Grandstream Networks, Inc.
GAC2500
Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Guide
Index
OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................2
GAC2500 DIAGNOSTIC AND TROUBLESHOOTING ................................3
BOOTING UP ........................................................................................................................................3
FACTORY RESET.................................................................................................................................7
REBOOT LOOP ....................................................................................................................................7
INCORRECT SETUP IN REDIRECTION .......................................................................................7
INCORRECT PARAMETERS IN CONFIG FILE ............................................................................ 8
DIAGNOSIS ..........................................................................................................................................9
TYPICAL SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION ................................................................9
NO IP..............................................................................................................................................9
TOUCH SCREEN PRESSING ISSUE .........................................................................................10
LED ISSUE ..................................................................................................................................10
BUILT-IN MIC/SPEAKER TEST ...................................................................................................10
SOFTWARE ISSUES................................................................................................................... 10
HARDWARE ISSUES ..................................................................................................................11
GAC2500 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide Page 1 of 12
OVERVIEW
The purpose for the procedure is to help our resellers and service providers to determine if the GAC2500
is in an unrecoverable state that it will need to be returned to our factory for repair. Once a problem has
been reported, please check with the customer for the exact symptoms of the problem.
• For general configuration information, please refer to the GAC2500 user manuals from:
http://www.grandstream.com/support
• For functionality issues (e.g., Call Transfer not successful, star code Call Features not working, etc.),
please check device configuration or contact Grandstream technical support for further assistance.
• For operational issues (e.g., device not accessible, device not upgrading, etc.), please follow the
troubleshooting procedure in this document.
Warning:
• Please do not use a different power adapter with the GAC2500 as it may cause damage to the
product and void the manufacturer warranty.
• This document is subject to change without notice.
• Reproduction or transmittal of the entire or any part, in any form or by any means, electronic or print,
for any purpose without the express written permission of Grandstream Networks, Inc. is not
permitted.
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GAC2500 DIAGNOSTIC AND TROUBLESHOOTING
BOOTING UP
When powering up the phone, please be patient as the phone can take up to 2 minutes to finish the
booting up process. PLEASE DO NOT INTERRUPT THE PROCESS UNTIL IT IS DONE.
If the device stays on the booting up screen for a long time (more than 2 minutes) without displaying the
default idle screen, or the LCD simply lights up but doesn't show anything, please try the following
recovery procedure.
Instructions:
1. Connect the phone to local network and power up the phone.
2. Obtain the IP address of the phone
While the phone stays at booting up screen, it might still be able to get the IP address as previously
configured (DHCP, Static IP or PPPoE). The IP address is needed for our further troubleshooting via
SSH. The following methods can be used to check the IP address of the phone:
• If the phone is using DHCP and your local router is accessible for you, log in the router and look
for the IP address based on device MAC address. The MAC address can be found on the back of
the phone.
• If the phone is previously configured with a valid Static IP address in the local network, the same
IP address will be used on the phone.
• If you have a hub and a PC with Wireshark program installed, connect the phone and PC to the
hub and use Wireshark to sniff the traffic of the phone's MAC address. In this way, you would be
able to see the packets going through the phone and check the phone's IP address. For example,
to sniff the packets of a phone with MAC address 000b82000000, in the Wireshark interface, type
in the command "ether host 000b82000000" and start the capturing (see Figure below).
If there is no IP address obtained after step 2, the unit not recoverable.
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3. Use the IP address obtained from step 2 for SSH access. You can use the default SSH program in
your PC or download another SSH client such as PuTTY to SSH into the device. The following screen
shows PuTTY interface.
4. Once the SSH connection is established, you will be required to type in “admin” for the username and
the administrator password of the phone to log in. The entered password won't be displayed for
security purpose.
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If the phone gets IP but cannot be accessed by SSH, the SSH access might be disabled. To turn it
back on, the phone needs to be provisioned with P276=0 if possible. Otherwise, the device is not
recoverable.
5. Type in "status" to check the firmware information.
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6. It is very likely that the phone is on an old firmware version. In this case, please follow the steps and
command below to upgrade the firmware.
• Type in upgrade
Then press Enter.
• Type in set HTTP
Then press Enter. You can also type in set HTTPS for upgrading via HTTPS.
• Type in set URL firmware.grandstream.com
Then press Enter. You can type in the command with different URL for upgrading. For example,
set URL 192.168.31.141.
• Type in y to confirm when "Do you want to continue (y/N)?" shows.
The SSH session with upgrading command can be seen in the screenshot below.
Now wait for the phone to start upgrading process. Once it's started, you will be able to see upgrading
process on the screen.
Note:
• Upgrading the phone from a very old firmware to the latest version may take a while. PLEASE
DO NOT INTERRUPT THE UPGRADING PROCESS UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY DONE.
• Currently, Grandstream provides a public HTTP server for firmware upgrading. The firmware
information can be found in below web page:
http://www.grandstream.com/support/firmware
• To check firmware release information or download the firmware file for local upgrading via your
own TFTP/HTTP server, please go to the link below:
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http://www.grandstream.com/support/firmware
7. After upgrading, the phone will boot up again. Please check if the boot up process is normal now.
If the phone does not start upgrading, or the phone is stuck in upgrading process, or the issue remains
the same after upgrading, this phone is not recoverable.
FACTORY RESET
If the device can boot up, it is recommended to perform factory reset before troubleshooting.
Note:
• Factory Reset will be disabled if the device is previously locked by user or service provider. In this
case, please contact your service provider or user to unlock the phone first via provisioning.
• Also, if parameter "Configuration via Keypad Menu" is not set to “Unrestricted” (P1357=0), Factory
Reset would not be accessible. In this case, the device will need to be provisioned again with
P1357=0 to get keypad update unlock first.
Instructions:
1. Disconnect the network cable from the phone.
2. Power up the phone and wait for the idle screen to show up after booting up.
3. Drag down the notification bar and press the Settings button to enter the main menu.
4. Tap to access to the Advanced Settings menu. Select Factory Reset, tap on “OK” button to confirm
the factory reset operation.
5. The phone will reboot and then boot up with default factory settings.
REBOOT LOOP
If the phone starts rebooting by itself after booting up and repeats the process again and again, there is a
reboot loop existed that can be caused by provisioning redirection or being provisioned with an incorrect
configuration file.
INCORRECT SETUP IN REDIRECTION
When deploying the phones in the field, redirection can be used to provisioning the phones. However,
incorrect setup can cause the phone stuck in infinite reboot loop. Consider the following scenario during
the provisioning process:
• Config server 1 has config file 1 for the phone. In config file 1, the config server path is set as config
server 2 pointing to config file 2. The phone boots up for the first time and gets provisioned from
config file 1. After it boots up again, it will start downloading config file 2 as specified in config file 1.
• Config server 2 has config file 2 for the phone. In config file 2, the config server path is set as config
server 1 pointing to config file 1. Once the phone gets provisioned from config file 2, it will start
downloading config file 1 in config server 1 and get provisioned by config file 1 again.
• The phone will be redirected to config server 2 again after provisioned by config file 1.
• The above scenario will cause the phone stuck in an infinite reboot loop between config server 1 and
config server 2. The phone keeps rebooting to get the new config file.
When this happens, please remove one of the config files from the config server first. The phone will then
stop looping. Modify the config server path in config file 2 so that the phone won't get provisioned by
config file 1 again.
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INCORRECT PARAMETERS IN CONFIG FILE
Incorrect parameters in config file (binary config file or XML config file) might cause the phone stuck in
reboot loop after getting provisioned. To prevent potential reboot loop, please try to avoid the following
when creating the config file.
1. Extremely long strings, illegal characters or typo in the config file.
Please check the valid range of the P value to make sure it's within the legal range. Also, double
check the config file values to make sure there is no typo when editing the file.
Example 1: "Account Active" is a checkbox option in web GUI and only 0 or 1 is allowed for P401.
Letters, special characters or number other than 0/1 will not be accepted by the phone.
# Account Active. 0 - No, 1 - Yes. Default value is 0
# Number: 0, 1
P401 = 0
Example 2: The valid range for "Registration Expiration" is from 0 to 64800. Letters, special
characters or number beyond the valid range will not be accepted by the phone.
# Register Expiration (m). In minutes. Default value is 60
# Number: 0 - 64800
P412 = 60
2. Duplicate P values in XML config file.
Duplicate P values in XML file cannot be detected via XML validation. If existed, this will cause the
phone to get into a reboot loop. Please double check your XML file and make sure there is no
duplicate P values.
Example: The following screenshot shows duplicate P parameter P192 with different values in XML
config file, which will confuse the phone to keep rebooting after getting provisioned.
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3. Using the whole template for provisioning.
When generating the binary configuration file or creating the XML configuration file, the use of whole
template provided by Grandstream is not recommended. Customers are advised to compile a
configuration template of their own, consisting of only the P values that need to be changed from
factory default values. It will be easier to troubleshoot if something went wrong with the configuration
file.
DIAGNOSIS
The GAC2500 provides a built-in diagnosis application for users to troubleshoot hardware issues related
to LCD, keypad, and touch screen, LED as well as audio components diagnostics. Users can start factory
function app by dialing ***3424*, then tap on each item to perform the corresponding diagnosis. (Under
web UI -> Account -> Call Settings, users need to set “Enable Call Features” to Yes, before dialing the
diagnosis code). After selecting the option, users could follow the diagnosis instruction to troubleshoot the
device.
The following table describes the options available under “Diagnosis” used for troubleshooting hardware
issues:
LCD Diagnosis Tests the colors of the LCD.
LCD Off Tests turning on/off the LCD.
Reset Key Diagnosis Tests the Reset key on the device body.
Touch Screen Diagnosis Tests the touch screen on all the parts of LCD’s phone.
LED Diagnosis Tests all the LEDs on the GAC2500 phone.
Built-in MIC Test Tests the built-in Microphone.
Built-in Speaker Test Tests the built-in Speaker.
Certification Check Tests the certification for GAC2500 IP Phone for Android.
System Info This part includes the GAC2500 phone’s system Info, such as:
• MAC Address
• Total Memory
• Available Memory
• Android Version
• System Version
• Recovery Version
• U-boot Version
• TP Firmware Version
• Kernel Version
• Hardware Version
• Current Temperature
• CPE Version
TYPICAL SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION
NO IP
The following symptoms indicate no IP on the phone:
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• For GAC2500, the LCD will show "NO IP" if there is no IP on the device.
Please follow the steps below for troubleshooting.
1. Firstly, check the cable connection between the phone and the uplink hub/switch/router. Your device
should have the network cable plugged into the LAN port (not the PC port) on the back. Or, you can
go to Settings -> Wireless & Network to enable Wi-Fi setting, and ensure your device connects to
the specific Wi-Fi network in Wi-Fi Settings menu to get the IP address.
2. If the phone is configured to use DHCP, please check if a DHCP server is properly configured in the
network. Sometimes the DHCP pool might be full, in which case, the phone will not be able to get an
IP address from the DHCP server. If using PPPoE, please make sure the PPPoE server is properly
configured and the phone has been configured with correct username and password. If using Static
IP, the phone will show the configured static IP. Please make sure the static IP is valid and accessible
for the network where the phone is plugged in.
3. The problem could also be caused by a defective or incorrect Ethernet cable. Please make sure you
are using a straight through cable and the jacks are properly attached. A cable tester can be used to
check the cable type and condition.
TOUCH SCREEN PRESSING ISSUE
If the touch screen pressing is not working properly on the GAC2500, go to Diagnosis module, and
select Touch Screen Diagnosis option to troubleshoot the issues. Under diagnostic mode, the pressed
key will be displayed on the LCD for diagnostic purpose. If it doesn't display or it shows incorrect key, the
touch screen is likely to have hardware issue and the device needs to be returned to factory for repair.
LED ISSUE
If the LED for the line key, Multipurpose key, MWI or extension board key is not lightening up or updating,
the LED might be broken. To confirm this, go to Diagnosis module, and select LED Diagnosis option.
Under diagnostic mode, users can select LED Green, LED Red, LED Blue, or LED off to operate the
LED on GAC2500. If any of the LED doesn't light up based on the corresponding operation as described,
there is a hardware issue with the LED and the device needs to be returned to factory for repair.
BUILT-IN MIC/SPEAKER TEST
If the other party cannot hear the GAC2500 when talking on the phone, there might be an audio issue. Go
to Diagnosis module ->Built-in MIC Test / Built-in Speaker Test and follow the steps below for
troubleshooting.
• Built-in MIC Test: Press Start soft button on the LCD and keep talking for a few seconds. The device
will record the audio and then plays the recording files. If the user can hear the recording audio
successfully, the built-in MIC is working properly.
• Built-in Speaker Test: Built-in speaker will automatically play a piece of music which has sweep
frequency from 20000Hz to 100Hz after 3 seconds. If the user can hear the music successfully, the
built-in Speaker is working properly.
If the build-in MIC or build-in speaker is tested fine, there might be network issue in your local network or
configuration issue on your phone that need to be further investigated by the administrator. If the speaker
is not working, or the built-in MIC previously working on the same phone is not working anymore after
testing, there is a hardware issue on the phone that needs to be returned for factory repair.
SOFTWARE ISSUES
Software issues can usually be fixed by firmware upgrading. But the following software-related symptoms
might not be recoverable by firmware upgrading after troubleshooting in [BOOTING UP]. In this case,
please contact Grandstream technical support for further assistance.
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• Phone’s LCD shows nothing but only lit up during boot up.
• Phone’s LCD shows booting up but cannot get to the idle screen display.
• Phone’s LED for multi-purpose keys, line keys or MWI LED doesn't light up or update.
• Phone falls into a reboot cycle without provisioning and it cannot be accessed via LCD or web GUI.
HARDWARE ISSUES
The following symptoms indicate that the phone is NOT functioning at the hardware level and must be
returned to factory for repair.
• Phone's LCD is not turned on when properly powered up with a good power supply.
• Phone's LCD shows random garbage characters.
• Phone's touch screen is not working correctly after verified in Diagnosis module.
• Phone's LED is not working correctly after verified in Diagnosis module.
• Phone's built-in MIC and built-in speaker are not working correctly after verified in Diagnosis module.
• Phone’s Ethernet connection to the other end shows NO light. Usually, AMBER means the link is up,
solid GREEN means connected and blinking GREEN means there is data traffic. Any light broken
indicates the RJ-45 interface on the phone might have certain issue (Please make sure the other side
of the cable connection is properly connected to the hub/switch/router).
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