Convert Cisco 7942G Phone from SCCP (Skinny Call Control Protocol) to SIP protocol

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Introduction

This page describes the steps to convert a Cisco 7942G phone from the SCCP (Skinny Call Control Protocol) to SIP protocol. The instructions include preparation of the configuration files to provision the phone.

Prerequisites

  • Cisco 7942G Telephone with Power supply (or POE port)
  • A Cisco ID with access to software downloads
  • Connection to a network with an active DHCP server
  • UCx server configured and connected to the same network as the Cisco phone
  • A file transfer client software installed on your computer (e.g. WinSCP)

STEP ONE: Configure SIP extension on UCx

  • Log into the UCx Web-based Configuration Utility
  • Navigate to the PBX - Extensions page
  • Create a SIP extension (see Adding a SIP Extension)
  • In the Device options section, set NAT to no
  • Save and apply the changes

STEP TWO: Obtain SIP Firmware

WARNING: E-MetroTel has been successful in creating interoperability with the referenced phone with this specific firmware release using our open SIP Standards implementation. E-MetroTel is not responsible for maintaining interoperability support should the manufacturers modify the behavior of their SIP implementation in subsequent releases.
  • Visit the cisco software download page (https://software.cisco.com/download/navigator.html?mdfid=269065653&flowid=46196) 
  • Select your product Unified IP Phone 7942G
  • Select the software type Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software
  • Select the latest 8.xx software version
  • Download the SIP IP Phone firmware files
  • Extract the downloaded zip file to a new folder and label the folder the same as the software load (e,g. cmterm-7942_7962-sip.8-5-4)
  • The contents extracted will look something like this:

STEP THREE: Prepare Configuration files

There are 2 XML configuration files that you will need to prepare: dialplan.xml and SEP(MAC).cnf.xml. You can download the template files that we have provided at the bottom of this page. Place these 2 files in the same folder as the software files that you extracted above. Change the file extension of the files as follows:

  • dialplan.txt to dialplan.xml
  • SEP(MAC).cnf_.txt to SEP(MAC).cnf.xml

dialplan.xml

The dialplan.xml file will look something like this:

<DIALTEMPLATE>
<TEMPLATE MATCH="6.." TIMEOUT="1"/> <!-- Internal extensions 600 to 699. Wait 1 second, then dial. -->
<TEMPLATE MATCH="......." TIMEOUT="1"/> <!-- 7 digits. Wait 1 second, then dial. -->
<TEMPLATE MATCH=".........." TIMEOUT="1"/> <!-- 10 digits. Wait 1 second, then dial. -->
<TEMPLATE MATCH="1.........." TIMEOUT="0"/> <!-- 1+10 digits. Dial immediately -->
<TEMPLATE MATCH="\*97" TIMEOUT="0"/> <!-- *97 for voicemail. Dial immediately. -->
<TEMPLATE MATCH="*#" TIMEOUT="0" REWRITE="%1"/> <!-- Dial immediately after pressing #. -->
<TEMPLATE MATCH="*" TIMEOUT="5"/> <!-- Anything else -->
</DIALTEMPLATE>

You should edit this file to match the dialplan for your system.

Use a period (.) to match any character. Use an asterisk (*) to match one or more characters. To have the phone generate a secondary dial tone when the part of the template matches, use a comma (,).
To specify asterisk (*) as a dialed digit, add the escape sequence backslash (\) in front.

SEP(MAC).cnf.xml

The configuration file must be renamed to match the MAC address of your phone exactly. For example, if the MAC address of the phone is "00260B5DCB52", then the file must be renamed to "SEP00260B5DCB52.cnf.xml". (Note the name must be in UPPERCASE.)
You also need to edit the provided template file and replace the tags highlighted in BOLD below:

...
<callManager>
<ports>
<ethernetPhonePort>2000</ethernetPhonePort>
<sipPort>5060</sipPort>
<securedSipPort>5061</securedSipPort>
</ports>
<processNodeName>#UCXIPADDRESS</processNodeName>   <!-- IP address of your UCx server -->
</callManager>
...
<phoneLabel>#EXTENSION</phoneLabel>
...
<sipLines>
<line button="1">
<featureID>9</featureID>
<featureLabel>#KEYLABEL</featureLabel>  <!-- Any label you want for the key -->
<proxy>#UCXIPADDRESS</proxy>  <!-- IP address of your UCx server -->
<port>5060</port>
<name>#EXTENSION</name>  <!-- Extension number for the phone -->
<displayName>#EXTENSIONDISPLAYNAME</displayName>  <!-- Display name for the extension -->
<autoAnswer>
<autoAnswerEnabled>2</autoAnswerEnabled>
</autoAnswer>
<callWaiting>3</callWaiting>
<authName>#EXTENSION</authName>   <!-- Extension number for the phone -->
<authPassword>#EXTENSIONSECRET</authPassword>  <!-- Secret for this extension -->
<sharedLine>false</sharedLine>
<messageWaitingLampPolicy>1</messageWaitingLampPolicy>
<messagesNumber>*97</messagesNumber>
<ringSettingIdle>4</ringSettingIdle>
<ringSettingActive>5</ringSettingActive>
<contact>#EXTENSION</contact>
...
<loadInformation>SIP42.8-5-4S</loadInformation>  <!-- This must match exactly the name of the firmware loads file that you downloaded without the .loads extension -->

 

STEP FOUR: Place files on TFTP Server

  • Open the file transfer client (e.g. WinSCP)
  • Create a session to connect to the UCx server using the IP address of the UCx and the admin account
  • On the left side window, navigate to the the folder containing the extracted files
  • On the right side window, navigate to the /tftpboot directory.
  • Drag all the software and configuration files from the left window to the /tftpboot directory on the right window.
  • The session windows will look something like this:
  • Close and exit the file transfer session.

TFTP is enabled by default on the UCx Server. See Provisioning Server page for details.

STEP FIVE: Install SIP Firmware and Provision phone

Erase Network Cofiguration on phone

Erasing the network configuration is optional. If you are not sure what was previously configured on the phone, you can erase the configuration.

  • Press the Settings button on your phone.
  • Press the down arrow to Network Configuration.
  • Press * * # on your dial pad to unlock the settings. (To verify that you have successfully unlocked the phone, look at the top right corner of the screen and see a pad lock icon that is "unlocked".)
  • Press the more softkey followed by the Erase softkey.
  • The phone will reset itself (wait a few minutes).
  • When the phone comes back up, it will display Unprovisioned.

Enable Alternate TFTP

  • Press the Settings button on your phone.
  • Press the down arrow to Network Configuration and press the Select softkey.
  • If the settings are locked, press * * # on your dial pad to unlock the settings. (Look at the top right corner of the screen and check if the pad lock icon is "unlocked".)
  • Select IPv4 Configuration.
  • Press the down arrow to Alternate TFTP and press the Yes softkey followed by the Save softkey.
  • Press the down arrow to TFTP Server 1 and press the Edit softkey.
  • Enter the IP address of your UCx server, use * (asterisk) to represent 'dot'. For example: 192*168*1*200.
  • Press the Validate softkey.
  • Press the Save softkey.
  • Press the Exit softkey.
  • The phone will reset itself and then begin retrieving software files from the UCx server.
  • The display will indicate "Upgrading" and also show the progress of the upgrade.
  • The phone will reset again and then continue the upgrade.
  • Be patient and wait for the entire process to complete. Once the upgrade is complete the phone will reset one more time.
  • When the phone comes back up, it should have SIP firmware installed and also provisioned as per the configuration files.
Upload file: 
Plain text icon dialplan.txt
Plain text icon SEP(MAC).cnf_.txt
Page Tags: 
How-To
cisco
7942
7962