UPS on phone system "brains"

Jan Regnier · August 17, 2017, 02:12:01 PM

We have had several power outages recently that are wreaking havoc with our phone system. It is 13 yrs old and the agency owner is not interested at this time in replacing the system. Has anyone used a UPS for this issue on your phone system? Our phone installer (who has had to reprogram the system several times now due the power outages...short as they may be...they still scramble things up!) indicated a UPS may or may not work for this issue. Would just need to try it and see.

Ian Brown · August 17, 2017, 02:39:18 PM

It certainly can't hurt. We use one. Odd that the switch is having trouble with programming though -- even a 13 year old system should be retaining its programming.

Ric · August 17, 2017, 02:40:43 PM

Quote from: Jan Regnier on August 17, 2017, 02:12:01 PM
We have had several power outages recently that are wreaking havoc with our phone system. It is 13 yrs old and the agency owner is not interested at this time in replacing the system. Has anyone used a UPS for this issue on your phone system? Our phone installer (who has had to reprogram the system several times now due the power outages...short as they may be...they still scramble things up!) indicated a UPS may or may not work for this issue. Would just need to try it and see.

Hi Jan,

Yes! We have been using a UPS on our phone system for years. We got a second to backup the Internet systems too. I remember figuring out the draw on our system to be about the same as a PC so we've gotten two APC Smart-UPS C 1500VA units.

Our power goes out several times a year and seems to include at least one event that lasts an hour or more.

Our (VoIP) phones continue to work and we have Internet access on the few computers that also have a UPS.

Worth the investment.

Ric

Coral · August 17, 2017, 03:05:07 PM

You would think the vendor would be making a backup of the system, so it can be restored from backup. Our vendor does that and did have to use it once.

Definitely UPS.

Jeff Zylstra · August 17, 2017, 03:06:51 PM

I agree with Ian. Losing power should NOT scramble programming unless it is getting some kind of massive power surge or something. We've lost power a few times, and I have also reset the phone system by simply hitting the power switch, or pulling the plug momentarily. It has come back online just fine, with no need for reprogramming.

I'd say you're experiencing some kind of failure in your phone system, possibly of the power supply. We do have a UPS on the phone system, but that is partly because it is also backed up with a generator too and needs a stop gap before the generator kicks in.

Jan Regnier · August 17, 2017, 03:07:28 PM

We do have UPS on the server and one workstation.... certainly willing to try it on the phone system. Just wasn't sure if the phone system would respond the same as other pieces of equipment. Thanks Ric.

Jan Regnier · August 17, 2017, 03:14:00 PM

Jeff - I would agree with you about the probability of something failing. The system IS 13 years old. I have recommended replacing it but the owner doesn't want to....so we will live with a 13yr old system - and the issues that comes with that until the system DOESN'T work and will be forced into getting a new system. I have NEVER been a believer (and never did this when we owned the agency)in waiting until something fails to replace it.....have always been pro-active in this area...but not my decision any more.

Thanks, guys. I can give the owner the information he was asking for...YES, people do use UPS on their phone systems...however, if the issue is a failing component - a UPS isn't going to save it.

Joshua Conner · August 17, 2017, 03:20:55 PM

ours is on a decent size ups we have the same problem it is running some version of linux and hates to have the plug pulled on it. The file system gets corrupt.

The UPS lasts about an hour so most blips it survives.

Mark · August 18, 2017, 09:45:51 AM

Definitely do a UPS, as everyone else is already saying. Our old phone system actually had a battery pack tied into it which worked out well (when the battery was good), but we also had it on a UPS which bought us a little more time should we had needed it.

A 13 year old phone system, I would not think, would have the same issues as a current phone system unless it was cutting edge 13 years ago and actually is a computer.

Josh: what phone system, if I may ask?

Jeff Zylstra · August 18, 2017, 10:07:22 AM

Quote from: Mark on August 18, 2017, 09:45:51 AM
A 13 year old phone system, I would not think, would have the same issues as a current phone system unless it was cutting edge 13 years ago and actually is a computer.

That's what I was thinking. In any event, I would think that this phone system has the ability to be connected to the internet for programming changes, message changes, firmware updates, and for BACKUPS.

If the new owner refuses to provide the capability to backup your phone system, and you need me drive over and flog him, I'm available. ;-)

Jan Regnier · August 18, 2017, 10:18:19 AM

Quote from: Jeff Zylstra on August 18, 2017, 10:07:22 AM
Quote from: Mark on August 18, 2017, 09:45:51 AM
A 13 year old phone system, I would not think, would have the same issues as a current phone system unless it was cutting edge 13 years ago and actually is a computer.

That's what I was thinking. In any event, I would think that this phone system has the ability to be connected to the internet for programming changes, message changes, firmware updates, and for BACKUPS.

If the new owner refuses to provide the capability to backup your phone system, and you need me drive over and flog him, I'm available. ;-)

Well, have been given the OK to purchase refurbished "BRAINS" and a UPS....so I guess we get new old technology for now.....

Mark · August 18, 2017, 10:21:04 AM

Quote from: Jan Regnier on August 18, 2017, 10:18:19 AM
Well, have been given the OK to purchase refurbished "BRAINS" and a UPS....so I guess we get new old technology for now.....

What is your current system?

Jan Regnier · August 18, 2017, 10:32:04 AM

Quote from: Mark on August 18, 2017, 10:21:04 AM
Quote from: Jan Regnier on August 18, 2017, 10:18:19 AM
Well, have been given the OK to purchase refurbished "BRAINS" and a UPS....so I guess we get new old technology for now.....

What is your current system?

COMDIAL DX80

Jeff Golas · August 18, 2017, 10:51:44 AM

OMG Good old Comdial! Wish I still had it. You have the smaller version of what we had, the DXP, which was two giant controller boxes with a ton of cards inside, and the power supply box had batteries literally built into it that provided DC if the mains power went down.

Two things: Not sure about the DX80 controller, but you may want to see if it does have battery-backed NVRAM, either via a battery itself that may have died, or if it uses a big bulky looking chip usually by St Microelectronics that has a battery inside that does die.

Secondly - no problem on the UPS, I used an APC 1400 to run our giant comdial mess and it worked great for years.

PS - I ended up buying parts for the DXP very cheap on Ebay that turned out to be an amazing upgrade...was able to max out our ports and even bought a bunch of spare phones. Before we moved my plan was to get a SIP gateway and VOIP-enable it, but likewise, it IS 13 year old electronics, and all the fun and risk that comes with that.

Mark · August 18, 2017, 10:54:55 AM

I had asked because we still have our Toshiba system laying around on a shelf.

UPS on phone system "brains"

Ian Brown