Nortel HomeOffice II, Meridian HomeOffice II User Manual

555-8321-210

Meridian HomeOffice II

Line Card Configuration Guide

Product release 2.1 Standard 01.02 July 1999

Meridian HomeOffice II

Line Card Configuration Guide

Publication number: 555-8321-210
Product release: 2.1
Document release: Standard 01.02
Date: July 1999

Copyright © 1999 Nortel Networks, All Rights Reserved.

Printed in Canada

Information is subject to change without notice. Nortel Networks reserves the right to make changes
in design or components as progress in engineering and manufacturing may warrant.

MERIDIAN 1, NORTEL NETWORKS, NORTEL NETWORKS HOW THE WORLD SHARES IDEAS,
RAPPORT, and SL-100 are trademarks of Nortel Networks.

APPLETALK is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. ASCEND and MAX are trademarks of Ascend
Communications (now InternetWorking Systems, a subsidiary of Lucent Technologies). BANYAN
and VINES are trademarks of Banyan Systems Incorporated. DECNET is a trademark of Digital
Equipment Corporation. EMPOWER is a trademark of Primex Technologies Inc. HYPERTERMINAL
is a trademark of Hilgraeve, Incorporated. INTEL is a trademark of Intel Corporation. LANROVER,
LANROVER ACCESS SWITCH, and SHIVA are trademarks of Shiva Corporation. MICROSOFT,
MS-DOS, and WINDOWS are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. NETWARE, INTERNETWORK
PACKET EXCHANGE, and IPX are trademarks of Novell, Inc. PROCOMM PLUS is a trademark of
Datastorm Technologies, a subsidiary of Quarterdeck Corporation. UNIX is a trademark of X/OPEN
Company Limited.

July 1999 Publication history

Publication history

July 1999

July 1998

This is the Standard 01.02 issue of the Line Card Configuration
Guide for product release 2.1 of Meridian HomeOffice II. This

issue adds descriptions of new features of the
Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card, enhances descriptions
included in the previous issue, and includes more detailed
information on configuring the card for specific situations.

This is the Standard issue of the Line Card Configuration Guide
for product release 2.1 of Meridian HomeOffice II. This issue
describes the Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card and its
features, and explains how to install and configure it.

Line Card Configuration Guide iii

Publication history Standard 01.02

iv Meridian HomeOffice II

Contents

About this guide ix

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

How this guide is organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Related documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

1

2

Description 1

System overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Physical architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Card configuration: required elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Environmental and safety considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Hardware installation 19

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Section A: Planning the installation 21

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Preinstallation preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Installation scenarios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Section B: Configuring the DIP switches 31

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Understanding the DIP switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Setting the DIP switches for one HLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Setting the DIP switches for multiple HLCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Section C: Performing the installation 43

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Cable descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

MMI terminal connection scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Installing and cabling a single HLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Installing and cabling multiple HLCs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Line Card Configuration Guide v

Contents Standard 01.02

3

4

Software configuration 57

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Configuring a slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Section A: Trunk configuration 61

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Host trunk configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

ISDN BRI line requirements at the corporate office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Section B: Voice and data port configuration 73

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Understanding port relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Configuring voice and data ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Section C: HomeOffice II Line Card configuration 81

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Mandatory HLC configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Optional HLC configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Maintenance 87

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Repair and replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

LOGIN (L) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

HELP (HE or ?) menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

HOST (HO). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

COPY ONOFFTABLE (C O). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

QUIT (Q) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Section A: DISPLAY (D) commands 99

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

DISPLAY CONFIG (D C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

DISPLAY ECHO (D E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

DISPLAY ONOFFTABLE (D O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

DISPLAY PHONE (D P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

DISPLAY REMOTE (D R) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

DISPLAY STATUS (D S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Section B: SET (S) commands 111

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

SET CONFIG (S C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

SET DATE (S D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

SET ECHO (S E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

SET IDENTIFIER (S I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

vi Meridian HomeOffice II

July 1999 Contents

SET ONOFFTABLE (S O). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

SET PHONE (S P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

SET REMOTE (S R) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

SET TIME (S T) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Section C: ERASE (E) commands 137

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

ERASE ONOFFTABLE (E O). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

ERASE REMOTE (E R). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Section D: OFFLINE (O) commands 143

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

OFFLINE NORMAL (O N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

OFFLINE FORCE (O F) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Section E: PROVISION (P) commands 147

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

PROVISION SAVE (P S). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

PROVISION REVERT (P R) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

PROVISION ERASE (P E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

5

Section F: TEST (T) menu 153

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Connectivity test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Phone test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Possible test results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Section G: UPLOAD (U) command 159

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Upload (U) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Troubleshooting 165

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Dropped calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

No voice path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Echo on line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Blocked calls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Unsatisfactory Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Line Card Configuration Guide vii

Contents Standard 01.02

A

Man-Machine Interface (MMI) commands 177

MMI commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Index 183

viii Meridian HomeOffice II

Preface

About this guide

In this preface

Overview x
How this guide is organized xii
Related documents xiii

Line Card Configuration Guide ix

About this guide Standard 01.02

Overview

Introduction

This document describes the Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card (HLC). It
provides specific information on how the card is installed, configured, and
maintained as an integral part of a Meridian HomeOffice II system.

Version and issue of Meridian HomeOffice II documentation

A four-digit document number (for example, 01.01) indicates the version of the
Meridian HomeOffice II hardware and issue of Meridian HomeOffice II
documentation. The first two digits indicate the release or version of the product.
The second two digits indicate the release or issue of the documentation.

The first two digits refer to the product itself. They increase by one each time the
product is rereleased. For example, the first issue of the documentation
discussing the first version of the Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card receives
document number 01.01. The first issue of the documentation covering the
second version of the Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card receives document
number 02.01.

The second two digits refer to the documentation. They increase by one each
time the documentation is altered and reissued for the same version of the
product. If the first issue of the documentation, number 01.01, changes to
enhance its description of the functionality of the first version of the Meridian
HomeOffice II Line Card, the new issue of the documentation receives
document number 01.02.

Application of version and issue in this documentation release

The second issue of this guide in support of Meridian HomeOffice II
Release 2.1, Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card, AC vintage, Release 1, carries
documentation issue Standard 01.02.

x Meridian HomeOffice II

July 1999 About this guide

Skills required

This guide is intended for Meridian 1 and SL-100 installation technicians with at
least a basic knowledge of

telecommunications terminology

■

RS-232 signaling

■

switch maintenance (SDI operation)

■

Line Card Configuration Guide xi

About this guide Standard 01.02

How this guide is organized

Chapters contained in this guide

Chapter 1, “Description”

This chapter describes the HomeOffice II Line Card and its interoperability
features.

Chapter 2, “Hardware installation”

This chapter describes how to install and cable Meridian HomeOffice II Line
Cards in Meridian 1 and SL-100 PBXs.

Chapter 3, “Software configuration”

This chapter describes how to configure a Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card’s
features for optimum performance of Meridian HomeOffice II according to
individual telecommuters’ specific needs.

Chapter 4, “Maintenance”

This chapter describes the Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card man-machine
interface (MMI) commands, which are accessible through the Meridian 1 or SL­100 MMI terminal. This chapter explains command meanings and usage, and
gives an example of the on-screen display for each command.

Chapter 5, “Troubleshooting”

This chapter contains hints at possible solutions to commonly reported
difficulties.

Appendix, “Man-Machine Interface (MMI) commands”

The Appendix provides a quick reference to the MMI commands available
through the Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card.

Index

The Index provides an alternate method for locating information in this guide.

xii Meridian HomeOffice II

July 1999 About this guide

Related documents

Introduction

This topic identifies documents available for:

network administrators

■

Meridian 1 or SL-100 technicians

■

telecommuters

■

How to obtain Meridian HomeOffice II documentation

You can order printed versions of the documents from Nortel Networks.

You can download soft copy versions (in Adobe Acrobat PDF format) from the
Nortel Networks web site at http://www.nortelnetworks.com/homeoffice. When
you reach this site, click Software and Documentation Distribution Center, and
then download the files that you need.

Network administrator documents

Meridian HomeOffice II Planning Guide (NTP 555-8321-101)

This document is written for both the telecommunications network and data
network administrators. It explains what is needed to incorporate Meridian
HomeOffice II into the corporate network. It also provides installation checklists
and data entry forms.

Meridian HomeOffice II Release Notes (NTP 555-8321-102)

The Release Notes describe the features and known problems for Meridian
HomeOffice II.

The HomeOffice Router package includes a condensed version of the Release
Notes. The Meridian HomeOffice II CD-ROM provides a version containing
more detailed information.

Note:

The printed copy may supersede the copy provided on the CD-ROM. You

may obtain the most up-to-date version from the Nortel Networks web site.

Line Card Configuration Guide xiii

About this guide Standard 01.02

Meridian HomeOffice II Network Administration Guide
(NTP 555-8321-310)

This document is written for the corporate data network administrator. It
describes data networking concepts and features, and explains how to configure
the HomeOffice Router for operation within the data network. It also provides
configuration instructions for interoperability with other devices on the data
network.

Meridian HomeOffice II Command Shell User Guide
(NTP 555-8321-910)

This document is written for data network administrators and advanced users. It
explains how to use the command shell to configure the HomeOffice Router.

This document is available on the HomeOffice II CD-ROM and the Nortel
Networks web site only. It is unavailable in printed format.

Meridian 1 or SL-100 installer/administrator documents

Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card Configuration Guide
(NTP 555-8321-210)

This document is written for the Meridian 1 or SL-100 installer and/or
administrator. It explains how to install and configure the HomeOffice II Line
Card on the Meridian 1 or SL-100 PBX.

Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card Installer’s Notes

The Installer’s Notes is a quick reference document that is provided inside the
HomeOffice II Line Card package. This document summarizes installation and
configuration procedures, and provides cross-references to other documents for
more detailed information.

Note:

You cannot order this document separately.

xiv Meridian HomeOffice II

July 1999 About this guide

Telecommuter documents

Meridian HomeOffice II User Guide (NTP 555-8321-205)

This document explains how to install and configure the HomeOffice Router and
digital telephone. It also includes the information needed to configure the
HomeOffice Router for operation on the corporate networks.

This document is included inside the HomeOffice Router package.

Meridian HomeOffice II Quick Start Guide (NTP 555-8321-900)

This document explains what is on the HomeOffice II CD-ROM and provides a
quick reference installation procedure.

This document comes with the CD-ROM inside the HomeOffice II package.

Meridian 1 and SL-100 documents

The following documents can provide more detailed information to help you
complete installation and configuration:

Meridian 1 Installation planning (NTP 553-3001-120)

■

Meridian 1 System engineering (NTP 553-3001-151)

■

Meridian 1 Power engineering (NTP 553-3001-152)

■

Meridian SL-100 Intelligent Peripheral Equipment (IPE)

■

Reference Manual (NTP 555-4001-129)

You may also find it helpful to browse the Nortel Networks home page on the
World Wide Web at http:\\www.nortelnetworks.com.

Line Card Configuration Guide xv

About this guide Standard 01.02

xvi Meridian HomeOffice II

Chapter 1

Description

In this chapter

System overview 2
Physical architecture 7
Functionality 8
Cabling 13
Compatibility 15
Card configuration: required elements 16
Environmental and safety considerations 18

Line Card Configuration Guide 1

Description Draft 01.02

System overview

Introduction

Meridian HomeOffice II provides telecommuters with a Meridian digital
telephone, a fax port, and connection to their company’s Ethernet network over a
single Basic Rate Interface (BRI) line to the telecommuter’s home office (the
remote site). The BRI line terminates in an ISDN connection at a HomeOffice
Router in the telecommuter’s home office. These communications links are
illustrated on page 3.

Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card

The Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card (HLC) is a standard IPE line card
designed to fit into IPE shelves a Meridian 1 or SL-100 switch located at the
corporate office (the local site). Each HLC maintains up to 16 virtual telephones
on 16 channels. Using the voice and data paths of each of these 16 channels, a
single HLC manages up to 16 telecommuters’ home offices (remote sites).

The voice channels provide communications links between the digital
telephones and the host PBX at the local site. The voice channels also provide
the communications links between the digital telephone and the Remote
Daughterboard (RDB) inside the HomeOffice Router at each remote site.

The data channels, which are normally idle in the Meridian telephone, provide
the communications links between the HLC at the local site and the RDBs at
remote sites.

Through the 16 virtual telephones, the HLC connects with up to 16 RDBs. Thus,
the HLC manages up to 16 actual Meridian digital telephones at up to 16 remote
sites. There is one port on the HLC for each HomeOffice Router it serves.

The PBX communicates with the HLC in the same way it does with an extended
digital line card (XDLC). The HLC utilizes a dedicated, all-digital data channel
to communicate with the HomeOffice Router through the RDB. The
communications links of a Meridian HomeOffice II system are shown in the
following illustration.

2 Meridian HomeOffice II

June 1999 Description

Communication links of a Meridian HomeOffice II system

isg625_1

Corporate network

(Host location)

Data switch

Meridian 1
or SL-100 PBX

Network

BRI

Home office

(Remote location)

Fax

HomeOffice

Router

Ethernet PC

Digital

telephone

Network shelf

X

IPE shelf

XDLC = Extended Digital Line Card
HLC = Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card
IPE = Intelligent Peripheral Equipment

H

D

L

L

C

C

BRI

Fax

HomeOffice

Router

Ethernet PC

Digital

telephone

Line Card Configuration Guide 3

Description Draft 01.02

Features

Digital telephone emulation

By emulating HLC-compatible models of the Meridian digital telephone, the
HLC allows telecommuters to function at their home offices as though they were
at their corporate offices. HLC-compatible models of the Meridian digital
telephone include the following models:

Meridian 2216

■

Meridian 2616

■

Meridian 2616CT (for firmware releases HLC 1.15 and later)

■

Meridian 3820

■

Variable security levels

Three security levels allow controlled access to HLC channels on a per-card
basis. See “HLC security” on page 11 for further details. The following list
describes these three levels:

Level 1: no call security

■

Access to the HLC’s channels is not restricted.
Level 2: calling party ID (CPID)

■

The HLC identifies the number of the caller requesting access to one of its
channels. If that number matches the remote number of the HomeOffice
site configured for that channel, access is granted. If the number of the
incoming call does not match, access is denied.

See “SET REMOTE (S R)” on page 131 for a discussion of this feature.

Level 3: security identifier

■

The HomeOffice Router sends the security identifier configured for the
remote office from which the caller requests access. The HLC compares
that number to the eight security identifiers configured for the HLC. When
it finds a match, it grants access to that channel corresponding to that
security identifier. (Security Level 3 is the default security level.)

See “Security level and security identifier” on page 17.

4 Meridian HomeOffice II

June 1999 Description

Online/Offline table

This table allows you to schedule times that the ISDN connection is made
available to the HomeOffice II user, and times at which the telephone in the
user’s home office reverts to normal telephone service.

Note:

This feature takes users online or offline on the specified day at the
specified time. It does not prevent the user from accessing the Meridian
HomeOffice II system.

See “SET ONOFFTABLE (S O)” on page 124.

Echo canceling

Echo canceling filters unwanted signals caused by echoes of the main signal.
These unwanted signals often occur in long-delay communications, causing the
speaker to hear an echo of his or her own speech in the receiver.

Firmware releases prior to HLC 1.15 supported echo canceling on any four HLC
channels. HLC firmware releases 1.15 and above, shipped on AB-vintage and
later HLCs, support echo canceling on all 16 HLC channels.

See “SET ECHO (S E)” on page 120.

Configurable password

You can change the HomeOffice II login password to control access to the HLC
maintenance terminal.

Note:

The Host password

(HOST)

is non-configurable, and may not be changed

from its default setting.

See “SET CONFIG (S C)” on page 114.

Line Card Configuration Guide 5

Description Draft 01.02

HomeOffice II troubleshooting

You can run the following system tests from a man-machine interface (MMI)
terminal:

Connectivity test

■

This test verifies the connection between the HLC and the RDB
Phone test

■

This test verifies the connection between the RDB and the Meridian digital
telephone.

See “TEST (T) menu” on page 153 for test procedures.

Daisy chain capability

Daisy chaining allows multiple HLCs to share a single maintenance terminal
and a single SDI port.

See “Installing and cabling multiple HLCs” on page 53.

SDI access

Through the

HOST (HO)

command, you have the ability to access the switch

configuration port via the MMI terminal.

See “HOST (HO)” on page 94.

Firmware upgrades

UPLOAD (U)

The

command allows you to upgrade the software capabilities of

the HLC.

See “UPLOAD (U) command” on page 159.

6 Meridian HomeOffice II

June 1999 Description

Physical architecture

Introduction

At the corporate office (local site), the HLC requires all-digital trunking through
a T1, E1, or PRI link. The HLC is a digital line card designed to fit into a
Meridian 1 or SL-100 IPE shelf or Option 11 cabinet. The HLC meets the
electrical and bus interface requirements of this shelf. It has two serial ports: a
Man-machine Interface (MMI), and a Serial Data Interface (SDI). You can daisy
chain, or link, multiple HLCs through these ports, using one HomeOffice II Line
Card Multi-I/O Cable per HLC, so that all HLCs in the daisy chain can share a
single maintenance terminal. See page 28 for an illustration of a daisy-chained
system.

Corporate office (local) site

At the telecommuter’s corporate office site, the HLC plugs into an IPE module
or an Option 11 cabinet. The HomeOffice II Multi-I/O cable (see page 45)
supplies MMI and SDI connections to the HLC, and links multiple HLCs in
daisy-chained systems.

Home office (remote) site

At the telecommuter’s home office site, the all-digital line terminates into an
ISDN connection at the HomeOffice Router. The HomeOffice Router supplies a
MERIDIAN port (for connectivity to the digital telephone), the system’s
Ethernet port, and an analog port (for an optional, user-supplied fax machine).
The HomeOffice Router contains a Remote Daughterboard (RDB), which
supplies the system with its digital telephone interface.

The HLC allows as much as 65 milliseconds (ms) of network delay between
telecommuters’ corporate offices and their home offices. See page 3 for an
illustration of the elements of the HomeOffice II system and their relationships
to one another.

Line Card Configuration Guide 7

Description Draft 01.02

Functionality

Introduction

This topic summarizes the features provided by the HLC. Refer to Chapter 2 of
this guide, “Hardware installation,” for step-by-step setup instructions.

Self-test

The HLC performs test functions to guarantee system integrity. The board
completes a self-test each time it is turned on or reset. The faceplate LED blinks
three times, then remains on until the switch enables the card, indicating a
successful Self-Test.

If the LED blinks repeatedly at one-second intervals, try reseating the card at the
switch by lifting the ejector tabs and pulling the HLC out. This breaks the
connection between the card and the backplane. Then reinsert the card.

If the HLC still does not complete a successful Self-Test, see “Unsatisfactory
Flash” on page 175 for instructions on how to revert the HLC to the factory
default firmware load residing in the E-PROM module.

If the card still does not pass its Self-Test, it must be returned to the factory for
service. See “Caution” on page 18.

User tests

You can choose from several available testing options. The HLC supports the
following tests:

■

all switch tests supported by an XDLC
See documentation for your specific switch for further details.
a Connectivity Test to verify the connection between the HLC and the RDB

■

See “Connectivity test” on page 155.
a Phone Test to verify signaling between the digital telephone and the RDB

■

See “Phone test” on page 156.

8 Meridian HomeOffice II

June 1999 Description

Circuit pack

The HLC conforms to the Common Features Specification for IPE line cards.

LED

The LED indicates card enabled/disabled status. The LED indicates a successful
Self-Test by blinking three times each time you start or reset the card. If, after
passing its self-test, the card’s LED remains lit, check the switch to see if the
card is enabled. If the card is enabled and the LED remains lit, this indicates a
problem at the switch.

Echo canceling

The Digital Signal Processor (DSP) provides echo canceling to all 16 channels
of HLCs equipped with firmware load HLC 1.15 and later. Echo canceling
isolates and filters unwanted signals, or echoes, from the main transmitted
signal.

Echo is often experienced in long-delay communication when a person’s speech
echoes in the receiver. A tail, in echo canceling terms, is the portion of your
speech that returns to you in an echo. You usually measure tail length in
milliseconds. (1000 ms = 1 second). See “SET ECHO (S E)” on page 120.

Note:

The particular routing of each call through the public switched telephone
network (PSTN) can effect the need for echo canceling.

Multiple-agent (user) access

Each HLC has 16 channels (numbered 0–15). Each channel has access to only
one ISDN connection. Multiple-agent functionality allows the you to assign up
to eight different users (agents) to a single HLC channel. However, only one of
these users (agents) can have access to the channel at any one time.

Line Card Configuration Guide 9

Description Draft 01.02

Through remote number configuration, see “SET REMOTE (S R)” on page 131,
you can enable up to eight different users (agents) to access the same HLC
channel with the understanding that only one agent can have access to the
channel (and the channel’s ISDN connection) at any one time. Without multiple-
agent access, the company must reserve an entire channel for each user (agent),
even if the agent only uses the connection for part of the day.

Multiple-agent access allows several different people to use the same channel at
different times during the same day. However, when a particular user (agent)
attempts to go online, the channel must not be in use by another agent. If the
channel is in use when an agent attempts to log in, the agent’s digital telephone
will display an

“HLC Port Already in Use”

message. In other words,

the HLC supports only one ACD agent per channel online at any one time.

An example configuration for a single channel at a business that must have
operators standing by around the clock to serve a global clientele is three
individual agents, each assigned to one eight-hour shift.

You can assign a unique remote number and security identifier to each ACD
agent. However, in a shift arrangement where each user works from the same
telephone, this is not required.

Going online as an ACD agent

When an ACD agent attempts to go online, the HLC receives a data call from the
agent’s HomeOffice Router requesting access to the appropriate channel.

If the channel is in use, the agent receives a message on the display of the

■

digital telephone stating “HLC Port Already in Use,” and is denied access
to the HLC.

If the channel is not in use, the HLC checks the security ID sent by the

■

RDB in the agent’s HomeOffice Router against the security ID that you
have configured for this agent number on this channel.

If the security IDs match, the agent is now active and can receive calls from
the ACD queue.

10 Meridian HomeOffice II

June 1999 Description

ACD agents can also place calls in local mode (if authorized) while waiting for
access to their channels. The agent who is active on a particular channel remains
active until either the agent, the HLC (via the Online/Offline table), or the
system administrator (via the

OFFLINE FORCE

command, see “OFFLINE
FORCE (O F)” on page 146) places the channel offline. Agents who attempt to
access an HLC channel in use by another user are denied access or receive a
message on their display stating

“HLC Port Already in Use.”

HLC security

Security is provisioned on a per-HLC basis. For security validation, the HLC
stores a database of eight Calling Party Identification numbers (compiled from
the Remote numbers) and eight Security Identifiers per channel. There are three
levels of security, as described below.

Security Level 3 (Security ID)

Security Level 3 is the default security level. When this level is provisioned, the
incoming Security ID from an agent going online is compared with the eight
provisioned IDs, and the appropriate ACD agent is activated. This ACD agent
now receives calls from the ACD queue associated with this channel.

Security Level 2 (CPID)

When Security Level 2 is provisioned, the incoming calling party identification
(CPID) for the call going online is compared against the eight CPID numbers,
and the appropriate user or ACD agent is activated. Only this agent can receive
and place calls until the channel goes offline.

Security Level 1 (no call security)

When provisioned for Security Level 1 (no call security), all incoming data calls
are permitted, but new outgoing data calls are only initiated to the default (first
available) user or ACD agent. This scenario can support multiple ACD agents
per channel via permanent BRI connections initiated by the remote ACD agent.

Line Card Configuration Guide 11

Description Draft 01.02

CTI applications

First-party support

Meridian HomeOffice II Line Cards that are equipped with firmware releases

1.15 and RDB 9.2.8 and later provide full support for first-party Computer
Telephony Integration (CTI) applications, such as Symposium FastView 1.6.0.3,
Symposium Call Manager 5.0.32.29, and Desktop TAPI Server Provider

1.6.0.9c.

Some of these applications communicate to a Meridian Communications
Adapter (MCA) installed in the base of the digital telephone or to the
Symposium Communicator Card installed on the PC. While the MCA cannot
place calls to other devices, it can support these first-party CTI applications.

Note:

First-party applications are computer applications that can provide a
screen pop and on-screen telephone set control to the agent, and can route a
telephone call.

Third-party support

Meridian HomeOffice II Line Cards that are equipped with firmware releases

1.15 and RDB 9.2.8 and later provide full support third-party Computer
Telephony Integration (CTI) applications, such as Symposium TAPI Server
Provider Release 2.1 for M1, and Symposium Agent 1.1.0.3.

Debug capability

HLCs equipped with firmware releases 1.15 and later allow troubleshooters to
perform call traces, which trace the activity of the Meridian HomeOffice II
system as it processes individual calls. The debug commands require special
passwords. You can obtain these passwords from customer service technicians in
troubleshooting situations only.

Note:

Only use the debug features of the Meridian HomeOffice II Line Card
when instructed to do so by a customer service technician.

12 Meridian HomeOffice II