Avaya IP 500 v2 Basics (Newbie needs help to configure and old system) 1

[itsupportdotcom]

Hi All,
My first post on this forum and a newbie question so go easy on me .
I have an Avaya IP 500v2 that I have inherited from the previous IT Administrator. We have moved to new offices and now I have to configure and set this up. I have never seen an Avaya system in my whole life before. There are no user manuals, no Avaya handsets, no instructions or any sort of documentation or labeling done. So far, I have been able to figure out the following:

[ul]
[li]Power on the system and connect to the LAN port with an IP address[/li]
[li]Able to make changes to the configuration using the Avaya GUI after resetting the system to factory defaults.[/li]
[li]Plug in 2 x phones and able to make and receive calls to extension 201 and 202 between the two phones.[/li]
[li]I have standard push button legacy phones and can access the Avaya software on my PC to make[/li]
[/ul]

I have attached two pictures as well. What I need to find out is the following:
[ul]
[li]There are two modules as you can see from the front of the unit. One with 4 x RJ45 ports and the second with 12 x RJ45 ports. What are both of these for?[/li]
[li]I have been able to use the second module with 12 x RJ45 ports where I can make and receive calls in only port 1 and 2. What are the other ports for?[/li]
[li]I would like to receive incoming calls from my service providers number. I can see in the software on the PC where the call routing can be done by can't figure out which port or module I need to plug in my service providers PSTN connection.[/li]
[/ul]

I forgot what license I have but I can provide that information if required. For the time being, I can only use the PSTN ports but in the future, I would like to use the soft phone and the AVAYA handsets as well. Do I need to purchase a license for those as well or is there a certain number of limited options that would be available for me to use out of the box.

Another thing that I noticed was that if I plug the service providers pstn cable in the two lower ports of the 4 x port module (port 10 and 12 I think), I am able to ring the landline number from my mobile and it goes in voicemail after 10 rings. But if I plug it in the top two ports (9 and 10) then the call goes straight to my service provider's voicemail system. This tells me that there is some sort of configuration done on those two ports which is bouncing it to the voicemail. Any ideas what that could be?

The second picture is a daughter card that was on the 4 x port module when I opened it.

Thanks for any assistance if anyone is knowledgeable about these systems.

 

[tac84]

@itsupportdotcom - If you're trying to use two analogue/pstn/pots lines (operate similar to a home phone, each line has its own telephone number), I doesn't look like you have the right cards for this.

Ideally what you probably need to get hold of is what Avaya call a Combo card which includes the following:

-6 Digital Extensions (You don't really need these as you will probably want to use your IP Phones/Licenses)
-2 Analogue Extensions (These are for home type phones such as a Cordless phone)
-4 Analogue/PSTN/POTS Telephone Lines (We call them PSTN lines in Australia)

This is a picture of my Combo card:

To help you understand the set up, in port 1 I have a digital extension connected (as a backup because all of my phones are IP). In Port 7 I have an analogue/Cordless phone, Port 8 is connected to a Fax machine and in Port 9 is the only Analogue/PSTN/POTS Line I have which is my Home phone. The remainder of my Lines are SIP (Telephone lines that work over the internet) but that's a whole other story.

One of the biggest issues you have is the very old version of IP Office you're running, R6.0. The MINIMUM software release to use a combo card is 6.1(20). You probably don't want to spend a lot of money but my advice would be to speak to an authorised business partner in the U.K. and get a quote to update to R11 so you don't run into compatibility issues. Just let the business partner know the phones you're trying to use to ensure they will work on R11. I upgraded to R11 Essential Edition earlier in the year and it was money well spent. If you don't have a newer system with the licenses you need, you'll be forced to upgrade as Avaya changed their licensing pretty much forcing everyone to upgrade to R11. Your business partner will need to upgrade you in stages because of the older version you're on. If you decide to spend the money to move over to R11, the 12 Virtual Avaya IP Endpoint licenses will migrate with you (This happened for me) so you won't lose them. Either way, you need to upgrade as you won't be able to use the Combo card unless the business partner can help you swap out the PRI daughter card for a ATM (Trunk Card)? but again I'm not 100% certain on the version of IP Office you'll need. If your system only consists of two telephone lines and up to 12 IP Phones, the upgrade to R11 shouldn't break the bank and you can then grow the system/buy more licences down the track if you need.

Once you have one of the combo cards I was referring to (see the picture) and install it in an available slot, you can connect the two analogue/PSTN/Pots into ports 9 and 10 (Line 1 and Line 2) then using the Manager software, then you can take Lines 3 and 4 out of service. There is a few other considerations once you've done this as you will need to set up Incoming Call Routes, ARS (Alternate Route Selection) and a short code (if applicable) for outgoing calls. Incoming call routes tell your phone system which Extension or better still, which Hunt Group to notify (Phones to ring) and the ARS table instructs the system how to handle an outgoing call. As an example in the USA, it's common to dial 9 then the number you're trying to call, here in Australia we typically dial 0 then the number, and so on.

Your extensions are IP Based. The VCM 32 Card(700417389) came with I think it was 12 "Virtual" Avaya IP Endpoint licences, compatible with IP Office software up to Release 9 (I think...).

You need to be careful when purchasing the Combo (Combination) card as there are several variations. This is a link to a company in the USA so you can see the card:

https://www.metrolinedirect.com/avaya-ip500-v2-combination-card.html

(Note the minimum system requirements)

Mate, I'm sorry for the overload of information but I couldn't think of any other way to explain it. To keep it simple, get in touch with an Avaya Business Partner. In the UK I recommend The Telecom Shop. I use their Australian office and the UK office orders my licenses and provided me with fantastic advice. Their website is:

https://www.thetelecomshop.com/uk/

The guy I deal with is Mark and he is great. I just ordered licenses recently - Tell him Tim from Adelaide, Australia recommended you!

Good luck!

Thanks, Tim
Adelaide, Australia

 

[itsupportdotcom]

@tac84 and @ipohead, you sir's are legends and a wonderful forum with plenty of help.

@tac84, you have pretty much answered the remaining of my questions and everything you said was exactly what I needed. Just couple of things:

The remainder of my Lines are SIP (Telephone lines that work over the internet) but that's a whole other story.

Do I have the facility for SIP like yours or is that a separate license? Also, for SIP, are you using something like your own asterisk server or a third party provider?

Your extensions are IP Based. The VCM 32 Card(700417389) came with I think it was 12 "Virtual" Avaya IP Endpoint licences, compatible with IP Office software up to Release 9 (I think...).]

Relevant to previous question, are my IP based extensions SIP / VOIP or just local to the Avaya IP Office 500 box? If I need to use those IP based extensions, apart from a physical handset, can I use the PC software as well? I think there is a limit to the model of the handsets as well that I can use. (1500 series or 1600) that I read on another forum.

 

[tac84]

Hi @itsupportdotcom
You're welcome. My SIP trunks are provided by a telco, no Asterisk server for my, my IP Office is my PABX. Yes, like everything with Avaya these days they require licenses too. I have 5 SIP Channel licenses which means I can have 5 simultaneous SIP calls happening at once which is ideal for features like Mobile Twinning (Google that one it's excellent). My SIP provider doesn't have a limit on the number of channels I can have so the one Direct Number I use essentially works as 5 incoming lines. SIP is the way to go but requires some programming on the IP Office to get it going and of course the licenses. SIP lines are also dirt cheap, I pay a small monthly fee, get two direct in-dial numbers and unlimited local, national and mobile/cell calls within Australia.

Also, the licences you have associated with the VCM32 are Avaya IP Endpoint licenses only. The only time I've seen them work on SIP phones is the newer J100 series Avaya phones which again require R11. This means you use the 9600 series IP Phones which are still everywhere (I previously used the 9611G) in a format called H.323. The IP Handsets I'm using now are the J179 (Colour) and J169 Greyscale, plus a couple of 9611G and 9641GS.

The only time I've seen SIP extensions deployed on IP Office is on R11 with the J100 avaya ip handsets running in SIP mode as they're designed to work perfectly with IP Office. Some door phones are SIP too which would require a 3rd party SIP License.

When I first bought my IP Office I knew nothing. I only really knew the old key systems and some PABXs. Once you get your system upgraded to R11, the customisation and features will be more than you'll ever use!

Thanks, Tim
Adelaide, Australia

 

[tac84]

Sorry @itsupportdotcom I overlooked one of your questions.

"Relevant to previous question, are my IP based extensions SIP / VOIP or just local to the Avaya IP Office 500 box? If I need to use those IP based extensions, apart from a physical handset, can I use the PC software as well? I think there is a limit to the model of the handsets as well that I can use. (1500 series or 1600) that I read on another forum."

These 12 Avaya Endpoint Licenses are for Avaya IP Based Extensions on your local Avaya IP Office 500 box. They will only work with Avaya branded IP Phones such as the 9608/9608G, 9611G, 9641GS, etc in what Avaya call H.323 mode. The cheaper IP handset range is the Avaya 1603, 1608(L) and 1616(L) which also run in H.323 mode. The above licenses will allow you to connect the J100 series IP Handsets such as the J169 and J179 in SIP mode as these are supported for IP Office. You will need additional licensing to use a PC Softphone and depending on what you're looking to achieve it could get expensive.

I would focus any budget available on upgrading your IP Office software to R11, as some of the IP Phones I mentioned will not run on R6.

If you're purchasing the phones on the secondhand market, be careful as some of the IP Phones look identical to their Digital counterparts (E.g. 9508 (Digital) and 9608 (IP) look the same).

These are some of the newer handsets I use-

J179 running in SIP Mode for IP Office

9611G running in H.323 mode:

This is the cheaper 1616(L) IP Phone which runs in H.323 (I'm not a big fan of these even though they are so common because they don't display the labels, they're paper based so if you make changes its annoying:

Again, hope this information is useful.




Thanks, Tim
Adelaide, Australia

 

[ipohead]

If you stay with R6 your options are limited as licences are now only sold for R10 and 11. Do let us know what Avaya say about any licences for your setup.

Trunks - You'll need an ATM card but sure that you get the correct one for R6 as the components list above. This can go on the top of the second base card but make sure the two unused ports are set to out of service.

Extensions - You seem to be licensed for the number of IP Phones you need but as Tac84 says only some phones are compatible. Softphones would need a licence which are no longer sold. There was a free Phonemanager app to control the phone.

You'll have a lot more options if you upgrade to R11. You could go for SIP trunks which just need licences for the VCM and avoid the need for the ATM - what you save on that can go towards the upgrade. Virgin are actually delivering SIP trunks to you but the Hitron router is just converting these to analogue ports so I assume that get set the SIP trunks to talk direct to the VCM.

 

[critchey]

Also keep this in mind: IP phones using "fake" analog lines (SIP converted to analog) will almost for sure have quality issues and is strongly suggested you avoid. There is already documentation from Avaya about quality issues on true copper analog lines with IP phones. Once you use "fake" analog you are just asking for issues.

The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination.

 

[itsupportdotcom]

Thanks Guys. This thread has been very informative. I can't seem to find any reliable source in UK for licenses (cheap and cheerful comes in mind ... ) The only guys I have been able to speak to deal with corporates but not small fish like myself. Can I go online to buy the upgrade from ebay or are there any vendors out there who would entertain the likes of myself?

Edit: I wouldn't even mind if I have to speak to one of you and if you can sell me a license.

 

[ipohead]

I should mention that the licences don't come on bits of paper but have to be ordered from Avaya's database so if they say no licences below R10 that's it I'm afraid.

Avaya partners exist in various shapes and sizes but I'm not meant to mention names here, but if you search for one with an online shop I'm sure they can help. Easiest way is to search on Avaya and one of those part numbers on the front. If you want to upgrade to R11 it isn't something that you can do yourself.

 

[tac84]

@itsupportdotcom Mate, I’m a home office user. Very small operation! (Yes, 5 lines into a household is ridiculous!)

I can assure you that company in the U.K. (The Telecom Shop) dealt with me when I started out. They make money off the licenses they sell so don’t think they won’t deal with you because you’re a small operation. Small business owners need them as it’s the only way to get hold of Avaya Licenses. I was able to teach myself the system from the ground up with maybe some telco background in the family.

Best of luck with it all!

Thanks, Tim
Adelaide, Australia

 

[ipohead]

Did you hear back from Avaya about the licensing?

 

[itsupportdotcom]

Hi ipohead, I'm waiting for them to get back to me. They had requested my config file which I sent over to them in UK.

 

[budbyrd]

Just a reminder if you are going to buy a combo card with out upgrading you will need to buy a refurb V1. the V2 isn't supported until R8.65.

Dermis and feline can be divorced by manifold methods.*
*(Disclaimer for all advise given)--'Version Dependent'

 

[ipohead]

itsupportdotcom - did you hear back from Avaya?

 

[davefov]

If you choose PRI you're going to a lot of trouble for a solution that is going to be deprecated in the next three years or so. My suggestion would be to ditch the PRI idea and Avaya, and put the saved rental costs towards a Virgin Media Leased Line (or other provider) and a software or cloud PBX solution.

 

[ipohead]

This thread seems to have died davefox but looking at it again he only needs two trunks. His Virgin Media Hitron has two analogue ports so I assume it it has a SIP ATA. I've seen this with four analogue ports although critchey mentioned problems with pseudo analogue trunks.

From what I am told VMB won't give SIP trunks for your own devices without a leased line which I assume isn't going to be cost effective here.

 

[davefov]

All true ipohead, although I can’t help feeling that this is far more of a project management problem than a technical one.

OP has been blessed with an office move, which is the ideal time to change/upgrade any system, especially with BT retiring PRI/BRI infrastructure in the next three years or so - but all focus seems to be on re-deploying the old one.

We’re now talking:

- Virgin Media hurdles
- PBX upgrades
- No partner support
- Old PBX and handsets in the first place
- Assumedly no warranty or maintenance
- Vendor no longer considered a market leader
- DIY administration

What’s going to happen to this company if the system goes up in flames at any point when it’s already been put into production?

Even for a relatively inane problem OP could be left scrambling because he doesn’t know the kit.

It’s clear OP has probably invested the time and energy and probably got the licenses etc but what this desperately needed was someone with enough operational experience to look at all the factors and say ‘erm, no’.

If cost was an executive concern and OP wanted to maintain internal control he could have gone for 3CX and just bought some new/cheap handsets. Remote worker softphone support would have been live on Day 1 too (don’t forget we’ve had a new lockdown in the UK).

As the thread has died it’s possible it’s all been sorted now, but if there is any small chance that lockdown has caused OP to pause the project I would heartily recommend reconsidering it from the ground up. Each to their own, though!