Norstar with VINA box 1

[BigBenjaBear]

I have a Norstar with a VINA box from BellSouth. It is a T1 coming in and then they break out analog dial tone to the Norstar. I also have a NAM 4.0 running Minuet software. From time to time the Norstar will just cycle, like a power interruption, but with no interruption. Lines will start flashing for no apparent reason. We had Bell come out recently and investigate and they found a bad pair in their SLC, but we still have this problem. It is a real issue because the Norstar will cycle and the NAM doesn't, so the whloe system gets locked and has to be rebooted. I am about to look into changing the Norstar out but wanted to get some input before doing so.

BigBenjaBear

 

[trabra]

BigBenjaBear:

I am in the Bellsouth region myself and got pulled into a situation that required an upgrade due to the Vina box. Bell had installed an integrated T-1 for a Law firm with loop start lines on channels 1-10 and 256K Frame Relay on channels 21-24. The problem was that the channel bank wouldn't ring the telephone system and the caller would hear ring back. It didn't happen on every call but over 50% of the calls wouldn't trip ringing on the Executone system. It turns out that the Vina channel bank only puts out about 24 volts (Not adjustable) for ringing and after many hours of troubleshooting and vendor meets at the site, Vina's tech support stated that the product is incompatable with Executone and sent me a list of about 15 different manufacturers that they were incompatable with. The Exectuone was replaced with a Nortel Norstar MICS and that cleared the problem up. This was in Jan. 2004 and it hasn't happened since. So, I know for a fact that the Norstar will work with the Vina Channel Bank that BellSouth deploys and with loop start lines.

That doesn't sound like you have a Vina issue but possibly the power supply on the Nortar. Are you on a UPS/Battery Backup on that system? I would get an inexpensive one (APC has them for under $50.00) and put it on the system to know that the power is good and see if it reboots with a UPS. That would narrow it down to the power supply. Even if the Loop lines acted up on the Vina I don't see how it would cause the Norstar to cycle unless it was surging the system somehow?? Anyway, hope that helps!

 

[Arr]

When a Norstar randomly resets itself it is often a failing central processor in the KSU. Most often this problem is apparrant in the old 8x24s and 6x16 DS. What have you got on site?

PhM

 

[BigBenjaBear]

It is a MICS 3.0 I believe....

 

[Arr]

It would be reasonable to change the NVRam cartridge and softare up to a 4.1 or straigt over to a new 3 and see what happens. You can use the upgrade tool for this evolution without fuss if you stay with a low release. Only way to prove this one is to change one thing at a time.
Also check your sys admin log for alarms.

PhM