Firmware Upgrade on SPA112 and SPA122

[smallbusiness]

Article ID:2676

Objective

To upgrade the firmware a specific file must be downloaded from the Internet and uploaded to the device. Upgrading your devices can be very useful. Firmware upgrades can fix software bugs, improve features, and extend the life of the device. These improvements can benefit the overall performance of a device. When a firmware upgrade is applied the communications of the device stops temporarily. This document describes how to upgrade the firmware on a SPA112 or a SPA122.

Note: There are two default logins, cisco - which has basic user rights and will NOT see a firmware update option, and admin - which has the admin rights and has the option to update the firmware. Be sure you are in admin mode when performing a firmware upgrade. 

Applicable Devices

• SPA112
• SPA122

Software Download URL

SPA100 Series

Save the firmware upgrade file, that can be found by navigating in the link above, to a convenient location on your computer. Once downloaded, unzip the folder using a folder manipulation program.

Firmware Upgrade

Step 1. Log in to the Phone Adapter Configuration Utility and choose Administration > Firmware Upgrade. The Firmware Upgrade page opens:

Step 2. Click Choose File to choose the firmware version you want to install on the device from where you saved it. Once chosen, the file will appear next to the Choose File button. 
The Current firmware version field display the current firmware that is installed on the device.

Step 3. Click Upgrade to begin the firmware upgrade.

Note: If the firmware is downgraded to a previous firmware version, the device will be restored to factory defaults and all configured settings will be lost. 

Note: A firmware upgrade can take a few minutes. Please do not disconnect the power or unplug the device from your computer. Once the firmware is complete the following is displayed:

After the reboot is complete, the device returns to the login page.

[tibij@cisco]

1. The only thing that is missing is that often firmware updates are cumulative they do not download a fully functional firmware, (they don't re-create the wheel) Instead updates are often a firmware "delta" file.  This means the download only has those portions of the full firmware that are impacted by the update.  This allows the size of the download to be reduced anywhere from 30 to 80%.   
2. However, this cumulative aspect firmware has a risk and a point that is key to understand is the firmware being updated will have a baseline required "minimum firmware version" that the update can successfully be applied and get the resulting end result.  
3. If your current firmware does not meet the "minimum firmware version" then you may be required to download and apply one or more updates before the final update can be applied.  The challenge is that ensuring each update reflects on the hardware as being updated to the next required minimum.  
   1. This may require 1 or more reboots for the firmware to reflect the updated version and failure to confirm the intermediate firmware successfully applied may result in a "bricked" device (rendered unrecoverable except for the most technically skilled in both HW & SW)
4. Backup the full firmware in it's pre update functional state in addition to downloading the settings file. 
   1. Firmware updates often will erase configurations made to the device  the settings backup allows for quicker restoration of most of these configurations.  Although they still need to be confirmed they are correct as some values may change with an update.
   2. The backup firmware is one way to restore firmware if something happens during the update process and allows you to restore the last functional firmware.  

Example:

    You see your router is currently at fw 1.25 and the current version is 1.88.   

         fw 1.88 requires fw 1.70 but

         fw 1.70 requires fw 1.45 and

         fw 1.45 requires fw 1.2

   So you need to download fw 1.45 first AND confirm that your device reflects the 1.45 firmware before

   proceeding with installation of the 1.70 firmware  again verify in the firmware that the 1.70 firmware is

   applied.  With each verification you may need to restart the device once or twice to allow the device to

   fully apply the changes.    Personally I also load the settings file to each new firmware as I have had    

   better success with keeping the settings over multiple updates of firmware. 

Firmware can give you features, fix bugs, and plug security flaws.  In some cases they can create worse flaws which is why you download the last working version of the firmware and keep it for just such a potential event.  

happy updating.