Troubleshooting PRI Problems

This is a "cut-n-paste" of a Word document that came from the Avaya help site. Hope it is helpful.


PRI TROUBLESHOOTING- D Channel Inoperative

1) Check Permanent alarm table for any other T carrier related alarms (i.e., DS1 loss of Signal). If present trouble shoot those alarms. (See Errors below)

2) Verify the status of the network and the DTE on the CSUs LEDs. Troubleshoot
accordingly if either side shows a problem . (On 3160/3164 CSU, verify that the LEDs are assigned to DTE.

3) Verify that the CSU channels are mapped and Programmed for DATA
4) Verify that the CO (Central Office) switch selection in the PRI programming is correct
i.e., B8ZS/ESF

5) Verify that the Magix TEI is set for 0 ( Lines/Trunks>PRI>Protocol>TEI.)

6) Demand Test the 100d module

7) If the T carrier is set to AMI, verify that the CO (Central Office) has inverted the D-channel

8)Attempt to reset the PRI by disconnecting the cable at the 100D, wait 1 minute and then reconnect the cable

9) Run the CSU Loop back test to a 103 loop back or loop back plug towards the Magix at the Smart Jack

10) Verify that the Technician , while programming, did not program the PRI, then reprogram the T1 and then reprogram back to PRI. If so, system erase the Magix and re program the PRI and retest.

11) Cycle Power on the Magix

12) Verify the configuration of the CO (Central Office ) switch with the CO Technician
A) If the CO is a 5ESS make sure they are running ATT Custom
B) If the CO is a DMS 100 and/or DMS 250 make sure they have
Variant= NTNAPRI, (L1 flags in Trunk Sub Group = Yes) If set to æNOÆ the D channel will act problematic
C) If DSX600E make sure Profile =p250.

13) Have the CO restart the PRI and determine why the D channel didnÆt come up.

14) Verify the continuity for the T by having the CO run a stress test to a loop back at the CSU

15) Replace the 100d

16) Replace the Processor

17) At this point the problem has to be a Network issue.

MORE PRI TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS:

Cannot dial international long distance calls.

* on some PRI facilities, it is necessary, in the Special Service Table, to change
the ôType Of Numberö entry for international format, from æinternationalÆ to ænationalÆ

Can Call local, but are unable to dial any long distance numbers

+ Check the ôDigits to Deleteö section of the Special Service table. If there are digits being deleted, change all values to 0. These digits send the dialing prefix ( 011, 01,1, etc) so the T1 carrier knows how to process the call, and are needed by some (mostly local) providers. If the T1 is maintained by a long distance company like AT&T or Sprint, the prefix is not generally used so they are deleted.


Can dial local and long distance toll calls, but are unable to call toll-free (800, 888 etc) and / or intra-lata long distance.

*It may be necessary , under some circumstances, when all of the other Special Service Table entries are set at default (3 3 2 2 1 0 0 0), to change entry 5 to a 1. Why this works is not documented, but has cleared trouble on several occasions.

Everything in programming looks good , but still canÆt call in or out. Provider may report
That they cannot see the æDÆ channel.

*Verify with the vendor that the ôSwitch Typeö is correct, and that the appropriate protocol is being used. The protocol for the DMS-100 and other Nortel switches is NTNAPRI. The protocol for 5ESS and other AT&T switches is AT&T Custom. Also for DMS 100 switches the L1 flag in the æTrunk Sub-groupÆ table is to be set for æYesÆ.

After a reset of the 100DS1 card a cold start of the switch or a brief disconnection of cabling for loop back testing, the T1 appears to come back up but calls cannot be made in or out.

*When a PRI connection is lost (for whatever reason) the T1 will normally reset itself and rebuild the connection to the Magix. To do this, the ôDö channel is established first and then the ôBö channels are brought up either one at a time , or globally(all at once). This is particularly significant because the success of the restart is entirely switch dependent. If the Switch is a DMS-100, DMS-250, or DEX600E, it expects Nortel protocol. Whenever the switch is reset, this protocol specifies that the first Layer-3 ôDö channel message must be a global RESTART message (bringing the ôBö channels up all together) sent from the network switch to the Magix. If the switch is a 4ESS or 5ESS, it expects AT&T protocol. Whenever the switch is reset, the first Layer-3 ôDö channel message sent from the Network switch to the Magix must be a ô Bö channel SERVICE message (bringing the æBö channels up one at a time)

This is a newly provisioned service and unable to call in or out.

*Print PRI information. IF the customer confirms that the PRI service is relatively generic and id utilizing Direct Inward Dial, here a some things to take a look at.

1)Is the switch type entered and correct?

2)Is the number of ôBö channels entered the same as the number of lines?

3)Is there any number entered in the TestTelNum Field? If so delete it.

4)Are they using Direct Inward Dialing? If so, make sure Incoming Routing is set to By Dial Plan.

5)Look at entry æ0Æ in the Call-by-call Service Table. Are the Patterns 0-9 entered?

6)Is the NtwkSer under Entry æ0Æ, for the call by call service table, set to no service?

7)Is the NtwkSer under Entry æ0Æ , for Dial Plan Routing Table, set to ôAny Serviceö?






















Errors and Alarms:

**These error codes are most commonly seen with T1**

ERROR DESC ACTION Quick Checks

0c03 All TTRs Unavailable check to see if more Test TTRs. How many
TTRs can be added

2C01 T1 access violation Check T1 programming Check T1 prog.
Check CSU Prog

6c01 DS1 Loss of Signal Usually not Magix Make test calls ..ok?
Usually Network Check T1 facility
Cables Plugged in?

6c02 DS1 BLUE Alarm Usually not Magix Make test calls ..ok?
All 1Æs received Usually Network Check T1 facility
Check CSU prog

6c03 DS1 RED Alarm Usually framing Make test Calls..ok?
Service on link lost Check T1 prog
Check CSU prog
Check T1 facility
Cables plugged in?

6c04 DS1 Yellow Alarm Usually Network Make test calls..ok?
Far end lost framing Check T1 prog
Synchronization Check CSU prog
Check T1 facility

6c05 DS1 loss of Multiframe Usually Network Check T1 prog
Service on Link Lost Check CSU prog
Check T1 facility
Cables plugged in?

6c06 DS1 Remote Multiframe Usually NONE Check T1 facility
Network Loss of Multiframe Check Prog
Check CSU Lights.
6c07 DS1 Major Alarm Usually Network Make test calls..ok?
Service on link lost Check T1 prog
Bit error rate exceeded Check CSU lights

6c08 DS1 Minor Alarm Usually Network Check T1 prog
Bit error rate exceeded Check T1 facility

6c09 DS1 Misframe Alarm Usually Network Check T1 Prog
misses reached 18 Check CSU lights Check T1 facility

6c0A DS1 Slip Alarm Network or Magix Clocking Check Clock prog
Slips reached 88 Check T1 facility

6c0B Hardware Inoperative Busy Out/Restore Slot Check slot
status in maintenance

7404 Stuck Ringing None on T1 Check T1 prog
Check Facility

7801 Not in Normal OP Mode Test T1 Card
Reset/Restore Slot

7808 Test Result Registar Bad Reset/Restore Slot

8403 No External Release Usually Network Check T1 facility
communication problem Check for Bad cable
between CO and Module Check CSU prog

8404 On Hook before WINK Usually Network or Check T1 prog
dialing trouble on wink Tie Line prog Check T1 facility
start of delay start Tie lines Test Card/Module
Check for bad cable

8405 On Hook before Ready Usually Network or Check T1 prog
dialing trouble on wink Tie line prog Check T1 facility
start or delay start Tie Test Card
Lines Check for Bad cable















Quickie T1 troubleshooting

1. Determine if the problem is with the SPAN, PBX or the distant switch (PBX, 4E/5E, etc..)
2. If the SPAN is up (No DS1 Alarms) and incoming and outgoing calls are being made; but:
-calls are being disconnected
-there are fax transmission problems
-there are analog data (modem) transmission problems

Suspect Line Coding mismatch between AMI vs. B8ZS in the network or between network and the CSU
A) Verify that all SPAN components in the network are configured for the same line coding
B) Call the provider of the T1 service and have SPAN STRESS tested through the Smart Jack and the CSU
C) Verify the line coding configuration options in the CSU/Magix programming

3. The SPAN is up (No DS1 alarms) BUT calls CANNOT be made.
A) Verify that the trunk type ( tie , loopstart/groundstart etc..) and the signaling type ( WINK in/ WINK out etc.) in the local and remote switches are configured the same.

4. SPAN down (DS1 Alarm present)
A) Verify there is and indication of a DS1 signal at the Smart Jack, CSU and PBX
B) Verify options of the CSU and the Magix
C) Make appropriate loop backs to isolate the problem into the PBX, CSU, cabling or Network. Check cabling for intermittent conditions by moving to test for poor physical connections






A 103 connecting block can be wired as a loop back plug by strapping / punching pins 1 to 3 and 2 to 4. This provides a transmit to receive connection.

edit:
A "103 connecting block" is an Avaya specific surface jack. When they refer to the pins to strap, they are talking about where you punch down an I/W to this jack. To make a loop back with a standard CAT-5, 568-B jack, strap White/Blue to White/Orange, and Orange/White to Blue/White. Or, put another way, strap pin 1 of the jack to pin 5 of the jack, and pin 2 of the jack to pin 4 of the jack.
end of edit





Loop backs-
+ Network Signal OKùLoop DTE to CSU
+ DTE Signal OK-- Loop Network to CSU



ALARMS
Causes of Red and Yellow alarms are:

Synchronization can be lost
Repeaters might send a 1 instead of a 0
Hits on the line can change a Bit
Understand that these alarms are for serious problems that affect the entire T1 bit stream.

RED:

A Red alarm is initiated by the local DS1 board when the framing on the incoming DS1 bit stream is not recognizable. This would also be the case if too many framing bits are in error ( 3 out of 16). Upon initiation of a Red alarm, the switch sends a Yellow alarm code (bit 2 set to a ô0ö on all 24 channels with the D4 framing or alternating bytes of eight ô1ös followed by eight ô0ös on the embedded FDL (4 Kbps ôFacility Data Linkö with ESF) on the outgoing DS1 bit stream.
[ In a nutshell- If my switch finds its out of sync it presents a Red alarm to the other switch. The other switch now knows IÆm in trouble. It will not send the alarm right away. It will first try to reestablish synchronization, if it canÆt in 2.5 seconds it sends the alarm]

YELLOW:

A Yellow alarm is transmitted to the distant end switch to indicate that there is a Loss of Signal, RED ALARM or BLUE ALARM at that location. The format of the yellow alarm code employed is dependant on the type of framing. For D4 framing, the yellow alarm code is recognized as bit 2 of each channel set to zero (ô0ö). For ESF, a Yellow alarm is recognized as alerting bytes of eight ô1ös followed by eight ô0ös on the embedded 4 Kbps data link (FDL).
[In a Nutshell- IÆm sending stuff but the other end is in trouble. The other end has received a bad DS1 signal and is in a RED alarm stat]

BLUE:

A Blue alarm is recognized as a DS1 signal comprised of a continuous stream of Unframed ô1ös. Depending on its options, a CSU will generate a Blue alarm ( AIS=Alarm Indication Signal) also know as a keep alive signal when it looses the DS1 signal from its attached DS1 module/board. The end receiving a Blue alarm sends a Yellow alarm to the distant end.
In other words a Blue alarm signals the next terminal ædownstreamÆ that a failure or alarm
Condition has occurred æupstreamÆ.
[In a Nutshell- Network originated signal when the far end is down. This will almost always be the network, unless the CSU gets unplugged from the Smart Jack]

Examples of ALARM Conditions

+ If the TRANSMIT side between the Magix DS1 board and the CSU is open, the 4E (CO side) will go into BLUE (AIS) alarm and SEND a YELLOW towards the Magix. The Magix would show a YELLOW alarm. This indicates the Magix RECEIVE side is good.


+ If the Magix RECEIVE side is open between the CSU and Magix DS1 card , the Magix Sends a YELLOW to the 4E (CO). The CO would see the Yellow and the Magix would indicate LOS (Loss of Signal) Alarm.


+ If the 4E (CO) goes into a RED alarm it will SEND a YELLOW and the Magix would see a YELLOW alarm in the error log.


+ If the Magix DS1 board goes into a RED alarm we will send a YELLOW to the 4E (CO) that sees the YELLOW. The Magix error log will show a RED alarm.

MISFRAME

A misframe could be programming. ESF/D4 donÆt match on both ends or switch or CSU programming is wrong.

LOS

A Loss of Signal is a condition where no pulses or too few pulses (digital signal) are being received by the DS1 board from the Network.










Additional T1 troubleshooting and information:

Problem Reported: Check Magix For:

No Wink on Incoming Number of TTRs
Test TTRs
Tie or DID wink start programming

Slipping Magix Clock Settings
CSU Clock settings
Misframe Magix frame format options
CSU frame options

Dead Air Check Magix errors

Caller hears dial tone Check Tie line
Instead of ringing programming and
Verify with vendor
Their prog. Is correct
Number or TTRs?
TEST TTRs

Echoing Check Tie Line prog.
Tie lines should be set for Tie Toll if C.O. is
Involved.
No Echo suppression from C.O.

Restricted Set Can Call Out Check Tie line prog.
Tie lines should be
Tie Toll if CO is
Involved.
Tie PBX ignores
Restrictions.

Noise/ Static Generally Clocking
/ External
Check modules bad
MLX card could
Cause this or 016 tip
Ring module next to
100d card could cause this.

CanÆt Put calls on Hold Answer Supervision not
Or transfer, # has no effect being received
Answer supervision program
Wrong in C.O.

Cut Offs Check Magix Clock settings
Check Magix Suppression if
Correct refer to Network

Voice Channels cut off ô ô
Data Channels OK Noise








































Useful Network Terms

DACS Digital Cross Connect in Central Office, Compression Point,
Requires programming in C.O., if it is wrong wonÆt pass sig
-naling bits to us ( No wink seen by Magix)

Stress Test A test performed by Network Provider while T-1 is down
Low density stress test is all 0Æs pattern
High density stress test is all 1Æs pattern
Random density stress test is 1Æs and 0Æs

MIONOP Tie line emulation with immediate seizure and no
Digits sent. In Magix this is Tie Line with Auto IN

ICOPNOP Tie line emulation with wink start and no digits
Magix will not match this, therefore canÆt do it.

Dial Tone Start Tie line emulation with immediate seizure, waits for dial tone
Before collecting digits. In Magix it is the same programming
But if we use ARS this may fail. Magix prefers Tie lines with
Wink start.

Loop Back Smart Jack loop back test service from the C.O. to the Smart Jack
CSU loop back test from DS1 card to loop back point
DTE loop back test towards the Magix


DNIS Dialed Number Identification Service ( Works like DID)

ISDN Integrated Service Digital Network either BRI ( Basic Rate Interface) or PRI (Primary Rate Interface)















3160 CSU Commonly used Options

To check Frame Format and Suppression for both the NET and DTE
1 Press Double Arrow UP
2 Select Config-Active-Edit-DTE-Next
3 Select ESF or D4
4 Hit Next
5 Select B8ZS or AMI-ZCS
6 Single UP arrow
7 Select Net
8 Select ESF or D4
9 Hit next
10 Select B8ZS or AMI-ZCS
11 Hit Double arrow UP
12 If options were changed, it will prompt you to save
13 Hit Active


To Check Clock Source
1 Hit Double UP arrow
2 Select Config- Active- Edit
3 Hit RIGHT arrow Twice
4 Select GEN- Next
5 Select NET or DTE
6 Hit Double UP arrow
7 If options were changed, it will prompt to save
8 Hit active


To Display Current Channel Configuration
1 Hit Double UP arrow
2 Select Config- Active- Edit
3 Hit RIGHT arrow ONCE
4 Select Chan- Display- Net
5 The N1-N2-N3 refer to Network Channel 1-3
6 If it shows D1 it refers to DTE channel 1
7 If it shows just a -, it is not programmed
8 If it shows PRT1, it is programmed as a Data Port
9 When finished hit double Arrow UP

To Assign Channels as Voice
1 Hit Double Arrow UP
2 Select Config- Active- Edit
3 Hit RIGHT arrow ONCE
4 Select DTE û Assign
5 It displays N1-N2- N3, select the corresponding æFÆ key to assign
6 It now will show D* (* will be populated with the corresponding Channel #)
7 After assigning the voice channels, hit double UP arrow
8 If options were changed, you will be prompted to save æyes or noÆ
9 Select Active.