Fanvil Firmware Change Logs

[aschildmeyerSTR]

Hey Team 3CX,

I'd hate to beat this dead horse as I already talked about it in this thread but when I asked fanvil if they could provide a firmware change log since this page https://www.fanvil.com/Support/download/id/108.html doesn't show anything newer than 2.4.2 they said the following -

Regarding the firmware, only the firmware versions used in our products are published on the Fanvil website for end users in general.
In the case of our products that make use of 3CX, it is always recommended to download and use the firmwares that are published on the 3CX website, in fact from the following link you can download the versions 2.4.10 and 2.4.11.

Anyways, it appears they are saying you own the changelog as it's a firmware specific for 3CX?

As I have few problems around various bluetooth headsets locking/freezing up the phones to my HP/Aruba switches being riddled with POE errors in a constant stream that i've been working with Fanvil on I'm hoping I will see in these updates something about it. I have X5U, X6U, X210 phones.

Sorry to bug and bring it up again.

 

[Alphabetic]

It may be worth you contacting support via your customer portal or find a reseller to help you so you can have 1 on 1 support since it appears you've been trying on here for a while.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Anyways, it appears they are saying you own the changelog as it's a firmware specific for 3CX?

Hi @aschildmeyerSTR

We don't write firmware nor do we own the changelog to any 3rd party manufacturers products.

Besides, a changelog documents notable changes after they've been fixed so it's safe to assume it won't be of much use to you if you are still facing those issues.

I suggest you either get help from a 3CX Partner who has experience in deploying those devices, or take it up directly with the manufacturer since you are their customer at the end of the day who is facing issues with their products. Just like we value customer feedback on our product, I'm confident they will also value your feedback as a Fanvil customer and will give them the opportunity to hear from you directly without a middle man.

 

[aschildmeyerSTR]

Thanks, you do not write the firmware but it is in fact branded 3CX vs just the generic end user firmware. It has updates specific to 3CX hence why you wait for certain things to be fixed up to your desired state then you release.

A partner isn't going to be much help as they aren't the manufacture of the device. My issue with the Bluetooth is it's locking up the UI of physical device

At random times the phones (as there is many of them) issues a BT scan and then

/UI_LOG | msgQueueSend: ui msg send failed!----(-1)-(Resource temporarily unavailable), msg queue used-bytes:16368 ,messages:372 ,the last recv msg type is EVT_TIME,code is 0

as you can see it's the UI_LOG it then can't deal with it's messaging so the whole UI is locked whilist the management is not. Clearly a software defect.

Next with the POE the phone is issuing that it wants 0 Watts of PoE because fanvil hasn't followed the POE spec properly, POE+ doesn't require above 12 W to have the device issue what it wants for PoE. Fanvil appears to have taken it as we will make it just say 0 vs nothing at all. This causes a stream of 24/7 errors on my switches.

Anyway, I have my cases with them open and they aren't going to go anywhere. But my point is if the phone is on 2.4.2 for generic fanvil users then maybe something in 2.4.5, 2.4.7, 2.4.10 and 2.4.11 was introduced that causes the bluetooth to cause the messaging queue in the UI to die. I wouldn't know since those are 3CX driven firmware's with no change logs. Then if hey, Fanvil actually acknowledges there is something wrong with there firmware they will have to issue me a generic firmware that isn't a 3CX one. This puts me in a different branch and I won't quite know what fixes I'm missing out on by using unsupported firmware?

But I will take @kieferschild advice and potentially open a support case and spend money on what should be a super trivial hyperlink on the firmware page. Thanks for the advice.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

The branding is simply a customization that Fanvil adds to their 3CX branch of the firmware. Yes, we have to wait for them to release it to us, before we can make it available for our customers and desired state only covers the basic functionality relating to 3CX. Unfortunately when it comes to PoE or Bluetooth it's entirely up to them to test and maintain and it was a definitely the right thing on your part to open a case with them so they can address it. Hopefully any fixes they make based on this feedback will also be incorporated into the next 3CX branch.

I was wondering, have you already checked to see if latest generic Fanvil firmware and changelog contain fixes to those issues?

 

[NickD_3CX]

But I will take @kieferschild advice and potentially open a support case and spend money on what should be a super trivial hyperlink on the firmware page. Thanks for the advice.

Also just to add, I would generally advise not to open a support case, you would be wasting time and money (if you do it directly).

The situation is as @JohnS_3CX said right above.

 

[aschildmeyerSTR]

Also just to add, I would generally advise not to open a support case, you would be wasting time and money (if you do it directly).

The situation is as @JohnS_3CX said right above.

Thanks @NickD_3CX the partner I bought my license through is 125.00 USD an hour for support and to open cases. That is why I'm trying other avenues before I go down that path. So I fully agree with you it's a waste of time and money. And as someone who worked at a VAR I typically know the depth of what a partner can do.

@JohnS_3CX Yes, I have looked at the firmware log for the generic and there is nothing there for it. That is why I get concerned in different branches of firmware and new vs old and changes. Yes, I'm sure it's highly unlikely something new in the 3CX branch is causing it, but by making changes it could break things that aren't quite seen on the generic end user scale if you know what I mean. But I think the generic firmware maybe has those issues with BT as well because 2.4.2 which is the newest from fanvil direct was posted on 2021-02-25 while back in September of 2020-09-29 this person in the 3CX forums appears to be struggling with the BT problems as well. Granted he never mentions phone firmware version but it was probably 2.2.1 or 2.2.11 if I follow the generic change log but were those ever 3CX versions?

 

[ThomasLeeIV]

I am the one that previously had the BT issues and I scour these forums every time a new firmware is released hoping for evidence of a fix, but so far no luck. Unfortunately Fanvil support has been nearly useless (no reply since Oct 8th) and as you stated hasn't released a changelog in months. I've tried every 3CX branded firmware version since 2.2.10 and even tried the factory version 1.0 and still experience the bluetooth issue on both X210 and X6U devices.

Saving a little bit of money on the Fanvil handsets sure backfired when I'm forced to buy $100+ Plantronics cordless headsets because the $15 bluetooth ones freeze the handsets.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

@JohnS_3CX Yes, I have looked at the firmware log for the generic and there is nothing there for it.

That's very telling, and in line with your experience with the 3CX firmware. The customizations Fanvil makes for our branch are mostly to do with SIP behavior/provisioning and not anything regarding the rest of the functions (those are inherited from their main firmware).

If you see the issue being fixed in their main changelog, you should also expect those fixes to arrive on our version in the next release they send us (some 3CX updates are actually just this, updating our version to include the fixes from their main firmware).

 

[aschildmeyerSTR]

I am the one that previously had the BT issues and I scour these forums every time a new firmware is released hoping for evidence of a fix, but so far no luck. Unfortunately Fanvil support has been nearly useless (no reply since Oct 8th) and as you stated hasn't released a changelog in months. I've tried every 3CX branded firmware version since 2.2.10 and even tried the factory version 1.0 and still experience the bluetooth issue on both X210 and X6U devices.

Saving a little bit of money on the Fanvil handsets sure backfired when I'm forced to buy $100+ Plantronics cordless headsets because the $15 bluetooth ones freeze the handsets.

Great details on the firmware stuff you have tried. Based on the the syslog showing that it can't deliver a message I would say something with BT is causing the messaging bus to die. Similar behavior can happen on a network switch, like I've seen an activity light message not make it causing a switch to die.

I'm using the Sennheiser presence headset which is also on Fanvils tested happy device list and it causes the issue. But I got one guy who can't hear people with wideband codecs as the bass makes it hard to hear. So I gave him a BT aftershokz headset and it works wonders for his hearing. But it crashes the phone too. I'm testing an HBS-730 since Fanvil wants a pcap when the phone UI locks up. Did you ever give them a pcap? I also sent them your forum post being like look, this guy has the same issue, it's not just me and it's been months.

I chose Fanvil as it was the "preferred phone" option with 3CX on there list. But historically I've done yealink. I would say I'm getting a lot of bang for the dollar if they could fix the BT issue. The one thing I don't think that can be fixed is the echo cancellation on speaker phone and how callers can hear themselves in the headset if the volume is too loud. It does appear in 2.4.10 they may have fixed my PoE bug that I raised as I look since doing this firmware the alerts


W 06/04/21 08:14:46 05834 lldp: AM1: Received 0 value for both PD Requested
Value and PSE Allocated Power Value in POE Plus/Extension TLV on
port A22.
W 06/04/21 08:15:46 05834 lldp: AM1: Received 0 value for both PD Requested
Value and PSE Allocated Power Value in POE Plus/Extension TLV on
port A22.
etc
etc every second.

Are gone, except for this one phone that won't upgrade. But Then again I don't know if it would be fixed as there is no bloody changelog...

 

[aschildmeyerSTR]

That's very telling, and in line with your experience with the 3CX firmware. The customizations Fanvil makes for our branch are mostly to do with SIP behavior/provisioning and not anything regarding the rest of the functions (those are inherited from their main firmware).

If you see the issue being fixed in their main changelog, you should also expect those fixes to arrive on our version in the next release they send us (some 3CX updates are actually just this, updating our version to include the fixes from their main firmware).

It is telling yes, but one branch may or may not getting upstream changes. Also by having changes can break things no matter the size or the scope.

Did 3CX give them an issue with PoE every that you can see? Because it does appear in 2.4.10 my PoE bug has been fixed that I raised like 2 months ago? But i'm not certain since there is no change log from fanvil and 3CX should only differ in what they requested based on the latest stable production release? So could it be more than just 3CX fixes that could cause other issues if I'm not aware of them...

Anyways, the 2 branch model is gross, I get it. But it doesn't make for a good experience if your not 100% the technical OEM for it where we go to for support. But that is just my opinion. I'm happy with 3CX and the conversation that you have provided me.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Not that I'm aware of, since we do not generally investigate/report issues that are unrelated to the PBX. But I'm very glad to hear they corrected it. Hopefully your feedback regarding BT will also be useful in fixing the headset issue.

 

[aschildmeyerSTR]

Not that I'm aware of, since we do not generally investigate/report issues that are unrelated to the PBX. But I'm very glad to hear they corrected it. Hopefully your feedback regarding BT will also be useful in fixing the headset issue.

Agree, be sweet if they actually fixed my PoE log issue based on my feedback... If only they could make a changelog... Now yes, if they could fix the weird BT issue that kills the UI of the phone it would be super solid. With COVID on the decline in the US more people are coming back to the office and it's an open office so I can sense the want for headsets are high and many people like to just multipoint pair there BT with there cell and there desk. Though some just ignore the desk and keep the mobile app which is fab. But getting people to change or many who just want to checkout and separate work life make that second option difficult of only mobile app.

Thanks @JohnS_3CX for your time.

 

[misok]

Just dropping in to say I'm also experiencing the BT/UI freeze issue with x5u phones I just rolled out to a client. I'm basically in the same boat as Thomas.

I found this thread because I was looking for a way to roll back from 2.4.11 to 2.4.10. However, I can't seem to find a download for 2.4.10 now. <facepalm>

 

[aschildmeyerSTR]

Just dropping in to say I'm also experiencing the BT/UI freeze issue with x5u phones I just rolled out to a client. I'm basically in the same boat as Thomas.

I found this thread because I was looking for a way to roll back from 2.4.11 to 2.4.10. However, I can't seem to find a download for 2.4.10 now. <facepalm>

Well luckily going back to 2.4.10 won't change it. As Thomas said he tried initial release direct from Fanvil directly with no change on the BT freezing. I've attached syslog from one phone that is using a Sennheiser Presence which is an approved device. But as you can see from the attached syslog file it's currently not connected at the time as the user uses it on and off through the day. But just buy having the BT on as Thomas has said as well causes it to dump.

What headset is your client using @misok ? Granted it seems like it's just BT being enabled. I attached a graph of one phone I'm watching to show two UI dumps. Though there is no correlation to a pattern yet either. As some other phones have dumped twice in one day. Did you also open a case with Fanvil as well? Maybe if we can get enough people poking them to look at it and figure out that maybe if a device is paired, but then is no longer paired it will cause it or something as i'm not 100% that is it yet. But maybe there is something silly like that as the cause.

 

[misok]

I have not opened a case with Fanvil yet but I will. To be clear, I am having the BT issue, but I am needing to go back to 2.4.10 for another reason. The one phone I updated one phone to .11 will allow pickup of a call that another extension picked up simultaneously or just seconds before. The .11 phone shows the call in progress with no audio, the other extension connects the call normally. When the .11 phone hangs up, the call is also terminated on the other phone.

This client is already frustrated so I was hoping to find a link to the 2.4.10 firmware and just roll it back, but so far I've come up short. I suppose this will be a lesson learned to grab and archive firmware versions. I've not found any "older version" links on the 3CX site.

 

[aschildmeyerSTR]

I have not opened a case with Fanvil yet but I will. To be clear, I am having the BT issue, but I am needing to go back to 2.4.10 for another reason. The one phone I updated one phone to .11 will allow pickup of a call that another extension picked up simultaneously or just seconds before. The .11 phone shows the call in progress with no audio, the other extension connects the call normally. When the .11 phone hangs up, the call is also terminated on the other phone.

This client is already frustrated so I was hoping to find a link to the 2.4.10 firmware and just roll it back, but so far I've come up short. I suppose this will be a lesson learned to grab and archive firmware versions. I've not found any "older version" links on the 3CX site.

Good reason why it's good to know what is in these updates.

But yeah, you should be in luck. As long as no one cleared the firmware cache you can sftp to the phone system, login with your root creds and get the old firmware back.

sftp Location -
/var/lib/3cxpbx/Instance1/Data/Http/Interface/provisioning/as4bo6ct6h/firmware/fanvil I believe as4bo6ct6h will be different for your implementation.

If you go to 3cx management interface> Settings then Phone app options from the menu. You can see where to clear the firmware cache.

If you don't see the file still there I can try and onedrive you a file from my install.

 

[misok]

Thank you for this advice.