IP Office MWI Issues

3 Troubleshooting steps to help you identify the Root Cause

By the end of this post “IP Office MWI Issues” you learn the 3 troubleshooting steps to help you figure out techniques to find anything related with MWI, and how the voicemail box works in conjunction with the IP Office Control unit.

Through my time working with IP Office I have find myself working with Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) integration issues, and trying to send the MWI to the right person’s phone. I also found issues where the MWI stays on, no matter how hard you try to clear it. For these reasons I have decided to write this post, to help you get closer to resolve the MWI nightmare.

These are the 3 steps=

1.- Understand the deployed solution
2.- Document and test
3.- Correct and Update

1.- Understand the deployed solution

Before you start troubleshooting MWI(Message Waiting Indicator), you have to know the version of IP Office, phone type, and phone software version. It is important to know that it is recommended to have the same level of software across all of the devices in the systems implemented. I have seen systems running different versions making it hard to troubleshoot.

Some of the elements to look for are the=

VMPRO Network Ports – For those using voicemail Pro as the messaging solution, check that all network ports UDP/TCP used by voicemail and IP Office are open in the customer’s LAN. The server should also be verified against any local software, such as firewalls, and antivirus.
Telephone Set – Test the telephone LED by leaving messages. You can also try using another working station.
Voicemail System – Make sure the voicemail is working, by leaving new voicemails and having the user delete them.
MSG ON/OFF Shortcodes – Create test shortcodes to turn on/off the MWI.

2.- Document and test

Assuming is not a good practice, and never take anyones word to heart, always test and replicate the problem while you have SSA or SysMon running in the background recording the events.

3.- Correct and Update

When troubleshooting MWI start by checking the Source Number under the User Profile, see if you see anything from H or P configured in this field. The H defines Hunt Group ownership, meaning that any voicemail left on that particular HG the MWI is left on this specific user.

e.g = H200 or you can use HMain

Where the P defines the phone number that you would like the system to call if any voicemails are left on this particular voicemail box. e.g= P914075551212

The Voicemail Tab – is your second option to check under the User Profile, here you have to verify the Forward option is not selected , as this option will forward the messages to the configured email address, not leaving a copy in the local message storage even if the network connection breaks.

Voicemail Pro and MS Windows – For those legacy IP Office versions, confirm the User Name field matches the Windows Folder Name located under ~/Voicemail Pro/VM/Accounts, as the IP Office will not refresh the Voicemail Database, unless a reboot or restarting its windows services.

Delete and Re-create – Although not a fan of the deleting and recreating the user, this does help refreshing any database corruption.

Analog Phones – Depending on the make/model you might need to change the Message Indicator options under Extension/Analog/Message “Waiting Lamp Indicator Type”. The options can be set to “On”, FSK, or voltage required.

Sample of MWI Shortcodes

http://marketingtools.avaya.com/knowledgebase/businesspartner/ipoffice/mergedProjects/manager/_frame2.html?Sc_features.displaymsg.html?zoom_highlight=display+msg

Creating a Shortcode to turn on/off the MWI

SC = *99 ( or what ever you use as a shortcode )
TN = U”; Msgs=0″ –>> This varies on IP Office Release
Function = Display Msg
Then on the phone with the light lit dial *99
- Msgs= 1 Turns On
- Msgs= 0 Turns Off