So today I learned a valuable lesson. Last weekend, I installed an IP system; 2 lines, 21 rooms, a console and SIP trunks. I put in the basics and lent them my SIP connection until the paperwork was completed. Tuesday, I can't log into the remote access of the PBX. I can get to the Raspberry Pi, the customer can use his PC and credit card machine, but the IP phone and all lines are dead. Hmmm. Odd, because I can log into all my remote sites but this one. I can see the router, but no IPPBX, gateway or phone, they've all gone offline.

I ask the customer to trace the boxes. He tells me that the router has lights, the box on the front desk has lights (of course it does, the computer and credit card machine work), and the PBX has 3 lights (3 cables plugged in, gateway, PBX, and link to the router). Well, O.K. everything appears normal. I guess I'll have to come up there after church and figure out what went wrong.

Any guesses?


It took me about 30 seconds to find the problem and another 10 minutes to fix it. I ran a 4-pair cat5-e from the router to the switch at the PBX and plugged the router feed in port 1, and the PBX/gateway in ports 7 and 8.
The customer had 3 lights, only the one NEXT to port 1 was the POWER light, port 1 is deader than a doornail!

Note to self: Next time I run a cable from point A to B, PUT JACKS ON IT AND USE PATCH CORDS! I used RJ-EZ plugs, but something must have slipped. I didn't bother to see what, I just cut the plugs off and terminated the cables on jacks and used patch cords.

Lucky for me, the property is undergoing a rehab, so they don't go online for another few days. However, I'm gonna try to figure out how to bury the 360 miles and 8 hours round trip :-( Maybe I'll surcharge the next job LOL

Carl

You're a naughty boy, Carl! How many times have I told you not to do that, hmmm? See what happens? I hope you learned your lesson.

-Hal

My preference is to use actual patch cords, but, I'll crimp when necessary. I used EZ plugs while working as a CO technician @ Level(3) and we ran a lot of Ethernet cables around the various COs. Never had one fail. AFAIK, they are still being used post CenturyLink merger. I do have an EZ crimper and a supply of 6p6c and 8p8c plugs for use at my Church.

What type of phone system is that?

Yeastar S-50 with a TA-2400 Gateway They are pretty fun and simple to install. I'm doing these as retrofits...trying not to do any full installations. I'm getting a few requests because of Kari's law. Those old Mitels are becoming an issue and the newer systems take less space, less power, and have more flexibility.

I'm working on a Grandstream UCM-6104 as my next project. It has a little less cost than the Yeastar, especially for the customer that exceeds the breakpoints of the 50/100/200 cabinet. The UCM can address 500 extensions and the calling paths are about the same.

From what I've heard 3rd hand. You can put that many extensions on a UCM, just be sure that they don't do high call volumes. It can cause the system to get laggy. Again though 3rd hand information.

From my reading, the UCM product allows 30/45/100 calls for the 6202,6204,6208 product. No, I wouldn't consider putting 500 extensions in any of these boxes, but I might consider 120 in the 6208 box.

My test box is a 6204 but I don't exactly have the ability to load test it beyond 10 calls. The 6204 is probably going to a 16 room property.

Thanks. Very interesting because some Mitels still in service are very old. Why choose Yeastar over Grandstream?

I installed my first Grandstream back in December 2015. The original software didn't have any hospitality features. I tried Yeastar for a 2016 sale that didn't really get installed until 2017 (family tragedy in-between). The problem with Yeastar is the hospitality software requires the Hotel software for front-desk wake-ups and check-in and out. Not very cost-effective for the 16 room property :-). In the meantime, Grandstream added their hospitality app which can be set from a phone or a PC as part of the basic system. Now my 16 room property comes in at sub $1000 and I still get SIP trunk residuals.

I expect to fire up the UCM in a motel by mid-November It's working great on my test bench. For extra fun, I can change my outbound CID by logging into the extension. Not that I'd ever do that LOL