Strange 7911 Auth Fail problem

[Gordon Ross]

I've got a 7911 that just isn't playing ball.

It starts it's firmware update (It's stuck trying a firmware update) and downloads jar11 & cnu11 fine.

However, when it comes to apps11, it pauses for a long time just saying "Upgrading", then it *very* briefly flashes up "Auth Fail" then restarts the firmware upgrade process. If you watch a wireshark, it downloads apps11 fine from the TFTP server. In fact, it even starts to download dsp11 from the TFTP server !

Now I'm sure you're all going to say: "Use firmware 8.5.2" Sorry, tried that, still no joy.

This is happening with 8.5.2 & 9.2.1 and both SIP & SCCP images.

Before I admit default, and consign the phone to the bin, any last suggestions ?

GTG

[barry]

Hi Gordon

Not sure if you've tried this one:

1. Pull power on the phone (even if power is PoE).

   
   

2. Hold down the # key on the phone.

   
   

3. Continue holding down the # key and re-apply power.

   
   

4. While still holding the # key wait for the Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) light on the handset to start flashing.

   
   

5. Once the MWI light is flashing, release the # key and enter the following sequence exactly on the keypad:

   3491672850*#

   Once this sequence has been entered on the IP Phone, if all the network criteria above have been met, it should begin its recovery process. This process can take up to 15 minutes to finish. The phone may appear to be doing nothing during this time. However, if the phone does not recover after 20 minutes then it is possible that the recovery is stuck. In this case, re-examine your network and verify that steps 1-4 are in place, then re-issue the factory reset sequence

   
   

I once used this procedure to recover a 7942 that was totally broken with similar symptoms that you're currently seeing. It's a "different" factory reset to the "normal" 012345689*0# one.

Barry

P.S. The full FN I found is here:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ts/fn/620/fn62949.html

[Gordon Ross]

Hi Barry,

That key-press you quoted I'd heard about before - but it never seemed to do anything for me.

Anyway, I tried it on this 7911, and left the 7911 for about two hours before going home.

Back in this morning, and there is no display on the phone (But the MWI, hold & services buttons flash occasionally, showing it's rebooting) Looking at the wireshark, I can see it downloading firmware, but....*sigh*

I'm giving it 8.5.2 (Which should be good enough for either old or new firmware)

GTG

[Gordon Ross]

Good news: I've managed to get 8.2.2(ES6) onto the phone and I now have a display again.

Bad news: It's still doing the same as before - trying to download/install a new image and then bombing out. (I've tried both 8.3.3 & 8.5.2

My gut feel is that the flash chips are borked and 8.2.2(ES6) was small enough to fit on without hitting the dodgy bit of flash.

[barry]

MMMmm..

If you can get 8.2.2(ES6) on the phone, can't you just tell CUCM to use that load for that specific phone? That way it shouldn't try to upgrade when you reattach it to CUCM?

Just a thought - however I do think your handset is unlike to appreciate all of the love and attention you are giving it, and it would be best off consigned to the skip in the sky ;-)

Barry

[Gordon Ross]

barry@nettitude.uk.com wrote:
P.S. The full FN I found is here:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ts/fn/620/fn62949.html

That document claims that the termxx.default.loads files are plain text. Oh no they're not....

GTG

[acampbell]

GTG,

Finally clutching at straws.

We used to see issues with phones re up/dowgrades with

regards to VLAN tagging 802.lQ

As you seem now to be watching the phone with a wireshark is

the phone switching from 1 vlan to another.

Starting request of download then responding to the download in the wrong vlan.

Other than this I cannot think of anything else to help.

Regards

Alex

[Gordon Ross]

acampbell wrote:
We used to see issues with phones re up/dowgrades with
regards to VLAN tagging 802.lQ

I've seem similar things: Sometimes a phone refuses to use any VLAN information and will only upgrade via a native VLAN connection. But once it's done that, it's fine again.

In this case, the phone is getting the files via TFTP over a tagged VLAN - it's just barffing on the files it's getting.

Thanks anyway.

GTG

[blcase]

Gordon,

You might try version 8.4.4 firmware - I have been told that version is an unsigned version to get around the Auth Fail problem.  Not sure if it's true or not since I haven't had a chance to test it out.  At least that is what TAC is telling me.

Good Luck.

Brent