The Charity Mission Create asked me to create for them a disk that would allow them to protect the information stored on computers that were donated to them. I’m sure this is a common problem as people want to be certain that when they donate a computer, their personal information will be protected. For that reason I am making this guide to show you how to perform a Zerowrite, to completely and permanently remove all data from a machine. This is much more thorough than a Reformat, which only marks the drive as Empty, rather than physically resetting every bit on information the drive.
Most people probably remember “Low-Level Formatting”. A concept that for years was the maximum security you could use to protect the data left stored on your hard-drive. Low-Level Formatting used to require special software from the manufacturer of your hard drive and has since become less common. Now a days the best way to completely wipe a drive is to do a “Zerowrite” or write Zeros in every spot on the drive, effectively removing all of the data. This is done according to the Department of the Defense’s standard. We are going to be using a commonly available tool called the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) to facilitate the Zerowriting of a drive.
Firstly, Download and Burn the UBCD from here. If you need a programme to burn ISOs. I recommend CDBurnerXP or ImgBurn.
FOLLOWING THIS GUIDE WILL RENDER ALL DATA ON THE DRIVE UNRECOVERABLE.
Once you have those installed you’re ready to Boot from the UBCD. To do this, put the CD in your drive and Restart the Computer. You should see this pop up on the screen. If this does not pop up, you may need to Reconfigure your Boot Device Priority. Often times when starting up the Computer you may see a message that says “To Boot from Another Device Press Fx” now. Whereas Fx is a F Key on your keyboard. Use that feature to select the appropriate Optical Drive.
Once you’re at this point, Press Enter to Continue.
Booting from UBCD
Next you should see this Menu, using the Up and Down arrows, navigate to “Hard Disk Tools” and Press Enter
Step 2: Hard Disk Tools
Next, Using the Up and Down arrows again go to “Wiping Tools” and Press Enter
Step 3: Wiping Tools
Next using the same process, go to “Darik’s Boot and Nuke V1.0.7″ and Press Enter
Step 4: "Darik's Boot and Nuke V1.0.7"
If you see this screen, everything should be going as planned. It should take up to 60 seconds.
Step 5: Wait a While
Once you see this Menu you will now have to select which drive you would like to Wipe. Using the J and K keys to navigate up and down, mark the drives you want to Wipe using the Space-Bar.
Step 6: Select your Drives
Once they are selected the [ ] Brackets should now say “wipe”. When You’re Ready, Press F10 to Start
Step 7: Ready to Wipe, Press F10
Now you’re Wiping. Just let the process Finish then Restart. The drive should be entirely empty. Go ahead and reformat and repartition the drive to reinstall your operating system.
  As of today because of the certifications on file with Greenwire, LLC and reaching the OnForce required Work Order threshold we’ve just been given our “Pro Badge”. Service Professionals are Technicians who provide consistent work on the OnForce Platform with good feedback from Buyers. And today we are proud to be one of them.
We now sell the SmartNET Service Agreements for these phones! (Necessary to get Firmware)
Use our web form to transmit your device information.
The Cisco CP-7912 is probably one of the easier Cisco phones to reflash and get configured. In fact, after spending hours wrestling with 7940s, 7960s and 7970s, this one was a breath of fresh air. The phone itself is very simple, uncomplex and surprisingly SIP friendly. I think Cisco might have started out with a nod towards compatibility with this phone before pulling away the carrot.’
Only complaint, no speaker phone, only “monitor mode”. Which sounds great, but they can’t hear you.
To reflash this phone you’re going to need:
DHCP Server
TFTP Server
cmterm-7912-8.0.0-sip.cop
XMLDefault.cnf.xml configured for the 7912. (make sure you right click save target as, else your browser will try to parse the file)
I’m going to steal a few bits from my Cisco 7970G Guide you can always use whatever TFTP server and DHCP server you like as long as you have the ability to set the DHCP options manually. Here we are goign to use tftpd32, it has both a tftp and dhcp server inside.
To start make a folder on the desktop, I named mine CP-7912.
Extract the cmterm-7912-8.0.0-sip.cop with 7zip or WinRAR. If the archiver doesn’t automatically detect it’s extractable when you right click. Add a .gz to the end, it’ll figure it out.
Now you should have:
cmterm-7912-8.0.0-sip.cop
cmterm-7912-8.0.0-sip.cop.gz
copstart.sh
CP7912080000SIP060111A.sbin
load30007_sip.txt
XMLDefault.cnf.xml
Either use mine from above or add this line to your XMLDefault.cnf.xml
It’s important you add the loadInformation30007, a common mistake is to adde <loadInformation8> because the file already has Cisco 7960 firmwares inside. This number comes from the load30007 text file, and is therefore important.
Next let’s configure TFTPd32
Firstly, determine how you are going to connect your 7912 to your DHCP/TFTP server. You’re going to need to make sure that there is no other routers on the network that could send competing DHCP broadcasts. I recommend one of two scenarios.
Connecting the Phone and Computer directly with a Crossover cable.
Connecting the Phone and Computer together on a network switch with no other devices. Notice I say SWITCH not ROUTER. You could use a router if you configured it properly, but that’s another story.
The switch option works better because it prevents the computer’s LAN interface from going up and down depending on if the phone is plugged in or not.
Personally, I like to get the zip file, and extract it into a folder along with the firmwares from Cisco, or whatever underground ftp site you found.
Now that you have tftpd32 open and running, we need to configure it:
Open up the settings box
Enable DHCP Server, TFTP Server, and Log Viewer, all others can be unchecked.
Make sure that you have set the directory into the same directory as your Cisco Firmware Files.
Make sure you have the correct configuration files in the directory including a XMLDefault.cnf.xml that at least partially resembles this one: (right click save as)
Set TFTP Security to STANDARD, in the image it says None.
Make certain that the bind address is set to the correct interface.
Â
TFTPD32 Configuration
When done go to the DHCP tab
Make sure a DHCP and DNS server are set. Under additional options set “150″ and make the IP the same as your TFTP server.
Â
TFTPD32 DHCP Settings for Cisco 7912
Check for any settings that I may have missed and double check that everything is correct.
Now it’s time to boot up the phone. Watch the logs. With any luck it should boot up, and try to pull it SEPMAC.cnf.xml then give up and move on to XMLDefault.cnf.xml. When it sees that file it should download CP7912080000SIP060111A.sbin and reboot. If as its rebooting you see the phone look for gkMAC then gkdefault.cfg, your phone is successfully reflashed.
If it isn’t try restarting it a couple times, double check your TFTP settings and make sure the phone is detecting your TFTP server. You may have to go into Network Settings and enable alternate TFTP server. Typically you can do this by moving to the option then pressing **# to unlock it, then typing in the TFTP server address. The most common problem though is an error in the XMLDefault.cnf.xml file.
This will get the phone reflashed, you’ll have to write the configuration on your own. However one of the neat things about these phones is that you can register it from the handset. Unlike it’s newer and more expensive cousins this phone let’s you provision by hand.
We now sell the SmartNET Service Agreements for these phones! (Necessary to get Firmware)
Send an e-mail to smartnet AT greenwireit.com with your Model, Serial Number, Name, Address and Cisco username.
I see a lot of people coming here and thinking this is just a guide to Reflash/unbrick your phone, there is a complete FAQ here. Ctrl+F what you’re looking for!
(I noticed a high bounce-rate for keywords that don’t show up until further down, hence this message)
The following information is provided with no warranty what-so-ever. Flash your phone at your own risk!
You can also use this guide to reflash your phone from SCCP to SIP.
This phone is a dream when it’s working and a nightmare when it isn’t. I’ve spent a lot of time solving a whole number of different problems related to these phones. The information on a lot of forums out there is fragmented, and sometimes incorrect. Here I’m going to try and make an authoritative guide that works. Mainly because I wish I had one. If you think your phone is bricked, jump to the end of this guide.
Question: What’s wrong, I keep changing the config file but nothing happens?
Answer: Press Settings > 6 > 1 That will give you the Status Messages, it will tell you if your Config is invalid.
Question: Where do I get firmware for a 7970? It seems like I can’t find them anywhere.
Answer: Cisco keeps the firmwares for this phone under lock and key. You have to buy a SmartNET contract in order to get access to them. I know what you’re thinking, you’re not paying for firmware, you’ll look around for a public FTP server. I’ve done this, it works, but for seven dollars a year get one from CDW. It pays itself off especially since the SIP firmware is buggy, the updates help a lot. I have another post here which helps with the buying process at CDW, read it, and save yourself a few hours on the phone.
Question: Why can’t I save the configuration on my 7970? Everytime I reset it seems to forget everything.
Answer: The only way to permanently save a wide number of features on the 7970 is by using a configuration file, these phones are not really intended to be used on their own they are supposed to be used in conjunction with a TFTP server or CallManager.
Question: What is SCCP? Why won’t it work with Trixbox / Freepbx / Whatever?
Answer: SCCP is the Cisco CallManager protocol. It’s very popular in a lot of corporate environments and very powerful. However to the average Asterisk user installing SCCP modules can be difficult and flaky. Your phone will most likely come flashed with the SCCP firmware and chances are if you’re using asterisk you are going to want to reflash your phone into the SIP firmware.
Question: Okay, now I know what SCCP is. How do I reflash my 7970 from SCCP to SIP?
Answer: It’s mostly the same process as “unbricking” the phone, since most “bricked” 7970s are just need need of a new firmware.
The phones when they first boot up look for their SEP<mac>.cnf file first. If they cannot find that file, THEN they look for the XMLDefault.cnf.xml. This means that if you have firmware version stipulated in your SEP<mac>.cnf file, and another in your XMLDefault.cnf.xml file you phone will jump between firmwares based on which configuration file it has loaded. I recommend for a brand new phone you put NO phone specific configuration, and just use the XMLDefault.cnf.xml. Once it’s correctly flashed to the latest SIP firmware, then you can start going through the arduous process of getting the phone to accept your config file.
Question: What the hell is a .cop file? And what do I do with it?
Answer: It’s compressed, right click on it with WinRAR or 7zip and extract it. You’ll find a bunch of goodies inside. The version of the firmware and the version you will be entering into the XMLDefault.cnf.xml file will be the .loads file. For example here it is: SIP70.8-4-2S.loads
apps70.8-4-1-23.sbn
cnu70.8-4-1-23.sbn
copstart.py
copstart.sh
cvm70sip.8-4-1-23.sbn
dsp70.8-4-1-23.sbn
jar70sip.8-4-1-23.sbn
load119.txt
load30006.txt
SIP70.8-4-2S.loads
term70.default.loads
term71.default.loads
Question: My phone keeps saying “Error Verifying Config Info”
Answer: . These phones are so specific, the configurations are case sensitive and the syntax strange. On top of that what works in one version of the firmware won’t work in the next, Cisco keeps changing thigns. I recommend finding a config that detects without any errors and modify it till it works. A single letter can cause the phone to not provision or accept your config. Also make sure the DNS and Gateway are set. The phones can get upset if they are not. Check the next question for a copy of my SEP<mac>.cnf.xml file. Â Check voip-info, that page is a mess but it has A LOT of info.
Good Advice: Add things one at a time, work your way up. It takes FOREVER, but I’ve literally had times where I’ve copied and pasted a few lines of code, and the config stopped working. Then I manually added each line one at a time and it worked. Made Zero sense but there was a problem somewhere that the phone didn’t like.
Question: My phone keeps saying “No CTL Installed”, or .tlv not found?
Answer: The 7970 does not actually need this file but it looks for it anyway. A lot of people think that the reason why their phones are not provisioning/loading is because of this file. It’s actually a symptom rather than the cause. When the phone has an invalid firmware it will keep checking for a good one. Everytime the phone checks for a firmware it checks for the CTL .TLV file. This means that your Status messages on the phone and TFTP log will be filled with requests/errors for this file. Don’t worry, you don’t need it. It’s just annoying.
Question: DNS Unknown Host
Answer: This is frustrating as hell, from what I understand it’s caused by the <callManagerGroup> setting. Unfortunately, because we’re not actually using CallManager here, I cannot find a valid way to stop it. Maybe if you set a valid DNS name for your PBX and then set <processNodeName> to match it will stop. I’ve never got it to go away. It’s fortunately not a big problem.
Question: My phone is provisioned and ready to go but I can’t make calls?
Answer: Whole bunch of potential problems, first thing I would try is make sure whether the NAT settings are correct on the phone and the pbx. NAT should be off when configured locally and ON when going through a router. Â Other than that comb through your configuration file, and your PBX. Chances are it’s a connectivity issue. Also make sure that a line is defined in the first slot on the phone. The Trixbox forumand the Voipuser Forum has loads of advice and lots of genuinely helpful people.
Here is my config, you’ll need to remove/change some stuff, but it contains a lot of helpful things you may need. I can confirm that this config works with SIP70.8-4-2S , and is based off of the Trixbox template with some modifications as the default did not work for my phone.
Excuse the SEO friendly name. I also have a post here with some other help on speed dials.
Question: My phone is stuck at the “Upgrading” Screen , is it bricked? How do I debrick it?
Answer: There are a number of reasons why your phone might be doing this, if you are at the upgrading screen though, it means that you’re phone is NOT bricked. Merely, lost and confused. Don’t believe what people say, it’s not bricked.
Every time a phone has done this to me I have used the same process to fix it. I am going to provide two ways to do this, one for people with windows and a normal home network. And one for those who already have Cisco 7960, 7940 or other IP phones on their network. If that’s you skip ahead, you know how to configure tftp already.
Method 1: TFTPD32 in Windows
Chances are if you phone is stuck at the Upgrading screen it’s just lost and needs a firmware. We’re going to use a number of tools to make an error-proof environment that’ll coax your phone into getting a good firmware from us.
Firstly, determine how you are going to connect your 7970G to your DHCP/TFTP server. You’re going to need to make sure that there is no other routers on the network that could send competing DHCP broadcasts. I recommend one of two scenarios.
1.Connecting the Phone and Computer directly with a Crossover cable.
2.Connecting the Phone and Computer together on a network switch with no other devices. Notice I say SWITCH not ROUTER. You could use a router if you configured it properly, but that’s another story.
The switch option works a bit better because it prevents the computer’s LAN interface from going up and down depending on if the phone is plugged in or not.
Personally, I like to get the zip file, and extract it into a folder along with the firmwares from Cisco.
Now that you have tftpd32 open and running, we need to configure it:
Open up the settings box
Enable DHCP Server, TFTP Server, and Log Viewer, all others can be unchecked.
Make sure that you have set the directory into the same directory as your Cisco Firmware Files.
Make sure you have the correct configuration files in the directory including a XMLDefault.cnf.xml that at least partially resembles this one: (right click save as)
You may have to disable “Ping First” on some phones, they try to get more than one IP.
Set TFTP Security to STANDARD, in the image it says None, you will get an error.
Make certain that the bind address is set to the correct interface.
TFTPD32 Configuration
When done go to the DHCP tab
Make sure a DHCP and DNS server are set. Under additional option set “150″ and make the IP the same as your TFTP server.
TFTPD32 DHCP Settings for Cisco 7970G
Check for any settings that I may have missed and double check that everything is correct.
Here is the magic part.
Unplug the phone.
When the speaker light comes on hold down the # key.
When you see line lights begin to cycle, let go of the # key.
Once the cycle has completed once.
Type in: 3491672850*#
Make sure you type it right, if you mistype a single number, the phone will restart without eating the firmware.
The phone will turn off, and the first line light will turn red.
DO NOT UNPLUG YOUR PHONE NOW YOU WILL BRICK IT FOR REAL.
The screen will go black and the phone will seem like it’s off for around five minutes.
You should see the phone pull files from the TFTP server, the phone will first look for it’s SEP<mac>.cnf.xml file, and if it doesn’t find it, it will look for XMLDefault.cnf.xml
If the files are correct the phone should boot up correctly flashed.
If you can’t make a call immediately or the phone says “Unprovisioned”, that’s okay. You are out of the woods for now, all you have to do is find the annoying little error in your config file.
Here is a Youtube Video of the resetting process. This is for a typically hard reset which means it will only be the same up to the point where you put in the numbers. THE NUMBERS AND AFTERWARD ARE DIFFERENT.
Method 2: You already have a network with Cisco 7960s or 7940s or other IP Phones.
If you have a CallManager server, try hooking it up directly to that, this is the best way to get the 7970G back in action. Once you have the SCCP firmware on you can try flashing to SIP again.
I’m going to assume since you are reading this you don’t need any instructions about how to do this:
DHCP Option 150 , no Option 66 won’t suffice, these phones are picky.
Gateway and DNS must be set
TFTP Server must have all the correct files and XMLDefault.cnf.xml in the root directory.
Follow the instructions above under “magic part”.
Voilà !
You’re phone should be up and ready to go. Well at least until you break it again. If you have trouble with the phone not taking a new configuration file at boot, post your config file and I’ll try to help you with it.
Oh no! My phone screen is black, nothing is working, I’m freaking out!
A few folks wrote in because their phones seemed more bricked than usual. One of these users who found a solution to his problem was kind enough to write up a little description of the issue and the solution. Here writes Scott from U of Toronto:
You've got it. Â Here's the deal:
This situation can occur if the factory reset process is interrupted. Â If the tftp server isn't up & running, if the power is cut, etc.
The reason why you can't put it back into factory reset mode seems to be because it's still in the process of the factory reset -- it's just been interrupted. Â Other than the speaker light coming on the phone appears dead for all intents and purposes. Â The screen won't come on or anything.
So what you do is you plug it in and leave it to find the firmware on tftpd32... eventually it resumes the reset process and pulls down the firmware from there. Â If things aren't set up right on the server, the phone will never do it.
You can unplug the phone multiple times and it'll still continue this process... it's incredibly resilient in that way.
The only way to see that the phone isn't smoked is to watch the log viewer of the tftp server... it'll show the phone trying to get an IP. Â This can take 5 mins or more.
So basically, you can interrupt the factory reset and pick it up again as long as all your ducks are in a row.
Hope this helps!
Scott
A lot of people I’ve spoken too have said two interesting things about this situation as well. The screen although apparently black, is still on. Read this post over at the trixbox forums. “SteveW” writes that if you use a high powered torch you can actually see motion on the screen. (Light torch, no flame please). I’ve heard on several occasionals but cannot confirm that CallManager can get the phones working almost instantly. I’d love to hear more info on this because it may be possible to learn what CM can tell the phones that would bring them right out of Recovery. It’d be interesting to see if we could mimmick that with standard tools.
I just picked up this new monitor during Newegg’s Black Friday Presale. Beware, there are two version of this monitor, the X193W and the X193W+DB. But as part of Black Friday it was only 99.99, shipped. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.Â
Â
Acer X192w at Newegg.com
The monitor is pretty nice, the colour’s are rich, and I’m starting to become spoiled having the wider screen. Watching movies in the correct Aspect Ratio is a completely new and splendid experience. The monitor seems to support refresh rates of 60 and 75hz, which is fine by me since I rarely venture out of 60hz. My one real complaint is the max resolution. The max resolution on this monitor is only 1440 by 900 (1440×900). Based on the pixel width of the monitor, that would seem big. But the 900 vertical pixels is painful, especially if you’re used to 1280 by 1024. When I move between screens I have to re-size windows and lots of information I’m used to having in one screen-full gets cut off.
A few days after I ordered this monitor, Newegg ran the DVI version which supports all of the resolutions I could ever want for 89.99$ after rebate (Retail $139.99). I was heart broken. I tried to call Customer Service and get them to swap mine out for the DVI version, but they said that my analog only version was already on the loading dock. Apart from this little hiccup this monitor is really pretty satisfying. Apart from two other minor complaints. The buttons underneath the monitor are difficult to reach, and finding what exactly to press takes a little bit. Furthermore the stand that elevates the monitor is far too close to the ground. I had to resort to putting a book underneath it to elevate it to the same level as my other monitors.
The price however, is right, from previous experience if a monitor sells at Black Friday for $99.99, it usually will be MSRPed at that price by year’s end. If you have the option to get the DVI version, even if it costs 20-30$ more, it’s worth it. It’s the best way to unlock what this monitor can do.
I’ve noticed a bit of interest in my post about TheOS 4.1 Virtualization, and I would really love to play with it. I know there has got to be someone out there with a TheOS Software Portal and the neccesary software that’s not using it. Sell it to me! Alternatively, if you give me your old license to experiment on, I’d be more than willing to share the results with you, and help you with whatever I learn.
There are a lot of common misconceptions about T1s. The biggest one being that they are fast, they’re not. However a T1connection is more than just a antiquated form of broadband. There is a lot a T1 can do you for and your business, as long as you understand it’s limits.
T1s have been around since the 50s. Simply speaking they are essentially 24 phone lines wrapped together in “trunk” or a “backbone”. They have been used as backbones to connect entire neighbourhoods, or large companies. As time went on and computers became more common it became necessary to connect distant locations together. At first it became common to use a T1 to connect serial terminals over long distances to a “mainframe”. Whole rooms of Teletype machines could be powered by one T1. However eventually the Internet came along and the T1 evolved again.
As many of you may recall sitting in front of your Computer running Windows 95 and AOL6, an average dial-up modem connects at around 56kbps kilo bits per second (one byte is eight bits). A T1 is very similar, each one of the voice channels in a T1 trunk is equivalent to about 64 kbps of data. For some of you that remember ISDN, it’s the exact same circuit expect scaled up. When you take these 24 voice channels and you multiple them by 64kbps, factor in 8 kbps of framing information and you get approximately 1.544mbps (megabits per second) or 1,544 kbps. And that is exactly how much bandwidth up and down you can expect to get from a T1.
How much bandwidth is 1.544mbps?
At one time it was a vast amount, enough to power an entire office of green screens running MS-DOS, or a whole community college. Unless you could justify the then high cost of a T1, it wasn’t worth it. However, now a days the average Cable modem downloads at above 8 mbps. Even cheap basic DSL usual can download at around 1 or 2 mbps. Although typical residential Broadband has less upload bandwidth then a typical T1 (around 600-1000kbps compared to 1544kbps), many commercial packages start at 1.5mbps and go up well past 2mbps.
So then what’s the point?
There are a few things that a T1 can do for you that Cable or DSL can’t. Firstly, the beauty of a T1 is that it’s both phone AND data. If you have more than 8 phone lines coming into your office chances are after taxes your bill is getting very rotund. Most of the cost of a T1 is fixed, this means that the price difference between 5 lines and 15 is minimal once you already have the connection, and you can use the left over channels for data. Although there are a number of ways to configure a T1, essentially you can configure your T1 so that when you’re not on the phone, you get more bandwidth. Since each voice channel represents 64kbps, you can get bandwidth back when it’s not being used.
Another benefit is the reliability of a T1. Very few other types of connections will guarentee you a certain degree of reliability. For T1s this is typically called a “Service Level Agreement”. Essentially it gaurentees a few things.
1. If your connection goes down, a technician will be on-site within a certain time frame.
2. You will be guarenteed a certain amount of bandwidth at all times.
3. A certain latency, meaning time it takes to get data from your office, to theirs.
Although these may seem trivial, anyone who has waited through a five hour Comcast window when their business has grinded to halt knows that a SLA is well worth the money.
Reliable Back Up or Secondary Internet
Yes, I said it BACKUP Internet. A T1 is not enough for the average business. 1.544 mbps down is just not sufficient for most offices who actively use the internet as part of their business. It comes out to about 193 KB/s (kilobytes per second). This number may be plenty for one person, but as the number gets divided more and more, it can become frustrating. Internet applications are demanding more and more bandwidth all the time. Office’s that rely on T1s often times fall into this trap.
A common question I get is: “Why is the Internet so slow, we have a T1, that’s really fast, isn’t it?”
Answer: Yes, it used to be.
Now alas, here comes the good part. You can mix the reliability of your T1, with the Speed of your Cable Modem. I introduce to you, the Load Balancing Router.
What a Load-Balancing Router does is it balances your internet traffic between two different connections. This way you can maximise the power of both of your connectiosn simultaniously. Although often times you will not be able to get the full bandwidth of two connections these routers do provide a valuable additional feature. Fallback Routing. This means that if one of the connections go down, the other will take over. So for example your friendly local Cable company is having a problem in your area. When you call them you sit on hold for 45minutes. Typically you’d be unable to run your business, but because you have a secondary T1, your employees can keep browsing like nothing ever happened.
Although there are a lot of different Routers on the market that can load-balance, the TP-LINK TL-R480T+ is a common small to medium size business choice. It’s cheap, at between 150-200$, and proven. If you’re business is larger, or you have a dedicated IT staff, a Cisco router might be a much better option. Cisco Routers are lot more configurable and reliable. They can range vastly in price, but typically their reliability justifies their cost. A third option would be one of the wide range of Sonicwall routers. They are a compromise in price to a Cisco product and are very highly configurable.
Low Long Distance Rates
Many T1s will actually come with a certain number of Long Distance Minutes, typically 1000, 2000 or 3000 minute packages. For businesses where this is not enough, typically your T1 provider can negotiate a much better long-distance rate for you their your local phone company. Since essentially you are directly connected to your T1provider’s network means that you are in a particularly good position to negotiate a good contract. If you are comfortable negotiating for a long term, rates on three year contracts can be substantially better.
Do the Math.
T1s are not for everyone. For most small businesses the cost trade-off makes it impractical. For many others the investment in new equipment pays itself off in just a couple months of savings. Not to mention the money you can lose in one day if an unreliable cable connection goes out, can offset a lot of the cost of a T1. A cost of a relatively uncompetitive quote for 10 phone line dynamic T1with long distance minutes included is around 500$ per month. That means if you’re already paying more than that you should be doing the math.
To determine if a T1 is right for you, you need to add up your current costs:
How much do all of my phones linst cost every month?
Determine the average cost per minute you pay in long-distance to your phone company.
Do you have a Backup Broadband connection already? DSL or Cable? Add that in.
How many hours of productivity have we lost because of network downtime?
Then factor our your costs with a new T1:
What’s the total monthly cost for the T1?
How much will I save on Long Distance?
Does it come with a Router or do you need to buy one?
Is installation included, if not what will it cost me?
Will my PBX (Office Phone System) need a T1 card? (Answer is Probably, Yes)
Chances are if a T1 is right for you, you’ll be looking at saving 100-200$ per month on your data and voice bill. Most of this coming from saving involved with having less phone lines (POTS) coming into your office with all of the associated taxes and fees. If this is so the initial upfront investment will be mitigated pretty quickly, as that adds up to between 1200 and 2400$ in savings per year. Not to mention having an increased level of service means that it’s well worth the upfront investment.
As always if you have questions about T1s, feel free to call us at 877.419.9634. We work for our customers, not the telephone company. We work with a number of companies to provide you with the best quote.
I installed Thunderbird for a client today after his copy of Outlook Express kept giving him grief with his Gmail IMAP. I’ve always been very happy with Thunderbird, as far as a light mail client goes, it covers most of the bases.
I noticed a peculiar error today whereas it would prompt for a password everyonce and a while. Even though I had saved it to the Password Manager. Apparently this is a common issue.
From what I’ve distilled the best thing you can do are the following.
Go to your IMAP account settings and bring increase the time between checks on the Gmail server. A change from five minutes to ten has helped some users from getting the constant request to reauthenticate. Others have up and switched to POP, not a long term solution, but you can always set your gmail to archive. The other solution that I came up with was to go to your Gmail web page, and go to the bottom where it shows the clients checking your mail. Verify you don’t have another device, like an iPhone or smartphone checking your imap mail as well. This can cause Gmail to detect too many users and refuse your password.
There is no definitive answer from google yet on this one, so your best bet is to play with your settings and see if you can make it bearable.
Update: Found some info on the Google Apps Site: the unlock captcha part seems to ask for an email address which means you can use your normal Gmail address as well.
Status This is a known issue. We’re currently working on a solution to address it.
In most cases, it will help to follow the recommendations in the Gmail Help Center including clearing the captcha.
To clear the captcha, visit https://www.google.com/a/yourdomain.com/UnlockCaptcha. Be sure to replace ‘yourdomain.com’ with your actual domain name.
This issue might also be resolved by changing the strength of your Google Apps account password. In this case, we would recommend using a strong password that contains more than eight characters.
If you are continue to be prompted for your password and need to clear your captcha often, please contact us and provide screenshots, the time that you received this error for several examples, and the exact error message that you are receiving.
