Table Of Contents

Preparing to Install the Cisco IP Phone on Your Network

Understanding Interactions with Other Cisco IP Telephony Products

Understanding How the Cisco IP Phone Interacts with Cisco CallManager

Understanding How the Cisco IP Phone Interacts with the Cisco Catalyst Family of Switches

Understanding the Phone Startup Process

Obtaining Power from the Switch

Loading the Stored Phone Image

Configuring VLAN

Obtaining an IP Address

Accessing TFTP Server

Requesting the Configuration File

Contacting Cisco CallManager

Understanding the Requirements for Installing and Setting Up the Cisco IP Phone

Understanding the Requirements for Installing the Expansion Module

Configuring the 7914 Expansion Module Button Template

Configuring the Cisco IP Phone 7960 to Support the 7914 Expansion Module

Adding Phones to the Cisco CallManager Database

Using Auto-Registration

Adding Phones Manually

Adding Phones Manually Using DHCP

Assigning Static IP Addresses

Using the Bulk Administration Tool

Preparing to Install the Cisco IP Phone on Your Network

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Cisco IP Phones enable you to communicate using voice over a data network. To do this, the IP Phones depend upon and interact with several other key Cisco IP Telephony components, including Cisco CallManager.

These sections provide you with an important overview of the interaction between Cisco IP Phones and other key components of the Voice over IP (VoIP) network:

•Understanding Interactions with Other Cisco IP Telephony Products

•Understanding the Phone Startup Process

•Understanding the Requirements for Installing and Setting Up the Cisco IP Phone

•Understanding the Requirements for Installing the Expansion Module

•Adding Phones to the Cisco CallManager Database

Understanding Interactions with Other Cisco IP Telephony Products

To function in the IP telephony network, the Cisco IP Phone must be connected to a networking device, such as a Cisco Catalyst switch. You must also register the Cisco IP Phone with a Cisco CallManager system in order to send and receive calls.

This section covers the following topics:

•Understanding How the Cisco IP Phone Interacts with Cisco CallManager

•Understanding How the Cisco IP Phone Interacts with the Cisco Catalyst Family of Switches

Understanding How the Cisco IP Phone Interacts with Cisco CallManager

Cisco CallManager is an open and industry-standard call processing system. Cisco CallManager software runs on a Windows 2000 server and sets up and tears down calls between phones, integrating traditional PBX functionality with the corporate IP network. Cisco CallManager manages the components of the IP telephony system—the phones, access gateways, and the resources necessary for such features as call conferencing and route planning.

For information about configuring Cisco CallManager to work with the IP devices described in this chapter, refer to the Cisco CallManager Administration Guide and the Cisco CallManager System Guide.

Understanding How the Cisco IP Phone Interacts with the Cisco Catalyst Family of Switches

Cisco IP Phones have an internal Ethernet switch, enabling them to switch incoming traffic to the phone, the access port, or to the network port.

If a computer is connected to the access port, data packets traveling to and from the computer, and to and from the phone, share the same physical link to the switch and the same port on the switch.

This shared physical link has the following implications for the VLAN configuration on the network:

•The current VLANs might be configured on an IP subnet basis. However, additional IP addresses might not be available to assign the phone to the same subnet as other devices connected to the same port.

•Data traffic present on the VLAN supporting phones might reduce the quality of voice-over-IP traffic.

You can resolve these issues by isolating the voice traffic onto a separate VLAN on each of the ports connected to a phone. The switch port configured for connecting a phone would have separate VLANs configured for carrying:

•Voice traffic to and from the IP phone (auxiliary VLAN)

•Data traffic to and from the PC connected to the switch through the access port of the IP phone (native VLAN)

Isolating the phones on a separate, auxiliary VLAN increases the quality of the voice traffic and allows a large number of phones to be added to an existing network where there are not enough IP addresses.

For more information, refer to the documentation included with the Cisco Catalyst switch.

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Note The Cisco IP Phone 7910 does not have an access port. If you require an access port on this phone model, use the Cisco IP Phone 7910+SW instead.

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Understanding the Phone Startup Process

When connecting to the VoIP network, the Cisco IP Phone goes through a standard startup process comprised of seven steps. Each of these steps is fully described in the sections that follow:

•Obtaining Power from the Switch

•Loading the Stored Phone Image

•Configuring VLAN

•Obtaining an IP Address

•Accessing TFTP Server

•Requesting the Configuration File

•Contacting Cisco CallManager

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Note Some of these steps are optional, depending on the configuration of your specific network.

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Obtaining Power from the Switch

You can connect the Cisco IP Phone to a Cisco Catalyst switch with one of the modules that provides power to the phone (WS-X6348-RJ45V 10/100 or WS-PWR-PANEL).

If you use this optional configuration, the phone receives phantom power and powers up when you connect the Cisco IP Phone to the switch. The phone then sends Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) notifications to the switch indicating it is ready to receive CDP packets and indicating the power requirement for the phone. The switch allocates power and sends it over the network cable.

Loading the Stored Phone Image

The Cisco IP Phone has non-volatile Flash memory in which it stores firmware images and user-defined preferences. At startup, the phone runs a bootstrap loader that loads a phone image stored in Flash memory. Using this image, the phone initializes its software and hardware.

Configuring VLAN

If the Cisco IP Phone is connected to a Cisco Catalyst switch, the switch next informs the phone of the voice VLAN defined on the switch. The phone needs to know its VLAN membership before it can proceed with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request for an IP address.

Obtaining an IP Address

If the Cisco IP Phone is using DHCP to obtain an IP address, the phone queries the DHCP server to obtain one.

Accessing TFTP Server

In addition to assigning an IP address, the DHCP server also directs the Cisco IP Phone to a TFTP Server. If the phone has a statically defined IP address, you must configure the TFTP server locally on the phone; the phone then goes to the TFTP server directly.

Requesting the Configuration File

The TFTP server has configuration files (.cnf file format) for telephony devices, which define parameters for connecting to Cisco CallManager.

If a phone has an XML-compatible load, it requests a .cnf.xml format configuration file; otherwise, it requests a .cnf file.

If you have enabled auto-registration in Cisco CallManager, the phones access a default configuration file (sepdefault.cnf.xml) from the TFTP server. If you have manually entered the phones into the Cisco CallManager database, the phone accesses a .cnf.xml file corresponding to its device name.

The .cnf.xml file also contains the information telling the phone which image load it should be running. If this image load differs from the one currently loaded on the phone, the phone contacts the TFTP server to request the new image file, which is stored as a .bin file.

Contacting Cisco CallManager

The configuration file defines how the Cisco IP Phone communicates with Cisco CallManager. After obtaining the file from the TFTP server, the phone next attempts to make a TCP connection to the highest priority Cisco CallManager on the list.

If the phone was manually added to the database, Cisco CallManager identifies the phone. If the phone was not manually added to the database and auto-registration is enabled in Cisco CallManager, the phone attempts to auto-register itself in the Cisco CallManager database.

Cisco CallManager informs devices using .cnf format configuration files of their load ID. Devices using .xml format configuration files receive the load ID in the configuration file.

Understanding the Requirements for Installing and Setting Up the Cisco IP Phone

To install and configure the Cisco IP Phone, you must configure some network settings, set up Cisco CallManager, and make changes locally on the phone.

Refer to Table 2-1 for an overview of required procedures. For detailed information about these steps, refer to the referenced sources.

Table 2-1 Overview of Configuration Procedures for the Cisco IP Phone 

Required Task	Purpose	For More Information
1. Configure routers, gateways, and switches to handle voice communication	Establishes the infrastructure for the IP telephony network	See documentation included with these devices
2. Configure Cisco CallManager	Supports call processing and handling in the network	See the Cisco CallManager documentation or context-sensitive help in the Cisco CallManager Administration application
3. Choose to auto-register phones or add them to the Cisco CallManager database manually	Determines how the phone is added to the Cisco CallManager database and how the directory number is assigned	•See "Installing the Cisco IP Phone" •See the Cisco CallManager documentation or context-sensitive help
4. Consider modifying phone button templates now rather than later	In order to access customized phone button template options from the Cisco CallManager Administration application during registration, modify templates before registering phones on the network	See the "Modifying Phone Button Templates" section on page 6-2
5. Choose to power through the Cisco  AC adapter or Cisco Catalyst switch	Determines whether the phone receives power from an external power source over a power cord or from the in-line power source over the Ethernet cable	•See the "Providing Power to the Cisco IP Phone from Multiple Sources" section on page 1-12 •See the documentation included with the Cisco Catalyst switch
6. Connect the phone to the network	Adds the phone to the network	See "Installing the Cisco IP Phone"
7. Configure locally defined network settings on the Cisco IP Phone 7960	Sets IP settings (if not using DHCP in the network) and assigns a TFTP server	See the "Configuring IP Settings" section on page 5-13 and the "Configuring TFTP Options" section on page 5-20
8. Add users to Cisco CallManager	Associates a user with a phone, enabling access to the User Options web-based application where users set up features such as call forwarding and speed dial, and subscribe to services	See Chapter 6, "Configuring User Access and Features" and the Cisco CallManager Administration Guide or context-sensitive help

Understanding the Requirements for Installing the Expansion Module

The Cisco IP Phone 7914 Expansion Module attaches to a Cisco IP Phone 7960 to extend the number or line appearances and/or speed dial buttons.

Before the 7914 Expansion Module can be used, you must access the Cisco CallManager Administration application. Use the application to perform the tasks detailed in the following sections:

•Configuring the 7914 Expansion Module Button Template.

•Configuring the Cisco IP Phone 7960 to Support the 7914 Expansion Module

Configuring the 7914 Expansion Module Button Template

Follow these steps to configure the 7914 Expansion Module button template.

Procedure

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Step 1 Log in the Cisco CallManager Administration application.

The Cisco CallManager Administration page appears.

Step 2 From the menu, choose Device > Phone Button Template.

The Phone Button Template Configuration page appears. You can change the default 7914 Expansion Module button template, or create a new template based on the default.

•To change the default 7914 Expansion Module template, click on the Default 7914 link in the left pane.

•To create a new template based on the default 7914 Expansion Module template, from the list box, select Default 7914 and click Copy.

The Phone Button Template Configuration page re-displays. The 7914 Expansion Module template allows for a combination of 14 line appearances and speed dial buttons.

Step 3 For each button number, select the Feature (Line, Speed Dial, or none) and enter a corresponding label in the Label field.

Step 4 To save your changes, follow the appropriate step below.

•If you changed the default 7914 Expansion Module template, click Update.

•If you created a new template, in the Button Template Name field, enter a name for the new template and then click Insert.

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Configuring the Cisco IP Phone 7960 to Support the 7914 Expansion Module

Follow these steps to configure the Cisco IP Phone 7960 to support the 7914 Expansion Module.

Procedure

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Step 1 Log in the Cisco CallManager Administration application.

The Cisco CallManager Administration page appears.

Step 2 From the menu, choose Device > Phone.

The Find and List Phone page appears. You can search for one or more phones that you want to configure for the 7914 Expansion Module.

Step 3 Select and enter your search criteria and click Find.

The Find and List Phone page re-displays showing a list of the phones matching your search criteria.

Step 4 Click on the IP Phone that you want to configure for the 7914 Expansion Module.

The Phone Configuration page appears.

Step 5 Scroll down to the Phone Button and Expansion Module Template Information section of the page.

Step 6 To add support for one Expansion Module, in the Expansion Module 1 field, select Default 7914.

To add support for a second Expansion Module, in the Expansion Module 2 field, select Default 7914.

In the Firmware Load Information section of the page, there are two fields for specifying the firmware load for Expansion Modules 1 and 2. You can leave these fields blank to use the default firmware load.

Step 7 Scroll back to the top of the page and click Update.

A message displays asking you to reset the phone for the changes to take effect. Click OK.

Step 8 Click Reset Phone for the changes to take effect.

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Note Make sure you tell your users how to access their IP Phone User Options application Web pages so that they can subscribe to the Speed Dial Service and set up the speed dial buttons on their Expansion Modules.

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Adding Phones to the Cisco CallManager Database

Before installing any Cisco IP phones, you must make decisions about how you want the phones to be added to the Cisco CallManager database. Because Cisco CallManager handles call processing in the network, this is a critical step.

You can add phones to the Cisco CallManager database automatically using auto-registration, manually using the Cisco CallManager Administration application, or in groups with the Bulk Administration Tool (BAT).

Once you add a Cisco IP phone using the Cisco CallManager Administration application, the Phone Configuration Window in the application displays the device name, registration status, and the IP address of the Cisco CallManager to which the device is registered.

This section covers the following topics:

•Using Auto-Registration

•Adding Phones Manually

•Using the Bulk Administration Tool

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Tip To get help using the Cisco CallManager application, access context-sensitive help by choosing Help > For this screen from the main menu bar. For complete instructions and conceptual information, refer to the Cisco CallManager Administration Guide and the Cisco CallManager System Guide.

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Using Auto-Registration

Use auto-registration if you want Cisco CallManager to assign directory numbers automatically to new phones as they connect to the IP telephony network. Once a phone has auto-registered, you can move it to a new location and assign it to a different device pool without affecting its directory number.

With auto-registration enabled, Cisco CallManager begins the automatic startup process to obtain a directory number as soon as you connect the Cisco IP Phone to the network. During auto-registration, Cisco CallManager automatically assigns the next available sequential directory number to the phone.

Use auto-registration to quickly get all phones into the Cisco CallManager database. You can then modify any settings, such as the directory numbers, from Cisco CallManager. If you do not use auto-registration, you must manually add phones to the Cisco CallManager database or use the Bulk Administration Tool (BAT).

Use the following procedure as a starting point to enable auto-registration using the Cisco CallManager Administration application.

Procedure

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Step 1 Log in to the CallManager Administration application.

Step 2 From the menu bar, choose System > Cisco CallManager.

The Cisco CallManager Configuration window appears.

Step 3 Verify that the "Auto-registration disabled on this Cisco CallManager" setting is not checked. Cisco CallManager disables the auto-registration by default to prevent unauthorized connections to the network.

Step 4 To modify phone settings, choose Device > Phone. Use the Find and List Phones window to enter search criteria for each phone.

Step 5 Install the phone by following the instructions in "Installing the Cisco IP Phone."

For additional information, access context-sensitive help from the application or refer to Cisco CallManager documentation.

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Adding Phones Manually

If you want to assign specific directory numbers to a specific Cisco IP Phone without using auto-registration, you can manually add each phone to the Cisco CallManager database or use the Bulk Administration Tool (BAT).

If you want to add phones manually, and are not using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) in your network, then you must configure the IP settings and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server locally on each phone.

Alternatively, if you use DHCP, but want to manually set the TFTP server, then allow the phone to start up, using DHCP, before re-assigning the TFTP server.

Refer to these topics for more information:

•Adding Phones Manually Using DHCP

•Assigning Static IP Addresses

Adding Phones Manually Using DHCP

If you are using DHCP in your network, but you are not using auto-registration, you can manually add a phone to the Cisco CallManager database. If you are using DHCP, you do not need to assign IP addresses or TFTP servers.

Use the following procedure as a starting point to add phones manually using the Cisco CallManager Administration application.

Procedure

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Step 1 Log in to the CallManager Administration application.

Step 2 From the menu bar, choose Device > Add a New Device.

The Add a New Device window appears.

Step 3 Select Phone from the Device Type drop-down menu and click Next.

The Add a New Phone window appears.

Step 4 Select a phone type from the drop-down menu and click Next.

The Phone Configuration window appears. The fields displayed in this window depend upon the phone type selected.

Step 5 In the Phone Configuration window, you must enter information in the following three fields:

•MAC Address

•Device Pool

•Phone Button Template

Step 6 Click Insert.

The CallManager Administration application asks if you want to assign a directory number.

Step 7 Manually configure the phone as desired before connecting the phone to the network.

For additional information, access context-sensitive help from the application or refer to Cisco CallManager documentation.

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Assigning Static IP Addresses

If you do not use DHCP in your network, you must assign static IP addresses to each phone. You must configure each phone locally.

Use the following procedure as a starting point to add phones manually using the Cisco CallManager Administration application.

Procedure

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Step 1 Log in to the CallManager Administration application.

Step 2 From the menu bar, choose Device > Add a New Device.

The Add a New Device window appears.

Step 3 Select Phone from the Device Type drop-down menu and click Next.

The Add a New Phone window appears.

Step 4 Select a phone type from the drop-down menu and click Next.

The Phone Configuration window appears. The fields displayed in this window depend upon the phone type selected.

Step 5 In the Phone Configuration window, you must enter information in the following three fields:

•MAC Address

•Device Pool

•Phone Button Template

Step 6 Click Insert.

The CallManager Administration application asks if you want to assign a directory number.

Step 7 Enter the required fields.

Step 8 Install the phone by following the instructions in the "Installing the Cisco IP Phone."

Step 9 Configure the IP settings by following the instructions in the "Configuring IP Settings" section on page 5-13.

Step 10 Configure the TFTP server by following the instructions in the "Configuring TFTP Options" section on page 5-20.

For additional information, access context-sensitive help from the application or refer to Cisco CallManager documentation.

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Using the Bulk Administration Tool

The Cisco Bulk Administration Tool (BAT) is a plug-in application for Cisco CallManager that enables system administrators to perform batch operations, including registration, on large numbers of Cisco IP Phones.

Refer to the Bulk Administration Tool Guide for Cisco CallManager for information about using BAT in your network.