Cisco Unified IP Phone Model 7905G and 7912G Administration Guide for Cisco Unified CallManager Release 4.2 and later - Troubleshooting the Cisco Unified IP Phone [Cisco Unified IP Phone 7900 Series]

Table Of Contents

Troubleshooting the Cisco Unified IP Phone

Resolving Startup Problems

Symptom: The Cisco Unified IP Phone Does Not Go Through its Normal Start Up Process

Symptom: The Cisco Unified IP Phone Does Not Register with Cisco Unified CallManager

Registering the Phone with Cisco Unified CallManager

Checking Network Connectivity

Verifying TFTP Server Settings

Verifying IP Addressing and Routing

Verifying DNS Settings

Verifying Cisco Unified CallManager Settings

Cisco Unified CallManager and TFTP Services Are Not Running

Creating a New Configuration File

Cisco Unified IP Phone Resets Unexpectedly

Verifying Physical Connection

Identifying Intermittent Network Outages

Verifying DHCP Settings

Checking Static IP Address Settings

Verifying Voice VLAN Configuration

Verifying that the Phones Have Not Been Intentionally Reset

Eliminating DNS or Other Connectivity Errors

General Troubleshooting Tips for the Cisco Unified IP Phone

Logging Information for Troubleshooting

The nptcap Tool

Cleaning the Cisco Unified IP Phone

Resetting the Cisco Unified IP Phone

Erasing the Local Configuration

Where to Go for More Troubleshooting Information

Troubleshooting the Cisco Unified IP Phone

Cisco Unified IP Phones provide information that can assist you in troubleshooting problems with your Cisco Unified IP Phone or in your IP telephony network.

For additional troubleshooting information, refer to Cisco Unified CallManager Troubleshooting Guide. You can also refer to the Using the 79xx Status Information For Troubleshooting tech note. This document is available to registered Cisco.com users at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/788/AVVID/telecaster_trouble.html

This chapter includes the following sections:

•Resolving Startup Problems

•Cisco Unified IP Phone Resets Unexpectedly

•General Troubleshooting Tips for the Cisco Unified IP Phone

•Logging Information for Troubleshooting

•Resetting the Cisco Unified IP Phone

•The nptcap Tool

•Where to Go for More Troubleshooting Information

Resolving Startup Problems

After installing a Cisco Unified IP Phone on your network and adding it to Cisco Unified CallManager, the phone should start up as described in the "Verifying the Phone Startup Process" section. If the phone does not start up properly, see the following sections for troubleshooting information:

•Symptom: The Cisco Unified IP Phone Does Not Go Through its Normal Start Up Process

•Symptom: The Cisco Unified IP Phone Does Not Register with Cisco Unified CallManager

Note Any procedures that refer to an LCD screen display problem apply only to the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7905G and 7912G.

Symptom: The Cisco Unified IP Phone Does Not Go Through its Normal Start Up Process

When you connect a Cisco Unified IP Phone into the network port, the phone should go through its normal startup process and the LCD screen should display information. If the phone does not go through the startup process, the cause may be faulty cables, bad connections, network outages, lack of power, and so on. Or, the phone may not be functional.

To determine whether the phone is functional, follow these suggestions to systematically eliminate these other potential problems:

1. Verify that the network port is functional:

–Exchange the Ethernet cables with cables that you know are functional.

–Disconnect a functioning Cisco Unified IP Phone from another port and connect it to this network port to verify that the port is active.

–Connect the Cisco Unified IP Phone that will not start up to a different network port that is known to be good.

–Connect the Cisco Unified IP Phone that will not start up directly to the port on the switch, eliminating the patch panel connection in the office.

2. Verify that the phone is receiving power:

–Verify that the electrical outlet is functional.

–If you are using in-line power, try using the external power supply instead.

–If you are using the external power supply, switch with a unit that you know to be functional.

If, after attempting these solutions, the phone still does not start up, contact a Cisco technical support representative for additional assistance.

Symptom: The Cisco Unified IP Phone Does Not Register with Cisco Unified CallManager

If a phone proceeds past the first stage (LED buttons flashing on and off), and, on a Cisco Unified IP Phone 7905G and 7912G, continues to cycle through the messages displaying on the LCD screen, the phone is not starting up properly. The phone cannot successfully start up unless it is connected to the Ethernet network and it has registered with a Cisco Unified CallManager server.

These sections can assist you in determining the reason the phone is unable to start up properly:

•Registering the Phone with Cisco Unified CallManager

•Checking Network Connectivity

•Verifying TFTP Server Settings

•Verifying IP Addressing and Routing

•Verifying DNS Settings

•Verifying Cisco Unified CallManager Settings

•Cisco Unified CallManager and TFTP Services Are Not Running

•Creating a New Configuration File

Registering the Phone with Cisco Unified CallManager

A Cisco Unified IP Phone can register with a Cisco Unified CallManager server only if the phone has been added to the server or if auto-registration is enabled. Review the information and procedures in the "Methods for Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CallManager Database" section to ensure that the phone has been added to the Cisco Unified CallManager database.

To verify that the phone is in the Cisco Unified CallManager database, choose Device > Phone > Find from Cisco Unified CallManager Administration to search for the phone based on its MAC Address. (To determine the MAC address of a phone, see the "Determining the MAC Address of a Cisco Unified IP Phone" section.)

If the phone is already in the Cisco Unified CallManager database, its configuration file may be damaged. See the "Creating a New Configuration File" section for assistance.

Checking Network Connectivity

If the network is down between the phone and the TFTP server or Cisco Unified CallManager, the phone cannot start up properly. Ensure that the network is currently running.

Verifying TFTP Server Settings

The Cisco Unified IP Phone uses the TFTP server setting to identify the primary TFTP server used by the phone. If this setting is incorrect, the Cisco Unified IP Phone may continually cycle while attempting to contact the identified TFTP Server.

If you have assigned a static IP address to the phone, you must manually enter this setting. See the "Configuring IP Settings" section.

If you are using DHCP, the phone obtains the address for the TFTP server from the DHCP server. Check the IP address configured in Option 150. Refer to Configuring Windows 2000 DHCP Server for Cisco Unified Call Manager available at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/788/AVVID/win2000_dhcp.html

You can also enable the phone to use an alternate TFTP server. Such a setting is particularly useful if the phone was recently moved from one location to another.

For information about determining and changing TFTP server settings, see "Configuring Network Settings on the Cisco Unified IP Phone," or "Additional Configuration Methods and Parameters."

Verifying IP Addressing and Routing

You should verify the IP addressing and routing settings for the Cisco Unified IP Phone. If you are using DHCP, the DHCP server should provide these values. If you have assigned a static IP address to the phone, you must enter these values manually.

Check for the following problems:

•DHCP Server—If you have assigned a static IP address to the phone, you do not need to enter a value for the DHCP Server option. However, if you are using a DHCP server, this option must have a value. If it does not, check your IP routing and VLAN configuration. Refer to Troubleshooting Switch Port Problems, available at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/473/53.shtml

•IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Router—If you have assigned a static IP address to the phone, you must manually enter settings for these options. See the "Configuring IP Settings" section.

If you are using DHCP, check the IP addresses distributed by your DHCP server. Refer to Understanding and Troubleshooting DHCP in Catalyst Switch or Enterprise Networks, available at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/473/100.html#41

For information about determining and changing IP addressing and routing settings, see "Configuring Network Settings on the Cisco Unified IP Phone," or "Additional Configuration Methods and Parameters."

Verifying DNS Settings

If you are using DNS to refer to the TFTP server or to Cisco Unified CallManager, you must ensure that you have specified a DNS server. You should also verify that there is a CNAME entry in the DNS server for the TFTP server and for the Cisco Unified CallManager system.

You must also ensure that DNS is configured to do reverse look-ups. The default setting on Windows 2000 is to perform forward-only look-ups.

For information about determining and changing DNS settings, see "Configuring Network Settings on the Cisco Unified IP Phone," or "Additional Configuration Methods and Parameters."

Verifying Cisco Unified CallManager Settings

The Cisco Unified IP Phone attempts to open a TCP connection to all the Cisco Unified CallManager servers that are part of the assigned Cisco Unified CallManager group. Take one of these actions to verify Cisco Unified CallManager settings:

•On the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7905G or 7912G, choose Settings > Network Configuration and look at the CallManager 1-4 options. (See "Configuring Network Settings on the Cisco Unified IP Phone.")

•On any phone model, display the Network Configuration area of the Cisco Unified IP Phone web page and look at the CallManager 1-4 options. (See "Additional Configuration Methods and Parameters.")

If none of the Cisco Unified CallManager options contain IP addresses or show Active or Standby, the phone is not properly registered with Cisco Unified CallManager. See the "Registering the Phone with Cisco Unified CallManager" section for tips on resolving this problem.

Cisco Unified CallManager and TFTP Services Are Not Running

If the Cisco Unified CallManager or TFTP services are not running, phones may not be able to start up properly. However, in such situations, it is likely that you are experiencing a system-wide failure and that other phones and devices are unable to start up properly.

If the Cisco Unified CallManager service is not running, all devices on the network that rely on it to make phone calls will be affected. If the TFTP service is not running, many devices will not be able to start up successfully.

To start a Cisco Unified CallManager service, follow these steps:

Procedure

Step 1 From Cisco Unified CallManager Administration, choose Application > Cisco CallManager Serviceability.

Step 2 Choose Tools > Control Center.

Step 3 From the Servers column, choose the primary Cisco Unified CallManager server.

The page displays the service names for the server that you chose, the status of the services, and a service control panel to stop or start a service.

Step 4 If a service has stopped, click the Start button.

The Service Status symbol changes from a square to an arrow.

Creating a New Configuration File

If you continue to have problems with a particular phone that other suggestions in this chapter do not resolve, the configuration file might be corrupted.

To create a new configuration file, follow these steps:

Procedure

Step 1 From Cisco Unified CallManager, select Device > Phone > Find to locate the phone experiencing problems.

Step 2 Choose Delete to remove the phone from the Cisco Unified CallManager database.

Step 3 Add the phone back to the Cisco Unified CallManager database. See the "Methods for Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CallManager Database" section for details.

Step 4 Power cycle the phone.

Note When you remove a phone from the Cisco Unified CallManager database, its configuration file is deleted from the Cisco Unified CallManager TFTP server. The phone's directory number remains in the Cisco Unified CallManager database. Such a directory number is called an "unassigned DNs and can be used for other devices. If unassigned DNs are not used by other devices, delete them from the Cisco Unified CallManager database. You can use the Route Plan Report to view and delete unassigned reference numbers. Refer to Cisco Unified CallManager Administration Guide for more information.

Cisco Unified IP Phone Resets Unexpectedly

If users report that their phones are resetting during calls or resetting while idle on their desk, you should investigate the cause. If the network connection and Cisco Unified CallManager connection are stable, a Cisco Unified IP Phone should not reset on its own.

Typically, a phone resets if it has problems connecting to the Ethernet network or to Cisco Unified CallManager. These sections can help you identify the cause of a phone resetting in your network:

•Verifying Physical Connection

•Identifying Intermittent Network Outages

•Verifying DHCP Settings

•Checking Static IP Address Settings

•Verifying Voice VLAN Configuration

•Verifying that the Phones Have Not Been Intentionally Reset

•Eliminating DNS or Other Connectivity Errors

Verifying Physical Connection

Verify that the Ethernet connection to which the Cisco Unified IP Phone is connected is up. For example, check if the particular port or switch to which the phone is connected is down.

Identifying Intermittent Network Outages

Intermittent network outages affect data and voice traffic differently. Your network might have been experiencing intermittent outages without detection. If so, data traffic can resend lost packets and verify that packets are received and transmitted. However, voice traffic cannot recapture lost packets. Rather than retransmitting a lost network connection, the phone resets and attempts to reconnect its network connection.

If you are experiencing problems with the voice network, you should investigate whether an existing problem is simply being exposed.

Verifying DHCP Settings

The following procedure can help you determine if the phone has been properly configured to use DHCP:

1. Verify that you have properly configured the phone to use DHCP. See the "Modifying DHCP Settings" section for details.

2. Verify that the DHCP server has been set up properly.

3. Verify the DHCP lease duration. Cisco recommends that you set it to 8 days.

Cisco Unified IP Phones send messages with request type 151 to renew their DHCP address leases. If the DHCP server expects messages with request type 150, the lease will be denied, forcing the phone to restart and request a new IP address from the DHCP server.

Checking Static IP Address Settings

If the phone has been assigned a static IP address, verify that you have entered the correct settings. See the "Configuring IP Settings" section.

Verifying Voice VLAN Configuration

If the Cisco Unified IP Phone appears to reset during heavy network usage (for example, following extensive web surfing on a computer connected to same switch as phone), it is likely that you do not have a voice VLAN configured.

Isolating the phones on a separate auxiliary VLAN increases the quality of the voice traffic. See the "Understanding How the Cisco Unified IP Phone Interacts with the Cisco Catalyst Family of Switches" section for details.

Verifying that the Phones Have Not Been Intentionally Reset

If you are not the only administrator with access to Cisco Unified CallManager, you should verify that no one else has intentionally reset the phones.

Eliminating DNS or Other Connectivity Errors

If the phone continues to reset, follow these steps to eliminate DNS or other connectivity errors:

Procedure

Step 1 Reset the phone to factory defaults. See the "Resetting the Cisco Unified IP Phone" section for details.

Step 2 Modify DHCP and IP settings.

a. Disable DHCP. See the "Modifying DHCP Settings" section for details.

b. Assign static IP values to the phone. See the "Configuring IP Settings" section for details. Use the same default router setting used for other functioning Cisco Unified IP Phones.

c. Assign a TFTP server. See the "Configuring TFTP Options" section for details. Use the same TFTP server used for other functioning Cisco Unified IP Phones.

Step 3 On the Cisco Unified CallManager server, verify that the local host files have the correct Cisco Unified CallManager server name mapped to the correct IP address. Refer to Configuring The IP Hosts File on a Windows 2000 CallManager Server, available at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/788/AVVID/cm_hosts_file.html

Step 4 From Cisco Unified CallManager, choose System > Server and verify that the server is referred to by its IP address and not by its host name.

Step 5 From Cisco Unified CallManager, select Device > Phone and verify that you have assigned the correct MAC address to this Cisco Unified IP Phone.

To determine the MAC address of a phone, see the "Determining the MAC Address of a Cisco Unified IP Phone" section.

Step 6 Power cycle the phone.

General Troubleshooting Tips for the Cisco Unified IP Phone

Table 7-1 provides general troubleshooting information for the Cisco Unified IP Phones.

Table 7-1 Cisco Unified IP Phone Troubleshooting

Summary

Explanation

Daisy-chaining IP phones

Do not connect an IP phone to another IP phone through the access port. Each IP phone should directly connect to a switch port. If you connect IP phones together in a line (daisy-chaining), a problem with one phone can affect all subsequent phones in the line. Also, all phones on the line share bandwidth.

Poor quality when calling digital cell phones using the G.729 protocol

In Cisco Unified CallManager, you can configure the network to use the G.729 protocol (the default is G.711). When using G.729, calls between an IP phone and a digital cellular phone will have poor voice quality. Use G.729 only when absolutely necessary.

Prolonged broadcast storms cause IP phones to re-register

Prolonged broadcast storms (lasting several minutes) on the voice VLAN cause the IP phones to re-register with another Cisco Unified CallManager server.

Moving a network connection from the phone to a workstation

If you are powering a phone through the network connection, you must be careful if you decide to unplug the phone's network connection and plug the cable into a desktop computer.

Caution The computer's network card cannot receive power through the network connection; if power comes through the connection, the network card can be destroyed. To protect a network card, wait 10 seconds or longer after unplugging the cable from the phone before plugging it into a computer. This delay gives the switch enough time to recognize that there is no longer a phone on the line and to stop providing power to the cable.

Changing the telephone configuration

By default, the network configuration options are locked to prevent users from making changes that could impact their network connectivity. You must unlock the network configuration options before you can configure them. See the "Accessing Network Configuration Settings through the Network Configuration Menu" section for details.

Phone resetting

The phone resets when it loses contact with the Cisco Unified CallManager software. This lost connection can be due to any network connectivity disruption, including cable breaks, switch outages, and switch reboots.

LCD display issues

If the display appears to have rolling lines or a wavy pattern, it might be interacting with certain types of older fluorescent lights in the building. Moving the phone away from the lights, or replacing the lights, should resolve the problem.

Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) delay

When you are on a call that requires keypad input, if you press the keys too quickly, some of them might not be recognized.

Checking the handset cradle clip.

Cisco Unified IP Phones are designed with a reversible handset clip in the cradle. This clip is used with the plastic tab protruding out when the phone is in a vertical (wall-mounted) position. The position of the tab can interfere with the handset as it is placed in the cradle. If the phone remains in the on-hook position you may experience continued ringing when you try to answer a call or a lack of dial tone when you try to place a call. To resolve this problem, you may need to reverse the clip.

If the handset cradle clip is in the wall-mounted position and your phone is placed on a desktop, slide the clip upward to remove it. Rotate the clip 180 degrees and slide it back in so that the tab is hidden.

If the hook switch remains in the down position, tapping on the phone should free up the switch. You can also try pushing and suddenly releasing the off-hook button after the handset has been picked up.

Checking the hook switch contacts.

The hook switch contacts on the phone use a wiping action to self-clean the contacts. If your phone is not used regularly, dust and other airborne contaminants may degrade the contact performance and cause problems with operation. If you have periods of limited phone usage, you can clean the contacts by quickly pressing and releasing the hook switch a dozen times.

Checking the position of the phone.

The footstand of the phone allows adjustment of the phone to eliminate glare on the phone screen. When the phone is in the most vertical position, the phone may be forced forward and the handset may not sit properly in the cradle, creating a false off-hook condition. Cisco recommends that you position the phone one notch from the most vertical position to ensure that the handset is firmly resting on the hook switch.

Checking the LAN cable.

Make sure that the LAN cable connected to the phone is positioned properly. The LAN cable should pass out of the side of the phone between the base and the footstand. If you are using a cable (such as Cat-5E or Cat-6) with a larger diameter than the cable that was packaged with your phone, the cable may cause the phone to tilt forward and force it off-hook. Use a smaller LAN cable to eliminate this problem.

Loopback condition.

A loopback condition can occur when the following conditions are met:

•The SW Port Configuration option in the Network Configuration menu on the phone is set to 10H
(10-BaseT / half duplex)

•The phone receives power from an external power supply.

•The phone is powered down (the power supply is disconnected).

In this case, the switch port on the phone can become disabled and the following message will appear in the switch console log:

HALF_DUX_COLLISION_EXCEED_THRESHOLD

To resolve this problem, re-enable the port from the switch.

Logging Information for Troubleshooting

You can collect information relating to the operations of the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7905G and 7912G and store this information in a log file on a server that you specify. If you experience a problem with a phone, this information can be useful for troubleshooting.

To collect information for troubleshooting, you will need the nprintf.exe tool. This tool is bundled with the Cisco Unified IP Phone software. You can also obtain this tool from the CCO website. It is included with the SCCP Software Package Zip file.

To collect troubleshooting information in a log file, follow these steps:

Step 1 Add the following line to the Cisco Unified IP Phone profile file.
Nprintf:IPaddress.listen_port
where:

•IPaddress is the IP address of the server to which information will be sent.

•listen_port is the port to which information is sent on the server specified.

For example, if you want to send information port 9001 on a server with an IP address of 192.168.2.170, set the Nprintf parameter to 192.168.2.170.9001.

If you set this parameter to 0 or to 0.0.0.0.0, no information will be sent from the phone.

Note For detailed information about using profile files, see "Additional Configuration Methods and Parameters."

Step 2 On the server that will receive information, open a command window and type the following command:
prserv [listen-port]
where listen_port is the same port that you specified with the Nprintf parameter.

If you do not specify a port, 9001 is used by default.

While prserv is running, information from the Cisco Unified IP Phone is sent to a file named listen-port.log, where listen-port is the port you specified with the Nprintf parameter and the prserv command. This file is stored on the server you specified with the Nprintf parameter in the folder from which you ran the prserv command. If the file exists, new information is appended to it.

You can open a listen-port.log file using a text editor.

Step 3 To exit prserv.exe and stop collecting information, press Ctrl-C in the command window.

Note If you want to collect information from more than one Cisco Unified IP Phone, Cisco recommends that you store information in a separate listen-port.log file for each phone. If you store all information in a single file, it can be difficult to identify which messages belong to which phones. To generate separate listen-port.log files, configure each phone using its own profile file or web page. For each phone, use the Nprintf parameter in the profile file or web pate to specify a unique port number on the server to which information will be sent. Then, run prserv.exe multiple times, once for each phone from which you want to collect information. Run each instance of preserv.exe in its own command window. For each instance, make sure to specify a port number that corresponds to a port number in a Nprintf parameter.

The nptcap Tool

The nptcap tool can help you to identify network problems that can degrade the quality of conversations over the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7905G and 7912G. If you have an account on CCO, you can download the nptcap.zip file from this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/ip-7900ser

The nptcap.zip file contains the nptcap tool and a Readme file that describes the tool in detail.

Cleaning the Cisco Unified IP Phone

To clean your Cisco Unified IP phone, use only a dry, soft cloth to gently wipe the phone and the phone screen. Do not apply liquids or powders directly on the phone. As with all non-weather-proof electronics, liquids and powders can damage the components and cause failures.

Resetting the Cisco Unified IP Phone

If you reset the phone, any changes made that have not been saved are lost and set back to default settings.

Note If the phone is not in a DHCP-enabled network, it will not automatically discover its network configuration and register with Cisco Unified CallManager after it resets. In this case, you must configure the phone manually after it resets.

To reset the phone, follow these steps:

Procedure

Step 1 Press **#** to reset the Cisco Unified IP Phone.

The phone displays "Do you want to reboot the phone?"

Step 2 Press the Yes softkey.

The phone cycles through normal startup procedures.

Erasing the Local Configuration

If you want to erase all locally stored configuration options, you can erase the configuration and restore settings to their default values, including enabling DHCP.

Caution Erasing the local configuration removes all user-defined changes, except ringer sound, made locally on the Cisco Unified IP Phone. If you choose this option, these settings are set back to their default values.

To erase the local configuration on the phone, follow these steps:

Procedure

Step 1 Press the Menu button.

Step 2 Choose Settings> Network Configuration.

Step 3 Perform either of these procedures:

•Procedure A:

–Press **2. The phone displays "Do you want to reset all system settings to default values?"

–Press the Yes softkey.

•Procedure B:

–Press **#. If the phone displays "Enter Admin Password," enter your password and then press the Enter softkey. Make sure that an unlocked padlock icon appears in the upper right corner of the LCD screen on the phone.

–Scroll to Erase Configuration.

–Press the Yes softkey and then press the Save softkey.

The phone cycles through normal startup procedures.

Where to Go for More Troubleshooting Information

If you have additional questions about troubleshooting the Cisco Unified IP Phones, several Cisco.com web sites can provide you with more tips.

•Cisco Unified IP Phone Troubleshooting Resources: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/phones/ps379/tsd_products_support_series_home.html

•Cisco Products and Services (Technical Support and Documentation): http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/tsd_products_support_category_home.html