ACS R8, several questions, please ?? 2

[vtsnaab]

Hi Folks.
I've been delayed in the final steps of getting the ACS into place due to some severe life complications - but I have gotten it 100% ready as much as I am able.

A small oddity remains - and that is that X12 is the 'operator' station, VM to/from the Amanda unit functions as it should, BUT=> no message light appears anyplace.
(X12 and most of the phones are MLS-12D phones as they are in the best condition of all we got.)

I have read and re-read looking for any setting for this and have found none.

Would someone please tell me if this is something I must enable someplace, and if so - where ?!?

Lastly (I hope), there is a Backup/Restore/Upgrade card in place and I will greatly appreciate if someone will please tell me the following:
- Does this need to be left in at all times, or can it be backed up to and stored elsewhere ?
- What does the 'Upgrade' portion of this card actually do, please ??

Thanks Very Much for all the great help in getting this done !!!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Test the phone to make sure that the message light is actually working. With the phone idle, handset in the cradle, hold down the # button for 5 seconds. With the # still depressed, lift the handset. Check to see if all the lights work. Hang up the handset to quit.

Dial #09 and then 12 to turn the MW light for 12 ON. Dial #10 and 12 to turn it off.

If both of these tests are good, the problem is in the Amanda, and you'll need to find a manual for it, or someone that knows it.

The backup/restore/upgrade card can be left in the system at all times, or you can pull it out for safekeeping. But if you set the system up to back automatically to the card, and it is missing, you will see an error on the 1st of every month. The idea is a regular backup so you have something to restore from. I had one site that used PC card voicemail, and also an ASA/DXD card. When you made programming changes in the field, when you finished, you pulled out the ASA card, put in the backup card, did a manual backup, then swapped the cards back. Obviously the automatic backup was turned off.

The upgrade function can only be used once. They used to ship the card with the latest release, and if the processor wasn't already at that release, it upgraded on the first power up. If the processor was already there, you wasted the upgrade. Once we figured out that there was a one time upgrade on new cards, we were able to use old cards on already upgraded processors, and save the new cards to do upgrades on older processors. Alas, that is all no more....

 

[vtsnaab]

Thanks for such great info TouchToneTommy !!
I will do those today and also try with other phones at that ext. .

There is a wonderfully helpful man in CA who sells & services the older Amanda units and I have his contact info if all else fails...

I'm guessing that when someone placed the upgrade card into an R8 system that was that, and having the backup in a safe, off-site location is what I intend to do with it.

A further query, if I may:
If the R8 system fails sometime, and the backup card is placed into a defaulted R6 system (the spare), will it restore properly & automatically ??

Thanks !!

 

[Dexman]

Nope. You can do a restore using similar processors. The R6 is a 3x8 while the R8 is a 5x9.

I "FEATURE 00"

http://dexman.webs.com/

 

[vtsnaab]

Thanks Dexman.

Bummer.
I knew they are different but that exact difference did not occur to me...

Looks like I'll just keep my eyes open for a good, used, spare R8 processor along with some spare phones then is all; must be some good ones around every now & again.

 

[Dexman]

In the past, I've purchased from metrolinedirect and atelephonesystem.com.

I "FEATURE 00"

http://dexman.webs.com/

 

[vtsnaab]

Thanks Dexman.
Those sources are good.

Just considering the pricing of a single ACS R8 - it is more than was paid for entire systems - so holding off in getting spares will be OK for now.

Really, for spares I am OK with 'previously owned' equipment;
Given the number of businesses & offices still changing over to VOIP, there's good stuff around.

A great tool I use constantly is

https://ifttt.com/;

it monitors site content according to 'recipes' and notifies the user when desired content appears.

I highly recommend it - it is 100% free and very useful !!

 

[Dexman]

At this point, new Partner ACS equipment is pretty much gone. Metro shows new APM R7s, but, that is pretty much it. All refurbished Merlin and Partner from here on out.

I "FEATURE 00"

http://dexman.webs.com/

 

[vtsnaab]

Moving this question to a post of its own...