FYI Cisco 7975 on PIAF5 - No Date/Time from XML

spikerjack

New Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
4
Reaction score
4
I've been a long time CentOS/Asterisk/PIAF/IncrediblePBX user until I chose to rebuild with PIAF5 after an HDD crash. My Cisco 7975 worked very well with Asterisk once (like everyone) I was able to properly tweak the XML configuration file and get it properly from my t*f*t*p server. I'm running SIP firmware 8-4-2s on the 7975.

The 7975 continues to work reasonably well under 3cx/PIAF5...however I can't get the phone's date/time to update on the UI in any form. I have tried multiple NTP servers (both DNS and straight IP) and it won't update.

I remember seeing something in my research on this that 3cx has a known bug with Cisco and SIP and its ability to update date/time...can anybody confirm? Does anybody have thoughts on how I might be able to get this one last feature working so that my new PBX on 3cx can equate to my years-long config on Asterisk/PIAF?

Relevant part of config XML:

<dateTimeSetting>
<dateTemplate>M/D/Ya</dateTemplate>
<timeZone>Pacific Standard/Daylight Time</timeZone>
<ntps>
<ntp>
<name>216.239.35.4</name> <--------IP address for time.google.com
<ntpMode>Unicast</ntpMode>
</ntp>
</ntps>
</dateTimeSetting>


Status Messages seen on phone after factory reset and SIP firmware/XML update:

2:40:30p Error Updating Locale
2:40:30p Error Updating Locale
2:40:28p DNS Unknown Host
2:40:28p DNS Unknown Host
10:40:21p SEPxxxxxxxxxx.cnf.xml
10:40:21p No CTL installed
10:40:21p File Not Found: CTLFile.tlv
10:40:21p DNS Unknown Host
10:40:21p DNS Unknown Host
10:38:40p SEPxxxxxxxxxx.cnf.xml


Note: Not sure where the "unknown host" message is coming from as I only reference direct IP addresses in the configuration file

Any help is appreciated.
 

Nicky

Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2016
Messages
34
Reaction score
15
Hi
This has nothing to do with 3CX. It is not a pbx related issue.

1) Check that NTP (123) is allowed on your FW. ** Although I do not think this is a problem because you got it working sometimes. If this were the problem it would either work or never work.
2) This is a classic fallback to some internal Date time that the phone stored at some point. Cisco legacy phones need a constant connection to t*f*t*p. It needs it so much that it is like a heartbeat. t*f*t*p goes, phone is useless. Cisco contacts t*f*t*p server to get the config. I suspect that your phone has trouble getting this configuration and falls back to some date and time. t*f*t*p logs should answer you immediately to see whether the phone can get the config or not.

The settings I have on my Cisco phone (I happen to also be a fan of these phones) are like this (7960 7961 7940 7941)
sntp_server: "123.108.200.124" (I use pool.ntp.org)
sntp_mode: unicast
time_zone: "EET"
dst_offset: 1
dst_start_month: March
dst_start_day_of_week: Sun
dst_start_week_of_month: 8
dst_start_time: 01
dst_stop_month: Oct
dst_stop_day_of_week: Sun
dst_stop_week_of_month: 8
dst_stop_time: 02
dst_auto_adjust: 1
time_format_24hr: 1
date_format : M/D/Y

So you are on the right track with the config.

Use another NTP.. You should get this working.
 

spikerjack

New Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
4
Reaction score
4
Hi
This has nothing to do with 3CX. It is not a pbx related issue...

Thank you for your reply.

I agree it's not a PBX issue, or a t*f*t*p issue.

It is apparently specific to the 7975 model in that the NTP setting in the configuration XML (which is definitely being read) is simply not working on Cisco's SIP firmware (at least the 8.5.4 version) the way that it works on their SCCP firmware. Apparently the bug was masked because with some PBX configurations (in my case, Asterisk 11 previously) the 200 response during SIP registration would bring over the date header which the 7975 would use to update the date/time on the phone's UI. This is the source article.

I'm trying to rebuild my original Asterisk/FreePBX configuration in a virtual so I can compare how the 7975 behaves exactly with the same configuration file pointed at 3cx/PIAF and Asterisk11/PIAF. It's possible I was just getting lucky before...we all know how little information Cisco puts out about their SIP firmware for use with alternative call managers.

I should note it also looks like the SSH username and password XML settings are not being accepted from the XML since I can't log in using those credentials. CORRECTION: I was doing SSH wrong...SSH access works perfectly (using the double login procedure well documented) and I am able to manually set the date & time of the 7975 from the CLI (which I am sure I will lose if the phone is reset).

Obviously I wish that the 7975 was a Cisco model that 3cx would provide provisioning capabilities for...but I understand that the weaknesses in the SIP firmware and confusion on the XML config files makes that hard.

Otherwise I love my initial 3cx installation. Voice quality, Console UI, capabilities in the free edition, etc. are all pretty great so far. Feel happy to have such a minor problem as losing my phone's accurate date & time.
 
Last edited:

Nicky

Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2016
Messages
34
Reaction score
15
Happy to see you get along well with 3CX.
If you need anything let us know. We do not happen to have that phone. But if you want to share the config we can maybe build something together.
 

wardmundy

Nerd Uno
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
19,168
Reaction score
5,199
FWIW: Cisco's SIP firmware (intentionally) has been a nightmare since the beginning of time.
 

spikerjack

New Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
4
Reaction score
4
FWIW: Cisco's SIP firmware (intentionally) has been a nightmare since the beginning of time.

Ward...you've been saying that about Cisco for years and we are in violent agreement. Obviously Cisco believes that the market value of their IP phones is higher when tied to CUCM than it is if they were to be fully supported on both CUCM and SIP/3rd party VOIP providers.

That said, it sure seems like there has been some significant Cisco-related work in the Asterisk world to help support newer Cisco features, firmware versions, and phone models. These (2) URLs discuss a major Asterisk patch project for Cisco IP phones:


Perhaps there is something to be learned here to help further support Cisco phones on other VOIP PBX platforms - even if Cisco doesn't lend a hand. I totally understand and agree that there are some seriously great VOIP phones available today with near-perfect provisioning support in 3cx and other platforms...but updating and expanding support for the popular Cisco line (especially the 797x platform) would be a help to the community and to the platform(s) we are all trying to push...IMHO.

Thanks,

--Scott
 

wardmundy

Nerd Uno
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
19,168
Reaction score
5,199
Cisco believes that the market value of their IP phones is higher when tied to CUCM than it is if they were to be fully supported on both CUCM and SIP/3rd party VOIP providers.

The market value of their (overpriced) IP phones is higher when tied to their (overpriced) PBXs. :iagree:
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
25,780
Messages
167,506
Members
19,199
Latest member
leocipriano
Get 3CX - Absolutely Free!

Link up your team and customers Phone System Live Chat Video Conferencing

Hosted or Self-managed. Up to 10 users free forever. No credit card. Try risk free.

3CX
A 3CX Account with that email already exists. You will be redirected to the Customer Portal to sign in or reset your password if you've forgotten it.
Top