Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.
Page Properties
hiddentrue

Drupal URL:

https://knowledge.star2star.com/kb/1046

Source Document URL:

Salesforce KB URL:

Overview

The StarBox is the primary device of the Star2Star installation. It serves as the PBX to the customer’s phone system, integrates with the Star2Star Constellation Network, and can provide Internet access for the customer’s Data Network.

Currently, there are three models of the StarBox:

  • Starlite

  • StarBox 2250 / 2250CR

  • StarBox 5500 / 5500CR

Physical Layout

Each of these hardware versions has three usable Ethernet ports. These ports, labeled LAN1, LAN2, and LAN3, serve the following functions:

  • LAN1 = WAN Port. Should be connected directly to the ISP’s Modem/CPE Device.

  • LAN2 = Data Network Port. If the customer is using a separate Internet circuit for data, this port may not be necessary. If they will be using a shared circuit for Voice and Data, this port will be connected either to the WAN Port of the Customer’s Router/Firewall, or directly into the Master Switch. The enclosed Switch documentation will go into this further.

  • LAN3 = Voice Network Port. This port will always be utilized, and will be plugged directly into the Master Switch on the designated Voice/Telephony Port (per the enclosed documentation).

IP Address Methodology

It is important to note that it is mandatory for the StarBox to be configured with a public IP address. There are three methods that ISPs (Internet Service Providers) use to deliver a Public IP address:

  • Dynamic (DHCP) IP Addressing

  • Static IP Addressing

  • PPPoE – username / password authentication

Data Options

Before the installation, the method of data delivery must be determined as well. Possible methods include:

  • StarBox acts as router / firewall for computers

  • Customer has a separate circuit reserved for data use

  • Customer-provided router sits behind StarBox in a DMZ

  • StarBox is configured in bridge mode and passes Public IP addresses through to customer-provided router

  • The StarBox and customer-provided router are placed parallel to each other on the network

Basic Configuration Diagram

Image Removed

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing the StarBox for Installation

Locate the Phone Room (MDF) where the StarBox will be installed.

  1. Identify the Patch Panel or other equipment for connecting the wall jacks to switch ports on the existing network.

  2. Locate the ISP CPE equipment (Cable/DSL Modem, T1 Router, etc.), which will be used to provide Internet access to the StarBox.

  3. Locate the UPS (either Customer supplied, or provided by Star2Star).

  4. Bring the StarBox, UPS, Master Switch and two phones to the phone room.

  5. Assuming the StarBox will be using the same Internet circuit the customer is already running on, please make sure that the Customer is aware that they will lose Internet service during parts of the installation.

  6. By now, you should also have determined what type of WAN configuration is required (DHCP/Static/PPPoE) for this location. This information should either be located in the SOW, or acquired from an on-site contact.

Configuring the StarBox

  1. The StarBox power supply needs to be plugged into a UPS/surge protector.

  2. Plug your Laptop’s Ethernet port into the StarBox LAN2/Data Port using a patch cable.

  3. Power up the StarBox. It may take about 3 minutes for it to fully boot up.

  4. Your laptop should automatically obtain an IP address from the StarBox on the 10.40.47.0/24 network (ie: 10.40.47.101).

  5. Access the StarBox WebAdmin interface by opening up a web browser and going to: https://10.40.47.1 (MAKE NOTE OF THE HTTPS)

  6. You may see a security warning about an invalid certificate. Click Accept/Yes/Proceed/I Understand the Risks/Etc. to accept the certificate and proceed to the web page.

  7. At the login prompt, use the following credentials to login to the StarBox: (Username: admin Password) s2sadmin

  8. You should now see the default ‘StarBox Status’ landing page. Click on the ‘StarBox Network’ tab at the top of the screen (Blue Row).

  9. Click on the ‘Configuration’ tab under StarBox Network.

  10. By default, the StarBox is configured for DHCP on the WAN side. If this is the correct choice for this location, you may leave it set to “Obtain an IP Address Automatically”. If the location needs to be configured with Static or PPPoE settings, you will enter them here.

    1. For Static IP, chose the “Specify an IP Address” option, and enter in the require IP Address, Subnet Mask and Gateway Address.

    2. For PPPoE, chose the “Obtain an IP Address via PPPoE” option, and enter in the PPPoE Username/Password (which should be supplied in either the SOW or by the on-site IT contact).

  11. If the customer is utilizing a Failover Network Connection, consult the Failover Configuration Guide for assistance in configuration.

  12. The DNS address(es) can come from the ISP, along with the IP addresses. If there are no DNS address(es) specified, please enter “8.8.8.8” as the primary DNS server and “4.2.2.1” as the secondary DNS server.

  13. If the customer will be placing their router behind the StarBox into a DMZ, please refer the DMZ Configuration guide attached.

  14. Confirm all the settings are correct, and click the “Save Configuration” button.

  15. Click the “Reboot StarBox” button to apply changes. The reboot should be complete within three minutes.

Bringing the StarBox Online

  1. Plug LAN1 into the ISP’s CPE LAN Port. Depending on the ISP and connection method, you may need to reboot the CPE device in order to establish a connection with the StarBox. NOTE: This step will bring down the Internet connection for the customer.

  2. Ensure your Laptop is still plugged into LAN2. Once the StarBox is plugged into the Internet, you can use your laptop to browse the Internet to verify that you have a connection. If you do not have a connection to the Internet, verify the IP address information is correct, and that the cable connecting the StarBox is seated properly. If you still do not have a connection, contact Star2Star Technical Support.

Completing the Voice Network Installation

  1. Mount the Master Switch in the network closet, and ensure you have access to its ports, as well as the LAN2 and LAN3 ports of the StarBox.

  2. Review the Switch Installation Guide for detailed information regarding the switch. In a default scenario where Star2Star provides the switch(es), LAN3 will connect into the following ports:

    • On a 24/26/28 Port Switch, you will plug LAN3/Voice into Port 22.

    • On a 48/50/52 Port Switch, you will plug LAN3/Voice into Port 46.

    • On an 8 Port Switch, you will plug LAN3/Voice into Port 7.

    • On a 10 Port Switch, you will plug LAN3/Voice into Port 9.

  3. Unbox two test phones and plug them directly into ports 1 and 2 of the Master Switch. They should boot up on their own and grab configuration files.

  4. When the phones are idle, they will have their extension numbers displayed. Conduct a test call from one phone to the other to verify connectivity between the phones, switch, and StarBox.

  5. If these phones are from a previous provider, consult the “Provisioning Non-Star2Star Phones” guide for detailed instructions.

Completing the Data Network Installation

The installation steps needed depend on the type of implementation required:

Method 1: StarBox Handles All Traffic

If the StarBox will be handling the Data Traffic, and NOT have a Router behind it, simply plug LAN2/Data (which is probably still connected to your laptop) into the designated Data Port on the Master Switch (specified in the New Switch Installation documentation).

Method 2: StarBox hands off traffic to router

If the StarBox will be handling the Data Traffic, and WILL have a Router behind it, plug LAN2/Data into the WAN Port of the Router. Plug one of the LAN ports on the Router into the designated Data Port on the Master Switch (specified in the enclosed documentation).

Method 3: Segregated Voice and Data Networks

If the StarBox will NOT be handling the Data Traffic, and the customer is using a separate circuit/Router for this traffic, you will leave LAN2/Data disconnected from the network, and instead plug the Router’s LAN port into the designated Data Port on the Master Switch (specified in the enclosed documentation). The Router’s WAN port should still be connected into the secondary circuit’s ISP CPE device.

Method 4: DMZ Mode

Please review the attached DMZ Guide for configuring the StarBox in this fashion.

Method 5: Bridge Mode

Please review the attached Bridge Mode Guide if that is applicable in this install.

Verify data connectivity by connecting your laptop to port 1 of the switch and browsing the Internet. If you do not have either an IP address or an Internet connection, review the physical connections and contact Star2Star Technical Support for further assistance.

You may now proceed with the remaining steps in the SOW

On-Site Setup/Configuration

These steps will walk an on-site technician through setting up and configuring a StarBox® CCM for use.

  1. Install the UPS and plug the StarBox® CCM power cord into the UPS.

  2. Press the power button on the StarBox® CCM and wait a full 3 minutes.

    • !! IMPORTANT !! - StarBox® CCM will take 3 minutes to successfully boot.

  3. Connect your laptop directly to LAN2 of the StarBox® CCM. (Note: We recommend that you disable WiFi on your laptop to prevent conflicts with network routing during setup).

  4. Open a browser on the computer you are using to configure the StarBox® CCM. Access the StarBox® CCM by browsing to the IP assigned to LAN2 of the StarBox® CCM (default is https://10.40.47.1)

    • Image Added

    • !! IMPORTANT !! - If you cannot access the StarBox® CCM using the default IP address, please perform a DHCP release/renew.

  5. Click on Advanced on the above screen. Once you have clicked Advanced, the following information is displayed.

    • Image Added
  6. Click Proceed to 10.40.47.1 (Unsafe).

  7. Login to the StarBox® CCM with the following credentials:

    • Username: admin

    • Password: s2sadmin

  8. You should now be at the StarBox® CCM configuration screen. (Appendix details displayed information).

  9. Click StarBox® CCM Network in the top (blue) navigation bar.

    • Image Added
  10. Click Configuration.

    • Image Added
  11. Under IP Configuration, select the IP address assignment method:

    • Obtain an IP Address Automatically (Most commonly used for cable circuits)

    • Specify an IP Address (Most commonly used for business class circuits and T1’s)

    • Obtain an IP Address via PPPoE (Most commonly used for DSL circuits)

  12. Specify DNS configuration settings, if desired. (Required when using a static IP address)

  13. If your circuit requires the StarBox® CCM to clone a MAC address, enter it under MAC Address Cloning. (MAC addresses must be formatted as hexadecimal digit pairs separated by colons, for example, 01:23:45:67:89:ab)

  14. Click Save Configuration when finished.

  15. Connect the ISP circuit into LAN 1 of the StarBox® CCM. (if applicable, reboot the carrier router modem or contact ISP to remotely reboot device.)

    • (Optional) To test network connectivity without doing a reboot, click the Restart Network button, wait 30 seconds, then click the Utilities tab and use the Ping and Traceroute tools to test connectivity.

    • !! IMPORTANT !! - If your ISP requires an MTU size other than 1500, enter this in the MTU field (Most commonly required by PPPoE connections.

  16. Click the Reboot StarBox button.

    • !! IMPORTANT !! - StarBox® CCM will take 3 minutes to successfully boot.

Portal Setup/Configuration

These steps will walk a technician through portal settings and configurations of a new StarBox® CCM installation.

  1. Open a new tab in your web browser, and navigate to https://portal.star2star.com and use your credentials to log in.

  2. Go to the Configuration tab at the top.

  3. Search for the StarBox® CCM you’ve just installed (consult the label on the StarBox® CCM if necessary) or enter the location # in the View/Edit field and hit enter. The following screen is displayed:

    • Image Added
  4. Click Save Changes to System. This save will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

  5. Once the Save Changes is complete, open the StarBox® CCM Settings Page. Expand the Network Settings. The following screen appears:

    • Image Added
  6. Click on the configuration icon to expand the primary circuit (WAN) settings.

    • Image Added
  7. Verify settings were “pushed up” during the save. If not, contact support for assistance.

    • Image Added
  8. Return to the browser tab that has the StarBox Web User Interface open (or open a new tab and browse to https://10.40.47.1). Return to the Configuration tab under the StarBox Network page, and click the Reboot StarBox button.

  9. Return to the browser tab that has the Star2Star Web Portal open, and click Configuration.

  10. In the Install field, type the name of the customer or location until the correct location appears in the results.

    • Image Added
  11. Click the location you are installing to go to the Install Intro page.

  12. Click Perform Install.

    • (Note: These steps can be performed remotely; when accessing this page from a workstation that is not connected to a StarBox this will show Perform Remote Install instead.)

  13. On the SNA and Install Poll pages, click Continue at the bottom left of the page. (The SNA page will be skipped if performing the install remotely.)

  14. On the Install Notes page, fill in required information:

  15. (if installing locally) SNA results will be displayed.

  16. (if installing remotely) Fill in bandwidth shaping details.

    • (Note: Bandwidth values are entered in kbps. A 10Mbps circuit would be entered as “10000”, and a 1.544 Mbps T1 would be entered as “1544”.)

  17. Check the SNA Test disclaimer checkbox.

  18. Click Finish. You will be taken back to the Configuration page.

  19. Connect the blue and yellow network cables to the customer’s LAN.

  20. The StarBox® CCM is now ready to place and receive PSTN calls.

Appendix: The StarBox CCM status page

Server Uptime: This is the total time the StarBox has been running without a restart.

Server Load: Average server load is displayed for the last 1, 5 and 15 minutes. The load is expressed as a percentage of the total CPU cycles.

Service Status: Displays the status (up or down) and the total number of processes each of the Daemons have spawned.

Telephony Engine: The process that allows users to make and receive calls (SIP).

HTTP Daemon: The process that handles and translates requests made using HTTP.

SSH Daemon: The process that handles and translates requests made using SSH.

NTP Daemon: The process that checks and sets the time on the StarBox.

DNSMasq Daemon: A lightweight DNS, TFTP, PXE, router advertisement and DHCP server. It is intended to provide coupled DNS and DHCP service to a LAN. (http://www.thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/docs/dnsmasq-man.html)

Drive Usage: Lists each drive on the StarBox, the space they are using, and the space available.

Percent Mount: Refers to the overall amount of hard drive space devoted to a particular drive.

Table of Contents
minLevel1
maxLevel6
outlinefalse
typelist
printablefalse