[VoiceOps] Explaining router/NAT problems to customers

[Scott Berkman]

If they are somewhat technical you can compare to FTP, PPTP, other services
that require "ALG", "Fixup", or "Inspection-Policies" on firewalls.  The
other way you can say it is "firewalls are made to stop attacks, and to some
firewalls lots of little RTP (voice) packets look just like an attack" if
it's a voice issue.

The better solution is to state BEFORE you ever sell the service that unless
you have your own equipment on site that you as the ITSP manage, it's
best-effort and that you'll only go so far on support.  Doesn't stop them
from complaining but at least you can prove it to them if its written into
the contract, or pass back off to sales.

For the CPE I'd recommend Edgewater Networks, but the important part is that
the device is 1) remotely manageable, 2) allows for signaling captures, and
3) has an ALG that behaves in a predictable (and correct) manner.  Then
standardize on code and test test test before you ever deploy.

	-Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: voiceops-bounces at voiceops.org [mailto:voiceops-bounces at voiceops.org]
On Behalf Of Carlos Alvarez
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 2:44 PM
To: VoiceOps at voiceops.org
Subject: [VoiceOps] Explaining router/NAT problems to customers

For those of you who do VoIP services with bring your own internet, I 
wonder if you have some tips on how to explain to customers that it's 
their network/router that is causing phones to randomly unregister?  I 
know that from their perspective it's the phone that is broken and we 
need to fix it.  Particularly the less technical ones that really don't 
even get the fact that these "phones" are just internet devices.

Yes, I understand this is why we "shouldn't" offer BYOI, but we do, and 
will continue to do so for small customers.

-- 
Carlos Alvarez
TelEvolve
602-889-3003

Advanced phone services simplified
_______________________________________________
VoiceOps mailing list
VoiceOps at voiceops.org
https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/voiceops