Customers in Canada using the Bell Canada Fibre or DSL Hub modem/router combo may be experiencing IP Phone Registration issues.
Due to a recent automatic software update to the Bell Canada modem/router combo hardware, IP Phones are being knocked offline, when they have been idle for a long period of time (say overnight).
Cause of the Issue:
A recent firmware update to the Bell Canada provided modem/router combo hardware appears to be closing the NAT Transversal session. This is causing issues with devices maintaining a clear registration to our services.
It can also be causing issues with IP Phones being able to receive inbound calls since NAT Transversal is responsible for passing data between the public internet and the protected private network.
Affected Bell Canada Hardware:
As of now, we believe all of the Bell Canada Hub hardware is affected. But the two are we getting the most reports on are the Hub 2000 and Hub 3000 devices:
Resolution Options:
There are two options to resolve the issue until a more permanent fix can be put into place. The first is a simple fix but may require that you do it more often. The second is a permanent resolution but may require the assistance of an IT professional.
Rebooting your IP Phones (easiest):
the easiest way to resolve the issue is to simply reboot your IP Phones if they are offline. This will force your devices to register to our services again.
Setting the Bell Canada Modem/Router Hub into Bridge Mode (complex):
Your other option is to add a dedicated router to your network and place your Bell Canada modem/router combo into what is called bridge mode. This bypasses the router and wifi features of the Bell Hub. This is also the suggested configuration for our services.
Doing this will require that you contact Bell Canada to get your PPPoE username and password, as well as to have them set the Hub into bridge mode since it can’t be done from the hardware’s admin interface.
You will then need to take the PPPoE Username and password and enter that into the network configuration on your new router.
If you choose to do this we suggest you work with an IT professional to complete this configuration.
Long Term Fix/Resolution:
For customers using the Bell Canada Hub Modem/Router combos, the best resolution is to set the hardware into bridge mode and use a dedicated router. This is the recommended configuration for our service anyway, however, we understand that the added cost of purchasing a new router, as well as having an IT Professional assist in the configuration may not be an option. As such, we are working with our hardware team to make updates to the IP Phones which will cause them to automatically register to our services more often in these cases. It is not an optimum fix, as from time to time you may still need to reboot your IP Phones, however, it will reduce how often you will need.