Troubleshooting the PMC Application
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Table Of Contents

Troubleshooting the PMC Application

Troubleshooting PMC Application Problems

Resolving PMC Execution Issues

Generating a PMC Installation Log File

Making PMC Configuration File Changes

Using the PMC Optional Settings

Configuring the Audio Settings

Using a USB DSP Headset with the PMC

Checking the Microphone with the PMC

Using Cisco Security Agent with the PMC

PMC Coexistence with Other Voice Applications

Troubleshooting One-Way Audio

Using CLI Commands to Resolve Headset Issues

Resolving IP Address Changes

Troubleshooting Voice Quality Issues

Troubleshooting PMC Connectivity Issues

Troubleshooting VPN Connectivity

Using the PMC with the Windows XP Firewall

Troubleshooting Multicast Communications Issues

Troubleshooting Winsock Corruption Issues

Resolving Name Resolution Failures

Identifying Channel Activation Issues

Resolving Codec Mismatch Issues

PMC Application Caveats

Analyzing PMC Error Conditions

Cannot Connect to the Cisco IPICS server

Can Receive But Not Transmit

Error Message When Trying to Download PMC

Transmissions Sound Choppy

Volume Is Low on Voice Transmission

Invalid User/password Error on Login

PMC Cannot Register with Cisco IPICS server

Security Alert for a Server Certificate

Cannot Access Media Devices Error


Troubleshooting the PMC Application

This chapter provides information about basic troubleshooting tips and error messages that you may encounter when you use the PMC application.

This chapter includes the following sections:

•Troubleshooting PMC Application Problems

•Analyzing PMC Error Conditions

Troubleshooting PMC Application Problems

The following sections describe how to resolve problems with the PMC application:

•Resolving PMC Execution Issues

•Generating a PMC Installation Log File

•Making PMC Configuration File Changes

•Using the PMC Optional Settings

•Configuring the Audio Settings

•Using Cisco Security Agent with the PMC

•PMC Coexistence with Other Voice Applications

•Troubleshooting One-Way Audio

•Troubleshooting Voice Quality Issues

•Troubleshooting PMC Connectivity Issues

•Resolving Name Resolution Failures

•Identifying Channel Activation Issues

•Resolving Codec Mismatch Issues

•PMC Application Caveats

Resolving PMC Execution Issues

The PMC application allows only one instance of the PMC application to be open on a given PMC client machine. If you launch the PMC, then immediately close it and attempt to relaunch it, the PMC may terminate unexpectedly because the first instance of the PMC has not completed its cleanup procedures. If this situation occurs, wait at least 10 seconds before you restart the PMC.

If you find that you cannot launch the PMC after you have recently closed the application, it may be because the PMC.exe process is still running on the PMC client machine.

To verify that the PMC.exe process is still running and to end the task, if necessary, perform the following procedure:

Procedure

Step 1 On the client machine, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to launch the Windows Task Manager application.

Step 2 Click Task Manager.

Three tabs display on Windows Task Manager: Applications, Processes, and Performance. An additional tab, Networking, displays in the Windows XP Task Manager.

Step 3 Click the Processes tab.

Step 4 Click Image Name to alphabetize the list of running processes.

Scroll down through this list to look for the PMC.exe process.

Step 5 Click PMC.exe to highlight or right-click PMC.exe; then, click End Process.

A warning message displays to ask if you are sure that you want to terminate this process.

Step 6 Click Yes.

Step 7 Close Windows Task Manager by clicking the "X" in the upper right corner.

Note After you close the PMC, you may need to wait about 30 seconds before you can relaunch the application to provide sufficient time for the PMC to terminate its processes.

Generating a PMC Installation Log File

If you encounter any of the following problems when you try to run the pmcsetup.exe installation file, you can generate a PMC installation log file to help identify and resolve the issue:

•You do not get a response when you attempt to execute the pmcsetup.exe file

•The installation begins to run but it does not complete successfully

•You receive an error that indicates an unsuccessful installation

•You do not see the Cisco IPICS PMC shortcut on the PMC client machine desktop or the Cisco IPICS PMC entry in your programs menu (Start > Programs > Cisco IPICS > PMC).

If you experience any of these errors, you can use the following procedure to generate the PMC installation log file from the pmcsetup.exe self-extracting binary file that contains the pmcinst.exe PMC installation file and the pmc.ini file. This log file can provide valuable information to Cisco support personnel to assist in your troubleshooting efforts.

To generate the PMC installation log file, perform the following procedure:

Procedure

Step 1 Create a C:\temp directory in Windows, if this directory does not already exist.

Step 2 Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the location where you saved the pmcsetup.exe file, as described in the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide.

Step 3 Locate the pmcsetup.exe file in this stored location and click to highlight the file; then, right-click the pmcsetup.exe file and click Copy.

Step 4 Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the C:\temp directory and right-click in an open area in this directory; then, click Paste to copy the pmcsetup.exe file to the C:\temp directory.

Note Make sure that the C:\temp directory does not contain any versions of the pmcinst.exe or pmc.ini files. If either file is present, you must rename the existing files or delete them.

Step 5 Open up a command line prompt (Start > Run > cmd) on the PMC client machine to access the C:\temp directory.

Step 6 To generate the PMC installation log file, enter the following command from the C:\temp directory:

pmcsetup.exe -log

The pmcsetup.log file appears in the C:\temp directory.

If the PMC is already installed on your client machine, you may see a message that asks if you want to upgrade the PMC. Make sure that you click Yes to continue.

Step 7 To close the command line prompt, enter the exit command.

Step 8 After you have created the PMC installation log file, contact your Cisco support personnel for further assistance.

Making PMC Configuration File Changes

If you have the PMC application open and you need to make changes to the PMC configuration file, make sure that you close the PMC application before you edit the configuration file on your hard drive; otherwise, the PMC can overwrite your configuration changes. Be sure to save any changes that you make to the configuration file.

Using the PMC Optional Settings

The optional settings menu can aid your troubleshooting efforts by providing access to additional submenus that are not normally viewable or editable, such as the PMC log files. For example, you can manually turn on and turn off logging for individual PMC log files and you can also set debug levels.

These submenu items become available by using the PMC optional settings. Refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide for additional information and caveats about using the PMC optional settings.

Caution You should only use these optional settings to aid troubleshooting and debugging efforts in emergency situations, such as not being able to connect to the server, and as directed by your system administrator or Cisco support personnel. To ensure system integrity, make sure that you contact your system administrator before you use any of these optional settings submenus.

Configuring the Audio Settings

This section contains information about configuring the audio settings and it includes the following topics:

•Using a USB DSP Headset with the PMC

•Checking the Microphone with the PMC

After you have installed the PMC application, check the current settings for the playback and recording audio devices on your client machine to ensure that you are using the preferred or default sound devices with the PMC.

Note It is very important that you choose the preferred or default sound device option in the Windows audio settings in order to limit echo that can be caused by multiple microphones picking up traffic on the same machine.

For tips about how to ensure the best possible voice quality when you use the PMC, refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide.

Using a USB DSP Headset with the PMC

When you use a USB DSP headset (that is, a headset that includes its own sound card) with the Windows operating system, Windows may configure the USB DSP headset as the default speaker and microphone. Therefore, make sure that you connect the USB DSP headset to the PMC client machine before you launch the PMC.

If you launch the PMC after you plug the headset into your PMC client machine, the PMC does not automatically remember the audio setting for the USB DSP headset; instead, the PMC reverts to the Windows operating system's default audio settings. Refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide for more information about checking and reconfiguring the Windows audio settings for use with a USB DSP headset.

Note If you use the microphone on a USB headset for an extended period of time, your voice may become unintelligible. If this problem occurs, close the PMC and unplug the USB headset from the PMC client machine. Then, plug the USB headset back into the PMC client machine and restart the PMC.

Checking the Microphone with the PMC

You should also check the audio recording and playback capability of the microphone on your PMC client machine by accessing the Sound Recorder to record your voice and then listen to the recording. (Make sure that you have an audio input device connected to your machine.)

•Make sure that you use a high-quality microphone with the PMC; otherwise, the Cisco IPICS system may not be able to accurately detect your voice and properly register transmit and/or receive traffic.

•If the Cisco IPICS system cannot detect your voice when you transmit, the system may squelch the transmission; in this situation, another Cisco IPICS user may start speaking over your transmission because your voice cannot be heard and the PMC receive indicator may not display any indication of the transmission.

Note Be aware that if the microphone on the PMC client machine is busy or if it cannot be opened by the PMC for other reasons, you will be able to listen to active conversations but you will not be able to talk.

Refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide for detailed information about the audio setting configuration and sound recording capability.

Using Cisco Security Agent with the PMC

When you have Cisco Security Agent (CSA) installed on the PMC client machine, be aware that you may be prompted with CSA access permission dialog boxes for various operations that you are trying to perform.

Note Whenever CSA prompts you for permission, while you are performing any operation on the PMC, be sure to always click Yes to grant permission and continue with that operation.

CSA may prompt you for permission in the following instances:

•If you are prompted with a CSA access permission dialog box during the PMC installation process, be sure to click Yes to grant permission to the PMC installation.

•If you are prompted with a CSA access permission dialog box when you launch a new version of the PMC or after a system reboot, make sure that you click Yes to grant permission to allow the PMC to monitor the media device (microphone).

Note If you allow CSA to time-out based on its default value of No after you launch the PMC, the PMC will be able to receive traffic but it will not be able to send traffic; that is, you will still be able to listen to any active conversations but you will not be able to transmit.

•If you are prompted with an access permission dialog box when you activate a channel on the PMC, be sure to click Yes to grant permission.

•If you are prompted with an access permission dialog box when you uninstall the PMC, click Yes to grant permission.

•If the "Don't ask me again" check box displays as an option, you may check it to instruct CSA not to prompt you again in the future.

For information about using CSA, refer to the Cisco Security Agent documentation at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/vpn/ciscosec/csa/index.htm

PMC Coexistence with Other Voice Applications

The capability for the PMC application to coexist with other voice applications depends on the operating system that you use.

For example, Windows XP allows multiple applications to run concurrently and open and use the microphone at the same time. Windows 2000, however, does not provide support for this same capability; that is, only one voice application, such as the PMC or another voice application, may be active at the same time on a Windows 2000 client machine.

For instance, if you try to open the PMC application while you are running Microsoft NetMeeting conferencing software, the PMC displays an error because it cannot access the media device. In this case, you must first close the NetMeeting application and then launch the PMC. You can then restart NetMeeting.

Troubleshooting One-Way Audio

You may encounter one-way audio issues (such as, you may be able to send audio but you may not be able to hear audio) under various situations when you use the PMC. The following topics provide information about how to resolve these one-way audio issues:

•Using CLI Commands to Resolve Headset Issues

•Resolving IP Address Changes

Tip Check the network connectivity for your PMC client machine to make sure that you have a valid IP address and that you can connect to the network before you start using the PMC.

Using CLI Commands to Resolve Headset Issues

If you encounter a situation where you cannot hear audio on the PMC, the problem may be due to the headset that you are using. You can verify and isolate one-way audio problems by using CLI command options on the PMC.

Be aware of the following caveats when you use CLI commands:

•Make sure that the PMC to which you are issuing the command is running; the command has no effect if the PMC is not running.

•Issue the command from the Windows command line on the PMC client machine; the command affects only that PMC.

To enter a CLI command on the PMC, perform the following procedure:

Procedure

Step 1 On the PMC that has encountered the problem, open the Windows command line by following these steps:

a. Choose Start > Run.

The Windows dialog box displays.

b. Enter cmd in the Open field.

c. Press Enter or click OK.

The Windows command line window displays.

Step 2 In the Windows command line window, change the current directory to the folder in which the PMC is installed.

The following example shows the directory structure in which the PMC folder may appear:

C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\Cisco IPICS\PMC

Step 3 Enter the desired CLI command and press Enter.

For a description of each CLI command, refer to the Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System Software Development Kit Guide.

Using the CLI Play Command to Resolve Audio Issues

To verify that the one-way audio problem is not a PMC application issue, you can enter the CLI play command from the Windows command line of the PMC.

The play command outputs a wave audio file to the specified PTT channel. This command latches the PMC PTT button, plays the designated wave file, and then unlatches the PTT button. The syntax of the play command appears below:

PMC.EXE -Play file [-line #]

•The file argument specifies the path and file name of the wave file to play.

•The -line # option, where # is a number between 1 and 8, specifies the PTT channel line to which this command applies. (If you omit this option, the command applies to channel 1.)

The following command shows an example of the play command:

PMC.EXE -Play C:\aud1.wav -line 2

In this example, this command plays the aud1.wav file to PTT channel 2.

When you successfully execute this command, you can hear audio from one PMC to another PMC and eliminate the PMC as the source of the one-way audio problem. When this situation occurs, the problem can be isolated to a faulty headset. In that case, replace the headset and try again.

Note For detailed information about using PMC CLI command options, refer to the Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System Software Development Kit Guide.

Resolving IP Address Changes

The following section provides information about resolving IP address changes on the PMC client machine; it includes the following topics:

•Changing IP Addresses on the PMC Client Machine

•IP Address Change Notifications

Changing IP Addresses on the PMC Client Machine

If you change the IP address on your PMC client machine (for example, when switching from a wired to a wireless network), and the PMC is open, you may encounter one-way audio on the PMC. To resolve this issue, close and then restart the PMC.

If you change the IP address on your PMC client machine when the PMC is not open, the PMC should not be affected by the change. You should always establish network connectivity to make sure that you have a valid IP address before you open the PMC.

IP Address Change Notifications

Under normal conditions, the PMC chooses the first network connection that allows it to communicate with the server. If that network connection becomes unusable, the PMC chooses another network connection for its communications.

Cisco IPICS provides notification to the PMC user when the PMC changes the source IP address that it uses for communications with the server. However, on PMC client machines that include more than one network connection, the PMC may not provide this notification. In these instances, there is no impact to functionality; Cisco IPICS continues to operate normally when notification of the IP address change is not sent to the user.

Troubleshooting Voice Quality Issues

You may encounter voice quality issues, which can arise due to several factors, such as noise and voice distortion.

For detailed information about voice quality problems and symptoms, refer to the Recognizing and Categorizing Symptoms of Voice Quality Problems documentation, which can be found at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk652/tk698/technologies_white_paper09186a00801545e4.shtml.

This document categorizes and defines voice quality problem symptoms and may aid your troubleshooting efforts by helping you to identify specific problems through the use of sample sound recordings.

This document also includes a link to the TAC Case Collection Tool, which provides solutions by interactively identifying and troubleshooting common technology or product problems.

You can access the TAC Case Collection Tool at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/support/tsd_tac_case_collection.html

Troubleshooting PMC Connectivity Issues

The following topics provide information about troubleshooting PMC connectivity issues:

•Troubleshooting VPN Connectivity

•Using the PMC with the Windows XP Firewall

•Troubleshooting Multicast Communications Issues

•Troubleshooting Winsock Corruption Issues

Troubleshooting VPN Connectivity

If the Cisco Systems VPN Client is installed on your PMC client machine, you must ensure that the settings for the integrated stateful firewall feature are correctly set to enable PMC remote connectivity. This section includes the following topics to describe the Cisco Systems VPN Client and how to ensure it is correctly set on the PMC client machine:

•About the VPN Client Stateful Firewall

•Enabling and Disabling the Stateful Firewall on the PMC Client Machine

Be aware of the following caveats that apply to specific versions of the Cisco Systems VPN Client.

Cisco Systems VPN Client Version Interoperability Caveats

When you use the Cisco Systems VPN Client version 3.6.3(x) with the PMC, the PMC may not be able to detect the IP address and route change after you establish or disconnect a VPN tunnel. This problem occurs when the Cisco Systems VPN Client does not communicate the IP address and route change information to the operating system. When this problem occurs, the channels on the PMC may not be able to receive audio.

To resolve this problem, access the Settings > Express menu in the PMC application after you have established or disconnected the VPN tunnel on your PMC client machine. When you access this menu, the PMC probes the Cisco Systems VPN Client to determine its activity and tunnel status and, from this menu, it can also detect an IP address change. For more information about the Express menu, refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide.

When you use the Cisco VPN Client version 4.0x, the SIP-based remote connection may not become activated. In this situation, you may need to deactivate and then reactivate the channel after you establish the VPN tunnel. To deactivate the channel, click the Activate button. Click the Activate button again to reactivate the channel.

About the VPN Client Stateful Firewall

The VPN Client integrated stateful firewall provides protection when split tunneling is in effect by safeguarding from Internet attacks while the VPN client is connected to a VPN concentrator through an IPSec tunnel.

When enabled, this "Stateful Firewall (Always On)" feature enforces more robust security by disallowing inbound sessions from all networks, regardless of whether a VPN connection is being used. This firewall is active for both encrypted and unencrypted traffic, except when you use the following protocols:

•Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)—The stateful firewall allows inbound traffic because requests to the DHCP server are sent out one port and responses are received through a different port.

•Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)—The stateful firewall permits this traffic from the secure gateway because ESP rules are packet filters and not based on sessions.

For more information about exceptions, refer to the release notes for the VPN Client documentation at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/vpn/client/index.htm

Enabling and Disabling the Stateful Firewall on the PMC Client Machine

To ensure PMC connectivity, check the VPN Client Options menu to verify that the "Stateful Firewall (Always On)" feature is disabled. (If a check mark does not appear next to this option, then it is disabled.) The "Stateful Firewall (Always On)" option enables and disables the integrated stateful firewall.

Note Be sure that the "Stateful Firewall (Always On)" option is not enabled on your PMC client machine. If this option is enabled, you must disable it; otherwise, SIP and multicast connections may not work correctly.

Tip The "Stateful Firewall (Always on)" feature affects only Internet traffic; when this feature is enabled, it disallows inbound sessions from all networks, regardless of whether a VPN connection is being used. This is true for the VPN Client on any operating system.

To enable or disable the stateful firewall, and manage this setting on your Cisco Systems VPN Client PMC machine, perform the following procedure:

Procedure

Step 1 Double-click the VPN Client icon to launch the application.

Step 2 From the VPN Client main dialog box, click the Options drop-down menu button and scroll down to the "Stateful Firewall (Always On)" option. Alternatively, you can right-click the lock icon in the system tray and choose Stateful Firewall.

Note When the stateful firewall is enabled, a check mark displays next to this option. The stateful firewall feature is disabled by default.

a. If a check mark appears next to this option, the option is enabled. Click "Stateful Firewall (Always On)" to remove the check mark and disable the internal stateful firewall.

b. If a check mark does not appear next to this option, the option is already disabled. You do not need to take any action.

To view the status of the stateful firewall, right-click the lock icon in the system tray during a VPN connection.

Step 3 Close the VPN Client.

For additional information about the Cisco Systems VPN Client, refer to the VPN Client documentation for your specific version at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/vpn/client/index.htm

Using the PMC with the Windows XP Firewall

The Microsoft Windows XP operating system includes an integrated firewall to provide additional security. Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) include the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) while Windows XP SP2 includes the Windows Firewall, as a replacement to the ICF.

For the PMC application to work properly with Windows XP, you may need to modify your firewall settings to ensure that the PMC can send and receive the following protocols:

•Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) type 8 (echo request) / ICMP type 0 (echo reply)

•Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) GET port 80 / HTTP/1.1 (response version 1.1)

•Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) port 443 and port 443 setup

•Standard Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call setup

Contact your system administrator if you need assistance with your specific client machine configuration.

For more information about the Windows XP firewall, see the Microsoft support site at http://support.microsoft.com/.

Troubleshooting Multicast Communications Issues

Certain PMC client machines that are running the Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems may not be able to send multicast communications because of an issue with the operating system; in these situations, PMC multicast users may hear, but they may not be heard by, other Cisco IPICS users.

Tip To ensure identification of this specific problem, please check to make sure that the microphone mute options on the headset and in the Windows operating system are not enabled. For more information about using the microphone with the PMC, refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide.

This problem with multicast communications may be caused by the network component of the operating system being unable to transmit multicast traffic. Cisco IPICS PMC users who encounter this problem should connect to Cisco IPICS over a unicast connection by choosing the remote location from the location selection dialog box. (By choosing the remote location, Cisco IPICS uses SIP-based connectivity for all channels on the PMC.)

To positively identify this problem, use a network packet sniffer as described below:

1. Run the sniffer on the affected PMC client machine and filter for outgoing multicast UDP packets.

2. Then, launch the PMC application and click the PTT channel button on one of the channels and speak into the microphone or headset. (The transmit traffic indicator LED blinks.)

3. Observe the sniffer; you will see that no multicast UDP packets are sent from the PMC client machine.

To fully resolve this problem, you must perform a fresh installation of the Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system on the PMC client machine.

Troubleshooting Winsock Corruption Issues

If you encounter connectivity problems, such as the inability to send and/or receive IP traffic or if you receive an error when you try to release and renew the IP address on your PMC client machine, you may be experiencing a problem with damaged or corrupted Windows Winsock registry keys.

When the Winsock registry is damaged or corrupted, the PMC client machine may unexpectedly lock up and not accept any additional input.

To fully resolve this problem, you must fix the malfunctioning network components in your Windows installation. To fix the malfunctioning network components, perform one of the following tasks:

•Remove and reinstall the Windows TCP/IP stack

•Issue a command to fix the Winsock corruption (this command is applicable to Windows XP systems only)

•Perform a fresh installation of the Windows operating system

For additional information, access the Microsoft support site at http://support.microsoft.com and search for the Microsoft knowledge base article 811259 entitled "How to determine and recover from Winsock2 corruption." This bulletin contains information about the symptoms and causes of Winsock corruption issues and the procedures that you can follow to resolve these problems.

To help identify problems with the Winsock registry keys and avoid application issues, Cisco recommends that you validate that your Windows Winsock library is not corrupted before you install the PMC application on your client machine.

Resolving Name Resolution Failures

Cisco IPICS requires IP name resolution. An incorrect Domain Name Service (DNS) IP configuration could result in a service outage.

To resolve name resolution failures, consult with your system administrator to confirm IP name resolution within the entire network, which includes local device IP configurations, network-based name resolution systems (such as DNS), and DHCP systems.

Identifying Channel Activation Issues

When you click the Activate button on the PMC, the system enters the activating state; that is, the Activate button highlights and the system attempts to connect to the Cisco IPICS server.

•When you click the Activate button immediately after a SIP-based (unicast) channel becomes available on the PMC, you may hear a busy tone if the RMS has not completely configured the line. If you encounter this situation, click the Activate button to deactivate the channel; then, wait a few seconds and click Activate again to reactivate the channel.

After the connection has been established, the remaining PMC buttons, including the PTT channel button, highlight to indicate that they are in an active state.

•If your ability to transmit on a channel has been disabled by the server, the PTT button will not highlight.

If the remaining PMC buttons do not become active, and if you are using a SIP-based connection, one of the following conditions may be occurring:

•Network connectivity issues that prevent connection to the RMS.

•The RMS may be in an offline or invalid state.

•The RMS may be misconfigured in the server.

•The dial peers may not have been configured or the dial peers and/or the voice ports may be misconfigured in the RMS.

•The RMS may not have yet created the dial peers because of a delay between the server configuration and RMS dial peer creation. In this case, you should wait a couple of minutes and then restart the PMC to try again.

If there is no traffic activity after a 30 minute interval, channels that are activated via a SIP-based remote connection may be deactivated by the system.

•The PMC will automatically reactivate the connection after 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can reactivate the channel by clicking the Activate button on the PMC.

Resolving Codec Mismatch Issues

When the protocol type or codec type is misconfigured in the RMS LMR gateway, the PMC has the ability to detect this codec type mismatch (such as G.729 versus G.711) and thereby, preserve system resources and PMC functionality.

If the misconfiguration includes a specific codec type that Cisco IPICS supports (that is, G.729 or G.711), the PMC adapts the codec decoding to enable handling of the different version of that specific codec type. For example, the PMC can adapt to different versions of G.711, such as G.711 ulaw and G.711 alaw, and decode either version automatically to maintain functionality.

If the codec type mismatch is caused by the configuration of an incorrect or unsupported codec type, the PMC will drop the incorrect or unsupported encoded samples because it cannot decode them. In this case, the PMC user will not hear any audio.

For more information about the codecs that Cisco IPICS supports, refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide.

PMC Application Caveats

The following caveats pertain to the PMC application:

•Only one instance of the PMC application can be open and each PMC supports only one user ID login on a given PC at one time.

•A PMC end-user can log in to an unlimited number of different PMC applications at the same time.

•Any number of valid Cisco IPICS users can use the same PMC application, but not concurrently, based on PMC licensing requirements.

•The PMC application always logs in to the same Cisco IPICS server that has been configured as the default server and from which the PMC was downloaded as part of the installation. To change servers, the PMC application must be reinstalled from a different Cisco IPICS server.

•Refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide for information about using the PMC in offline mode and PMC skin caveats.

Analyzing PMC Error Conditions

This section includes information about identifying and resolving errors that you may encounter when you use the PMC.

This section includes the following topics:

•Cannot Connect to the Cisco IPICS server

•Can Receive But Not Transmit

•Error Message When Trying to Download PMC

•Transmissions Sound Choppy

•Volume Is Low on Voice Transmission

•Invalid User/password Error on Login

•PMC Cannot Register with Cisco IPICS server

•Security Alert for a Server Certificate

•Cannot Access Media Devices Error

Cannot Connect to the Cisco IPICS server

Problem   You cannot connect to the server. Or, you may see error messages that state you cannot connect to the server but you can connect by using Internet Explorer.

Solution   Invalid entries in the pmc.ini file may be the cause of this problem. To check this file, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Navigate to C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\Cisco IPICS\PMC.

Step 2 Search for the pmc.ini file.

Step 3 Right-click pmc.ini and click Open With.

Step 4 Click Notepad; then, click OK.

Step 5 Delete all entries in this file except the following fields: server_host, server_port, and server_port_ssl.

Step 6 Validate that the configured values in these fields are correct.

Note Contact your system administrator if you are not sure of these values or if these values are correct and you still cannot connect.

Can Receive But Not Transmit

Problem   You can hear other users but they cannot hear you.

Solution   Check your audio settings to make sure that your microphone is not set to mute. Refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide for more information about audio settings.

Note If you are using a hardware DSP headphone, such as the Plantronics DSP, check to make sure that the external microphone mute button is not switched to the "on" position.

Error Message When Trying to Download PMC

Problem   When you attempt to download the PMC application from the server, you may receive an error message to inform you that the PMC is not available for download at this time.

Solution   This problem may occur if the pmcsetup.exe file was erroneously modified, moved, renamed, or deleted from the server. Contact your system administrator for assistance.

Transmissions Sound Choppy

Problem   When you talk, other users tell you that your voice sounds choppy and breaks up at times during a conversation.

Solution   If Voice Activity Detection (VAD) is enabled, disable the setting in the Channels menu. Refer to the Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide for more information about VAD.

If voice quality still sounds choppy, check the CPU activity on your client machine. If your CPU is overburdened by other programs that are running at the same time, there may insufficient CPU cycles for the PMC to run properly. You can check the CPU usage by opening Windows Task Manager and clicking on the Performance tab.

If your CPU utilization appears high, check the applications that are running by clicking the Applications tab and then close any programs that do not need to be open.

Volume Is Low on Voice Transmission

Problem   When you talk, other users tell you that your voice sounds low.

Solution   If your microphone gain is set too low, VAD may be interfering with and disabling output; this activity can result in choppy voice quality.

Check your audio settings to make sure that the volume is not set too low. If the volume is set low, increase the input gain on your microphone by sliding the bar up on the volume controls to increase the volume.

Invalid User/password Error on Login

Problem   When you attempt to log in to the PMC, you see an error message that states "invalid user or password."

Solution   This error may display because the password that was entered is incorrect for the specified user name or because the user name does not exist on the Cisco IPICS server.

To remedy this situation, log in to the PMC by using a correct user name and password combination. If this action does not resolve the problem, contact your system administrator to request that a new user account be added to the server for the specified user.

PMC Cannot Register with Cisco IPICS server

Problem   When you start the PMC after a new installation, the PMC displays an error message to alert you that the PMC cannot register with the Cisco IPICS server and to check your network connection.

Solution   Upon initial connection to the server, the PMC must be able to register with the Cisco IPICS server to obtain its unique PMC ID.

This error message may display when the PMC tries to connect to a server that is offline and has not yet assigned the PMC ID. When you see this error dialog box, click OK to exit; then, restart the PMC to try again.

If the PMC continues to display this error message, contact your system administrator for assistance.

Security Alert for a Server Certificate

Problem   The PMC displays a security alert dialog box that prompts you to approve the server certificate.

The PMC has been designed to automatically approve the Cisco IPICS server certificate for secure communications; however, this functionality may not work under certain circumstances. When this functionality does not work properly, the PMC displays a security alert dialog box to inform you that the page requires a secure connection which includes server authentication. To proceed, you must approve the server certificate.

Solution   On affected PMC client machines, this dialog box appears each time that you run the PMC, once per PMC session (usually during login). When you see this dialog box, you must click Yes to run the PMC. If you click No, the PMC will exit.

Cannot Access Media Devices Error

Problem   When you try to launch the PMC, an error message displays because the PMC cannot access the media device.

Solution   The PMC application may coexist with other voice applications depending on the operating system that you use. Windows XP allows multiple applications to run concurrently and open and use the microphone at the same time. Windows 2000, however, does not provide support for this same capability.

You may encounter this error if you are using Windows 2000 and try to open the PMC application while you are running another voice application, such as Microsoft NetMeeting conferencing software, on your PMC client machine. To resolve this issue, close NetMeeting and then launch the PMC. You can then restart NetMeeting.

Where to Find More Information

•Cisco IPICS PMC Installation and User Guide

•Cisco IPICS Server Administration Guide

•Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System Software Development Kit Guide