Nortel has released a Technical Configuration Guide designed to assist technical users configuring Nortel IP Phones connected to Cisco switches. The document makes specific references to the Cisco 3750 switch but the commands will apply to any Cisco switch that supports that specific feature.
I applaud Nortel for for making these Technical Configuration Guides available to users. It helps to broaden Nortel’s product reach and it empowers Nortel users to understand the different configuration options. I’d like to see Nortel get these documents indexed by Google or even there own internal Knowledgebase search engine.
In short you can use LLDP (802.1ab) on a Cisco 3750 to configure the Voice VLAN much the same way as you might on a Nortel ERS5520 switch using ADAC/LLDP. For those Cisco shops that are using Nortel Succession for voice this should be a welcome capability.
As in the past I’m going to post the document on my website;
http://www.michaelfmcnamara.com/files/ClientsInteropCisco_L2_1.1.pdf
As I’ve commented in the past it’s quite possible that Nortel may object to my “copying” of these documents. The goal is to make them readily available to Nortel users and allow them to be indexed by Google. I believe there are now quite a few Nortel corporate folks and engineers reading this blog, please contact me if you have concerns about me posting these documents.
Cheers!
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#1 by Victor Hill on February 24, 2009 - 3:31 pm
Thank you for posting this! I’d been searching for this exact document to help resolve similar issues with deploying Nortel VoIP phones on a Cisco infrastructure at a customer site.
If it’s not too off-topic, did you find this on Nortel’s web site? If so, how? Nortel’s search engine is…difficult. Even with this doc in hand, I can’t locate it.
Thanks.
#2 by Michael McNamara on February 24, 2009 - 7:23 pm
Hi Victor,
The original document can be found on Nortel’s website. You just need to dig around for it although I can’t honestly remember where right now.
Thanks for the comment!
#3 by Darren Ramsey on May 27, 2009 - 12:06 am
Been using LLDP with 3750 and i2004 for almost a year. LLDP and DHCP Full provides decent automation for Nortel phones. I’d run 46SE instead of 37SE as listed in the PDF, as it fixes a LLDP/Port Security issues CSCsm95859 and CSCsj87991.
Additional info on Cisco bug CSCsw45337. The phones are requesting a DSCP 46 and the switch is overriding and sends back a DSCP 0 in the LLDP MED-TLV. This has been fixed in 12.2(50)SE and later. The 3750 will send a DSCP 46 TLV back to the phone, configurable by the “network-policy profile” command.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/release/12.2_50_se/configuration/guide/swlldp.pdf
http://tools.cisco.com/Support/BugToolKit/search/getBugDetails.do?method=fetchBugDetails&bugId=CSCsw45337
#4 by Michael McNamara on May 27, 2009 - 7:46 am
Thanks for the information Darren!
#5 by Michael Cocks on June 22, 2009 - 10:41 pm
HI all
Our organisation is currently running a Cisco Network connected to Nortel 1110 and 1140 phones. The phones are running off Cisco 3750 switches using IOS 12.2(44) SE. We are using LLDP-MED, and basically the configuration shown in the document Michael provided in the first post
Some of smaller sites are using the 3750 as both a L2 access switch, and L3 routing.
The Voice DHCP server is centralised in one site, and all of the other sites use IP Helper addresses in the routed interface of the voice vlan to push the requests to the server. Some sites have a local DHCP server for the PCs
The issue we have, is some of the smaller have needed the phones to have hardcoded IP addresses to work. The appear to recieve IP addresses in the data vlan. Packet traces are indicating the phone is sending out requests on both the voice and data vlan at phone bootup, and the data dhcp server is replying first.
I would have thought the phone would send out the dhcp discovery request, after it had configured itself with the voice vlan gleaned from LLDP-MED, and thus the request would be tagged appropriately.
Any thoughts, or possible tests to help solve the issue??
Cheers
Michael
#6 by Michael McNamara on June 23, 2009 - 5:43 pm
Hi Michael,
Let me ask what version of firmware are you running on the 1110e and 1140e phones? Have you tried the latest firmware release for those phones?
I have not seen the 1100 series phones behave in the manner that you’re describing, although that doesn’t mean much.
I have a few 1140e phones that I can test with but I would highly recommend that you upgrade to 0625C6O (please note that there was an issue involving Bluetooth headsets with 0625C6N and that issue has been fixed in 0625C6O).
Please let us know how you make out.
Cheers!
#7 by Michael Cocks on June 24, 2009 - 10:35 pm
Hi Michael
The firmware version is 0623C6J
To test, I have connected the phone to a switch, and sniffed both the voice and data vlans. I can see dhcp discovers sent out both vlans.
I am more a network guy, but working with the phone people, I have followed them setting up the phone, and am not seeing the vlan config options after the “VLAN Confg” Auto option. This is where I would expect to see the LLDP-MED option.
I do note with interest that the feature set for the Nortel phones (part 2 of http://www116.nortel.com/docs/bvdoc/ene_tech_pubs/2008_02_15_Nortel_IP_Phone_Set_InterWorking_With_Nortel_ES_and_ERS_Switches_TCG_NN48500517_J.pdf), lists 802.1ab as not supported in the 1110 model??
many thanks for your help
Michael
#8 by Michael McNamara on June 25, 2009 - 5:48 pm
Hi Michael,
Your correct… the document your referencing (link didn’t work because of cookies to Nortel’s website – I’ve uploaded a copy to my website here) states that the IP 1110 phone does not support 802.1ab (LLDP-MED) on page 13. That’s probably why you can’t find the LLDP Enable option available in the configuration of the phone.
With that said you still might want to try loading firmware 0623C6O onto the phone. The UNIStim 3.2 release bulletin that hints at LLDP (802.1ab) functionality in the IP 1110 although the documentation doesn’t state it outright.
I’ll try to confirm with Nortel that this document is still correct.
Thanks!
#9 by Michael Cocks on June 25, 2009 - 8:46 pm
Hi Michael
Many thanks, I am currently trying to organise some support from Nortel here in Aus, and will let you know if I find anything out
cheers
Michael
#10 by Roman on August 17, 2009 - 12:14 pm
Michael,
I am currently testing nortel i2001 set with lldp. The phone appears to configure properly however it displays “lldp ttl has expired” after switch LLDP holdtime expires. Once the message on the display is cleared it does not appear again.
Tried to adjust the holditme value with no luck.
i2001 firmware:0604DCJ
#11 by Michael McNamara on August 17, 2009 - 12:27 pm
Hi Roman,
I believe this is a known bug with the Nortel IP phones… not specific to Cisco switches. I currently see it on almost every Nortel IP phone I have today, although I haven’t tried the latest software release (0604DCL) for the i200x so I’m not sure if the problem is resolved in that new release.
I’ve just been too busy to open a ticket with Nortel since it appears to be non-service affecting.
Cheers!
#12 by Roman on August 17, 2009 - 1:16 pm
Hmm… I assume there is no workaround. This “cosmetic” bug is quite annoying…
Thank You for your prompt info Michael! Great site!
#13 by shogaxx on August 21, 2009 - 4:59 pm
We have the same issue with the nortel firmware C6O and appears to be non service affecting at first. However, in the POC we found that once the TTL has expired and then a phone is rebooted, it doesnt get any further lldp updates from the switches, it does DHCP broadcast again, the data and voice dhcp responds, the phone gets the first response and ends up on a data vlan address. Is there an issue with LLDP and port security on the switch I wonder?
#14 by shogaxx on August 21, 2009 - 5:22 pm
CSCsm95859 Bug Details
When port security was configured, LLDP entry was not learned
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) may not work correctly on a switchport that has port-security enabled.
This was observed on a 3560 and on a 3750.
One possible workaround would be to default the switchport port-security configuration on the port.
Status
Fixed
(Verified)
Severity
3 – moderate
Product
Cisco IOS software
Technology
1st Found-In
12.2(37)SE
Known Affected Versions This link will launch a new window.
Fixed-In
12.2(46)SE
12.2(44)SE2
12.2(46)SE1
Component(s)
lldp
#15 by Roman on December 1, 2009 - 11:42 am
Mike,
I am trying to re-visit “lldp ttl has expired” issue again. Has there been any progress on the nortel FW side? On the positive side new IOS release from cisco finally supports TLV power management!
#16 by Michael McNamara on December 2, 2009 - 2:26 pm
Hi Roman,
Have you loaded the UNIstim 3.4 firmware release for the phones? I recently loaded 0604DCN for the i2002/i2004 and I don’t believe I’m seeing the “LLDP TTL HAS EXPIRED” error message anymore.
Cheers;
http://blog.michaelfmcnamara.com/2009/10/unistim-firmware-release-3-4-for-nortel-ip-phones/