Swami Tech Talk Series
This post provided by Kris Wendt, Unified Communications Engineer
In the ShoreTel world, like any other VoIP solution, there can be a wide range of things that may disrupt the proper operation of your IP phone. Troubleshooting steps can range anywhere from a simple reboot to a deep dive into the logs.
To make troubleshooting a bit easier, ShoreTel (now Mitel) has a few "Mute codes" that can help you troubleshoot common issues.
Below is a list of the most common codes along with a few examples of when they can be helpful.
Note: You have to leave the phone on-hook (hung up) when using these commands.
CLEAR (25327) #
Most ShoreTel phone installations are configured using DHCP, allowing each phone to broadcast its own DHCP request looking for an available DHCP server. What most users don’t know, is that some phones simply like to use their cached values.
Meaning if a phone has previously been online, and does not receive an IP address within a given time, the phone will revert to an older value stored in its memory.
In the event that the phone is either trying to come up on an incorrect address (maybe from another site), a duplicate IP, or just to clear all values, the Mute CLEAR command below will clear any saved values and reset the phone.
This is especially helpful when trying to confirm whether the phone is able to receive a new lease from a DHCP server.
To Clear Cached Values:
Press the Mute key followed by CLEAR (25327) #
RESET (73728) #
A directory/history issue, no service, and voicemail access issues are just a few examples of when a phone could need a reboot. So if you just need to reset/reboot your phone, and you don’t want to mess with unplugging the network cable, you can use the following Mute RESET command.
To Reset A Phone:
Press the Mute key followed by RESET (73728) #
SETUP (73887) #
There may be an occasion when you need to manually enter a value into a phone. Two common reasons to enter the setup would be to statically configure the network settings for the phone or to configure a phone to connect to a VPN or Edge gateway. You can enter the SETUP menu and explore all the options using the following Mute SETUP command.
To Enter Setup:
Press the Mute key followed by SETUP (73887) #
Enter the password 1234#
INFO (4636) #
The Mute INFO command can be one of the simplest and most informative commands to use when troubleshooting. Here are some things to look for in the INFO menu:
- To view any of the phone current settings like IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS servers, VLAN ID, etc..
- If the time is off on the phone, you can view the NTP server option to confirm the phone has an NTP entry and whether the phone is receiving NTP information from the DHCP server. (Hint: The phones receives the IP of the NTP server configured within the DHCP server scope Option 4)
- Need to confirm the phone’s MAC address or software version.
View Current Configuration Settings:
Press the Mute key followed by INFO (4636) #
PING (7464) #
If you would like to test network connectivity to a ShoreTel server or switch you can use the Mute PING command and enter the destination IP address or FQDN you would like PING.
Being able to ping directly from the phone can be very helpful when performing various connectivity tests.
Some examples may include:
• Testing connectivity to a gateway or network device.
• Testing connectivity to a another site.
• Testing connectivity between phones.
• Testing connectivity to the ShoreTel server’s FQDN.
• Testing connectivity to a DNS, NTP, or DHCP server.
Ping From Phone:
Press the Mute key followed by PING (7464) #
DIAG (3424) #
One last code to keep in mind is the Mute DIAG code. Depending on the model of phone you are using, the menu will provide you with the diagnostic options to PING, Traceroute, reset, or clear the phone.
View The Diagnostics Menu From Phone:
Press the Mute key followed by DIAG (3424) #