Detect Automatically" feature. In order for that to work you have to installed the CallManager-side components of IP Communicator.

[p.abbeel]

Hi,

We are successfully using it through Checkpoint VPN Client. As you said, all users arrive with the same virtual mac. Within IPC make sure you do not select the virtual address of CP but the physical one (through which the user is connected to it's internet connection).

Are you using office-mode in the CP vpn client?

Cheers.

[p.abbeel]

Also, make sure that the Checkpoint virtual mac address (by mistake) has not been defined for a softphone user (example UserA) in the CCM database.

Any other softphone user (with another CCM userid & password not equal to UserA) selecting the virtual Checkpoint interface will get the profile of User A.

It seems with Checkpoint NGX each user will receive a different mac - if this might be of any help :-)