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Important Information to Know Before Starting

Before you start, make sure your unit is properly installed. Refer to the Hardware Installation Guide of your unit. published on the Media5 Documentation portal at https://documentation.media5corp.com and refer to the Cabling Information section.
Caution: The Mediatrix unit ISDN BRI ports are configurable to operate as network or terminal ports. The pin-out of the sockets is switched according to this configuration. Wrong port configurations, wrong cabling or wrong connections to neighbouring equipment can lead to short circuits in the BRI line powering.
Caution: The Mediatrix unit BRI ports can be used as a S or T reference point, but not as U reference points (2-wire). Never connect a U reference point network equipment or telephony line into the Mediatrix unit BRI ports. If you are using an S-BUS, you can simultaneously connect only one unit in NT mode and up to 7 units in TE mode.
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Definitions

Term Description
BRI

Basic Rate Interface

E1

European PRI digital signal carrier. 32 channels (30 voice channels + synchronization and signaling)
ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network
NT

Network Termination. The endpoint on the telephone switch side.
PRI

Primary Rate Interface
T1

North-American PRI digital signal carrier. 24 channels (23 voice + 1 signaling)
TE

Terminal Equipment, the endpoint on the customer side
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Basic Concepts

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)

ISDN is a set of digital transmission protocols defined by a few international standards body for telecommunications, such as the ITU-T. One or the other of these protocols are accepted as standards by virtually every telecommunications carrier all over the world.

ISDN replaces the traditional telephone system so that one or two pairs of telephone wires can carry voice and data simultaneously. It is a fully digital network where all devices and applications present themselves in a digital form. ISDN is a User-Network Interface (UNI) signalling protocol with a user and a network side.
  • The user side is implemented in ISDN terminals (phones, terminal adapters, etc.)
  • The network side is implemented in the exchange switches of the network operator.
  • Both sides have different signaling states and messages.
The Mediatrix unit ISDN interfaces can be configured to work as user (TE) or network (NT) interfaces. Depending on your product, you can configure two types of ISDN interfaces:
  • ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI)
  • ISDN Primary Rate Interface (PRI)
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Preset Configuration

The ISDN Preset Configuration contains a set of values for the configuration of the parameters used by the ISDN connections.

The preset configuration files are located in the file system persistent memory. Depending on the Mediatrix unit you are using, the available ISDN Preset configuration files will differ or, it may also be possible that no preset configuration files are available depending on the Profile. Preset configuration files are provided by Media5 or can be user-defined, i.e. the current ISDN configuration was exported from a unit.

Using preset configuration files is especially useful for:
  • units that do not use the default values provided by Media5 (for instance, using T1 instead of E1)
  • using the same configuration on several units
IMPORTANT: user-defined presets are not kept in the event of a partial or factory reset. Only script files can be used as preset ISDN configuration files.
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PRI (E1/T1) Configuration

Important Information for North America

Mediatrix units are configured to default for E1, which is used in most countries in Europe, Middle-East, Africa and Oceania. For the T1 interface used in North America, some settings MUST be changed.

Setting T1 (North America) E1 (Default)
Line Coding B8ZS HDB3
Line Framing ESF (usually), or SF(D4) CRC4 (usually), or NO-CRC4
Signaling Protocol NI2 (usually) DSS1 (usually)
Preferred Encoding Scheme u-Law a-Law
Fallback Encoding Scheme a-Law u-Law
Channel Range 1-23 1-30
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Supported Signaling Protocols

Protocol Description
DSS1 Digital Subscriber Signaling System No.1
DMS100 Digital Multiplex System 100
NI2 National ISDN No.2
5ESS 5 Electronic Switching System
QSIG ECMA's protocol for Private Integrated Services Networks
IMPORTANT: In North America, the official standard is National ISDN2 (NI2). Virtually all 5ESS, DMS100, and GTD-5 switches have been upgraded to use that standard since the early 2000's.The "5ESS" and "DMS100" Signaling Properties settings are provided only for backwards compatibility only with older switches and PBXes, and might not support some functionalities such as Calling Name Delivery.
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Important PRI Settings

Endpoint Type, Clock Mode, and Port Pinout
These settings should normally be auto-detected (Step 1)
Signaling Protocol

Refer to the Supported Signaling Protocols section.

Fallback Encoding Scheme

Only valid when receiving a SETUP message. The user sending the SETUP message does not indicate an alternative bearer capability.

Channel Range

This is typically used for fractional T1 or E1 service.

  • Channels start at 1 and make abstraction of the synchronisation and signaling timeslots.
  • Channels outside of the range defined for this field are ignored. For example:
    • Fractional T1 512K: Channel Range 1-8 (corresponds to B channels 1-8, D channel 24)
    • Fractional E1 on ramp 10: Channel Range 1-10 (corresponds to timeslot 0 + B channels 1-10 + D channel 16)
    • Fractional E1 on ramp 10: Channel Range 1-20 (corresponds to timeslot 0 + B channels 1-15 + D channel 16 + B channels 17-21)
Channels Reserved for Incoming Calls and Channels Reserved for Outgoing Calls
  • Bearer channels are by default usable for both incoming and outgoing calls. Use this range to reserve channels for incoming or outgoing calls.
  • Channels outside of the range defined by ChannelRange parameter are ignored.
  • Channels reserved in both IncomingChannelRange and OutgoingChannelRange parameters are considered usable for both incoming and outgoing calls.
  • The space character is ignored and duplication is not allowed.
  • Channels must be specified in low to high order.
Calling Name Max Length

The value for calls from SIP to ISDN is set to 34 by default, but ranges from 0 to 82.Some telephone companies do not allow customers to pass Calling Name and will drop calls if it is not set to zero.

Interface Configuration

Call properties set in the Call Router have precedence over the default values of the table. For more details on the Call Router, refer to the Call Router user guide published published on the Media5 documentation portal at https://documentation.media5corp.com/.

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Using a Preset Configuration File

Before you begin
If you are using a user-defined preset configuration file, do not forget to upload it through the file management system, under Management/File.
Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Status.
  2. In the ISDN Preset Configuration table from the Local Preset list, choose the preset configuration file you wish to import.
    Note: In North America, the PRI_NorthAmerica-NI2.cfg contains the recommended settings for a connexion with most of the telephone operators.
  3. Click Apply.
Result
The preset configuration file will be uploaded to the unit and applied.
Note: In most cases, the unit will be restarted. Please wait a few minutes for the operation to complete, then log-in again into the Web interface of the unit.


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Associating a PRI Port to a Line Type and Protocol

Steps
  1. Go to System/Hardware.
  2. In the PRI Ports Configuration table, from the Line Type selection list, select either E1 or T1.
  3. From the Signaling selection list, associate a type of signaling to the PRI port.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. Restart the unit.
Result
The selected line type will appear under ISDN/Primary Rate Interface. This is an example of a PRI port association.

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Configuring the E1T1 Interface (PRI)

Before you begin
Endpoint Type, Clock Mode, and Port Pinout: These settings should normally be auto-detected , therefore, always use Auto-Detecting and Auto-Configuring ISDN Interfaces procedure first to automatically detect and to automatically configure your PRI interface. The manual configuration of the PRI interface should be used for fine tuning of the configuration.
Context
Note: Before you start, refer to the Important Information for North America section
Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Primary Rate Interface.
    Note: ISDN ports can be configured while they are active. However they are internally disabled to modify the configuration and then re-enabled. All active calls on the port are dropped during this process. Configuration changes should only be performed during planned down times. Most of the ISDN parameters change require a restart of the ISDN service to be applied.
  2. From the Select Interface drop box, select the E1/T1 interface you wish to modify.
    Note: Depending on the Mediatrix model, there may be several interfaces.
  3. Modify the parameters as required.
  4. Click Apply.
Result
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BRI Configuration

Important BRI Settings

Caution: The Mediatrix unit BRI ports can be used as a S or T reference point, but not as U reference points (2-wire). Never connect a U SCN line or a U TE into the Mediatrix unit BRI ports. If you are using an S-BUS, you can simultaneously connect only one unit in NT mode and up to 7 units in TE mode.
Endpoint Type
  • Values used for the Mediatrix unit must be opposite to the value used for the PBX. For instance, if the PBX is set to TE, then the Mediatrix unit must be set to NT.
  • When the BRI interface Signaling Protocol is set to QSIG, the endpoint type is only used in the second layer (LAPD) since it is a concept that does not exist in QSIG.
  • To use a specific interface as the clock reference, this parameter must be set to TE.
Clock Mode
Monitor Link State Parameter

When enabled with the Ignore OPTONS on no usable endpoints also enabled under the SIP/Interop page, this will influence how the SIP options are answered.

Connection Type

Depends on the equipment to which the Mediatrix unit port is connected to and it must be the same for all interconnected pieces of equipment.

Signaling Protocol

Must match the connected ISDN equipment or network.

Preferred Encoding Scheme

Only G.711 u-Law and G.711 a-Law codecs are allowed. G.711 u-Law may not be supported by DSS1 NT and TE endpoints. It is recommended to use G.711 a-Law as preferred encoding protocol.

Fallback Encoding Scheme

Only valid when receiving a SETUP message. The user sending the SETUP message does not indicate alternative bearer capability.

Calling Name Max Length

The value for calls from SIP to ISDN ranges from 0 to 82.

Exclusive B-Channel Selection

When the parameter is enabled only the requested B channel is accepted when a call is initiated ; if the requested B channel is not available, the call is cleared.

Hook-Flash Keypad
  • Set the actual keypad string that is to be considered as a hook-flash in the Hook-Flash Keypad field.
  • An ISDN telephone may send INFORMATION messages that contain a “Keypad Facility”. You can thus trigger a supplementary service (Hold, Conference, etc.) by sending a keypad facility.
  • Since the keypads can be received via several INFORMATION messages, they are accumulated until they match or reset if the keypad reception timeout (second) has elapsed since the last keypad has been received. The keypad reception timeout can only be modified via SNMP. If the keypad reception timeout is set to 0, it disables the timeout, thus assuming that all keypads will be received in a single INFORMATION message.
  • Setting this parameter to an empty string disables the hook-flash detection.
  • The permitted keypad must be made up of IA5 characters. See ITU-T Recommendation T.50.
Accepted Progress Causes and Accepted Status Causes
  • The space character is not allowed.
  • Causes must be specified in low to high order.
  • Cause duplication is not allowed.
TEI Negotiation

Only applies on Point to Multipoint connections.

Interface Configuration

Call properties set in the Call Router have precedence over the default values of the Interface Configuration table. For more details on the Call Router, refer to the DGW Configuration Guide - Call Router user guide published on the Media5 corp documentation portal at https://documentation.media5corp.com/.

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Configuring the BRI Interface

Before you begin
Always use the Auto-sensing feature to automatically detect and to automatically configure your PRI interface. Use the Auto-Detecting and Auto-Configuring ISDN Interfaces procedure first. The manual configuration of the BRI interface should be used for fine tuning of the configuration.
Context

It is important to take into consideration the following information:

  • Endpoint Type: Values used for the Mediatrix unit must be opposite to the value used for the PBX. For instance, if the PBX is set to TE, then the Mediatrix unit must be set to NT. When the BRI interface Signaling Protocol is set to QSIG, the endpoint type is only used in the second layer (LAPD) since it is a concept that does not exist in QSIG. NOTE: To use a specific interface as the clock reference, this parameter must be set to TE. For more information on Clock Synchronisation, refer to the Technical Bulletin - Mediatrix Gateways and ISDN Synchronisation and Synchronising Unit Operation (TDM Sync) published on the Media5 documentation portal at https://documentation.media5corp.com/ .
  • Preferred Encoding Scheme: Only G.711 u-Law and G.711 a-Law codecs are allowed. G.711 u-Law may not be supported by DSS1 NT and TE endpoints. It is recommended to use G.711 a-Law as preferred encoding protocol.
  • Fallback Encoding Scheme: Only G.711 u-Law and G.711 a-Law codecs are supported. Only valid when receiving a SETUP message. The user sending the SETUP message does not indicate alternative bearer capability.
  • Clock Mode: "Auto" should be the value to use. In a BRI configuration, setting the clock mode to slave for a NT endpoint can be set for interop usage, while setting the clock mode to master for a TE endpoint is invalid (slave mode is automatically applied in this case). For more information on Clock Synchronisation, refer to the Technical Bulletin - Mediatrix Gateways and ISDN Synchronisation and Technical Bulletin - Synchronising Unit Operation (TDM Sync) published on the Media5 documentation portal at https://documentation.media5corp.com/ .
  • Calling Name Max Length: The value for calls from SIP to ISDN ranges from 0 to 82.
  • Exclusive B-Channel Selection: When the parameter is enabled only the requested B channel is accepted when a call is initiated; if the requested B channel is not available, the call is cleared.
  • Monitor Link State Parameter: When enabled with the Ignore OPTONS on no usable endpoints also enabled under the SIP/Interop page, this will influence how the SIP options are answered.
  • Connection Type: depends on the equipment to which the Mediatrix unit port is connected to and it must be the same for all interconnected pieces of equipment.
  • Signaling Protocol: Must match the connected ISDN equipment or network.
  • TEI Negotiation : Only applies on Point to Multipoint connections.
  • Call properties set in the Call Router have precedence over the default values of the Interface Configuration table. For more details on the Call Router, refer to the DGW Configuration Guide - Call Router user guide published on the Media5 corp documentation portal at https://documentation.media5corp.com/ .
  • In strings, the space character is ignored and duplicating causes is not allowed.
  • Some ISDN switches may require that the Sending Complete information element be included in the outgoing SETUP message to indicate that the entire number is included and there are no further destination digits to be sent.
  • An ISDN telephone may send INFORMATION messages that contain a “Keypad Facility”. You can thus trigger a supplementary service (Hold, Conference, etc.) by sending a keypad facility. Since the keypads can be received via several INFORMATION messages, they are accumulated until they match or reset if the keypad reception timeout (second) has elapsed since the last keypad has been received. The keypad reception timeout can only be modified via SNMP. If the keypad reception timeout is set to 0, it disables the timeout, thus assuming that all keypads will be received in a single INFORMATION message
Steps
  1. Use the Auto-Detecting and Auto-Configuring ISDN Interfaces procedure first.
  2. Go to ISDN/Basic Rate Interface.
  3. From the Select Interface drop-box, select the BRI interface you wish to modify.
    Note: Depending on the Mediatrix model, there may be several interfaces. To configure more than one interface at a time, use the Apply To The Following Interfaces table.
  4. Make all required changes to the displayed parameters.
  5. Click Apply.
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Auto-Detecting and Auto-Configuring ISDN Interfaces

Context
Note: Some parameters cannot be auto configured. For example, the clock mode is configured according to the endpoint type, master for NT and slave for TE.
Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Status.
  2. In the Automatic Configuration table, from the selection list, choose the interface you wish to auto configure or select all interfaces.
  3. Click Start Sensing.
    Note: Launching the Automatic Configuration may terminate abruptly all ongoing ISDN calls. The auto-configuration may take some time to complete and some of the current ISDN configuration settings might be replaced by new values.
Result


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Verifying the ISDN Status

Context

At any time, it is possible to check the status of the ISDN links.

Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Status
  2. The Physical Link and Signaling status will be displayed for each interface.
Result

If the ISDN cables are properly connected and the basic interface settings are correct, the Physical Link should be Up.

Note: Signaling will also usually be "Up on PRI links. However, in some cases (BRI, On-demand links), it is normal to be in the Down state, except for a brief period during call establishment.


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Advanced Concepts

Interop Parameters

Interop parameters allow the Mediatrix unit to properly work, communicate, or connect with specific ISDN devices.

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Ressource Management

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Supplementary Services

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Advanced Tasks

Enabling ISDN Supplementary Services

Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Services.
  2. From the Select Interface drop-down, select the interface for which you wish to enable ISDN optional services.
  3. In the Services Configuration table, enable the required ISDN options.
    Note: To activate the ISDN hold feature, the Default Hook Flash Processing must be set to Using Signaling Protocol (UnderTelephony/Services).
    Note: For the Date/Time IE to be sent, the SNTP server must be configured (Under Network/Host).
    Note: The AOC features are not available in the NI2 and QSIG signaling protocols. Refer to Configuring the E1T1 Interface (PRI) to configure the signaling protocol.
    Note: To enable AOC support on the ISDN interface, the Facility Services parameter and AOC-E (End-of-Call) or AOC-D (During the Call) parameter must be set to Enable. Since the AOC from ISDN interface to SIP is currently not supported, enabling the AOC on an ISDN interface configured as TE (user side) is only meaningful when using hair-pinning.
    Note: The Call Rerouting Behavior parameter is not available in the NI2 and QSIG signaling protocols. Refer to Configuring the E1T1 Interface (PRI) to configure the signaling protocol.
  4. Click Apply.
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Configuring Interop Parameters

Context
Interop parameters can be configured for PRI and BRI interfaces.
Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Interop.
  2. From the Select Interface drop down, choose the interface for which you wish to configure the interop parameters.
    Note: To select more than one interface at a time, if available on the unit, use the Apply To The Following Interfaces table.
  3. In the Interface Configuration table, complete the fields as required.
  4. Click Apply.
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Modifying Port Pinout

Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Primary Rate Interface.
    Note: Not all PRI and/or BRI platforms support Port Pinout.
  2. In the Interface Configuration table, set the Port Pinout to reflect your configuration.
Result


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Exporting a Preset Configuration File

Before you begin
If you are using a user-defined preset configuration file, do not forget to upload it through the file management system.
Steps
  1. Go to ISDN/Status.
  2. In the ISDN Preset Configuration table, in the Preset Name field, enter the name for the exported preset configuration file.
    Note: We strongly recommend indicating the type of unit and date of export as the name of the preset configuration file. For example: MTX4400_20170823.
  3. Click Save.
Result


The preset configuration file will be displayed under Management/File, in the Internal files table.
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Other Advanced ISDN Parameters

Although the services can be configured in great part in the Web browser, some aspects of the configuration can only be completed with the MIB parameters by:
  • using a MIB browser
  • using the CLI
  • creating a configuration script containing the configuration parameters

Interop Play Local Ringback When No MediaStream

Configure the isdn.InteropPlayLocalRingbackWhenNoMediaStream parameter to set how to play the local ringback when there is no stream. For more details, refer to the DGW Configuration Guide - Reference Guide published on the Media5 documentation portal https://documentation.media5corp.com/.
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Cabling Information

ISDN Reference Points

ISDN specifies a number of reference points that define logical interfaces between the various equipment types on an ISDN access line.

The Mediatrix unit supports the following ISDN reference points:
  • S: The reference point between user terminals and the NT2. This is used in point-to-multipoint BRI connections.
  • T: The reference point between NT1 (Modem) and NT2 (PBX) devices. This is used in point-to- point PRI/BRI connections.
All other ISDN reference points are not supported.

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BRI S/T Connection (RJ-48)

Caution: Always use standard telecommunication cables with a minimum of 26 AWG wire gauge.
BRI S/T connections use two pairs of wires: one pair for transmission and the second pair for reception. It is wired so that pins 3 and 6 are on one twisted pair and pins 4 and 5 are on a second pair according to common wiring standards which meet the TIA/EIA 568A and 568B requirements.
Caution: The Mediatrix unit ISDN BRI ports are configurable to operate as network or terminal ports. The pin-out of the sockets is switched according to this configuration. Wrong port configurations, wrong cabling or wrong connections to neighbouring equipment can lead to short circuits in the BRI line powering.


Pin# TE mode NT mode
1 Not Connected Not Connected
2 Not Connected Not Connected
3 Tx + Rx +
4 Rx + Tx +
5 Rx - Tx -
6 Tx - Rx -
7 Not connected Not Connected
8 Not connected Not Connected
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PRI Connection (RJ-48)

Caution: Always use standard telecommunication cables with a minimum of 26 AWG wire gauge.
PRI connections use two pairs of wires: one pair for transmission and the second pair for reception. It is wired so that pins 1 and 2 are on one twisted pair and pins 4 and 5 are on a second pair according to common wiring standards which meet the TIA/EIA 568A and 568B requirements.
Note: The Mediatrix unit PRI ports can be used as a T reference point, but not as U reference points (2-wire). Never connect a U PSTN line or a U TE into the Mediatrix unit PRI ports.


Pin # NT Mode TE Mode
1 Transmit #2 (+) Receive #2 (+)
2 Transmit #1 (-) Receive #1 (-)
3 Not connected Not connected
4 Receive #2 (+) Transmit #2 (+)
5 Receive #1 (-) Transmit #1 (-)
6 Not connected Not connected
7 Not connected Not connected
8 Not connected Not connected
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Online Help

If you are not familiar with the meaning of the fields and buttons, click Show Help, located at the upper right corner of the Web page. When activated, the fields and buttons that offer online help will change to green and if you hover over them, the description will be displayed.

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DGW Documentation

Mediatrix units are supplied with an exhaustive set of documentation.

Mediatrix user documentation is available on the Media5 Documentation Portal at http://documentation.media5corp.com

Several types of documents were created to clearly present the information you are looking for. Our documentation includes:

  • Release notes: Generated at each GA release, this document includes the known and solved issues of the software. It also outlines the changes and the new features the release includes.
  • Configuration notes: These documents are created to facilitate the configuration of a specific use case. They address a configuration aspect we consider that most users will need to perform. However, in some cases, a configuration note is created after receiving a question from a customer. They provide standard step-by-step procedures detailing the values of the parameters to use. They provide a means of validation and present some conceptual information. The configuration notes are specifically created to guide the user through an aspect of the configuration.
  • Technical bulletins: These documents are created to facilitate the configuration of a specific technical action, such as performing a firmware upgrade.
  • Hardware installation guide: They provide the detailed procedure on how to safely and adequately install the unit. It provides information on card installation, cable connections, and how to access for the first time the Management interface.
  • User guide: The user guide explains how to customise to your needs the configuration of the unit. Although this document is task oriented, it provides conceptual information to help the user understand the purpose and impact of each task. The User Guide will provide information such as where and how TR-069 can be configured in the Management Interface, how to set firewalls, or how to use the CLI to configure parameters that are not available in the Management Interface.
  • Reference guide: This exhaustive document has been created for advanced users. It includes a description of all the parameters used by all the services of the Mediatrix units. You will find, for example, scripts to configure a specific parameter, notification messages sent by a service, or an action description used to create Rulesets. This document includes reference information such as a dictionary, and it does not include any step-by-step procedures.
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Copyright Notice

Copyright © 2020 Media5 Corporation.

This document contains information that is proprietary to Media5 Corporation.

Media5 Corporation reserves all rights to this document as well as to the Intellectual Property of the document and the technology and know-how that it includes and represents.

This publication cannot be reproduced, neither in whole nor in part, in any form whatsoever, without written prior approval by Media5 Corporation.

Media5 Corporation reserves the right to revise this publication and make changes at any time and without the obligation to notify any person and/or entity of such revisions and/or changes.