CHAP T E R
2
Preparing to Install the Cisco Unified IP Phone on
Your Network
Cisco Unified IP phones enable you to communicate by using voice over a data network. To provide this
capability, the IP Phones depend upon and interact with several other key Cisco Unified IP Telephony
components, including Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM).
This chapter focuses on the interactions between the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961 and
Cisco Unified CM, DNS and DHCP servers, TFTP servers, and switches. It also describes options for
powering phones.
For related information about voice and IP communications, refer to this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/index.html
This chapter provides an overview of the interaction between the Cisco Unified IP Phone and other key
components of the Voice over IP (VoIP) network. It includes the following topics:
• Understanding Interactions with Other Cisco Unified IP Telephony Products, page 2-1
• Providing Power to the Cisco Unified IP Phone, page 2-3
• Understanding Phone Configuration Files, page 2-5
• Understanding the Phone Startup Process, page 2-6
• Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database, page 2-8
• Determining the MAC Address for a Cisco Unified IP Phone, page 2-11
Understanding Interactions with Other Cisco Unified IP Telephony Products
To function in the IP telephony network, the Cisco Unified IP Phone must be connected to a networking
device, such as a Cisco Catalyst switch. You must also register the Cisco Unified IP Phone with a Cisco
Unified CM system before sending and receiving calls.
This section includes the following topics:
• Understanding How the Cisco Unified IP Phone Interacts with Cisco Unified CM, page 2-2
• Understanding How the Cisco Unified IP Phone Interacts with the VLAN, page 2-2
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Understanding Interactions with Other Cisco Unified IP Telephony Products
Understanding How the Cisco Unified IP Phone Interacts with Cisco Unified CM
Cisco Unified CM is an open and industry-standard call processing system. Cisco Unified CM software
sets up and tears down calls between phones, integrating traditional PBX functionality with the
corporate IP network. Cisco Unified CM manages the components of the IP telephony system—the
phones, the access gateways, and the resources necessary for features such as call conferencing and route
planning. Cisco Unified CM also provides:
• Firmware for phones
• Configuration file via TFTP service
• Authentication and encryption (if configured for the telephony system)
• Phone registration
• Call preservation, so that a media session continues if signaling is lost between the primary CM and
a phone
For information about configuring Cisco Unified CM to work with the IP devices described in this
chapter, go to the Cisco Unified IP Phone Configuration chapter in the Cisco Communications Manager
Administration Guide.
For an overview of security functionality for the Cisco Unified IP Phone, see the “Understanding
Security Features for Cisco Unified IP Phones” section on page 1-14.
Note If the Cisco Unified IP Phone model that you want to configure does not appear in the Phone Type
drop-down list in Cisco Unified CM Administration, go to the following URL and install the latest
support patch for your version of Cisco Unified CM:
http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/sw-center/sw-voice.shtml
For more information, refer to “Software Upgrades” chapter in the Cisco Unified Communications
Operating System Administration Guide.
Related Topic
• Telephony Features Available for the Cisco Unified IP Phone, page 5-1
Understanding How the Cisco Unified IP Phone Interacts with the VLAN
The Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961 have an internal Ethernet switch, enabling forwarding
of packets to the phone, and to the access port and the network port on the back of the phone.
If a computer is connected to the access port, the computer and the phone share the same physical link
to the switch and share the same port on the switch. This shared physical link has the following
implications for the VLAN configuration on the network:
• The current VLANs might be configured on an IP subnet basis. However, additional IP addresses
might not be available to assign the phone to the same subnet as other devices connected to the same
port.
• Data traffic present on the VLAN supporting phones might reduce the quality of Voice-over-IP
traffic.
• Network security may indicate a need to isolate the VLAN voice traffic from the VLAN data traffic.
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You can resolve these issues by isolating the voice traffic onto a separate VLAN. The switch port that
the phone is connected to would be configured to have separate VLANs for carrying:
• Voice traffic to and from the IP phone (auxiliary VLAN on the Cisco Catalyst 6000 series, for
example)
• Data traffic to and from the PC connected to the switch through the access port of the IP phone
(native VLAN)
Isolating the phones on a separate, auxiliary VLAN increases the quality of the voice traffic and allows
a large number of phones to be added to an existing network where there are not enough IP addresses
for each phone.
For more information, refer to the documentation included with a Cisco switch. You can also access
switch information at this URL:
http://cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/index.html
Related Topics
• Understanding the Phone Startup Process, page 2-6
• Network Setup Menu, page 4-4
Providing Power to the Cisco Unified IP Phone
Providing Power to the Cisco Unified IP Phone
The Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961 can be powered with external power or with Power
over Ethernet (PoE). External power is provided through a separate power supply. PoE is provided by a
switch through the Ethernet cable attached to a phone.
Note When you install a phone that is powered with external power, connect the power supply to the phone
and to a power outlet before you connect the Ethernet cable to the phone. When you remove a phone that
is powered with external power, disconnect the Ethernet cable from the phone before you disconnect the
power supply.
The following sections provide more information about powering a phone:
• Power Guidelines, page 2-4
• Power Outage, page 2-4
• Obtaining Additional Information about Power, page 2-5
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Providing Power to the Cisco Unified IP Phone
Power Guidelines
Table 2-1 provides guidelines for powering the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961.
Table 2-1 Guidelines for Powering the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961
Power Type Guidelines
External power—Provided
through the CP-PWR-CUBE-3
external power supply.
External power—Provided
through the Cisco Unified IP
Phone Power Injector.
PoE power—Provided by a
switch through the Ethernet
cable attached to the phone.
External power—Provided
through inline power patch
panel WS-PWR-PANEL
The Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961 use the CP-PWR-CUBE-3 power
supply.
The Cisco Unified IP Phone Power Injector may be used with any Cisco Unified IP Phone.
Functioning as a midspan device, the injector delivers inline power to the attached phone.
The Cisco Unified IP Phone Power Injector is connected between a switch port and the IP
Phone, and supports a maximum cable length of 100m between the unpowered switch and
the IP Phone.
• The Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961 support IEEE 802.3af Class 2
power on signal pairs and spare pairs.
• To ensure uninterruptible operation of the phone, make sure that the switch has a
backup power supply.
• Make sure that the CatOS or IOS version running on your switch supports your
intended phone deployment. Refer to the documentation for your switch for operating
system version information.
The inline power patch panel WS-PWR-PANEL is compatible with the Cisco Unified
IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961.
Power Outage
Your accessibility to emergency service through the phone is dependent on the phone being powered. If
there is an interruption in the power supply, Service and Emergency Calling Service dialing will not
function until power is restored. In the case of a power failure or disruption, you may need to reset or
reconfigure equipment before using the Service or Emergency Calling Service dialing.
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Obtaining Additional Information about Power
For related information about power, refer to the documents shown in Table 2-2. These documents
provide information about the following topics:
• Cisco switches that work with the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961
• The Cisco IOS releases that support bidirectional power negotiation
• Other requirements and restrictions regarding power
Table 2-2 Related Documentation for Power
Document Topics URL
Cisco Unified IP Phone Power
Injector
PoE Solutions http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns340/ns394/ns147/ns412/net
Cisco Catalyst Switches http://cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/index.html
Integrated Service Routers http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/index.html
Cisco IOS Software http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/iosswrel/products_ios_
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6951/index.html
working_solutions_package.html
cisco_ios_software_category_home.html
Understanding Phone Configuration Files
Understanding Phone Configuration Files
Configuration files for a phone are stored on the TFTP server and define parameters for connecting to
Cisco Unified CM. In general, any time you make a change in Cisco Unified CM that requires the phone
to be reset, a change is automatically made to the phone’s configuration file.
Configuration files also contain information about which image load the phone should be running. If this
image load differs from the one currently loaded on a phone, the phone contacts the TFTP server to
request the required load files.
A phone accesses a default configuration file named XmlDefault.cnf.xml from the TFTP server when
the following conditions exist:
• You have enabled auto-registration in Cisco Unified CM
• The phone has not been added to the Cisco Unified CM database
• The phone is registering for the first time
In addition, if the device security mode in the configuration file is set to Authenticated and the CTL file
on the phone has a valid certificate for Cisco Unified CM, the phone establishes a TLS connection to
Cisco Unified CM. Otherwise, the phone establishes a TCP connection.
Note If the device security mode in the configuration file is set to secure, but the phone has not received a
CTL file, the phone tries four times to obtain a CTL file so it can register securely.
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Note Cisco Extension Mobility Cross Cluster is an exception, in that the phone permits a TLS connection to
Cisco Unified CM for secure signaling even without the CTL file.
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Understanding the Phone Startup Process
If you configure security-related settings in Cisco Unified CM Administration, the phone configuration
file will contain sensitive information. To ensure the privacy of a configuration file, you must configure
it for encryption. For detailed information, refer to the “Configuring Encrypted Phone Configuration
Files” chapter in Cisco Unified Communications Manager Security Guide. A phone requests a
configuration file whenever it resets and registers with Cisco Unified CM.
A phone accesses a default configuration file named XmlDefault.cnf.xml only when the phone has not
received a valid Trust List file containing a certificate assigned to the Cisco Unified CM and TFTP.
If auto registration is not enabled and you did not add the phone to the Cisco Unified CM database, the
phone does not attempt to register with Cisco Unified CM. The phone continually displays the
"Configuring IP" message until you either enable auto-registration or add the phone to the Cisco Unified
CM database.
If the phone has registered before, the phone will access the configuration file named
SEPmac_address.cnf.xml, where mac_address is the MAC address of the phone.
The filenames are derived from the MAC Address and Description fields in the Phone Configuration
window of Cisco Unified CM Administration. The MAC address uniquely identifies the phone.
For more information on phone configuration settings, go to the Cisco Unified IP Phone Configuration
chapter in the Cisco Communications Manager Administration Guide.
For more information also refer to the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Security Guide.
Chapter 2 Preparing to Install the Cisco Unified IP Phone on Your Network
Understanding the Phone Startup Process
When connecting to the VoIP network, the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921, 6941, and 6961 go through a
standard startup process that is described in Tab l e 2 -3. Depending on your specific network setup, not
all of these steps may occur on your Cisco Unified IP Phone.
Table 2-3 Cisco Unified IP Phone Startup Process
Task Purpose Related Topics
1. Obtaining Power from the Switch
If a phone is not using external power, the switch
provides in-line power through the Ethernet cable
attached to the phone.
2. Loading the Stored Phone Image
The Cisco Unified IP Phone has non-volatile Flash
memory in which it stores firmware images and
user-defined preferences. At startup, the phone runs a
bootstrap loader that loads a phone image stored in
Flash memory. Using this image, the phone initializes
its software and hardware.
3. Configuring VLAN
If the Cisco Unified IP Phone is connected to a
Cisco Catalyst switch, the switch next informs the
phone of the voice VLAN defined on the switch. The
phone needs to know its VLAN membership before it
can proceed with the Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP) request for an IP address.
• Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database,
page 2-8.
• Resolving Startup Problems, page 9-1.
Resolving Startup Problems, page 9-1.
• Network Setup Menu, page 4-4.
• Resolving Startup Problems, page 9-1.
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Table 2-3 Cisco Unified IP Phone Startup Process (continued)
Task Purpose Related Topics
4. Obtaining an IP Address
• Network Setup Menu, page 4-4.
Understanding the Phone Startup Process
If the Cisco Unified IP Phone is using DHCP to obtain
an IP address, the phone queries the DHCP server to
obtain one. If you are not using DHCP in your
network, you must assign static IP addresses to each
phone locally.
5. Accessing a TFTP Server
In addition to assigning an IP address, the DHCP
server directs the Cisco Unified IP Phone to a TFTP
Server. If the phone has a statically defined IP address,
you must configure the TFTP server locally on the
phone; the phone then contacts the TFTP server
directly.
Note You can also assign an alternative TFTP server
to use instead of the one assigned by DHCP.
6. Requesting the CTL file
The TFTP server stores the certificate trust list (CTL)
file. The CTL file contains the certificates necessary
for establishing a secure connection between the
phone and Cisco Unified CM.
7. Requesting the Configuration File
The TFTP server has configuration files, which define
parameters for connecting to Cisco Unified CM and
other information for the phone.
8. Contacting Cisco Unified CM
The configuration file defines how the Cisco
Unified IP Phone communicates with Cisco
Unified CM and provides a phone with its load ID.
After obtaining the file from the TFTP server, the
phone attempts to make a connection to the highest
priority Cisco Unified CM on the list.
If the phone was manually added to the database,
Cisco Unified CM identifies the phone. If the phone
was not manually added to the database and
auto-registration is enabled in Cisco Unified CM, the
phone attempts to auto-register itself in the Cisco
Unified CM database.
• Resolving Startup Problems, page 9-1.
• Network Setup Menu, page 4-4.
• Resolving Startup Problems, page 9-1.
Refer to the Cisco Unified Communications Manager
Security Guide, “Configuring the Cisco CTL Client”
chapter.
• Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database,
page 2-8.
• Resolving Startup Problems, page 9-1.
Resolving Startup Problems, page 9-1.
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Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database
Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database
Before installing the Cisco Unified IP phone, you must choose a method for adding phones to the Cisco
Unified CM database. Be aware that each phone type requires a fixed number of device license units and
the number of unit licenses that are available on the server may impact phone registration. For more
information on licensing go to the Licenses for Phones section in the Cisco Unified Communications
Manager System Guide.
These sections describe the methods:
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration, page 2-8
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration and TAPS, page 2-9
• Adding Phones with Cisco Unified CM Administration, page 2-10
• Adding Phones with BAT, page 2-10
Table 2-4 provides an overview of these methods for adding phones to the Cisco Unified CM database.
Table 2-4 Methods for Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database
Requires MAC
Method
Auto-registration No
Address? Notes
• Results in automatic assignment of directory
numbers
• Not available when security or encryption is
enabled
Auto-registration with
TAPS
Using the Cisco Unified
CM Administration
Using BAT Yes Allows for simultaneous registration of multiple
No Requires auto-registration and the Bulk
Yes Requires phones to be added individually
Adding Phones with Auto-Registration
By enabling auto-registration before you begin installing phones, you can:
• Add phones without first gathering MAC addresses from the phones.
• Automatically add a Cisco Unified IP Phone to the Cisco Unified CM database when you physically
connect the phone to your IP telephony network. During auto-registration, Cisco Unified CM
assigns the next available sequential directory number to the phone.
• Quickly enter phones into the Cisco Unified CM database and modify any settings, such as the
directory numbers, from Cisco Unified CM.
Note Auto-registration is disabled when
security is enabled on Cisco Unified CM.
In this case, the phone must be manually
added to the Cisco Unified CM database.
Administration Tool (BAT); updates information
in the Cisco Unified IP Phone and in Cisco
Unified CM Administration
phones
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• Move auto-registered phones to new locations and assign them to different device pools without
affecting their directory numbers.
Note Cisco recommends you use auto-registration to add less than 100 phones to your network. To add more
than 100 phones to your network, use the Bulk Administration Tool (BAT). See the “Adding Phones with
BAT” section on page 2-10.
Auto-registration is disabled by default. In some cases, you might not want to use auto-registration; for
example, if you want to assign a specific directory number to the phone. For information about enabling
auto-registration, go to the “Enabling Auto-Registration” section in the Cisco Unified Communications
Manager Administration Guide.
Note When you configure the cluster for mixed mode through the Cisco CTL client, auto-registration is
automatically disabled. When you configure the cluster for non-secure mode through the Cisco CTL
client, auto-registration is automatically enabled.
Related Topics
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration and TAPS, page 2-9
• Adding Phones with Cisco Unified CM Administration, page 2-10
Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database
• Adding Phones with BAT, page 2-10
Adding Phones with Auto-Registration and TAPS
You can add phones with auto-registration and TAPS, the Tool for Auto-Registered Phones Support,
without first gathering MAC addresses from phones.
TAPS works with the Bulk Administration Tool (BAT) to update a batch of phones that were already
added to the Cisco Unified CM database with dummy MAC addresses. Use TAPS to update
MAC addresses and download pre-defined configurations for phones.
Note Cisco recommends you use auto-registration and TAPS to add less than 100 phones to your network. To
add more than 100 phones to your network, use the Bulk Administration Tool (BAT). See the “Adding
Phones with BAT” section on page 2-10.
To implement TAPS, you or the end-user dial a TAPS directory number and follow voice prompts. When
the process is complete, the phone will have downloaded its directory number and other settings, and the
phone will be updated in Cisco Unified CM Administration with the correct MAC address.
Auto-registration must be enabled in Cisco Unified CM Administration (System > Cisco Unified CM)
for TAPS to function.
Note When you configure the cluster for mixed mode through the Cisco CTL client, auto-registration is
automatically disabled. When you configure the cluster for non-secure mode through the Cisco CTL
client, auto-registration is automatically enabled.
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For more information, go to the “Bulk Administration” chapter in Cisco Unified Communications
Manager Administration Guide.
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Adding Phones to the Cisco Unified CM Database
Related Topics
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration, page 2-8
• Adding Phones with Cisco Unified CM Administration, page 2-10
• Adding Phones with BAT, page 2-10
Adding Phones with Cisco Unified CM Administration
You can add phones individually to the Cisco Unified CM database by using Cisco Unified CM
Administration. To do so, you first need to obtain the MAC address for each phone.
For information about determining a MAC address, see the “Determining the MAC Address for a Cisco
Unified IP Phone” section on page 2-11.
After you have collected MAC addresses, in Cisco Unified CM Administration, choose Device > Phone
and click Add New to begin.
For complete instructions and conceptual information about Cisco Unified CM, go to the “Cisco Unified
Communications Manager Overview” chapter in the Cisco Unified Communications Manager System
Guide.
Related Topics
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration, page 2-8
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration and TAPS, page 2-9
• Adding Phones with BAT, page 2-10
Adding Phones with BAT
Cisco Unified Communications Manager Bulk Administration Tool (BAT) enables you to perform batch
operations, including registration, on multiple phones. To access BAT, choose Bulk Administration
drop-down menu in Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration,
To add phones by using BAT only (not in conjunction with TAPS), you can use the MAC address for
each phone or dummy MAC addresses if you have a large number of new phones.
For information about determining a MAC address, see the “Determining the MAC Address for a Cisco
Unified IP Phone” section on page 2-11.
For detailed instructions about using BAT, go to the “Bulk Administration” chapter in the Cisco Unified
Communications Manager Administration Guide.
Related Topics
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration, page 2-8
• Adding Phones with Auto-Registration and TAPS, page 2-9
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• Adding Phones with Cisco Unified CM Administration, page 2-10
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Determining the MAC Address for a Cisco Unified IP Phone
Determining the MAC Address for a Cisco Unified IP Phone
Several procedures described in this manual require you to determine the MAC address of a
Cisco Unified IP Phone. You can determine a phone’s MAC address in these ways:
• From the phone, press the Applications button and select Phone Information and look at the
MAC Address field.
• Look at the MAC label on the back of the phone.
• Display the web page for the phone and click the Device Information hyperlink.
For information about accessing the web page, see the “Accessing the Web Page for a Phone”
section on page 8-2.
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Determining the MAC Address for a Cisco Unified IP Phone
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