Nortel Meridian Option 11 (rel 25)

[NiteOwls]

As newbie to this forum I most likely post this on the wrong place, so I apologize beforehand for that

I'm in the UK and work primarily with SIP software switches. However, we need to integrate a Nortel Meridian Option 11 with a ISDN (E1) to a Cisco gateway, connected to a SIP PBX.

We don't have much knowledge of Trunk configuration and hired a specialist to do the job for us. We are now at a point where we have the trunk working in the outbound direction, so we can make calls from the SIP PBX to the Telecoms network or to analogue / digital phones on the Meridian itself without any problems.

Inbound it is a different story. When calling from an analog or digital phone one of the DDI's that is supposed to go over the trunk, we get a 2nd Dial tone. When entering again the DDI followed by # the digits are correctly forwarded to the Cisco Gateway. Without the # we get NI tone. When the call comes in over the Telecoms ISDN we do get the Caller ID/ANI but the DDI/DID is missing, hence the call is stuck in the Cisco gateway as it does not match any dial-peer.

I have 2 questions:
1) Any suggestions as to what to check to find out why the dialed DDI/DID numbers aren't forwarded over the ISDN trunk to the SIP gateway when the call comes in from the telecoms provider network, as we do see them on digital handsets.

2)How to lose the 2nd dial tone when dialing from a phone connected to the Meridian to get to the SIP Gateway without having to specify the number again, the Meridian should forward the call straight on with the dialed extension number to the Cisco gateway.

I have to relay all requests for print outs of the Meridian to someone who has access and knows what he is doing, as I have no clue how to operate a Meridian console so please keep that in mind when asking questions.

Many thanks for your input!!

~NiteOwls

 

[Reusser]

let me make sure I have the call flow correct

outside world dialed DID/DDI -- to Meridian over ISDN DID -- Meridian receives xxxx -- xxxx is build ?? (should be:CDP to RLI pointing to Tie ISDN route to Cisco) -- you hear dialtone again, press # and redial digits -- Cisco routes call

We need to know how received digets are build in meridian PBX xxxx from Telc0

Turn on and capture DChannel messages between meridian PBX and Cisco and send us. Making note at what points you see the messages - after # or before

How is Tie PRI built between PBX and Cisco - should be QSIG Cisco has lots of white sheets on this setup on their web site.

 

[NiteOwls]

Hi Reusser,

Many thanks for your reply.

Almost right with the call flow. When we hear the dialtone we first press the digits and terminate with # done the other way around gives a continuous tone (NI tone?)

The Digits are send over ISDN so they are in the ISDN call setup message available. We have 1 E1 (30 channels) ISDN with 300 DDI's. Since we can directly dial extensions on the PBX we must receive the digits in the call setup, otherwise all calls would go to the same point regardless of the dialed DDI. In sequence we dial:
xxxxxx85540 - Cisco Gateway
Because we have no DDI/DID info the call is stuck on the Cisco

The 2nd dial tone ONLY appears when we dial from a phone attached to the meridian, and the digits appear after terminated the 2nd input with # So we dial in sequence:
65540 - dial tone - 65540# - Cisco Gateway - SIP PBX.

We have followed the information from Cisco to the letter as to how to configure the gateway and we have no problems dialing out, so that tells us the protocol setup is correct and the fact we can dial from extensions in an awkward way tells us again the physical setup is correct, it is the configuration of the meridian that cause issues.

Hope that makes it more clear.

 

[MossEng]

I have set up QSIG links from Meridians to Cisco routers in the past, and often get dial tone when calling from Meridian to the Cisco, this is the default for the Cisco. The Cisco needs to be configured for direct-inward-dial.
If I remember correctly this is command is entered in the Dial Peer.

 

[NiteOwls]

MossEng

Thanks for your reply.

The dial tone is definitely not coming from the Cisco but from the meridian.

In addition the dial-peer is configured with the direct-inward-dial.

When we look at the tracing on the Cisco console and protocol analyzer on the E1, there is no activity on the E1 link until the # is entered to the digits when dialing from and Meridian extension. The Inbound call from the telecoms network goes straight through, we never get any dial tone on that.

~NiteOwls

 

[SL1M1]

If I understand your call routing on the inbound side on the E1 onto the Meridian, you may have IDC Table assigned (Incoming Digit Coversion) which converts the DID digits to the ACOD (Access Code)'65440' of the Cisco Route. Ideally you should use Steering Codes (Distant or Trunk) for onward routing to the QSIG Cisco route

Also check TARG to TARG settings in the routes so they dont match

I may be off track here but just a thought

Cheers!!

 

[NiteOwls]

Thanks for that input SL1M1

 

[mikeyb123]

can you print and post the output for 65440? it sounds like you are getting secondary dialtone from the tie to the cisco
and you are needing the # as the digit length expected is 6 rather than 5

It's not getting any smarter out there. You have to come to terms with stupidity, and make it work for you.

 

[mikeyb123]

I can take a look at your design if you need any assistance
have worked on these for too many years to mention....

It's not getting any smarter out there. You have to come to terms with stupidity, and make it work for you.

 

[NiteOwls]

Hi mikeyb123,

I can add more then 25 digits (I did quit putting more in) after I get the 2nd dial tone. So I'm not sure if that is normal?

The design is quite simple

Telcoms E1 <----> E1 Meridian E1 <----> Cisco SIP Gateway
provider |
|
Analogue --+-- Digital
Extensions Extensions

 

[mikeyb123]

so what numbers do you want to be accessed via the sip trunks?

what are the extns number ranges on the analaogue and digital?

It's not getting any smarter out there. You have to come to terms with stupidity, and make it work for you.

 

[NiteOwls]

Hi Guys,

This now has been sorted. We had the engineer coming back and he sorted the issue. No idea as to what he did, but it is working now.


Thanks for all your input.

~NiteOwls

 

[SL1M1]

Thats not very helpful at all....at least advise which end was the culprit then ?

Cheers!!

 

[NiteOwls]

It was the Meridian Configuration, as we did not change anything on the Cisco. I expected the Meridian to be the issue in the first place.

When I would have had a clue as to what the engineer changed I would have posted it here, as many of you I do search the web for solutions quite often and cases like this do not help us,

Have all fun and again thanks for our help.

 

[danielbernardibr]

i think it´s a flen issue or plan number issue.
cisco don´t understand a several number plans. cisco sometimes understand numbers.

i have one customer with cisco x meridian qsig.

if you like, i get merian setup.

msn: ngensysatlc@hotmail.com