Can I update an IP phone without updating the CME?

[changjoe]

Hi guys,

I've recently come across a Cisco 3725 multiservice router running CME and CUE. Registered to the CME are several 7936 conference phones. All these phones suffer from a specific bug that's been documented in the bug-base :

http://tools.cisco.com/Support/BugToolKit/search/getBugDetails.do?method=fetchBugDetails&bugId=CSCsj34558

The problem is that Cisco stopped supporting the Cisco 3725, before the conference phone one-way call bug was patched. The End-of-Sale date was July 9, 2008. According to Cisco’s compatibility charts, I cannot upgrade the CME to the point where the problem was solved.

Here are the details:

The latest version of CME-compatible IOS is 12.4(15)T7. This was released in August of 2008. After this, no more CME-compatible versions were released for the Cisco 3725.

Consequently, the latest of CME that the Cisco 3725 will run is 4.1 .

CME 4.1 will support only conference phone firmware 3.3(12)

The DHCP / one-way call bug was patched in a later version: 3.3(14)

So my question is: can I try to slip in the 3.3(14) firmware into the conference phone while leaving the CME at it's current version (3.4)

Thanks in advance,

  Joe

[Aaron Harrison · Accepted solution]

Hi Joe

Yes, you can try the newer firmware. The listed version of firmware for CME is the version that was tested with that version of CME, but others will most likely work OK as well.

If you use newer firmware you may find some features don't work, or new features/menu options appear that don't work; however given that the conference phones are pretty basic in terms of functionality I wouldn't expect too problems.

You can downgrade the phone back to the current firmware if you have problems; just set the 'load' command back to what it was and reset the phone (assuming you have left the original firmware files and tft... commands in place).

Regards

Aaron

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[changjoe]

Thanks so much Aaron, this is of great help. I am very glad to have a CCIE-Voice weigh in the matter

[changjoe]

Hi guys,

I upgraded the 7936 conference phone's firmware to 3.3(14). It didn't solve the one-way call problem, and also made the audio distorted. I reloaded the phonewith it's old firmware.

So, at this point, what recourse do I have? Basically, Cisco patched the bug after they ceased support of the my 3725 router, making the patch useless. My client has a whole set of conference phones that they can't use.

Thanks,

  Joe

[Aaron Harrison · Accepted solution]

Hi Joe

Try a newer version of firmware than the one you tried just now..

Aaron

[changjoe]

Thanks again Aaron. There are only four newer versions of the firmware that Cisco makes available, so I'll try them all. However, in case none of them work, how would you guys suggest I proceed? Who in Cisco do I contact about this problem?

[Aaron Harrison]

Hi

You would contact TAC, and if there is no suitable solution or workaround provided you would speak to your Cisco Partner or Cisco Account team.

Regards

Aaron