Topic: Flash 2 Trouble

[MooreTel]

Situation:  Client has a CICS Ver 4.12 with a Flash 2 ver 2.0.10  both previously installed before I took over the account in 2001.

Client complained in this email:

"...people are still having problems with the phone system. This person even wrote down their experience for you:

1)   When I call, it rings normally, then sounds like it does some sort of a transfer to an old ringer type system.
2)   It then answers but only after a varying number of rings.
3)   I put in your extension and it rang many times and eventually dropped the call (no voice mail)
4)   I called back. Got voice mail

He emailed me this and then tried calling back one more time when I was at my desk and it got through."

I went in & made sure of her CFB & CFNA settings, lowering it from 4 to 3.  Also removed a 2nd intercom button.

We thought it was rectified, then I got a call from my son-in-law who reported the same thing when he tried to call the same extension...almost word for word.

Returned last Friday & changed: the phone, jack & cable, moved her to port 134 from 133, then changed her DN to 33.

Yesterday I got the following email:

"You came and worked on my phone this morning earlier than 10:30, right? Someone tried to call from Montreal at 10:30 and it never went to voicemail. I think you might be right – it is a voicemail problem. But it’s intermittent – there’s no pattern as far as I can tell. I just had my brother in Ottawa try calling from their landline and cell, and it worked for both."

I'm thinking that when the Flash was installed they only had 8 or 9 phones.  Since then we have them using 15 Norstar extensions with 1 using ana ATA-2 for a cordless.  The I-ATA is being used to feed a 5th line (from Bell) to the Nurse's station in case the cable lines are down.  I believe that too many are using the Flash at the same time...internally & externally.

I rebooted the Flash this am (just in case) so now we're in a wait & see situation.  I think that they'll need to upgrade the Flash to Flash 4.  Is that possibly the problem?  What else could cause this?

This retirement home is planning a $12,000,000 rebuild this fall and as luck would have it, this extension that is reporting the problem is the co-ordinator for the fund raising campaign who is receiving most of the calls which are VERY important.

I'm fighting to keep this client, as I want a piece of that action this fall.  I want to do all the cabling for the new 120 rooms and new offices for telephone, data and cable PLUS install a MICS for the administration & program it for 3 digit extensions.

[NTlayoff]

Dave:  Just my thoughts speaking out loud.

Old ringer?  better find out what that is - maybe something got tapped?
Have you called each phone line to test.  Maybe it is just one line that has the issue.

Heck - there are only 16 phones (17 with ATA)  I would go through and remove all the CFB - that can cause all sorts of problems. Especially if people have incoming lines ringing on their phones.
And on any phone that lines do not appear, put 2 intercoms.

Have 4 people intercom call the VM DN and have them listen - see what it does when too many access it. The two that make it in have them stay on the call for 15-30 sec then hang up and see if the others eventually go in.

If I was trying to keep the site and get the cabling job, I would have a temp VM out there and replace it tomorrow.  Program everything before you go. Then it would take 5 min to swap.  Fast way to tell if it is the VM or something else. Would tell everyone to listen to all their msg's before the swap.  If it doesn't fix it, everyone listen to msg's again and swap back. 
Does it Fix it?  then sell them the temp unit or let them use the temp unit until you get a replacement.

My first guess is CFB.  The only time I allow a customer to have that is if no lines ring on their phone.
Except for that old ringing sound?   

That is just my thoughts for now.

[Keighlar]

I'm completely unfamiliar with Nortel, but how many VM ports do they have?  It sounds like they may not have enough. The ring type may be the first tone on the outside line, then a change in cadence once it hits the system.  I notice this quite often on the NEC. 

[MooreTel]

Jim...

Some more info: Flash is the Prime for all lines.  DRT is @ 10, Xfer callback is at 12.
Out of the 17 phones, 3 have "Appear" only, which I can easily take off.  One is my test jack with nothing connected unless I need to test something.  All other have no lines but access to all lines via the line pool.

All calls inbound go through the AA, then transfer to the extensions.

4 normal inbound lines cascading upwards with line 1 having a fax switch.

I can't preprogram a Flash as it needs the bilingual prompts.  My French isn't THAT good, but I can go and swap out the line card & fax switch just in case.  While there, I can test the lines as well.

Would you recommend expanding the Flash or wait & see if all others actions fail?

[MooreTel]

Stacey....

That's what I think as they had no problems until I added the last 2 extensions with her being the most popular.  A Flash 2 uses 1 port and has 2 channels.

I warned them today that I may have no choice but to upgrade the Flash to a Flash 4 (2 ports, 4 channels).  It'll only take a couple of minutes to do, but Flash VM has a tendency to default when expanding.  I've never had that problem myself.  The lady there that recently recorded all the greetings in  both languages is now aware of the potential problem and has agreed to schedule the upgrade when she'll be there & available.

[NTlayoff]

Dave:   Yes, that was my thought of not enough channels, especially since you say the AA being first to answer.

The few phones with Appear ONLY - should not have to remove the line appearance - that should not effect anything.

Just a gut feeling - I would still try removing the Fwd on busy - just to try.
Tell them to use the DND button when they are on the phone........at least till you figure everything out.

I have not had any problems adding the extra 2 channel card.  Just keep Murphy home.  Good luck.
Let us know what you find.  Especially with that funny ring.

[telemarv]

My thoughts exactly. Flash 2 is too small. Verify both channels are working. F985 on two phone simultaneously.

You might want to Prime the lines to a real phone.

As for the ring change, is it possible that when the VM is busy, Bell call answer is kicking in?

[MooreTel]

I changed the line card this morning and upgrading the Flash is set for tomorrow.

Lines are from Videotron since last year, saving them over $4000 for the 3 year term.  They were not supposed to have VM attached, but I've seen them do it anyway.....so I'll check that tomorrow as well.

[MooreTel]

...Just keep Murphy home.  Good luck.
Let us know what you find.  Especially with that funny ring.

Well Murphy not only ignored my order this morning, he stayed in my back pocket all day.

The equipment "room" is in the "Workshop", so when I changed the line card yesterday I noticed dust on the old card, so today while I took both systems down, I used a compressor to blow out the two.  The flash was my main concern as some S.O.B. had not left the plastic cover for the expansion on.  I knew I had better blow that out!

Once that was done, installed the expansion and made a couple of connection changes.  Flash booted up in less than 5 minutes and was intact or so I thought.  Mailboxes were maintained but a caller couldn't get to them.  So I found out MUCH later that it had made itself "unavailable" (F983, p/w 4).

Before I found that out & after making several changes to try & get it to forward to the boxes, the Flash totally defaulted.  I had brought an extra expansion, but not another Flash.  Good thing I was only 10 minutes from home.  With the unit changed, initialized and programming done, I had the same issue with it not going to the boxes.  After a couple hours of swearing finally found in my cheat notes to check the above procedure.

Once that was accomplished, that part worked fine.  THEN we found that the 2nd language was Spanish.  Went & verified the card.  Yep, ENG / FRE on the label, but it wasn't. TABERNAQUE! 

[MooreTel]

...Just keep Murphy home.  Good luck.
Let us know what you find.  Especially with that funny ring.

Well Murphy not only ignored my order this morning, he stayed in my back pocket all day.

The equipment "room" is in the "Workshop", so when I changed the line card yesterday I noticed dust on the old card, so today while I took both systems down, I used a compressor to blow out the two.  The flash was my main concern as some S.O.B. had not left the plastic cover for the expansion on.  I knew I had better blow that out!

Once that was done, installed the expansion and made a couple of connection changes.  Flash booted up in less than 5 minutes and was intact or so I thought.  Mailboxes were maintained but a caller couldn't get to them.  So I found out MUCH later that it had made itself "unavailable" (F983, p/w 4).

Before I found that out & after making several changes to try & get it to forward to the boxes, the Flash totally defaulted.  I had brought an extra expansion, but not another Flash.  Good thing I was only 10 minutes from home.  With the unit changed, initialized and programming done, I had the same issue with it not going to the boxes.  After a couple hours of swearing finally found in my cheat notes to check the above procedure.

Once that was accomplished, that part worked fine.  THEN we found that the 2nd language was Spanish.  Went & verified the card.  Yep, ENG / FRE on the label, but it wasn't. TABERNAQUE!  By this time it was 4:30 and the only issue left is "Sally" saying "One moment please" in Spanish when someone chooses the alt language before the French recording.

I know that can't be changed without starting from scratch and it wasn't going to be today.......had to get home & string "Murphy" up by the short hairs!

I'll go back tomorrow to verify the ring issue.

[Keighlar]

Wow!  Good luck with sorting out the frustrations today.   

[NTlayoff]

Hey Dave:

Did today go better for you?  I sure hope so.

I just noticed your signature line:
Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
That is so true - it happens to me all the time.

[MacGyver]

Dave I wish I lived closer.  I would have taken you out for a drink just to hear that story. 

[MooreTel]

Trace, you can when we meet in Charleston...

BTW, I verified the lines today.  Cascading stops at 4th line and no VM from carrier.