problems with winspm

[rtruitt]

I purchased my phone system used. I also purchased the winspm software. The system is working (technically) but i need to program it. Here is my problem I get an error message on the computer saying that a connection could not be made.

1. how do i verify that the previous owner did not change the admin port?
2. how do i verify my comm port on the laptop is working?
3. what do I try next to get the software to communicate with the system?

 

[tdaugirdas]

How are you trying to connect? through the admin port on the processor? or through an 012 or 016 T/R port? If through the admin port, you need a 355AF adapter. If through an 012 or 016 T/R port, you will need an RJ11 connection from your PC modem to the port AND you will need to enter a password - once the connection is made. You also need a version of EinSPM that is compatible with your processor software release. What is the software release on your processor? What is the software version of WinSPM that you have?

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[rtruitt]

Sorry.

I am trying to connect through a serial port and a 355af adapter.

I had to get an adapter to connect the 355af to my laptop which has a female port.

on the other end of the 355af i plugged a regular patch cord into the lower most left hand port on the merlin system.

i believe my processor is a 3.0 release, but i am not sure of this as the system was purchased used.

I hope this better assists you to provide me with help.

 

[tdaugirdas]

Make sure that you have reconfigured your serial port down to 1200 baud. You should get a pop screen that tells you how to configure your serial port based on your operating system within WinSPM. If you did that and still cannot connect - AND you have an 012 or 016 T/R module in the system - I would try to connect that way using your computer modem. You may have a bad admin port - assuming your connections are correct.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[rtruitt]

will try that. How will I connect through the modem, I do not have a modem connected to the phone system

 

[merlinman]

With a Modem, you would connect a T&R Port of the Phone System to the modem port of the Laptop.

Then you could set WINSPM up to do an INTERNAL connection.

This has some limitations, but I've seen system administrators do it this way for years.

 

[tdaugirdas]

The modem is built into your processor. Most laptops have a modem.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[rtruitt]

Merlinman and TDaugirdas

Thank you for your insight and help so far.

Which module would be the 012 or 016 T/R port?

 

[tdaugirdas]

Look at the modules you have in your system and the labels at the top front. If you have one that says "012 with or without Ring Generator/12 Basic Telephone Sets" or one labelled "016 with Ring Gen./16 Basic Telephone Sets" or in a Magix module "016 T/R" - then you have a module you can use. If not - it gets a little trickier - and you need multiple phone lines. You can put one line in your system. Hook up your computer modem AND a single line phone (duplex connector)to a different line. Start up WinSPM, set up a manual (assisted) remote connection through the computer modem, start the process - until WinSPM says wait until you hear modem connection". Through the single-line phone, call the line in your system. Answer the call and press Transfer, *10, hange up. You should hear modem tone through the single-line phone. Press the OK button to connect in WinSPM and gently lay down the single-line phone (DO NOT hang it up as indicated). You should after a few seconds get a password prompt. Input "craftr4", enter - the connection should be made. Then you can get into the maintenance menu and try resetting the admin RS232 port.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[rtruitt]

Tom

I looked at the cabinet and it has the following modules.

the power pack, processor which says "FM3", then 4 modules that say 408 4 lines /8 terminals

I do not see the 012 or 016 processor. I also do not have any single line phones. only the merlin type voice terminals that came with the system. some are 10 button, some are hfai 10 button and one is a 34 set with no speakerphone.

the large console used for programming was not functioning which is what lead me to use winspm.

Is it possible to connect to this system using winspm?

 

[tdaugirdas]

Ouch! You have an antique! AND, no module for connecting via modem locally. Since the processor "admin" port is not working, you have no other option to use WinSPM - except for calling into the system as I described and being manually transferred to the processor's modem. Go buy a cheap single-line phone and a duplex connector somewhere. It should not cost you more than $15 for both items. The modem connection password for the old Legend processor is just "craft". Good luck!! I assume you have a Legend processor and not a Merlin II processor. If the processor has a large grey connector just above the two bottom ports (admin and SMDR) - then you have a Merlin II processor - and I am not even sure the windows version or any version of SPM (including the old DOS version) will be able to connect. You would have to check the manual. Go to the avaya.com website, support, all products alphabetically, and scroll down to Merlin II. You would be better off going to eBay and buying 2 items - a Legend CKE4 processor and a 408 or 008 MLX module along with an MLX-20L operator/programming phone. You can get by with just the CKE4 processor and use your WinSPM.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[rtruitt]

Tom

I do not have any grey on the processor. I think I may have been trying to connect to the wrong port.

Is the admin port on the processor, or is it the lower most terminal port on left most 408 module.

 

[tdaugirdas]

The admin port is on the processor - it is the bottommost port. The next one up is the SMDR port. Are you sure you do not have a large grey-colored connector above the SMDR port? What does the top front label on the processor say?

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[merlinman]

The system you have is a MERLIN II, and no, SPM WILL NOT WORK on that.

Your best bet would be to upgrade to a LEGEND, adn I would not use any version less than an R7.

I upgraded a client last year by doing that very thing.

Guess what, once we got that done, they were able to get VOICE MAIL:, and they did.

The MERLIN II did not support Integrated Voice Mail.

The client qas able to keep all of his telephones inthe process.

 

[rtruitt]

Merlinman

Does upgrading to a legend mean I merely have to change the processor?

There is a gray connector on the processor, I do not believe I have anything to connect to that with.

when the new processor arrives, do I merely power down the system and replace the new processor?

I wont have to get different phones?

 

[rtruitt]

Gentlemen

In looking on ebay for legend processors, i see several

some have R7 v12, is the R number the release number? and what does the v number indicate?

 

[merlinman]

Yes, you will hjave to get rid of theold MERLIN II Processor, and replace it with a LEGEND R7 Processor.

Now, because of the fact that there's probably little programming in the MERLIN II to start with, the DEFAULT settings built into the LEGEND R7 will probably let your system to work right out of the box w/o any programming.

However, once you realize that all lines are ringing on all phones, and you donj't have any speed dial buttons, then you'll want to fire up your SPM and do a little programming.

 

[tdaugirdas]

The R7, means Release 7.0 The V stands for version. The newest and last Version was 14.2 - so V12 is not that much older. Just make sure the processor is a CKE4, not a CKE3.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com

 

[rtruitt]

Tom and Merlinman

Thank you so much for your help with this issue, I was running out of hair that had turned grey to pull out.

Now some of the phones can answer some of the lines and some get dial tones intermittently.

The upgrade option will remove this from a list of stress inducers.

will look for a cke4 processor.

 

[tdaugirdas]

Yes- the grey connector above the admin/smdr ports indicates that you have a Merlin II processor - which as Merlinman stated will not work with any version of WinSPM - it was designed to be programmed through a rather large and bulky operator telephone. Once you buy a Legend CKE4 processor - you can just substitute it for the Merlin II processor and fire the system up. From there you can program it as you need to through WinSPM. I would use the time until you get the new processor to download the system manuals and start reading through them.

Tom Daugirdas,
President
STCG, Inc.
stcg.com