1

This is a long shot, but I’m out of ideas. I looked at other posts, but doesn’t seem to apply to me.

So, here is the story so far.

We are transferring from Avaya to Cisco and the wireless phone they got is the 8821. Since they are not compatible settings, the workaround we have is Avaya on 2.4, and Cisco on 5. This has been working fine. About 3 weeks ago Apple updated there iOS and we saw an issue roaming. TAC suggested updating WLC code to see if that would help as we were on a non-recommended one due to bugs. (8.3.133). We tested 8.3.141 for a week and it seemed to fix the iOS issue and rolled it out. A few days later people started to complain the 8821’s were dropping calls or only getting 1-way communication. Although the timing did not line up, we couldn’t rule out the code, so I rolled back on Saturday. They are still having issues with the phones.

Now, I’m over wireless and another group does the phone system, so I don’t have much insight into that. I do know the phones have not had any recent firmware updates or anything.

Here is what we are running

WLC 5508

AP 2802s

code of 8.3.133 as it was working originally.

Anyone have any ideas of what I could even look at, or have I ruled out wireless and blame the phone?

1 Spice up
2

What firmware are the 8821’s on?

28xx AP’s and the 5508 should be OK. I am having a bit of a battle myself with some 8821’s on an all Cisco network and I have noticed a few strange things going on…

First try setting the 8821’s to “Auto” for wireless preferences. I haven’t had much luck setting them statically to 2.4 or 5.0Ghz. I know you have a mixed environment but they don’t seem to like static frequency assignments from what II have seen these last few days.

Are the 8821’s statically addressed or DHCP? If static try adding the PBX as the DNS server. If that doesn’t get them going, try adding the Domain Name. All of this is done in the wireless settings page of the phone.

I found that sometimes the would sync with a DNS but without an actual domain name, and sometimes I would need both DNS and domain name. Either way I also found out that if they are switched off they seem to forget they were ever connected and I have to go through it all again.

3

I can’t turn off the static assignment yet as they can’t run on the 2.4 since that is set for the spectralink phones.

We use DHCP. Are there any specific DHCP options the phones may need?

oh, and firmware iss 11.0(3)SR6

4 
I can't turn off the static assignment yet as they can't run on the 2.4 since that is set for the spectralink phones

Not sure why that matters unless the 2.4Ghz network routes somewhere else.

I forgot to ask, are the Cisco phones talking to CUCM or CUCME or Avaya’s PBX or something else? I’m leaning towards some sort of firmware incompatibility for both you and me!

5

it’s weird, but there are settings needed on the b/g/n for the spectralinks that make the Cisco phones not work. They can connect, but can’t do calls, contact the call manger. If we modify the settings so the Cisco phones work, the spectralinks stop working. The only workaround was to have spectralinks on 2.4 and Cisco on 5 until all phones are switched over, then we can change the settings on 2.4 and allow the phone to use either.

I believe it is a CUCM system, but not part of that group, so don’t have any specifics.

The phone guys are telling me there were no phone changes, but they were working fine earlier. I really think they need to open a TAC to try and figure it out.

6

Good luck. I suspect TAC won’t have any idea about anything non-Cisco and they aren’t going to be interested in a mixed environment. BUT…I’ll stand to be corrected on that!!!

7

It is an all Cisco environment, so they should be able to troubleshoot. Cisco wireless, switches, and UCC

8

OK. I suspect when you tell them about only being allowed on to 5.0Ghz and why, they’ll try and back out. But like I say, I could be very wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time…