h.323 prefixes (and suffixes?)

[incentre]

Standard first post: I've been in the VC world, somewhat part-time, for just over a year. I had no previous knowledge of the standards (except maybe h.264) until this. Sorry if any of this is stupid / repeat post / wrong thread / etc.

In working with h.323 I've come across three dialing formats. I'm trying to understand what #3 is and how it applies.
1 - IP only, 10.2.3.4
2 - e.164, 1234567890@10.2.3.4
3 - unknown, 10.2.3.4##1234567890

In working against (no, not with, against..) a Polycom MCU the meeting rooms can be dialed at something like "4444@internal-ip" from anyone registered to a gatekeeper on the same network, however it can also be dialed at "external-ip##4444".

In another situation I have an IP being advertised on BGP to both a private network and the internet. It's registered to a gatekeeper, and the equipment is configured to accept calls on "e164@single-ip" no matter which network the source traffic originates. Endpoints are having a ridiculous amount of trouble reaching this site. Some have been able to establish connection by using "single-ip##e164" but those pass no data, and yet these same sites cannot connect with the #2 format of "e164@single-ip".

Anyway - I'm not asking for a walk-through on these issues. I'm just trying to understand what the difference is and the functional application. Thanks!

[tom9933]

IP address of blade in MGC (internal or external) ## conf ID = this works for an endpoint (Polycom only) that is calling directly into a conference without a gatekeeper. This was designed for customers that did not implement a gatekeeper when they installed their MGC. As some will point out it’s not a standard and hence Polycom endpoints only. This is sometimes referred to as IP plus extension dialing.
You can also enable a default entry queue on the MGC and then dial just the IP of the card. Then if the conference has EQ access checked in the conference properties you can then dial in with the DTMF commands from the remote. On a Polycom endpoint you push the “#” key to bring up the DTMF dial pad while in a call. HINT: You can also change the default behavior of the digit buttons on the remote from preset to tones if you do this a lot, its in the admin settings under remote control :)