Troubleshooting

Common VMGateServer and portal-side problems — what to check first, and when to use Call History for answers.

Phone-side issues (pairing, dongle, OTA) are in the VMGateClient manual. This chapter covers the tenant portal and ingress path.

Cannot sign in

Confirm email verification completed (chapter 02). Use Reset password on the login page if credentials fail.

If the browser loops between login and the app, clear site data or try a private window — a stale session token is a common cause. Expired verification links need Resend after you sign in.

When two-factor authentication is enabled (Settings), have the authenticator app ready; a wrong or missing code looks like a generic login failure.

No ingress / network issues

If a carrier cannot send SIP to you, verify in order:

• SIP ingress — give the carrier the full IP:port for the correct network (chapter 03). The value appears on the network row and in the status strip when that network is selected.
• Authorized source IPs — the trunk must list every address the carrier’s switch uses (chapter 06). Unknown sources are rejected at the edge.
• Tech prefix — mandatory on every trunk. If the called number does not start with the configured digits, VMGateServer returns 403 Forbidden (chapter 06).
• Network provisioning — incomplete networks show setup/fix actions under Networks. Suspended accounts cannot provision new networks.

Status strip showing — for SIP ingress usually means no network is selected, or the network is not fully provisioned yet.

VMGateClients offline or not taking calls

Open Traffic → Active Calls and Management → VMGateClients (correct network in the status strip). Check:

• Last Seen / online — offline clients need phone connectivity and a running VMGateClient app (see the app troubleshooting chapter).
• Status — no_dongle, off, or similar means the device cannot take traffic even if the portal shows recent activity.
• Unauthorize — revokes overlay access on that network; the client stays listed but receives no new calls (chapter 04).
• Slot policy — cooldown, daily/monthly/package caps, or idle timers block new assignments until counters reset or timers expire (chapter 05). Use client Details to see live counters.

Do not regenerate join codes for an already-enrolled device — join codes are for new pairing only. Fix connectivity, dongle, or policy instead.

Calls not routing

Work through the ingress → routing chain:

1. Trunk source IP allowed and tech prefix correct (above).
2. Dialpeer exists for that Customer trunk and called prefix (longest prefix wins — chapter 10).
3. Routing rule matches the destination after tech-prefix strip and has at least one target (chapter 09).
4. Target VMGateClient online, ready, not in cooldown, and under cap — with SIM present.

Open Traffic → Call History, filter by time and status, and open Details on a failed row. Common statuses:

• No VMGateClient — no eligible device/slot when the call was offered.
• No Rate — missing or unmatched rate plan on trunk or client payout side (chapters 10–11).
• No Balance — prepaid Customer balance or credit line blocked the call (chapter 06).
• Concurrent Limit — tenant port cap full; check Active Calls vs plan (chapter 12).
• Failed — often SIP 503, including GSM ring not detected within the slot’s ring timeout (chapter 05).
• No Answer — GSM rang but was not answered before the connect-phase timeout.

Use the Call Log and Graphic Trace tabs in Details to see where the session stopped. Priority/weight misconfiguration can starve backup targets if higher-priority tiers are always offline.

If a Customer is Blocked (Customers table), new ingress on their trunks is refused until you unblock them.

Subscription or billing blocks

A banner under the portal header signals billing state — unpaid invoice (with optional grace date), suspended subscription, scheduled cancellation, or similar. Click Manage billing to open Manage Subscription (chapter 13).

Suspended or past-due accounts may restrict paid features (including network provisioning) until billing is restored. Downgrade blocked alerts mean you still have more networks or VMGateClients than the target plan allows — remove extras, then retry.

On the free tier, self-service plan and seat-pack changes may be locked; contact Startel at info@startelinternational.com for manual adjustments (chapter 02).

These blocks affect your VMGate subscription. Downstream Customer balances and payouts are separate — reconcile under Finance → Billing.

SMS — Customer cannot bind

Confirm the tenant has SMS enabled and the SMS sidebar is visible. Check SMS ingress on the status strip and give the Customer that host and port.

Verify an SMS Connection exists with the correct system ID, password, and allowed source IPs. Confirm SMS rates, routing, and dialpeers are configured (chapter 07).

If the connection works but messages stay in progress or fail, check VMGateClient online status, SIM SMS enablement, and SMS slot policy / cooldown (chapter 05 and the VMGateClient manual).

Inbound GSM / IVR / Forward problems

Work the two layers first (chapter 15):

1. Handset Incoming GSM calls = Forward to server (app chapter 06).
2. Slot (or network default) Layer-2 mode is IVR or Forward with a valid profile / inbound dialpeer — not Reject.
3. IVR step audio is Prepared (ready). Digit Actions for Forward include dialpeer + number in ⚙ settings.
4. Inbound trunk has tech prefix and the Customer switch answers (or rings) the dialed number.

If comfort music overlaps far-end audio, confirm Forward settings use the two-phase ring hold (min/max) and that Actions were re-saved after changes. Use IVR Preview to validate the digit graph without a live GSM call.