Poly/Polycom endpoints troubleshooting

This article covers the following Poly endpoint issues:

Poly/Polycom endpoints are unable to receive presentation

Endpoints can always send presentation successfully, and after sending can receive content. However, presentation sometimes cannot be received by the endpoint if another participant in the call presents first.

This can be caused by firewall keep-alive issues. As presentation is uni-directional, endpoints should send 0-byte RTP "pinhole" packets to ensure that the firewall ports are opened and NAT bindings are set. To achieve this, ensure that the "Enable SIP Keep-Alive Message" setting is enabled on the endpoint:

  • HDX\Group: Admin Settings > Network > IP Network > Firewall (check "Enable SIP Keep-Alive Message")
  • G7500\Studio X: Network > LAN Network > Firewall (check "Enable SIP Keep-Alive Message")

Endpoint is displaying its SIP Address instead of its System Name in calls

To configure your Polycom device to display its system name in calls instead of its SIP address:

  1. Go to General Settings > System Settings and set a Device name (remember to press Save at the bottom).
  2. Go to Call Configuration > Call Settings and select the Display System Name Instead of SIP Address option.

Note that some older software versions do not support these options — the minimum requirements are:

  • RealPresence Group requires 6.2.2 or later.
  • Studio X Series requires 3.13.0 or later.

Polycom Group Series endpoints using 5.x-6.x do not activate or cloud register when the endpoint's display name contains non-latin characters

If using non-latin characters in the Display name of the endpoint subscription the Activate Endpoint app stops at 90%.

When using Cloud registration on GS6.x you see an error message on the codec GUI in the Provisioning section where you set cloud provisioning: 'cannot locate the server'.

Polycom Group Series directory does not work with firmware 5.1.1 and 5.1.2

Polycom Group Series systems running firmware 5.1.1 or 5.1.2 do not have the ability to use the directory service.

HDX/Group Series takes 30 seconds for content to appear

This issue only applies to unregistered H.323 calls from Polycom systems dialing IPaddress##ConferenceID.

The HDX/Group Series takes 30 seconds before sending the first empty UDP packet (keep-alive), so if a participant starts a presentation, there is a 30-second delay before they see the content.

Also, if there is packet loss on the call, and the keep alive is lost, there might be a longer delay. The HDX/Group Series sends 1 packet every 30 seconds.

Intermittent provisioning service status on the Polycom Group Series and HDX endpoints

Polycom Group Series and HDX endpoints may experience intermittent provisioning service status. We have found that due to local or Internet network issues the affected endpoints lose the provisioning and do not contact the provisioning server any longer.

The Polycom Group Series administrator guide for firmware version 6.2.2 describes this issue as follows: "To avoid unintentionally locking a user out of network access in this case, systems do not automatically retry registration until you update the settings and register manually on the Provisioning Service screen."

The full vendor's explanation is available at https://documents.polycom.com/bundle/rpgs-ag-6-2-2/page/c-rpgs-ag-provisioning-service-registration-failure.html.

Suggested solution: reboot the endpoint (twice if the provisioning does not come up after the first reboot).

Polycom HDX Issues with Endpoint Subscriptions

Here's help troubleshooting Poly video endpoint subscriptions.

Video endpoint is missing from the list of devices discovered by the network scan

If you are scanning the network to find your Polycom HDX endpoint but the list of video endpoints does not include the device you want, make sure that the unit's SIP Transport Protocol setting is not set to Auto.

You can change this setting using the remote control or the web interface:

  • Using the remote control to review and change this setting:

    1. Go to System > Admin Settings > Network > IP > SIP Settings.
    2. Review the Transport Protocol setting and change, if necessary.

  • Using the endpoint's web interface:

    1. Go to Admin Settings > Network > IP Network.

    2. Under SIP Settings review the Transport Protocol setting and change, if necessary.

Using subnets larger than 256 addresses

Please note that if your subnet is larger than 256 addresses (bigger than 255.255.255.0) you need to enter the IP address manually.

If no phone book is set on the system

  1. On the web-interface of the system go to Diagnostics > System Status.

  2. Check the status of the LDAP Server.
  3. Restart the endpoint to see if that resolves the issue.
  4. Otherwise you can contact your account manager at your local certified Pexip Partner and request for the subscription to be reactivated.

Polycom RealPresence Android app authentication failures

There is a known issue regarding NTLM password hashing for Android app.

If the password contains non-ASCII characters (like æøå űáéúőóüíö) the service creates an LM hash which doesn't match the one generated by the Polycom RealPresence - Android app. Therefore the client cannot authenticate.

The workaround to solve this is to use a password with only ASCII characters (including symbols like $+!?).

Polycom RealPresence Group Series inbound calls from My Meeting Video

Polycom Group Series systems running version 6.1.6.1 to 6.1.7.1 fail to connect with inbound calls from the My Meeting Video Pexip app. We recommend installing a different firmware version on the video endpoint.

Polycom Debut unable to obtain directory phonebook

From version 1.3.x onwards the Polycom debut cannot download and display the Pexip Service phonebook for the organization.

The LDAP connection on the Debut is reported to be active at boot-time, but later goes into a failed state.

No current workaround is known at this time. Call services will continue to work for the Polycom Debut.

This issue does not affect Polycom Group Series, HDX, and RealPresence Mobile/Desktop devices.

Content sharing unreliable with firewall default UDP session timeout value

It has been observed in several Enterprise network environments that purpose-built video endpoint systems from Cisco Systems and Poly registered to the Pexip Service may experience unreliable content sharing behavior. This behavior may include an inability to receive or initiate content share soon after the video call is connected, either to a video bridge or in a point-to-point call. In many cases the content share capability is initially found to behave as expected, but then changes to the unreliable state within a short period of time. A list of compatible Cisco Systems and Poly endpoint models which can be registered to the Pexip Service can be found here.

The common element to these Enterprise network environments may be the presence of a Palo Alto Networks Firewall. After working alongside Palo Alto Networks Technical Support, the problem was traced to a requirement to increase the value of the UDP session timeout setting on the Palo Alto Networks Firewall. Video endpoints registered to the Pexip Service use SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) as the signaling protocol, and the content share channel is negotiated via SIP BFCP (Binary Floor Control Protocol), which is UDP-based. It was observed that the two-way BFCP communications between the video endpoint to the Pexip Service was being closed prematurely when the default UDP session timer of 30 seconds is used.

Pexip's recommendations when Palo Alto Networks or SonicWall firewalls are present are:

  • Ensure that the firewall can accommodate all the traffic types and port ranges to/from the IP address spaces shown here.
  • Increase the UDP session timeout from the default 30 second value to 600 seconds for UDP port range 10000-65535.
  • Disable the "Application Filtering" setting on the Firewall, which may be called SIP-ALG.

For firewalls from other vendors we recommend that you:

  • Increase the UDP session timeout to 180 seconds for UDP port range 10000-65535.

Polycom Trio unable to make or receive calls

There is a known limitation with the Polycom Trio such that the most often it can fetch updates from Pexip's provisioning server is hourly. This can affect the operation of the Trio when the device needs to switch to using a different Pexip Point of Presence (PoP). In this case, there can be a delay in the Trio picking up the new PoP details during which time the user may be unable to make or receive calls.

If the Polycom Trio can't make or receive calls, the first thing to do is to trigger a provisioning update by rebooting the device. Following that, in most cases you can make and receive calls again. However, if the problem persists after rebooting the device please contact your partner.

Poly endpoint uses SIP without TLS

SIP over TLS is only available to Poly endpoints that are registered with a call control platform (such as the Pexip Service) that supports it. When not registered, only TCP and UDP are available.