Need to update 1230 firmware manually

[smalltownguy]

Picked up 4 NOS Nortel 1230 IP phones this week, to use on my BCM50 R5.0 system.

The phones are currently without any firmware at all...they power up to BootC, and then start looking for a TFTP server to get an update.

My BCM-50 system does not appear to have any such TFTP server running on it to provide the phones with the firmware update they need.

What's my best option update these handsets so I can use them?

I've already located the firmware files I need. I DO have 2 working 1230's connected to the system right now - one of them is running firmware 062AC6R, and the other is running 062AC8D.

This document illustrates how to update the firmware manually:

https://downloads.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100123562

But I can't seem to locate the download referenced there. Can anyone assist?

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[Firebird Scrambler]

I think the only way to update the firmware is via the BCM or a TFTP Server that you have to set the IP phone to connect with.


Firebird Scrambler
Nortel Meridian 1 / Succession and BCM / Norstar Programmer in the UK
Advance knowledge on BCM support

http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbromley

 

[Firebird Scrambler]

The following example is old and based on the CS1000 system, but the principle is the same.

The 'IP Phones Description, Installation, and Operation' NTP, Document Number: 553-3001-368, Release: Standard 22.00, contains instructions on performing a TFTP firmware upgrade on 1120, 1140 and 1150 IP Phones, for distributing firmware on rls 3.00 or 4.00.

The TFTP Server Appendix includes this statement:
The latest IP Phone firmware files are found on the Nortel web site. When the
firmware is uploaded to the TFTP Server, the files must be unzipped. The zip
file contains a configuration file (.cfg) and a README text file (.txt) with
instructions to set up the TFTP Server and to modify the configuration file
correctly so that the IP Phone downloads the firmware.

In fact, at the moment (April 2007) the downloadable zip file contains only the firmware .bin file. Nortel have been asked to provide the correct files for download but, until they do so, these are guidance notes for performing the TFTP upgrade:

Example for the 1140e
---------------------------
A TFTP server must be running on the TLAN network.
The firmware files (1140e.cfg and 0625Cxx.bin) must be on the root drive of the server, c:
The cfg file must contain the following information:

[FW]
DOWNLOAD_MODE AUTO
VERSION 0625C3C (firmware version name)
FILENAME 0625C3C.bin (firmware file name (case sensitive))
PROTOCOL TFTP
SERVER_IP nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn ( tftp server ip address)
SECURITY_MODE 0

When configuring the phone enter the TFTP server address in the phone (not required from rls 4.5) and during the boot sequence it will attempt to access the TFTP server. The cfg file will then be transferred to the phone, which will read the name of the .bin file and decide if an upgrade is required. Eventually you will see on the phone 'downloading the new firmware'. Be patient and as usual a reboot again and all should be well.



Firebird Scrambler
Nortel Meridian 1 / Succession and BCM / Norstar Programmer in the UK
Advance knowledge on BCM support

http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbromley

 

[smalltownguy]

Thanks for the SolarWinds upload, Firebird. I was able to use that program to push firmware to my 1230 set.

Based on a phone conversation with Telcodog, it was determined that my new phone sets were not missing firmware, rather they were shipped with SIP firmware.

I also learned something that I had previously forgotten: when you are in the configuration menus of the 12xx handsets, you have to double check to see what's been set to "manual" config versus "auto" config. I had totally forgotten about the fact that the phone might have most of its settings set to the "auto" config mode. Once I enabled "man" config options for all options, I was able to finally get to the option of the Provisioning server address. Now I was finally able to work on getting the firmware pushed over to the phone using my laptop.

As I've read before, downgrading a 12xx series handset from SIP firmware to UNIStim firmware can be a bit of a challenge. The phone doesn't like going backwards in firmware revisions. But apparently there's a config file flag that you can use to force the phone to accept the firmware load. I found it in another thread here on Tek-Tips:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1628267

And the instructions from that thread:

To many who can't get 12xx series ip phones to start on a bcm450 release 6, you can do this at your own risks; it works but is not an official solution from Avaya and thus not supported:

Download firmware from site and unzip it; you should get a "062AC7O.bin" file (most recent)

Create with notepad a file named "12xxboot.cfg" and put this in:

[FW]
DOWNLOAD_MODE FORCED
VERSION 062AC7O
FILENAME 062AC7O.bin

Give your PC a static address on the same LAN as the BCM; make sure your BCM gives out DHCP addresses to your phones.

Start your PC's TFTP server and put in its root directory both .bin and .cfg files

Power up the phone, go to settings using the left to right 4 buttons method.

Go to option 12 provisioning and set it to manual (unchecked); in provisioning set your PC's IP address

Apply; the phone should reboot, get an address from BCM and download firmware straight from your PC; phone screen will give out messages:
a. [FW] Reading...
b. [FW] Writing...
c. [FW] Finished...

It should reboot once done and initialize. Once it's online; go back to settings with the "globe" button pressed twice (middle one on the row left of the navigating dial);
go back to provisioning and clear out the address and apply, so that on next reboot it doesn't search for your PC.

That should do it!

I already had two 1230's connected to my phone system, one running 062AC6R (older), and one running 062AC8D (newer). I was able to find a copy of the 062AC6R firmware online, but the download only included the .bin file, not the .cfg file I needed. I couldn't find a download of 062AC8D, but I didn't look too hard, either. Since I knew that 062AC6R was already working with my system, I chose to go with that.

I set my laptop to a static IP address, and booted the SolarWinds TFTP server program. Tried pushing the firmware file to my phone, and it didn't work. Error messages on the SolarWinds console told me that the server was configured for receive only. OK, no problem, I changed the config to both send and receive. Tried again. Error. 12xxBoot.cfg missing. Okay, I'm missing the cfg file. Guess I'll have to make the config file from scratch using the instructions posted above. Once I placed both the .bin and the .cfg files in the C:\TFTP-Root\ folder, my phoneset was finally able to connect to my laptop and the firmware files loaded. Thank goodness for the config file info on the "DOWNLOAD_MODE FORCED" switch. That was helpful.

Once I had the correct firmware loaded on the handset, it was simply a matter of copying all the settings from my working handset and then I was off to the races.

Big thanks to everyone here for the support. I really appreciate it.

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[koulioumbis]

Hi there,
if you got into the 1230 BootC settings and point the TFTP ip to be your BCM ip, also on your BCM let it be DHCP server too i am sure these sets will get Unistim from the BCM.
Nikos