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ISDN: Top Problems and Solutions
ISDN TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS: BASED ON THE MOST COMMON ISDN RELATED ISSUES
SPID format Issues:
SPIDs are something that belong to the systems configuration file, which
uniquely identifies the system and setup to the local switch. If the
SPID is entered incorrectly, the switch will not recognize the system,
and an error message will show in the application either when the
software is loaded, or when a call is attempted, stating that there is a
SPID format problem.
Troubleshooting:
Find out of there is any documentation from the service provider, and
check that for SPID format information. Some providers also write that
information on the block in the wall, so it can be helpful to check
there as well.
If there is no information on the correct SPID format for the
installation, check the list of known formats to find other possible
SPID formats. The SPID format for a specific protocol tends to be
similar for most providers, so sometimes trying known working formats is
useful.
There are also some cases where the local provider hasn't given the
complete format. For those cases, adding 00 to the end of the SPID(s)
that they gave can often solve the problem.
If none of these eliminates the error message, you will want to call the
local provider to get the correct information on the SPID associated
with the line.
Make changes to the SPID format in the system configuration by clicking
on the Proshare Config icon in the Control Panel. Choose ISDN line
configuration and follow the screens.
Switchtype/Protocol Issues:
The switchtype and protocol are two pieces of information that are
required by the product configuration. An incorrect entry can cause a
number of obscure error messages, and failure to complete connections.
Troubleshooting:
If the local provider sent information about the SPID format, it can be
helpful to check the list of known good SPID formats to see what type of
switch and protocol are typically associated with that format.
Sometimes, it is worthwhile to simply try selecting the other options,
to see if one of the combinations will work.
If this information was never sent, and trying other options doesn't
solve the problem, then contact the local provider to get the Switchtype
and Protocol information associated with the ISDN line.
Make changes to the SPID format in the system configuration by clicking
on the Proshare Config icon in the Control Panel. Choose ISDN line
configuration and follow the screens.
Provisioning Issues:
ISDN lines can take on many flavors as there are approximately 400
different specific translations, or fields, that are involved in the
way that a line is "provisioned. Intel's ISDN products have some pretty
specific needs in regards to how the line should be provisioned, which
is spelled out in the Intel Blue recommendations document. If the line
is not provisioned according to Intel Blue, the resulting symptom is
typically that the system will not connect normally when placing and/or
receiving a call. The Intel Blue recommendations are found in
electronic document # 8139.
Troubleshooting:
Check to find out if the ISDN line was ordered for the product that is
being installed, or if it was a previously existing line. If it is an
old ISDN line, it is very likely NOT configured appropriately for Intel
Blue.
It is important to determine if the system is able to complete a
connection locally vs. long distance. If a local connection can be
made, but a long distance one cannot, see the item below labeled PIC
problems for more help.
You will need to get in touch with the service provider to confirm that
the provisioning on the line is set up for Intel Blue. If it is not,
you may need to provide a copy of Intel Blue to them, so that they can
determine what needs to be changed.
NT1 Problems:
In many places, customers that have direct BRI lines from their local
provider need NT1's, and if they don't have one, they will not be able
to function properly. Likewise, if they are on a PBX, the PBX will take
care of that function, so they don't need one, and shouldn't have one.
When there is an NT1 involved, there is always the potential for wiring
problems. Check to ensure that all wires are correctly hooked up first,
and when that is done, check to see if the lights on the NT1 are
functioning normally.
For those cases where there is an NT1, but that the NT1 is faulty, the
most common symptoms are the NT1 won't initialize (according to the
lights) even though the system is configured correctly, or connections
will complete normally, but will consistently disconnect for no known
reason some time later.
Troubleshooting:
Find out if the system is attached to a PBX; if not, then assure that
there is an NT1, and that its lights indicate that it is working
normally. Many NT1's perform a self test on power up that can help with
this process.
If a problem persists, then double check all wiring. Make sure that
there is only one cable from the NT1 to the ISDN adapter, as two
connections from the NT1 to the same ISDN adapter will cause failures.
Lastly, try another NT1 to eliminate the possibility of faulty
equipment.
PBX Configuration Issues:
If the system is attached to a PBX, but is unable to normally complete
connections, the problem may well be in the configuration of the PBX
program. Typically, the symptoms include not being able to place and/or
receive calls, although other indications may or may not show up as
well.
Troubleshooting:
Contact the PBX administrator to inform them of the trouble. Then, if
the trouble cannot be located and corrected by the administrator,
contact Intel Customer Support for information on configuration on the
type of PBX.
PIC problems:
The symptom with this problem typically is that the system is unable to
place long distance calls, although local calls complete normally. In
places where the customer is expected to choose a long distance service
carrier, problems making long distance calls can occur even when local
calls have no problem. Typically the problem is either due to a long
distance carrier not being chosen at the time the line order was placed,
or the long distance carrier that was specified doesn't handle ISDN data
services.
Troubleshooting:
Contact the local provider and discuss which PIC option is specified for
the ISDN line in question. If none is specified, a carrier should be
chosen. If a carrier is specified, that long distance carrier should be
contacted to find out if ISDN and data are both available for that
location.
Cable problems:
Wiring issues occur in two different categories; either there is a
problem with the physical cabling in the ISDN network, or there is a
wiring issue at the customer premises.
Troubleshooting:
Check to make sure that all of the system wiring is correct. The most
common place for error is the wiring that involves the NT1. Running the
ProShare Diags in the Control Panel can be helpful with this problem, as
a wiring problem will show up in the ISDN cable test. See
troubleshooting tools below for more detail. This information can help
when you contact the local provider and ask them to test the line to the
NT1.
Dialing String problems:
This is a broad category that covers a couple of different situations.
The first deals with the system that is attached to a Northern Telecom
DMS switch. People that want to call these systems will want to dial
using both of the numbers that are associated with his line. Obviously,
the other side of that coin is for the system that is trying to dial
someone that is attached to a DMS switch. When there are two numbers
involved in the dialing string, it is important to dial using the
correct format.
The other possibility is that the system is attached to a PBX or a
Centrex, and needs an access code prefix in order to connect to an
outside line. Sometimes customers don't associate the types of dialing
patterns they use with their telephones with their new ISDN lines, and
don't remember to dial access codes (like 9), or normal patterns to dial
long distance, etc. Remember to use all access code prefixes, and 1
when necessary.
Troubleshooting:
If the receiving end is attached to a DMS switch, the originating system
needs to dial both of the numbers associated with the receiving end's
ISDN line. Make sure that the format of the number is:
XXX-XXX-XXXX:XXX-XXX-XXXX. All special dialing codes must be included
in the numbers on both sides of the colon.
Find out if there is an access code that must be dialed before the rest
of the number on outgoing calls. A preceding 9 is common in the case of
a PBX or if the line is a centrex line. In some regions, other codes
are necessary to place external calls.
ISDN Phone Number Problems:
Periodically, there are problems with the ISDN number associated with a
new line. Some of the problems that we've seen are: the customer
didn't receive the ISDN phone number information associated with the
ISDN line during the ordering process, or may have mistyped the
number(s) during the software installation. Other times the customer
entered only one ISDN number when there should be two, such as in the
case of a DMS switch installation, or perhaps, they may have entered two
numbers when they should have only entered one into the ProShare
software configuration, such as in the case of an AT&T 5ESS
installation, with multipoint capability. Generally in these cases, the
primary symptom is an inability to place or receive calls normally.
Troubleshooting:
The best course of action is to contact the local provider to get the
correct ISDN number information associated with the ISDN line, and then
correct the software configuration as necessary. This is done by using
the ProShare Config icon from Control Panel, and choosing ISDN line
configuration.
If the customer has entered both numbers for an AT&T 5ESS multipoint
configuration, simply remove one of the numbers and SPIDs from the
configuration.
ISDN questions:
One of the most common calls that customer support sees is when the new
ISDN line user is not sure of Intel Blue, ISDN in general, NT1's or
other ISDN related equipment and requirements.
Troubleshooting:
Feel free to take advantage of the information in the documents listed
in Intel's online services. If answers are still not found, then
contact Intel Customer Support, or local provider for specific ISDN
related questions.
Some of the most helpful documents are:
ProShare Video: ISDN Q&A 8105
ProShare Video: List of NT-1 Suppliers 8109
ISDN Provisioning for Intel Blue 8139
ISDN Concepts and Terminology 8102
Routing issues:
Periodically, calls to a specific destination won't complete
normally, when calls to other places work fine. Sometimes this is due
to a specific area code not being accounted for in the routing tables
for that LEC or IXC.
Troubleshooting:
The only real solution here involves letting the local provider
know that there is a problem. They can typically take care of it
relatively quickly, if it is a problem in their routing tables, and they
can also contact the long distance carrier if that is necessary.
Tools to aid in troubleshooting ISDN related issues:
Windows Control Panel contains a helpful tool that can be used to help
troubleshoot ISDN issues in the ProShare Diags:
PS Diags is a diagnostics utility that the ProShare Video SETUP.EXE puts
into the Windows Control Panel. This diagnostic divides its tests into
two parts, the ISDN board tests and the Video Capture board tests. There
are three possible result codes for each test:
Passed
ime-out
Failed
It is important that ProShare Video and PSNOTIFY are NOT running when PS
Diags is running. It will skew the results and possibly cause the system
to lockup.
Typically, consistent time-out's and failures which occur in a specific
diagnostic can indicate a hardware conflict or failure for the board
that is being tested. There is a thorough section in scoop which covers
the possible results of each test, and what some of the causes may be.
One special feature in the ProShare Diags involves the cable test in the
ISDN board section. When you run the ISDN diagnostics, you can find out
exactly why the cable test failed if you PRINT the results. The
printout gives more detail on failed tests. Unfortunately, you can't
view the results on the screen.
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