atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Comdial Telephones & Systems Gremlins in my phone switch

I'm a bit stumped on this... Randomly, various phones go wonky and won't let the user "pick up" intercom or a line group. This has happened with various phones and on different digital station cards in the same system (an FXII running 17F).

Here's what happens:
* When phone handset is picked up, phone doesn't prime to intercom (even though it's programmed to)
* If I hit the intercom button for the extension, I get "Line Unavailable" (odd since it's intercom, not line group)
* If I hit the speaker button, I get the extension, port, and name, but no DT. If I dial an intercom extension from here, it just goes back to idle when I'm done dialing
* If I call the phone from another phone, it just beeps once and the caller goes to VM.

The problem seems to appear and go away at random, although today it seemed to go away when I logged into VMMI to check the programming of the extension.

Any ideas? Gremlins?

You're probably going to need to have Blackbox turned on for tech support to diagnose the issue. You could have database or hardware issues. I have seen both cause this. Grounding is another possible issue.

I don't think grounding is the issue on the system. It's been properly grounded for years since it's been installed. The 17F was more recent (few months ago), so I could see a database or maybe a hardware issue.

BTW, I'm not familiar with Blackbox at all. I guess I've never dealt with it.

How is it grounded? Just because it is grounded doesn't make it properly grounded. I've had systems eat boards and flake out until the ground was removed. Ground potential issues are very real.

Blackbox is the diagnostic tool Comdial uses to diagnose troubles. It logs key strokes, LED updates, dialed numbers, trunking..basically everything that happens.

10AWG solid copper going to the water main for the building. Both cabinets have clamp style connectors for the copper.

Guess I'll be calling tech support tomorrow.

Water main is not a good ground, you should use building steel.
Do what RBF said get the dealer/vertical to run blackbox.

* If I call the phone from another phone, it just beeps once and the caller goes to VM.

Have you checked to see if the user turned off the ringer?

I've checked and the ringer isn't off. It seems that entering VMMI the last time may have "fixed" it. I'll have to try that theory next time it happens.

Check whats connected to your serial ports - I had a miswired serial port that turned out to be branched to a phone jack (that had a modem plugged into it!).

Whenever that person would reboot their computer, the phone system would lock up because the modem clicking the wires would short out the serial port.

We've got one to the VM box (same rack), and one to a serial to ethernet converter (also same rack)..