Cisco ATA 186 FAQ and Common Issues
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Introduction
The Cisco Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) 186 is a handset-to-Ethernet adaptor that interfaces regular analog phones with IP-based telephony networks. The ATA 186 is installed at the premises of the subscriber and supports two voice ports, each with its own independent phone number. This adaptor takes advantage of broadband pipes that are deployed through digital subscriber line (xDSL), fixed wireless, or cable modems, with Ethernet connections. It can also be used across any Ethernet LAN.
The purpose of this document is to answer the most frequently asked questions concerning the ATA 186.
Refer to Cisco Technical Tips Conventions for more information on document conventions.
Note: In this document the ATA 186 configurable parameters are shown in bold.
Software Selection, Load, and Upgrade
Q. Where can I find software for the ATA 186?
A. You can download an ATA 186 image from the Software Download Center (registered customers only).
Q. Do I need a special image to support MGCP or SCCP for ATA 186?
A. Yes. There is a special image required for Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) or Skinny Call Control Protocol (SCCP). You can download this image from the Software Download Center (registered customers only).
Q. How can I check the software version that runs on my ATA 186?
A. If you browse the ATA, the software version can be located on the bottom left corner. Alternatively, you can press the function button on ATA and enter 123# from the attached telephone to hear the software version through the interactive voice response (IVR). Refer to Cisco ATA 186 Basic Configuration for more information on this subject.
Q. How do I upgrade the ATA 186 from software version 1.34 to software version 2.1x?
A. You have to upgrade to version 2.0 first, and then upgrade it to 2.1x in order to upgrade the software to the latest release (2.1.x) from version 1.34. Refer to Upgrading Analog Telephone Adaptors (ATAs) for more information on this subject.
Q. Where can I download software version 2.0 from?
A. You can find software version 2.0 inside the latest ATA 186 software release zip file named transition.zup. The file can be downloaded from the Software Download Center (registered customers only).
Q. What are the different VoIP protocols supported by ATA 186 ?
A. The ATA 186, when loaded with specific software releases, can support these VoIP protocols:
H.323 v2 & v4
SIP (RFC 2543 bis)
MGCP 1.0 (RFC 2705), MGCP 1.0/network-based call signaling (NCS) 1.0 Profile and MGCP 0.1
SCCP
Q. Why does my ATA 186 fail to upgrade the software?
A. There are three major reasons for the software upgrade of the ATA 186 to fail:
Incorrect image name. Make sure that the software file name is correct when you enter this DOS command on the PC:
ata186us software_file_name. zup -d1 -any2Wrong PC IP address used while 100# A*B*C*D*8000# is entered to the ATA 186.
Note: If the IP address of your PC is 192.168.1.10, enter 100#192*168*1*10*8000#.
IP connectivity failure between the PC and the ATA 186.
Q. How do I use the TFTP server to upgrade the software on the ATA 186?
A. Refer to Upgrading Analog Telephone Adaptors (ATAs) for this information.
Q. How do I use the executable file method to upgrade the software on the ATA 186?
A. Refer to the Upgrade Methods for the ATA 186 section of Upgrading Analog Telephone Adaptors (ATAs) for information on this.
Q. How can I download prserv.exe ?
A. The prserv.exe program can be downloaded from the Software Download Center (registered customers only).
Note: The preserv.exe program is included in the latest Cisco ATA 186 software release zip file.
Q. What causes the ATA 186 not to be provisioned by the TFTP server?
A. Most probably the ATA 186 TftpURL parameter is not set with the correct URL or IP address of the TFTP server that hosts the ATA 186 profile.
These statements apply for cases where the ATA 186 receives the TFTP server address (IP address or URL) via a DHCP server:
Ensure that the ATA 186 parameter TftpURL is set to 0.
If the DHCP server provides an URL to locate the TFTP server, ensure the ATA 186 parameters DNS1IP and DNS2IP are properly set. (The ATA needs a DNS server to resolve the URL.)
If the DHCP server provides an IP address to locate the TFTP server, the ATA 186 does not need to consult with a DNS server.
If you use the DHCP server-assigned DNS server addresses to resolve DNS requests, ensure that the DNS1IP and DNS2IP parameters are set to 0.
Q. What causes the ATA 186 to contact the TFTP server more often than I specified in CFGINTERVAL?
A. The TOCONFIG parameter needs to be set to 0. The factory default is set to 1, which means that the ATA 186 does not yet have a good operating profile. Once the box has a good operating profile, this parameter should be set to 0. This should be done by setting the parameter TOCONFIG to 0 in the profile on the TFTP server.
Q. I already have version 2.14 running on my ATAs. Do I have to purchase another license to upgrade to version 2.15 or later?
A. No, there are no additional fees to upgrade your software. Cisco recommends that, wherever possible, you run the latest released software on your ATAs. Refer to EoS & EoL for Software v2.14 and earlier for ATA 186 and 188 for additional information.
Q. How do I effect an immediate update of the ATA 186 profile from the TFTP server (prior to the CFGINTERVAL expiration)?
A. You can only ask the ATA to refresh its box profile as soon as it is convenient to do so. Access the refresh web page to perform this. For example, provided you know the IP address assigned to the ATA 186, (assume 192.168.2.170) you can open the 192.168.2.170/refresh page with a web browser in order to ask the ATA to refresh the profile from TFTP server. If the ATA is not in a call activity, it responds with an ok page. Otherwise, it responds with a later page. In either case, the ATA remembers the request made and refreshes itself as soon as it can.
If you have physical access to the ATA, you can always power cycle the ATA to effect an immediate profile update from TFTP server.
Hardware Install, Power Up Faults, and ATA Configuration Features
Q. How do I get port 2 to register to the Cisco CallManager?
A. Refer to How to Configure Cisco CallManager to Recognize ATA 186 Using SCCP. Complete these steps in order to add the second port on the Cisco ATA 186 to Cisco CallManager:
Drop the first 2 nibbles of the MAC address and shift the MAC address to the left.
Add 01 to the right end of the MAC address.
For example, 00070EA26032 is port 1 and 070EA2603201 is port 2.
Use this new MAC address and register this as a device to the Cisco CallManager.
Q. What if the telephone cord is too short to reach the nearest telephone?
A. Replace the six foot line cord with any RJ11 cord.
Q. Can the ATA 186 call a PC on the same local area network?
A. Yes, the ATA 186 can interoperate with any standard H323 compliant multimedia software installed on a PC. A good example of this is NetMeeting. Calls can be placed directly or via a gatekeeper.
Q. What is the part number for the ATA 186?
A. The Cisco ATA186 - L - I1 and ATA186 - L - I2 have come to end of life and the replacement products are the Cisco ATA186-I1 and ATA186-I2. Refer to EOL for Models ATA186-L-I1 & L-I2 of Cisco ATA 186 Analog Adapt for more information.
Q. Why do we need to power cycle the ATA (kept in a closed wall cabinet) occasionally for it to function properly?
A. You must powercycle the ATA occassionally because of the Environmental Specifications. The operating temperature of the ATA must be 41 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (five to 40 degrees Celsius) with a relative humidity of ten to 90 percent noncondensing, operating, and non-operating/storage.
Q. What are the voice configuration menu codes for the Cisco ATA?
A. Refer to Voice Menu Codes for information on voice configuration menu codes.
Q. How do I determine if the Ethernet cable is correct?
A. The Ethernet cable has eight wires, and you can see the color code through the transparent RJ-45 connector. Only wires 1,2,3 and 6 are used.
In a straight through Ethernet cable, wires 1,2,3 and 6 have the same color at both ends. However, in a crossover Ethernet cable, wires 1 and 2 terminate at position 3 and 6, and wires 3 and 6 terminate at positions 1 and 2, respectively.
If you connect your ATA186 to another Ethernet device such as a router or PC, without the use of a hub, use a crossover Ethernet cable. Otherwise, use a straight through Ethernet cable.
Q. What should I do when the ATA 186 does not respond via voice or web? The green led on the back is on, the red light on the top bottom does not come on, it is visible on the network, and it responds to a ping.
A. A hardware replacement is probably needed. Open a case with Cisco Technical Support. Refer to Contact TAC to open a case.
Q. What if the ATA 186 red button does not blink or light?
A. You need to open a case with the Cisco Technical Support to further troubleshoot. Refer to Contact TAC to open a case.
Q. What is the part number for the ATA 186?
ATA186 - L - I1 (ATA 186 2-Port Analog Telephone Adaptor, 600Ohm Config)
ATA186 - L - I2( ATA 186 2-Port Analog Telephone Adaptor, Complex Imp)
Refer to Cisco ATA 186 Analog Telephone Adaptor for more information.
Q. Why do I not hear any dial tone even after I press the ATA 186 function button?
A. ATA 186 does not give dial tones for these reasons:
The attached telephone and/or its cable is faulty, or they are not connected properly.
The ATA 186 ports/lines with telephones attached have no assigned UIDs (telephone numbers). You can assign UIDs via the web browser or if you use the voice IVR menu. Most likely port 0 is used because the IVR menu functionality is available to line 0 only. Press 3 for port 0 and press 13 for port 1.
The ATA 186 is in the process of receiving an IP address through DHCP. DHCP is enabled by default after version 2.11. If static IP address configuration is needed, disable DHCP. For the cases where DHCP is required, make a sanity check on the DHCP server and the connectivity in between.
The ATA 186 tries to register with a gatekeeper, the IP address of which is specified in the GKORPROXY parameter. Check the IP address of the gatekeeper. Make a sanity check with the gatekeeper and the IP connectivity in between.
Q. How can I get into the web GUI?
A. Complete these steps:
- Press 80# on the telephone keypad to get the IP address of this device.
- Hang up the telephone handset.
- Start Internet Explorer or Netscape browser.
- Enter the device IP address then a keyword. For example, Internet Explorer, address input field 192.168.2.1/dev.
Q. Does the ATA 186 have a dial up option?
A. No, the ATA 186 does not support dial up, because it does not have a modem card.
Q. Does the ATA 186 support modem pass-through/relay?
A. No, the ATA 186 does not support modem pass-through/relay.
Q. Is Private-line automatic ringdown (PLAR) supported in the ATA 186?
A. In SIP and H.323, you can program the "H" rule in the dial plan to indicate "hotline" or "warmline" support. Refer to Release Notes for Cisco ATA 186 Release 2.14 for information on this new feature.
Q. What combinations of voice codecs are allowed simultaneously on the ATA 186? Can it support two simultaneous calls with G729A?
A. ATA 186 does not support two ports that use G.729a codec simultaneously. The G.729 codec can only run on one port at a time. When one port uses G.729, other port uses G.711. These combinations are allowed on the ATA 186:
Two simultaneous G.723.1 codecs
Two simultaneous G.711 codecs
One G.723.1 and one G.711 codec
One G.729A and one G.711 codec (G.729A is available on first-come, first-served basis)
Refer to Cisco ATA 186 Analog Telephone Adaptor for more information.
Q. Is it possible for the ATA to be configured to do H323 fast start?
A. H323 fast start and slow start features are configured on bit 0 of the ConnectMode parameter of the ATA 186: Use 0 for slow start and 1 for fast start. For example the default value of ConnectMode 0x00060000 shows a configuration for slow-start, whereas 0x00060001 is the configuration required for fast start. Alternatively, this feature can be enabled if you enter 311 in the voice menu.
Q. Does the ATA 186 support fax pass-through?
A. The ATA 186 supports fax pass-through. It detects the fax answer tone, disables silence suppression, and then renegotiates the coder/decoder (codec) to G.711 u-law or G.711 A-law. It does not support ITU T.38 standard or Cisco proprietary fax relay.
Refer to Configuring the Cisco ATA for Fax Pass-through mode for more information on how to configure the Cisco ATA for fax pass-through mode.
Q. Does the Cisco ATA support Super G3 Faxes?
A. Super G3 Faxes are not supported because they use 33.6 kbps to establish the call. ATA only supports speeds up to 14.4 kbps.
Q. Why does the ATA 186 parameter changes made through the Web Server Interface or interactive voice response (IVR) revert back to their previous settings after a period of time?
A. The ATA 186 has a cached value of its profile stored in the flash ROM. This is what you see or hear via Web Server Interface or IVR. If the USETFTP parameter is set to 1, then the cached value of the ATA 186 profile is synchronized with the profile located on the TFTP server. This synchronization update of the cache value occurs approximately at the interval determined by the CFGINTERVAL parameter value or at power up reset. If you use TFTP for provisioning, you should not use the Web Server Interface or IVR to modify the value of your ATA profile. The Web Server Interface or IVR should only be used when first configuring the ATA to use TFTP provisioning. If you do not use a TFTP to provision your ATA, and you use the Web server interface or IVR configure the ATA profile, then the USETFTP parameter should be set to 0.
Q. How do I configure the ATA 186 to use Cisco Registration Level Security or Admission Level Security in H.323 mode?
A. You need to make sure these parameters are configured properly in order to set up H.323 Cisco Registration Level Security or Admission Level Security:
Set USELOGINID parameter to 1 (0: LOGINID0 and LOGINID1 fields are not used, 1: LOGINID0 and LOGINID1 fields are used for H.323 registration).
Set UID0 and UID1 to the correct E.164 IDs.
Set LOGINID0 and LOGINID1 to the H323 Login IDs.
Set PWD0 and PWD1 to the correct passwords/pins (Passwords for Radius Server).
Set AUTMETHOD to 1 or 2 (0: no authentication, 1: Cisco Registration Level Security, 2: Cisco Admission Level Security).
Set NTPIP to the NTP server IP address (if DHCP server does not provide one).
Q. How do I configure the Cisco ATA 186 through the interactive voice response (IVR)?
A. Refer to the Troubleshoot IP Connectivity Issues with VLAN Considerations section of Cisco ATA 186 Basic Configuration for this information.
Q. How do I configure the Cisco ATA through a web server?
A. Refer to the Configure the ATA 186 through a Web Server section of Cisco ATA 186 Basic Configuration for this information.
Q. How do I configure Cisco ATA through a TFTP server?
A. Refer to the Configure the ATA 186 through a Web Server section of Cisco ATA 186 Basic Configuration for this information.
Q. How can I change the ATA 186 settings back to default?
A. Refer to Resetting the Cisco ATA to Factory Default Values for information on how to change these settings.
IP Addressing (DHCP)
Q. How do I configure DHCP?
A. DHCP is enabled by default in version 2.11 and later. For any version earlier than 2.11, use the voice IVR menu and complete these steps in order to enable it:
- Press 20 to get into to DHCP.
- Press 1 to enable DHCP.
Q. Why does the DHCP search keep failing in my ATA 186?
A. Check to see if the DHCP server is up. Also, verify that your Ethernet connection is secure and has not become loose.
Q. How do I verify my DHCP address?
A. Press 80# from your telephone set.
Q. If DHCP is not possible, how can I configure my ATA 186 for a static address?
A. Use the voice IVR menu and complete these steps:
- Press 20# for DHCP.
- Press 0# to disable DHCP.
- Press 1# for IP address and enter the IP address using * for dot and end with #. For example, 192*1*1*1#.
- Press 2# for Network Route Address. For example, 192*1*1*2#.
- Press 10# for Subnet Mask. For example, 255*255*255*0#.
Q. Why can I not ping the ATA 186 after I configure a static address through the voice menu?
A. Make sure that DHCP is disabled. The ATA 186 allows you to configure static network address parameters even though DHCP is enabled. Go to the voice menu, press 20 and then press 0 in order to disable DHCP. Make sure that you press 3# in order to save the configuration.
Using the ATA 186 with a Gatekeeper
Q. What if the ATA 186 registration is rejected by the gatekeeper, which contains more than one zone prefix command?
A. If delivering more than one zone prefix on the gatekeeper, the UserID/E.164 values (telephone numbers) on the H.323 endpoint (that is, the ATA 186) must be within a defined zone prefix on the gatekeeper.
Q. How does the alternate gatekeeper feature work on the ATA 186 and what RAS messages are supported for the alternate gatekeeper feature?
A. The ATA 186 allows a primary and a secondary gatekeeper (static alternate gatekeeper) to be configured. It can accept up to four dynamic alternate gatekeepers configured by the H.225 Registration, Admission, and Status Protocol (RAS) messages. It can handle both temporary and permanent alternate gatekeepers. When an alternate gatekeeper list is received with a H.225 RAS message, the secondary gatekeeper is merged and sorted with the dynamic alternate gatekeepers. The secondary gatekeeper is kept and placed with the lowest priority. In order to allow the ATA to switch back to the primary gatekeeper automatically, a timeout value in seconds is configured in the AltGkTimeOut parameter. Currently, the ATA supports the alternate gatekeeper list in the GCF/GRJ, ACF/ARJ, RCF/RRJ, and DRJ RAS messages.
Q. Can I limit the bandwidth between the ATA 186 and the gatekeeper?
A. No, you cannot limit the bandwidth in ATA186. You can configure bandwidth in gatekeeper.
General Troubleshooting
Q. How can I recover the ATA 186 if I forget the password?
A. There are two important passwords for ATA 186. One is the UIPassword, which protects access to the ATA web server interface. The other password is the EncryptKey, which protects access to the TFTP profile.
If you forgot the value for the UIPassword but still have access to provision with TFTP, you can modify the UIPassword through TFTP. However, if you are not provisioning via TFTP, or you forgot both passwords, open a case with the Cisco TAC to further troubleshoot. Refer to Contact TAC to open a case.
Q. Why does the ATA 186 ring the phone after plugging it into the analog port?
A. You cannot turn off the ring. By default, it always rings when you plug the ATA 186 into the analog port.
Q. How can I debug the ATA 186?
A. A debugging tool, the prserv.exe program is used in conjunction with the NPrintf configuration parameter. You can find the prserv.exe file by downloading ata186-v2-13-0110a-2.zip. The Nprintf value is the IP address of your computer and can be set through voice menu 81#, or by a web browser. Make sure you include port# 9001 with the IP address.
Q. How do I troubleshoot problems when Cisco ATA uses fax over a Cisco IOS® gateway?
A. Refer to the Debugging the Cisco ATA 186/188 Fax Services section of Configuring and Debugging Fax Services Using Fax Pass-through Mode for troubleshooting situations in which the Cisco ATA uses fax over a Cisco IOS gateway.
Q. Why do forward/redirect calls from the phone attached to the analog port of the ATA186 not work, but it is able to place and receive calls?
A. This is because you cannot forward/redirect calls. The assumption is that you have configured the ATA 186 as an H.323 gateway in CallManager. Cisco recommends that you configure it as a dual-line H.323 client in order to have this functionality. Alternatively, you can download and use ata186-v2-12-ms-1129b-1.zip v2.12 software for SCCP and MGCP from CCO. This image allows you to use the ATA 186 as an MGCP/Skinny gateway.
Q. How do I control the line polarity of the Cisco ATA FXS ports when a call is connected or disconnected?
A. You can configure the Polarity bitmap parameter, as mentioned in the Polarity section of Cisco ATA 186 and Cisco ATA 188 Analog Telephone Adaptor Administrator's Guide, in order to control the line polarity of the Cisco ATA FXS ports when a call is connected or disconnected.
Note: If the ATA plays a recorder tone even after the call is disconnected, change the polarity field to 0x0000000c in order to resolve the issue.
Q. The calls are not terminated on Cisco ATA 186, how do I troubleshoot this issue?
A. In order to resolve this issue, set the Polarity field in the ATA 186 web interface to 0x00000002. This makes the ATA send a "battery reversal" signal that indicates the disconnect to the paging system. Refer to Configure the ATA 186 through a Web Server for information on ATA 186 Web configuration.
Q. I am unable to connect to a built-in HTTP server with Cisco ATA 186. How do I troubleshoot this issue?
A. Make sure that you access the ATA 186 with the correct URL: http://<ATA-IP>/dev.
Q. How do I troubleshoot a Cisco ATA 186 Auto-Registration Failure?
A. ATA 186 Auto-Registration fails if the XMLDefault file exceeds 4000 in size. If you use the manual Registration, this issue does not occur. The solution is to increase the TFTP buffer size in ATA software from 4000 to 10000. Refer to Cisco Bug ID CSCsd44357 (registered customers only) for more information.
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