sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems ESI Telephones & Systems ESI Vendors/Admin Passwords

You make a good point there: it's like somebody said regarding programming. "It's just five lines of code." That's true, but I also need to:
1) Make a copy of the program from the production system to the development system
2) Do the five lines of code
3) Compile the program in the development system
4) Test the program -- a simple thing like putting >= instead of <= can cause undesired results -- Usually extremely undesired results!
5) Install the new program from the development system to the production system.
6) Compile the program

It's also not the vendor's fault how the system was designed. It's just that I am perplexed that this simple change is something that can be done with the Administrator password.

Almost all systems are designed like that, to keep people who don't need to be working on them OUT.

Agreed -- I've had to be veeery careful how much "permission" I allow certain users to change things in the custom software I wrote for our company.

Overall, it's a great system. The administrator prompts make the system very user friendly. It basically "walks you through the prompts" and makes it very easy to make changes. I'm just surprised that this is not something that could be done by the administrator.

Update: I have since learned that we OWN the phone system which means we OWN everything, including the passwords. Hence, we are ENTITLED to the Installer password. Here's what happened to us: we had the Installer password when we first got the system. The phone vendor changed it (without our permission) which allowed them to charge us whenever we wanted to make simple changes (such as the new hours for Day/Night mode).

Having said that, if you have the Installer password, you could really mess things up if you don't know what you're doing. However, this is your choice: if you want the password, you are entitled to it. However, if you choose to make your own changes, you choose to take that risk. OTOH, you would not be entitled to the password if you were leasing the phones.

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To draw an analogy:

1) If you BUY a car, you are ENTITLED to do repairs on the car. For example you are entitled to change your own oil. The dealership that SOLD you the car cannot require you to only go back to them to change the oil. However, if you change your own oil, you might put the wrong kind of fluid in there and mess up the car. You are choosing to take that risk.

2) If you LEASE the car, you do not own the car. The leasing company is entitled to limit what you are allowed to do with the car.

I don't know about your installer and why they did that but if my customers want to change stuff on there switches I always give them that option and they understand it's on them at that point and will be charged if they screw it up, however they usually as a rule don't mess with anything but simple changes.

Have you tried contacting ESI and explaining your problem to them ? They should be able to find you another installer in your area.They will have to be involved to get the installer password changed.

I agree with Steve, find a new installer that will work with you. I'm sure you'll have a first visit/service charge but after that you should be good to go.

Like I said on one of your other post, try esiuesers.com that might help you out a lot. Give ESI a call and let them know that your password was changed by your old vendor and the process of getting it back to default. You will then have the admin and installer passwords. Remember that with the installer password you could cause yourself more cost than good if you go poking around and change something that you have no knowledge of.

Just like your example above you can't expect to get it for free. But is does take time to gain the knowledge and experience to work on these systems.

Just as is does to write lines of code.

Good Luck

Cosmo