Digital Gateway - Quick Start Guide

1. Introduction

UCX Digital Gateway allows reuse of Nortel's Norstar/BCM digital phones as TDM devices with a UCX Server.

Norstar/BCM digital phones work with UCX Server through the Digital Gateway, keeping their original phone user interfaces and having extended VoIP feature capabilities from the UCX Server.

The UCX Digital Gateway functionality is delivered in two ways:

  1. Digital Gateway Server purchased from E-MetroTel that includes hardware and software for Norstar, BCM200, BCM400 and BCM1000. (DGHb and DGEb)
  2. Solid State Drive (SSD) with UCX software purchased from E-MetroTel to convert existing BCM50 or BCM450 systems to a Digital Gateway. (DGS and DGS2)

If you have a Norstar system, BCM200, BCM400 or BCM1000, you will need to go with the first method.

2. Converting BCM50 or BCM450 to a Digital Gateway

If you purchased the UCX Digital Gateway as a complete system, you can proceed to section 3, Configuration of UCX Digital Gateway.

If you purchased the Solid State Drive (SSD)  with UCX Digital Gateway’s software to convert existing BCM systems to a Digital Gateway, complete the installtion steps first:

3. Configuration of UCX Digital Gateway

To prepare the Digital Gateway for operation, there are several configuration steps that are required. Even though it is not necessary to perform all the steps listed below or to perform them in the order in which they are listed, we strongly recommend you to follow the entire procedure.

If your BCM50 system has an integrated router, you should configure the router before you proceed with the configuration of the UCx Digital Gateway. See Configuring Integrated Router for information about this procedure.

3.1. Accessing the UCX Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility

Connect your PC to the Digital Gateway using the OAM port (the left most Ethernet connector). When the system is fully operational (indicated by two solid green LEDs), the DHCP server running on the OAM port's subnet will assign your PC the IP address 10.10.11.2. The IP address of the Digital Gateway system when using the OAM port is 10.10.11.1.

Alternatively, you can connect to the Digital Gateway using the default static IP address 192.168.1.175, netmask 255.255.255.0 and gateway 192.168.1.1. To access the Digital Gateway system using this IP address, connect it to your network using any of the Ethernet ports on the right of the OAM port.

UCX Digital Gateway (DGHb)

BCM50 Digital Gateway (DGS)

BCM450 Digital Gateway (DGS2)

The UCX Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility is accessible at the address http://192.168.1.175 (when connected using the regular Ethernet port) or http://10.10.11.1 (when connected using the OA&M port).

To access the UCX Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility, perform the following steps:

  1. If you use the subnet 192.168.1.x and no device on your network uses the IP address 192.168.1.175, you can connect the Digital Gateway system directly to your local network.
    If you do not use the subnet 192.168.1.x or there is already is a device on your network with the IP address 192.168.1.175, configure a PC to use DHCP for its network connection and connect this PC to the OAM port on the Digital Gateway (the leftmost Ethernet connector).
  2. In your Internet browser, enter the address of the Digital Gateway system (either 192.168.1.175 or 10.10.11.1).
  3. If you get a prompt that the website you are trying to access has a problem with its security certificate, select the option to proceed to the website.  You may want to install the Digital Gateway security certificates on your PC or add the Digital Gateway system to your browser's permanent exceptions list if you do not want to encounter this warning again (see Create a Self-Signed SSL Certificate for more information).
  4. The login page is displayed. Login using the default credentials:
    • Username = admin
    • Password = emetr0tel (please note that the ‘0’ is a numeric zero)
      If you already changed the administrator's password, use your password instead of the default.

3.2. Changing the Default Password

To change the management password of your UCX Digital Gateway system, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCX Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Users
  3. From the left side column, select Users
  4. Select the admin account.  The View User page is presented.  Press the Edit button to open the Edit User page.
  5. Enter the current password, the new password and then press the Apply Changes button to save it.

To prevent unauthorized access to the Web-based Configuration Utility of your UCx Digital Gateway, you should change the default password during the initial configuration of the system.

 

3.3. Changing the Network Configuration

If your BCM based UCx system includes an integrated router, you should configure the integrated router before the configuration of the UCx system.

To use the UCx Digital Gateway system on your LAN, you may need to change its network configuration to match your network.  You should update some or all of the following properties:

  • IP address and subnet mask
  • Host name
  • Default gateway
  • DNS server(s)

To change the IP address, subnet mask and DNS servers of your UCx Digital Gateway, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Network
  3. From the Device list, select the interface of the gateway to edit by clicking on the device name (e.g. Ethernet 1)
  4. If you want the system to obtain its IP address dynamically from your DHCP server:
    • Select the DHCP option
  5. ​If you want the system to use a static IP address:
    • Select the Static option
    • Enter the IP Address (default is 192.168.1.175)
    • Enter the Network Mask (default is 255.255.255.0)
    • Enter the Primary DNS (default is 192.168.1.1) - If your router can relay DNS requests, specify the IP address of your router.  Otherwise, enter the IP address of your preferred DNS server.
    • Optionally enter the Secondary DNS
  6. Check the Status is Enabled
  7. Press the Apply Changes button
  8. Confirm that you want to change the network parameters.  If you changed the IP address of the interface while using the same interface to access the Web-based Configuration Utility, you must reopen it using the new IP address.

 

To change the host name and the default gateway, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Network
  3. Press the Edit Network Parameters button to enter the Network Parameters page.
  4. Enter a fully qualified domain name for the UCx Digital Gateway (e.g., ucxgw.emetrotel.org)
  5. Enter the default gateway of your local subnet (typically this is the IP address of your router)
  6. Press the Save button to update the network configuration of the UCx system.

IMPORTANT: A reboot of the Digitat Gateway is required if there is any change to the Network Parameters.

3.4. Setting the Date and Time

The date, time and time zone configured on your UCx systems is used for several features:

  • The system time of UCx Digital Gateway is used for the date and time shown on the display of Nortel digital phones connected to the gateway system
  • The system time of UCx Digital Gateway is used for log files generated on the gateway system
  • The system time of UCx Server is used for the date and time shown on the display of Nortel IP phones
  • The system time of UCx Server is used for CDR records and call log entries
  • The system time of UCx Server is used for log files generated on the server system

If the UCx Digital Gateway is using Network Time Protocol (NTP) to keep the system time accurate, you only have to configure the correct time zone. If not using NTP, then make sure the date, time and time zone are set correctly.

To set the date, time and time zone, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Preferences
  3. From the left side column, select Date/Time
  4. Use the drop-down list boxes beside the New Date label to set the current date
  5. Use the drop-down list boxes beside the New Time label to set the current time
  6. Use the drop-down list box beside the New Time Zone label to set your time zone
  7. Press the Apply Changes button

 

4. System Registration

4.1. Confirming UCX Product License

To use your UCx Digital Gateway system it must be properly licensed. If you did not receive your product with an installed license, you must obtain a license from E-MetroTel for your product and activate the license on the system.

To verify the installed license, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Licenses
  3. From the left side column, select License Details
  4. If your system is not licensed (if you get an Invalid License status message), proceed to Requesting UCx Product License.

 

4.2. Requesting UCX Product License

You can request a new license for your UCx Digital Gateway if the system is not licensed or you want to increase the licensed capacity of your system.

To request a UCx product license, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Licenses
  3. From the left side column, select License Details
  4. Send the entire Host ID string together with the name of your company, the product type and the desired license to [email protected]. Once your request is received, you'll be contacted to complete the process and the license for your UCx Digital Gateway will be issued.

 

4.3. Entering UCX Product License

To use your UCx Digital Gateway, you must obtain a license from E-MetroTel and activate the license on the system.

To enter a UCx product license on your system, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Licenses
  3. From the left side column, select Enter License
  4. Copy the entire license string provided by E-MetroTel in the License String field and press the Save button to activate the license.

 

5. Connecting UCX Digital Gateway to the UCX Server

In order to connect phones on your UCx Digital Gateway to a specific UCx Server, you must enter the IP address of the UCx Server and the port number used by that server for Nortel phones in the configuration of the UCx Digital Gateway.

To specify the UCx Server to which UCx Digital Gateway is connected, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the Gateway tab, select Call Server
  3. In the Primary Server IP Address field, enter the IP address of the UCx Server.
  4. If the UCx Server does not use the default port number (7000) for Nortel phones, enter the port number in the Primary Server Port field.
  5. Press the Save Changes button to update the configuration of the UCx Digital Gateway.

Note: The UCX Digital Gateway system does not initiate any communication with UCX Server until a valid license is activated. (See DG - Licenses)

5.1. Survivability

Survivability has been implemented in the UCX Digital Gateway so when communication with the Primary server is lost, digital phones are redirected to the Alternate server.

To enable this capability, enter the IP Address and port number of the Alternate server in the Alternate Server IP Address and Alternate Server Port fields.

When communication with the Primary server is restored, digital phones will be redirected back to the Primary server when the phone is idle.

5.2. Setting NTP

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) Settings page allows you to configure NTP settings used by the UCx Digital Gateway.

To access the page, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the UCx Digital Gateway Web-based Configuration Utility
  2. From the System tab, select Network
  3. From the left-side column, select NTP Settings

If the UCx Digital Gateway is located in the same timezone as the UCx Server, then time can be obtained from the UCx Server. Enter the IP address of the UCx Server in the NTP Servers list box or click the Defaults button.

If the UCx Digital Gateway is located in a different timezone from the UCx Server, then configure public NTP Servers in the list box. If the gateway is not connected to the internet, then make sure the date and time is set correctly as in Step 3.4.

Click the Save button to update the configuration.