SPA303 and SPA504 phones locked with unknown admin passwords

[motorbike-warehouse]

Hi

I have inherited a number of SPA303 and SPA504 phones that are locked with unknown user AND admin passwords.

The phones were not on the current network, so do not have the original provisioning data or anything. 

All I want to do is get these phones reset to factory default to redeploy them.  But trying to log on via the IP address or use the phone menu itself requires an admin password (which I do not know).

Googling the issue seems to suggest that there is NO possible way of resetting/unlocking the phones, is this the case, is there no way to reset them to factory without the admin password?  Surely in 2016, someone has worked out how to push a factory reset through?

When the Firmware upgrade spa50x-30x-7-5-2b.exe is run, it states the following:

This SPA requires a password in order to be
upgraded. If you do not have administrator's
privileges for this unit, please contact your
Service Provider or network administrator,
before proceeding.

You must provide the SPA administrator's
password to upgrade. If you are the administrator
and forgot the password, you may perform a
factory reset by entering * * * *, option 73738#,
and value 1 from a telephone connected to the
unit to be upgraded.

* * * * * * * * * * *  Warning  * * * * * * * * * * *
All settings will revert to default values
after factory reset!  You may not be able to
reestablish service after completing this upgrade
without first reentering service configuration
information.

(I have bolded the important paragraph)

But that doesn't seem to do anything at all... on the locked handset I have tried dialling " **** 73738# " but nothing happens.

Does anyone have any further suggestions please?  I am not bothered about recovering the existing password and profile, I just want to reset back to factory spec and start again.

Thanks

David

[Dan Lukes · Accepted solution]

Generally, phone can be recovered with reset to factory default. But such option can be disabled by administration.

If active, the reset require admin password to be entered. If the password become unknown, the phone is locked forever. It's intentional security feature.

Also, some phones are customized to fit requirements of particular OEM (large VoIP providers, for example). Those restricted unit have reset to factory disabled most of time and passwords are never disclosed to end users.

Cisco will not help you to unlock those restricted units as they has been intentionally ordered to be unusable for anyone but original buyer. Also, Cisco will not help you to unlock phones configured to be unlockable by their administrator.

Despite of it, you may try to call SMB Support center and ask them for help.

Or return phones to seller as they are unusable for you.

[motorbike-warehouse]

Thanks Dan

Seems a shame with very many phones end up going to the scrap heap then, but you have answered my question and now I will put these in the recycle bin.

Cheers.

[Dan Lukes]

Even if you consider not to return phones to seller, you may consider not to trash some of them.

We have hundreds of phones deployed. And in long term statistics, the most unreliable component of phone is the display (about 0.25% of broken phones per year). The second most unreliable component is the handset (about 0.05% of broken phones per year).

Spare displays and handsets are very expensive or unavailable at all.

I have few unusable phones just because I have no spare display for them.

So a few pieces of phones, even permanently locked, may be valuable source of spare parts for you.

[motorbike-warehouse]

Hi

Seller has long gone, but good point, I'll strip them into components and put them in the spares cupboard, or offer the parts on eBay.

Thanks