VoIP Network Interoperability

• Plug-and-protect support for VoIP devices - With SonicOS, VoIP device adds, changes, and removals are handled automatically, ensuring that no VoIP device is left unprotected. Using advanced monitoring and tracking technology, a VoIP device is automatically protected as soon as it is plugged into the network behind a Security Appliance.
• Full syntax validation of all VoIP signaling packets - Received signaling packets are fully parsed within SonicOS to ensure they comply with the syntax defined within their associated standard. By performing syntax validation, the Security Appliance can ensure that malformed packets are not permitted to pass through and adversely affect their intended target.

• Support for dynamic setup and tracking of media streams - SonicOS tracks each VoIP call from the first signaling packet requesting a call setup, to the point where the call ends. Only based on the successful call progress are additional ports opened (for additional signaling and media exchange) between the calling and called party.

  Media ports that are negotiated as part of the call setup are dynamically assigned by the Security Appliance. Subsequent calls, even between the same parties, uses different ports, thwarting an attacker who might be monitoring specific ports. Required media ports are only opened when the call is fully connected, and are shut down upon call termination. Traffic that tries to use the ports outside of the call is dropped, providing added protection to the VoIP devices behind the Security Appliance.

• Validation of headers for all media packets - SonicOS examines and monitors the headers within media packets to allow detection and discarding of out-of-sequence and retransmitted packets (beyond window). Also, by ensuring that a valid header exists, invalid media packets are detected and discarded. By tracking the media streams as well as the signaling, SonicWall provides protection for the entire VoIP session.
• Configurable inactivity timeouts for signaling and media - In order to ensure that dropped VoIP connections do not stay open indefinitely, SonicOS monitors the usage of signaling and media streams associated with a VoIP session. Streams that are idle for more than the configured timeout are shut down to prevent potential security holes.
• SonicOS allows the administrator to control incoming calls - By requiring that all incoming calls are authorized and authenticated by the H.323 Gatekeeper or SIP Proxy, SonicOS can block unauthorized and spam calls. This allows the administrator to be sure that the VoIP network is being used only for those calls authorized by the company.
• Comprehensive monitoring and reporting - For all supported VoIP protocols, SonicOS offers extensive monitoring and troubleshooting tools:
  • Dynamic live reporting of active VoIP calls, indicating the caller and called parties, and bandwidth used.
  • Audit logs of all VoIP calls, indicating caller and called parties, call duration, and total bandwidth used. Logging of abnormal packets seen (such as a bad response) with details of the parties involved and condition seen.
  • Detailed syslog reports and ViewPoint reports for VoIP signaling and media streams. SonicWall ViewPoint is a Web-based graphical reporting tool that provides detailed and comprehensive reports of your security and network activities based on syslog data streams received from the Security Appliance. Reports can be generated about virtually any aspect of Security Appliance activity, including individual user or group usage patterns and events on specific Security Appliances or groups of Security Appliances, types and times of attacks, resource consumption and constraints.