Fanvil W611W with strange firmware and audio issue

[PBX_Programmer]

Hi all, we've got a customer who has a Fanvil W611W which is running a firmware version that looks wrong to me, and that I can find no reference to anywhere online including the 3CX supported handset firmware repository and the Fanvil firmware download page on their own website. The handset was supplied by us to the customer brand new just a couple of months ago. They have reported to us that they have bad noise on calls when using the earpiece but when on speaker it works perfectly and is clear. I suspect the handset to be faulty but then I noticed the firmware discrepancy and thought that was maybe the cause. I will say at this stage that I do not have any way to access the handset locally or remotely, it is at a customer site which I have no physical access to, and is behind their firewalls which we do not maintain, so no NAT rules etc for remote browser access either.

The 3CX system (hosted by 3CX) shows that the handset is currently running version 2.14.2.35.11.1, and that an update is available to version 2.14.2.2 as seen in my screenshot below. If I hit the Upgrade button it does appear that something is happening because the phone does briefly go offline, but when it comes back online it is still running the weird 2.14.2.35.11.1 version according to the PBX.

I have also tried hitting the Reprovision button on the IP Phones tab for that particular user extension and nothing appeared to happen, although I can see from the 3CX event log that a provisioning file was generated for it.

We're contemplating asking the customer to send us the phone in order that we can manually perform a firmware update via the web browser interface on the handset within our own network, to see if that resolves the audio problem before we go down the route of RMA'ing the device with our supplier.

Has anyone here dealt with a similar issue with these handsets, please? Does anyone recognise the odd firmware version that it's running? I can't find any reference to it online. Anything else I can try at all, please?

Thanks!

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Hi,

A factory reset and firmware install sounds like the best course of action normally, but the device rejects to be downgraded.

Since it has this strange firmware, better not risk it and contact Fanvil support first. If you try forcing a downgrade you risk bricking the device.

If they tell you that its ok to go ahead, then make sure the phone is reset and remains unprovisioned during the firmware installation.

 

[PBX_Programmer]

Hi,

A factory reset and firmware install sounds like the best course of action normally, but the device rejects to be downgraded.

Since it has this strange firmware, better not risk it and contact Fanvil support first. If you try forcing a downgrade you risk bricking the device.

If they tell you that its ok to go ahead, then make sure the phone is reset and remains unprovisioned during the firmware installation.

Ok thanks @JohnS_3CX , I have raised a support ticket with Fanvil and will wait to see what they suggest before taking any further steps to upgrade/downgrade the handset firmware level.

 

[PBX_Programmer]

An update on this one. The customer sent me the handset so I could test it in our lab environment, and I set up a temporary SBC through which it is connecting to their hosted 3CX system. I was not able to replicate the issue that they'd reported, and speech is working perfectly well in both directions via the speaker and the earpiece.

In response to the ticket I raised, Fanvil support issued me with some programming software to upgrade the handset firmware via the USB port, and a firmware image to load onto the handset. I followed the process and the handset is now running the version they sent me. The process did trigger a factory reset, and I've re-provisioned the handset successfully. Speech is still working fine in both directions via speaker and earpiece.

One issue that I still have is the firmware shows as outdated within 3CX. It says "2.14.4 (2.14.2.2 is available)". It seems the version Fanvil sent me is higher than the version 3CX wants me to use. I pressed the upgrade button in 3CX, the phone reboots as if it's going to update, but when it comes back up it says the update failed. Is 3CX support for 2.14.4 something that's in the pipeline maybe? If so then I guess when it's released this handset will stop saying that it's running unsupported FW and I'll be able to update it normally via 3CX moving forwards?

 

[JohnS_3CX]

If so then I guess when it's released this handset will stop saying that it's running unsupported FW and I'll be able to update it normally via 3CX moving forwards?

Correct, however that's entirely up to Fanvil. They decide when to release new FW after testing it for 3CX compatibility.

Meanwhile since you did not replicate the issue, it could be that the FW was not the problem to begin with.

Always keep in mind that WiFi phones will never match the reliability of wired phones or DECT phones, and you can't really control what the WiFi does: it's fundamentally a best-effort technology so nothing is guaranteed. It tries to do its best given the conditions at the moment.

 

[PBX_Programmer]

Correct, however that's entirely up to Fanvil. They decide when to release new FW after testing it for 3CX compatibility.

Meanwhile since you did not replicate the issue, it could be that the FW was not the problem to begin with.

Always keep in mind that WiFi phones will never match the reliability of wired phones or DECT phones, and you can't really control what the WiFi does: it's fundamentally a best-effort technology so nothing is guaranteed. It tries to do its best given the conditions at the moment.

Ok thanks @JohnS_3CX , yes I agree, it definitely could be that the firmware was not the issue. I guess it could be that the handset hardware is/was faulty in some way, like a bad connection to the earpiece speaker maybe. I will post the handset back to the customer and they'll let me know if the issue returns. If it does then I will RMA the device with Fanvil.