« Working on bits and bobs
Africa is a XXXXXXXXX. »

Cisco 7960s

I quite like Internet Telephony. I think it’s a bit mis-marketted - the reason for choosing VoIP should be for flexibility, and not necessarily for price. But if, for whatever reason, you decide to go down the VoIP route, I’d recommend you get a Cisco 7960. You can pick them up from eBay for about £120 inc power supply etc.

However, they’re frequently not set up for SIP (the standard VoIP protocol). If they aren’t, then conversion can be a bit of a pain, and you’d be best off spending more and getting one that’s already setup to use SIP. However, if you’re a techy, and have some time on your hands, then it’s possible. Here’s how:

  1. Set up a TFTP server
  2. Press **# to unlock the phone’s config
  3. Go to Settings, Network, and set Use Alternate TFTP to Yes
  4. Go to Settings, Network, and set TFTP Server 1 to the IP address of your TFTP server
  5. Ensure the phone is set as the DMZ on your firewall, if you’re behind NAT with respect to the TFTP server (only necesssary on some firewalls, but it’s better safe than sorry)
  6. Reboot your phone. You should see it access various files on the TFTP server. If not, check the steps above
  7. The phone will request XMLDefault.cnf.xml. You should ensure that this file contains the following:
    <br /> <default><br /> <callmanagergroup><br /> <members><br /> <member priority="0"><br /> <callmanager></p> <ports> <ethernetphoneport>2000</ethernetphoneport><br /> </ports> <processnodename>****IP ADDRESS OF TFTP SERVER****</processnodename> </callmanager><br /> </member><br /> </members><br /> </callmanagergroup><br /> <loadinformation6 model="IP Phone 7910"></loadinformation6><br /> <loadinformation124 model="Addon 7914"></loadinformation124><br /> <loadinformation9 model="IP Phone 7935"></loadinformation9><br /> <loadinformation8 model="IP Phone 7940">P003-07-3-00</loadinformation8><br /> <loadinformation7 model="IP Phone 7960">P003-07-3-00</loadinformation7><br /> <loadinformation20000 model="IP Phone 7905"></loadinformation20000><br /> <loadinformation30008 model="IP Phone 7902"></loadinformation30008><br /> <loadinformation30007 model="IP Phone 7912"></loadinformation30007><br /> </default><br />
  8. Reboot the phone, and it should request first the XMLDefault file, then P003-07-3-00, then CTLSEP.tlv, then SEP.cnf.xml then SIP.cnf
  9. The phone will then download the firmware specified in the file it just found. I’m using SIP, so in the SIPDefault.cnf file, I have: “image_version: P0S3-07-3-00″, which tells the phone which firmware to use

And then you should be up and running using SIP. Then you just have to configure the SIP.cnf file as appropriate. Alternatively, press Settings, 9, and type in “cisco” to unlock the phone’s configuration (NB the phone re-locks as soon as you exit the menus).

Good luck!

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 3rd, 2005 at 11:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Cisco 7960s”

  1. Bill Says:
    November 4th, 2005 at 12:17 am

    I think it’s a bit steep to pay £120 for a phone that doesn’t “just work”.

    On the subject of VoIP though, you are right about the way it is being sold. It seems as if many of the potential benefits are being ignored. Ask most people what VoIP is and they will probably say Skype. Whilst true in a way, this misunderstanding could spell trouble later. VoIP needs to be pushed out to the general public with real phones that they can use. If people start thinking that Skype and VoIP are one and the same thing then I can see some people being put off what could potentially be a revolutionary technology.

    I would love to see VoIP services without restrictions. In an ideal world I would be able to route calls to whatever device I like. If I route to my landline, I cough up to BT, if I route to my mobile I cough up to Orange. But I firmly believe that I should maintain control of where my call ends up. I’d be happy to pay whoever helps it get there.

  2. Rob Says:
    November 4th, 2005 at 12:22 am

    I think my dad summed up the situation very well, when he came back from a neighbour’s house saying he’d used internet telephone, using skype, and that he thought it was horrible. He’d been stuck in front of a computer, with a microphone / headset, and found it unpleasant.

    I then pointed out he was speaking to me using internet telephony. He’d completely forgotten that the white phone on his desk was plugged in to the broadband, and wasn’t a conventional phone.

    Moral of the story: VoIP gets very high acceptance if it just works like a telephone, and that people can’t tell it apart from a conventional telephone.

    And why should we use VoIP? For flexibility, just as you said.