Restrict Extension Registration Based on User Agent

By default, Cloud Voice accepts a registration request for an extension from any SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) client, no matter what device or software is behind it. As long as the client presents the extension’s registration credentials, it can connect. If you want tighter control over which endpoints can register, you can require that the requesting device identify itself with a specific user agent string, so that valid credentials alone are not enough to bring an endpoint online.

Note

This control is set per extension, so repeat the steps below for each extension you want to lock down. It works on top of the extension’s registration password and helps limit toll-fraud exposure by blocking unexpected clients even when they present the right credentials.

How user agent matching works

SIP is a peer-to-peer protocol, and each side of a session acts as a User Agent (UA):

• User Agent Client (UAC): the client that sends SIP requests such as INVITE, ACK, OPTIONS, BYE, CANCEL, and REGISTER.
• User Agent Server (UAS): the server that receives those requests and responds to the client.

Every time a SIP phone or softphone registers, it acts as the UAC and includes a user agent string in its packets. That string typically identifies the device, for example the manufacturer or model. When you enable user agent authorization on an extension, Cloud Voice checks that string before allowing the registration to proceed.

Restrict registration for an extension

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice management portal and go to Extension and Trunk > Extension, then open the extension you want to protect for editing.

2. Select the Security tab.

3. Under SIP Security, turn on Enable User Agent Registration Authorization.

4. Add the user agent string that devices must present: a. Click Add User Agent. b. Enter the expected value in the User Agent field.

   Tip

   Not sure what string a device sends? Register the phone once normally, then check its user agent in the extension’s registration status or the SIP logs. Enter a prefix taken from that string (for example, the manufacturer name) so that future firmware versions still match.

   Caution

   Matching is done on the prefix of the user agent string, and the value must line up with what the device actually sends. If it does not match, the device is refused and the extension drops offline. Test the change on a single extension and confirm the phone re-registers before rolling it out more widely.

5. Click Save, then Apply.

   Danger

   An extension that cannot register cannot place any calls, including emergency (E911) calls. After you click Apply, confirm the affected device comes back online so users are not left without service or emergency dialing.

Result

From now on, when a device attempts to register to this extension, Cloud Voice compares the user agent string in its SIP packets against the value you configured. Matching is done on the prefix of the string, so a device whose user agent does not begin with the specified value is refused and the registration fails.