PBIAF12: SCCP (chan-sccp-b) on 7960, BLF and more

[ksDevGuy]

Evaluating SCCP-CHAN-B on a 7960 at the moment on PBXinaFlash v1.2 (under Asterisk v1.4 with latest kernel updates via the PBIAF update feature).

Considering a How-To so as to get BLF (and eventually directed call pickup, once FreePBX figures out the dialplan fix to enable it ... currently planned for FreePBX v3.0) for past key users now on 7960 & 7970/7971's -- which we use extensively (own Linksys SPA-942, Aastra 57iCT & Snom 370 -- and still for business users the Cisco's quality & style stand apart to everyone who sees/touches the phones ... so ...).

Positive:

- Driver compiled easily (skipped realtime compile feature request).
- Single file mgmt of all phones configurations requires "amportal restart" to get Asterisk to reload and push the changes to the phones, but works immediately).
- Appears, BLF works as advertised nicely.
- Call parking shows on display without web browser hacks as well (nice).
- Added benefit the Group Pickup is available via a bottom softbutton (rather than taking up a line appearance on the right via Speed Dial as we often do for user ease).
- All features appear to work well, even custom ringtones.

Negative:

- No custom logo without setting up the idletimeout browser (which quickly becomes annoying, esp w/BLF's which you can't hardly see behind it)
- Intermittently Phone errors ("Call Manger unavailable") when you Group Pickup if more than one BLF is getting hints/status on your display at the time you do the GPickup.
- Also seem to be getting Asterisk Core errors/restarts at line 139 showing at the Linux console (hmmm).

ksDevGuy

 

[TheShniz]

I don't know if there's a question burried in there, but I'd most definately like the ability of BLF's on Cisco phones!!! Now is this dependent upon FreePBX 3.0, and if so... realistically, how long are we talking before this becomes workable/usable?

 

[wardmundy]

Kerry & Co. will probably have it implemented within a couple days.

 

[ksDevGuy]

<g>

Actually BLF works out of the box with SCCP-CHAN-B, in the SCCP.CONF file you add speeddial=ext,label,ext@default and voila!

As I posted the only possible bug it appears is when you have hinting for say 5 extensions on your display and you Group Call Pickup the phone dumps & recovers quickly and Asterisk seems to log a crash and restarts itself.

Otherwise, pretty impressed with the SCCP implementation and how easy it is to get it rigged up (haven't fired up the 7971 with it yet).

Have seen a post or two on TB forums about missing conference feature and missplaced CFWDALL & CFWDBUSY (which is true, mildly annoying but still functional). Will tinker some more later this weekend to confirm for myself.

If chan-sccp-b is sound enough (as it appears except for the one issue so far) I'll probably post as thorough/easy/complete as possible Cisco 7940/60/70/71 PBIAF SCCP How-To (combining tips I found from two other How-To's that together covered most items, plus some random posts for the balance). Will let you know how it all turns out, once I get a 7914 sidecar & a 7971 lit as well.

ksDevGuy

 

[TheShniz]

You've got my attention, will await your post

( Looking at displacing a Call Manager which has 6x 7914's in the config... was leary, this'd help. )

 

[ksDevGuy]

For sure chan-sccp-b does not have handset conference feature implemented yet (note in source code confirming this). That means you have to use the server-side conference feature for now I guess.

Sidecar & 7971 still to come.

ksDevGuy

 

[ksDevGuy]

SCCP w/7914 Sidecar
================
Appears that voip-info.org comments & a couple of the SCCP How-To's indicate that you can only use on line-appearance on the handset when the sidecar is activated -- are not true, all lines available on both handset and sidecar in sequential order (in the SCCP.CONF file). BLF on sidecar appears to work the same as handset except you get the LED status indicators as well as the icon updates.

Testing the Asterisk v1.4 (I am assuming) bug with crash/restart due to Group Call Pickup when BLF's are hinting still to test as well as 7970/71 support.

ksDevGuy

 

[ejconcepcion]

Does anyone have the procedure to re-flash a SIP back to SCCP?

 

[walker_jr]

Same procedure as any normal flash. It's discussed here : http://pbxinaflash.com/forum/showpost.php?p=25613&postcount=155

 

[walker_jr]

If chan-sccp-b is sound enough (as it appears except for the one issue so far) I'll probably post as thorough/easy/complete as possible Cisco 7940/60/70/71 PBIAF SCCP How-To (combining tips I found from two other How-To's that together covered most items, plus some random posts for the balance). Will let you know how it all turns out, once I get a 7914 sidecar & a 7971 lit as well.

It'd be nice if ksDevGuy was able to get around to this, particularly in light of the latest chan-sccp-b builds.

 

[ejconcepcion]

Thanks, what I was actually missing was the SCCP firmware. I located it online.

The BLF function and the park button are nice.

 

[ikayyali]

Has anyone been able to get built-in conferencing feature working using SCCP?

 

[cosmicwombat]

I wonder whom has this working at all. I set an Asterisk 1.6 VM box to experiment with and I can get calls out, BLF for SIP extensions.... but I can't call the sccp phone. Asterisk says sccp/7961 does not exist.

 

[walker_jr]

Works fine for me (2x 7965 in SCCP mode). Nothing to it.

It's all in the mother of all SCCP threads (http://pbxinaflash.com/community/threads/cisco-7970-treasure-trove.313/?t=313).

 

[Cynjut]

By the way - sccp_chan_b works fine with the 7910 phones. These aren't the 7912-SIP upgraded phones - they are the regular 7910 and 7912