asterisk users - Sep 2007 - Polycom 330 + Asterisk, phone locks up. * key will do it

Hello all,

   We have an Asterisk server that has worked without issue for a while. 
Before, only Sipura and Polycom 500 series phones were used.

   Recently, we've added a few POE switches and 20 or so Polycom 330's.

   The 330's seem to lock up often. One easy way to do this is by hitting 
the * key. I looked thru the XML files for dialplan and what not, nothing 
stood out.

   I've tried the latest everyone-can-download (bootrom 3.2.3.0021 and 
firmware 2.1.2.0048).

   Thoughts? The 500 series phones (501) have no issues.


   Also, the phones log called ID information and make it easy for users to 
hit a button and call back missed calls. Except, it doesn't log a 1 in 
front of the number. I guess I could adjust the dialplan to assume 9 digit 
numbers need a 1 in front, but has anyone found a better way?

telmnstr at 757.org wrote:
> Hello all,
>
>   We have an Asterisk server that has worked without issue for a while.
> Before, only Sipura and Polycom 500 series phones were used.
>
>   Recently, we've added a few POE switches and 20 or so Polycom
330's.
>
>   The 330's seem to lock up often. One easy way to do this is by
hitting
> the * key. I looked thru the XML files for dialplan and what not, nothing
> stood out.
>
>   I've tried the latest everyone-can-download (bootrom 3.2.3.0021 and
> firmware 2.1.2.0048).
>
>   Thoughts? The 500 series phones (501) have no issues.

Without a doubt the most common problem with deploying newer Polycom 
handsets is the presence of old configurations instructions in the XML 
provisioning files. In most cases, people plug in a 650, provision it just 
like they did with all their 501s, and the reliability is just, well, .. 
terrible! The degree of pain depends on how (and how much) you have tweaked 
the configs over the years.

The fix can be a little painful, but is worth doing. Upgrade to the latest 
firmware and XML config templates from Polycom (assuming you purchased from 
an official polycom reseller), and port your local changes as overrides from 
the new default file.

Config files are backward compatible, but not forward compatible. What 
worked with your 501 will not make your 430, 650, 330 or 320 happy.

-Darren

-- 
Darren Nickerson
Senior Sales & Support Engineer
Telephony Depot
www.telephonydepot.com
+1.215.825.8710 ext 8106 (office)
+1.215.243.8335 (fax)