Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 An Application Note Polycom PVXTM is an advanced conferencing software application that delivers Polycom's premium quality audio, video, and content sharing to your PC and standard USB camera. PVX brings unprecedented video conferencing technology to your desktop PC with the first software application ever offered by the industry leader. Using the industry's highest quality audio/video algorithms, PVX is the only PC application to offer both secure communications and People+ContentTM. PVX supports most standard web cams, eliminating the need for a separate video camera. When used in conjunction with a laptop and portable USB camera, PVX provides the ultimate in portability. PVX 8.0.1 features added flexibility for configuring to a wide variety of network connections, including support for Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), multiple network adapters, and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). This application note explains how to configure PVX for the broadband connection in your office, home office, or small business. This document also describes system settings that will maximize video conferencing performance without compromising your network security. This document contains the following sections: Before You Begin Configuring Your Connection Using the Setup Wizard Configuring Your Connection Using the PVX Application Testing and Troubleshooting Advanced Router Setup Where to Get the Latest Product Information Copyright Information Disclaimer Trademark Information December 2005 Edition: 3725-23299-001/A Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 Before You Begin System Requirements Please make sure that your PC meets the minimum system requirements for using Polycom PVX. You can find the latest information about system requirements in the Release Notes for Polycom PVX, available at www.polycom.com/videosoftware. If your PC does not meet the requirements, you will not be able to make PVX calls. If you are running on a laptop PC, be sure to have the AC power plugged in before starting Windows to ensure the CPU is running in full power mode. Downloading Free Demonstration Software To get a free copy of the Polycom PVX software, go to www.polycom.com/pvxtrial. You can use this software for an unlimited number of calls lasting 5 minutes or less. You can upgrade the demonstration version to the full version by purchasing a license key and activating the software as described in this document. Installing Polycom PVX Software The first time you start PVX, a wizard guides you through the initial setup. You can set up your network connection with the help of the wizard, or you can set up your network using the application's setup screens. This document provides information about both methods. For instructions on installing PVX, see the software CD packaging. For the latest information about Polycom PVX, also refer to the PVX Release Notes, available at www.polycom.com/videosoftware. Activating Your PVX Software When you start PVX, the application prompts you to activate your software. You can either enter the activation codes or simply click Continue if you prefer to use the evaluation version. The evaluation version allows you to make unlimited five-minute conferences. PVX will prompt you to activate your software every time it starts until a valid activation key is entered. If you would like to obtain an activation code, please contact a Polycom reseller or go to www.polycom.com. -2- Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 Configuring Your Connection Using the Setup Wizard This section provides additional information you will need on some of the wizard pages to enable calling on the following types of connections: Within an Intranet Within a Virtual Private Network (VPN) Through a DSL or cable modem (no router) Through a network router Refer to the appropriate section for your particular connection. If you need to change your connection setup after you have finished the setup wizard, you can do so through the PVX application. For more information, refer to Configuring Your Connection from the PVX Application in this application note. Setup for Calling Within an Intranet An Intranet is a private network within a company or organization. Intranet calls remain inside the firewall, so you can communicate with anyone in your office network without security issues. Enter this information in the setup wizard screens if you are setting up PVX for calling within your company network: NAT Detected dialog box: If the wizard asks whether to use the external WAN address, click No. Select Your IP Address dialog box: If the wizard detects multiple addresses and asks you to choose the recommended address, click OK. Network Setup dialog box: Select Use the PC's Local IP Address to make Intranet calls. The first time you start PVX, a wizard guides you through the initial setup. If you need to use PVX to make external calls outside of your Intranet, please check with your network administrator. Calls outside of your Intranet require changes in the firewall settings to allow video through specific ports. Network administrators oversee firewall configurations for enabling calls to and from the Internet. -3- Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 Setup for Calling Within a Virtual Private Network (VPN) VPN is a private network that uses the public network (the Internet) for secured communication. Many offices use a virtual private network (VPN) to connect multiple locations, such as home offices and remote branch offices. With a VPN connection, users have full access to their company network, whether they are located remotely or at the central offices. Calls within your company VPN remain within the firewall, so you can communicate with anyone in your office network without configuring PVX for connecting externally to the Internet. This way, users can make calls using the directory and all other communication equipment they have in the office. Calls outside of your VPN require changes in the firewall settings to allow video through specific ports. See the section Setup for Calling Through a Network Router in this document for port information. Contact your network administrator assistance. Start your VPN client and establish a connection before starting PVX. Enter this information in the setup wizard screens: NAT Detected dialog box: If the wizard asks whether to use the external WAN address, click No. Select Your IP Address dialog box: If the wizard detects multiple addresses and asks you to choose the recommended address, click OK. -4- Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 Network Setup dialog box: Select Use VPN Address or Secondary Network Adapter. Address Setup dialog box: Select your VPN connection from the Designate Network Adapter list. Click OK in Address Setup box and OK in Network Setup. When you connect to your VPN, your company's network assigns you an address. This is different from the address assigned by your router. To make calls through your VPN, you must choose the VPN as your network adapter. If your VPN is not listed in the network adapter list, please refer to the user manual for your VPN client to find out how to get the address manually. -5- Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 Setup for Calling Through a DSL or Cable Modem Use the following instructions for setting up PVX on a computer that accesses the Internet directly through a DSL or cable modem with no network router. Calls across the public Internet typically pass through a firewall that protects the computer from unsolicited traffic from the outside. Computers connected directly to a broadband modem often use a software-based firewall. If you have firewall software installed on your computer, you may need to disable or configure the software to allow PVX traffic. See the Testing and Troubleshooting section of this document for more information. Enter this information in the setup wizard screens: NAT Detected dialog box: If the wizard asks whether to use the external WAN address, click No. Select Your IP Address dialog box: If the wizard detects multiple addresses and asks you to choose the recommended address, click OK. Network Setup dialog box: Select Use the PC's Local IP Address. Setup for Calling Through a Network Router Network routers enable multiple computer resources to share a high-speed Internet connection such as Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) or cable. Most routers for Small Office Home Office (SOHO) networks include a firewall to protect the network by controlling unsolicited traffic from outside the network. To allow video conferencing traffic to pass in and out of your local network, you must open ports in the firewall or your router will block the request. Routers also provide Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT uses private internal IP addresses for the devices within the network while using a single external IP address to -6- Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 communicate outside the network. NAT adds an extra level of security by effectively masking the internal network behind a single external IP address. PVX supports video calls behind a firewall. In order to run PVX through a network router and firewall, you must open specific ports for video conferencing. You assign the open ports to the internal IP address (as defined by NAT) of the computer running PVX. This process is known as port forwarding or pinholing. This application note provides procedures for port forwarding on the most common routers. If you have firewall software installed on your computer in addition to the router firewall, you may need to disable or configure the software. See the Testing and Troubleshooting section of this document for more information. Entering settings in the setup wizard Enter this information in the setup wizard screens: NAT Detected dialog box: If the wizard asks whether to use the external WAN address, click Yes. Select Your IP Address dialog box: If the wizard detects multiple addresses and asks you to choose the recommended address, click OK. Network Setup dialog box: Select Use External (WAN) IP Address and select Use Fixed Ports (3230 and 3235). Verify that the External (WAN) IP Address is the correct number provided by your ISP. Most routers list the external IP address on a router status page. If you need to change the IP address, finish the wizard, start PVX, and click Setup > Network to open the Network tab. Enter the correct External (WAN) IP Address and click OK. Configuring PVX port forwarding After you complete the wizard, you must configure ports in your router before you can make calls with PVX. -7- Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 If your network is behind a fully aware H.323 firewall, you do not have to configure port forwarding. Your firewall can detect H.323 video traffic and open ports as necessary. Please contact your network administrator and refer to Configuring Your Connection from the PVX Application. Using a router that does not support Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) If your router supports Universal Plug and Play, please continue to the next section. If your router does not support Universal Plug and Play, proceed to the section Configuring Your Router's Port Forwarding. Using a router that supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Many new routers use UPnP technology that automatically detects network devices, assigns IP adresses, and enables communication. If your router has UPnP capability, you do not have to manually configure router ports to open for PVX traffic. PVX 8.0.1 can use UPnP to automatically open the ports required during your call and close the ports after use. If your network security policies prohibit you from using UPnP, you can manually configure port forwarding. Refer to the next section, Configuring Your Router's Port Forwarding. To use UPnP port forwarding: 1. 2. 3. In PVX, click Setup > Network to open the Network tab. On the Network Setup page, click the Connection tab. Select Behind a NAT/firewall. 4. 5. 6. Click Apply. Click the Ports tab. Select Use UPnP port forwarding. -8- Internet and Intranet Calling with Polycom PVX 8.0.1 If PVX has not detected a UPnP-enabled router, you cannot select this field. 7. Click Apply. Configuring your router's port forwarding This section provides instructions for opening and assigning ports in the most common routers from NetGear, Linksys, and D-Link. Most other routers require similar procedures. Before you can change your router configuration, you must have the following: The IP address of your router. Consult your router's user documentation for the IP address. (Note that many routers use the default address 192.168.0.1.) Your router's administrator name and password. Consult your router's user documentation for the user name and password. (Note that many router ...