[Asterisk-Users] Potential reboot problem with Polycom IP600 phones

[Brian Capouch]

Passing this along.  I got it tonight from a friend:

Basis Technology has uncovered a potentially serious issue with the
Polycom SoundPoint IP600 SIP phones, which causes them to spontaneously
reboot at unpredictable times.  It appears that if the amount of current
being delivered to the phone falls below a certain threshold, the phone
will reboot.

Here are the specific circumstances which will trigger this problem.
Standard AC power voltage in Japan ranges between 100V and 110V, as
opposed to the 110V to 120V in the USA.  For the vast majority of
business equipment (including every Polycom product we have ever tested)
this is not an issue.  However, it is an issue with the IP600.  If the
transformer is receiving 100V AC -and- the speakerphone is in use -and-
the secondary Ethernet port is in use, the phone will reboot when the
speakerphone volume is increased.  The workarounds are not hard, once
you know what the problem is:  (1) use PoE rather than the external
brick; or (2) don't use the secondary Ethernet port; or (3) don't use
the speakerphone.  But if you don't know about this, your phone will act
as thought it is possessed, and may appear to work reliably for some
time and then reboot in the middle of a call.

Given the large number of Polycom phones in use, I
think this problem is serious enough that Polycom should take a look at
it.  The simplest solution may be to replace the wimpy power brick with
a more robust model.