[Asterisk-Users] Cisco 7960 lockups - any experiences?

[John Todd]

This is almost certainly not an Asterisk-specific posting, but due to 
my inability to find a VoIP-focused Cisco list, I'll post here in the 
hopes of finding a more diverse user community.

I am using a Cisco 7960 (version 6.0 SIP firmware) with Asterisk, and 
have been experiencing situations where the phone locks up.  "Locks 
up" means that the bottom part of the screen ("Your current options" 
and the redial/newcall/cfwdall keys) disappears, and all keys on the 
keypad are non-functional except for the *-6-settings reboot keys.

Previous software (4.4) exhibited the same symptoms.  I replaced the 
7960 with a brand new 7960G, thinking it was bad hardware.  Same 
symptoms.  I replaced the power supply, thinking that perhaps could 
be the problem  Same symptoms.  I upgraded to 6.0.  Same symptoms.  I 
replaced the ethernet cables.  Same symptoms.  I invoked an ancient 
curse-removal spell involving chicken bones and eye of newt over the 
phone.  Same symptoms.  A phone elsewhere in the same office (same 
switch, etc) works with no problems, but does not have a PC hooked to 
the 'PC' ethernet port.  In fact, the first 7960 I tried, with the 
swapped out power supply, works well elsewhere.

I have used 79xx boxes in many circumstances, and all have performed 
admirably.  However, I rarely have configured them so that a PC is 
connected to the other side of the device.  The PC is running Windows 
XP, and sees mild SSH/email/web traffic.  I cannot say if there is a 
correlation between traffic volume and failure intervals; I have no 
data.

The only thing that remains the same is the PC on one side, and the 
switch port on the other.  Previously, the PC attached to that switch 
port had worked without any problems for quite some time before I put 
the 7960 in place.  Even if the problem is the PC or the switchport, 
a failure or malfunction on one of those two components should not 
cause the phone to malfunction.  If it is a problem with the 7960 
pushing traffic across the tiny built-in switch, then we have a real 
problem on our hands that Cisco had better fix, pronto.

I would appreciate reports of others as to similar issues or 
resolutions which they found effective.

JT