I installed a DX80 at customer site recently (8X16X4). 7271C Flash mail locks up when calling from outside. I replaced the voice mail board and the CPU and still have the same problem. In addition, loaded a new, clean "delayed ring" A33 database for 4 port.
It runs smoothly for about 2 hours then locks up sporadically when calling in. Sporadically meaning most of the time.
Sometimes get Auto Greeting sometimes not.
Sometimes will transfer to extension voice mail box and sometimes not.
Sometimes will ring twice to extension the get "dead air".
Sometimes will ring CO twice hear click then dead air.
Any ideas?
Thank you.

So I called the site this morning a few times.
The first time connected to voice mail.
The second third and 4th time heard an audible click after two rings then dead air.
The 4th time after waiting for about 10 minutes got the main greeting again.

Another interesting fact. I called in to the customer site again, the VM picked up, got into box 70, etc. The voice mail stopped, but i waited about a minute and it started again about where it left off (when it stopped). It continues to do this.
VM...stop....about a minute...starts....goes for about a minute and stops again.....and continues with this process.

This all sounds very odd. You should start with the most basic troubleshooting techniques; verify clean power and ground, pull the voicemail card, does the system behave properly without it? What do you see in keylink on the VM display screen when you call in and it's acting up?
mark


[This message has been edited by markk (edited August 19, 2004).]

Mark
It is very odd. I am going to be onsite tomorrow with Keylink and dial in to see what errors I may get. A friend also mentioned that I should check to see if the Vmail battery is good and or in wrong.

Thats a good idea but the battery only holds up the memory during a power out, if it was in wrong, trouble would crop up when the power dipped or dropped off. That would point you back to your good, clean power source and ground. You are using a battery back up right?
I'll be around tomorrow afternoon (I think) if you need help. Info is in my profile. Bigdog3 in the voicemail forum could also help on this one, you might even cross post it. Just paste the link to here.
mark

Mark
I pulled the system out yesterday after Comdial tech support could not figure out why this is happening. I have a case number with them. Will follow up with you to let you know what happens.
To date:
Replaced voice mail board
Replace cabinet
Cold started a number of times
Re-loaded software

Very strange as this is the second voice mail board and the second cabinet.
I think it is a settings or software issue.

What are you using for your modular connections to the system line ports?
Maybe you have some bad crimp connections that lose contact. It's a stretch but it would seem logical that the trouble is something common to both systems, like power, ground or connections.
I have a lot of A33 systems out there with nothing like this happening. Keep us posted on this please, and what is the date code on that system ?
mark

I am wondering if Comdial has a bad batch of voice mail boards.

Bruce,

In your email to me this morning you said it worked fine at your office. Did you get the protectors off the line? And Check the loop current? I thought we had this narrowed down to just a few possibilites earlier, did I miss something?
mark

Mark
Thanks for your follow up. You have only missed what I have not mentioned.
I have the customers system in my office. I have not been able to duplicate the VM pause problem, but today while sitting in my office fo hours, I have heard the voice mail recycle itself at least 6 times. In other words, I hear a small "beep" and then see the flash (green light) start flickering alot like it is recycling the VM.
The reason I am asking about Comdial possibly having a batch of bad flash mail boards is that I have another customer who has called me 3 times in the last week to ket me know that her flash mail has stopped (in other words people call in and and - no auto attendant or voice mail) and she has had to turn the system off and back on again.

Another thing...I cant seem to get into the chat board here.

We have installed 4 systems so far and it feels like we are spending our whole loves supporting Comdial DX80 system problems

Leave key link connected to it with the display status screen. If it's going through a re boot because of some corrupted file your screen will show you. It will go blank, then show the press 1 for voicemail etc.. screen. I wonder if it's doing it's defrag and re boot at 3 pm instead of am, did you mess with that file at all? By default it only defrags on saturday night, many people change the file to do it every night.
I want to know how this ends, thanks for keeping the posts up. Oh and when the VM is all rebooted, it beeps 4 times and then goes silent. mark

bigdog, where are you on this one? got any clues?
mark

Not really four beeps----it's dah, dah, dih dah---"Q" in morse code. Not that it really matters, but when you've taken morse code for as many years as I have, you notice these stupid things. Check it out

WAS SYSTEM INITALIZED??
good ground?
Loop current??

Thank you all for your help and thoughts.
Comdial replaced the voice mail twice.
So far....... it is working.

Thanks again

LOl, sorry mark.

Been in the field lately and must have missed this one when I did get a chance to look.

recently had a customer who I gave up on and installed an Avaya. Couldn't get Comdial VM to operate consistently. Kept having wierd symptoms I couldn't duplicate. Sounds like another bad VM.

do you guys know the date codes and revision levels of these bad VM's - are they older or recent. I've put about 10 in during the last 2 months and had some goofy dx80 issues but no trouble with the VM's (all are flash based)
mark

Mark
The VM (Flash) that I am sending back to Comdial under and RMA has a sticker that says
07/04
7271CVM
S/N 7271B01349101878
6036.1B-Karel
Assembled in USA

I have to go to the site that has the recent hard drive problem and will get the numbers off that one.

I am thinking very seriously about dropping Comdial and offering Nortel and Call Pilot voice mail

My notorious VM (flash) card , trying to return it for credit. By the way I sold and installed the DX80 without VM and it is trouble free.
K-7271-2941
7271BO141612779
6042.1B-Karel
V-1.0 smds

[This message has been edited by bikechuck (edited September 02, 2004).]

Understand your frustration. Let me offer unsolicited advice. If you plan on selling Nortel and Call pilot(affectionally referred to by us already selling as "crash pilot") be prepared for a whole new set of issues. Never in 28 years of telephony have I sold or supported a voice mail system I hated to program as much as this and if I had a dollar for every question an enduser asked about using it I would never have to work again. I have not received as much as 1 email from Nortel in 9 months. No help at all. Save yourself the pain of selling this and just put a loaded handgun down the front of your pants...it's quicker and actully less painful than supporting Nortel. JMHO

Ohh...come on now.. quit beatin' around the bush--tell us what you REALLY think. LOL LOL

It ssems as though every system out there (at least what I am hearing or reading into the responses) has it's own set of unique problems. It therfore would make sense to sell a system that has the minimum set of issues. Which systems are those?
We feel comfortable at this time in the small office market of 48 users and under.
We only have a few Comdial systems installed, and already we feel overwhelmed by the amount of time to support Comdial problems. No wonder companies have fled their ranks of dealers. If this keeps up we might as well give the cusomers $500 not to buy a system. This method could be cheaper for us.

You do seem to have an unusually high amount of troubles for the few systems that you have installed. The problems we see are typically cyclic(new run of production,new models,different manufacturer,etc.) Usually ours go in with few if any issues. I'm really thinking you may have line voltage issues in your area. Loop current issues in outlying areas have caused us similar problems. But maybe twice a year we have those spooky initial installs. If I were you I would look at the Mike Sandman catalog and get his book on line troubles and maybe invest in a line loop current detector. We have used it show the local carriers conditions such as low current, no disconnect supervision, etc. Just a thought.

I have put a lot of them in with no real serious issues also. The A33 software seems good and I've had no unusual VM issues (knock on my bald head) My first thought is also power, loop current and I've seen voltage on the ground cause some gremlins.
It sure would be good business for Comdial to be more forthcoming on the problems.
mark