Greenwire | Cape Coral Computer Repair and IT Services | Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples

Cisco 7970

Expanded and Better post here: Cisco 7970G FAQ

We now sell the SmartNET Service Agreements for these phones! (Necessary to get Firmware)

Use our web form to transmit your device information.

I had a painful, painful nightmare trying to configure the Cisco 7970 Phone for SIP. It seems pretty obvious that Cisco is not interested in people using this phone without their expensive and proprietary CallManager software. All of the files I found online, from people kind enough to share with the world, ended up not working for me. For that reason I am literally going to post the config files for the phones I installed, Verbatim, no changes, nothing. This way hopefully you don’t spend 4 hours reflashing phones like I had to. The only load that worked for me was SIP70.8-0-3S.loads For that reason that’s the firmware specified in my XMLDefault.cnf.xml file.

SEP.cnf.xml Config for Cisco 7970

XMLDefault.cnf.xml

Make sure you right click and use save as, otherwise your browser may try to parse the XML, and you won’t say the tags.

If your phone was anything like mine, it came with the SCCP firmware on it. The Cisco CallManager firmware. Once you have all of your config files in place, you’re going to have to hard reset the phone for it to pick up the SIP firmware. This guy put a great youtube video up that shows how to do it: How to Hard Reset Cisco 7970

A helpful thing that wasn’t easy to find either was how to specify Speed Dials. If you try to assign them manually through the phones as you would on the 7940 or 7960 you’ll be sadly frustrated everytime the phone restarts. Fortunately adding the speed dials can be done thusly:

<line button=”3″>

<featureID>21</featureID>

<featureLabel>User Label</featureLabel>

<speedDialNumber>102</speedDialNumber>

</line>

If you want access to the Cisco firmwares direct from Cisco look into getting a support plan from CDW. They have them for around 10$/year. Here is one for 7.99  It makes sense to get at least one and use the updates for all of your phones. I know I wish I had access to update to firmwares for these beautiful little nightmares, CDW Customer Support couldn’t finish the transaction last time I tried.

1. A Guide, a FAQ, and how to unbrick the Cisco 7970G | Greenwire IT says:

   9 December 2008 at 09:31 pm

   [...] Excuse the SEO friendly name. I also have a post here with some other help on speed dials. [...]
2. tindecken says:

   2 June 2009 at 02:04 am

   Dear all,

   anyone have “SEP.cnf.xml Config” and “XMLDefault.cnf.xml” example for Cisco 7941 ? Where can I download them? Can anyone upload for me.

   Thanks.
3. Paul says:

   2 June 2009 at 10:25 am

   http://www.greenwireit.com/blog/2009/05/xmldefaultcnfxml/

   I wrote this guide last week, it has the correct load info for a 7941

   SCCP41.8-3-1S
4. tindecken says:

   3 June 2009 at 10:44 am

   oh, thanks Paul very much, I really need it.
5. Khalid says:

   4 August 2009 at 05:30 pm

   Hi,

   Is the phone will take TFTP IP address from the DHCP TFTP32.333?

   Thanks

   Khalid
6. Paul says:

   7 August 2009 at 09:55 am

   I do not understand your question.
7. Khalid says:

   7 August 2009 at 04:56 pm

   Dear,

   When i connect my phone to TFTP server , the phone assigned an IP for LAN, what will be the IP for TFTP in phone?

   Is the TFTP32.333 server will assign an IP for phone TFTP?

   Thanks
8. Paul says:

   8 August 2009 at 02:31 am

   I don’t understand your question. I assume you mean that you want the TFTP server to be set via DHCP Option?
9. Khalid says:

   9 August 2009 at 02:12 am

   Dear,

   I mean is the TFTP server in the phone will take IP from the DHCP? and how i can know the IP for the TFTP in the phone?

   I have about 100 phone 7960 can not access the menu and 7970 in upgrade screen.

   Thanks for the help.
10. Paul says:

    9 August 2009 at 06:15 am

    The phones do not have internal TFTP Servers.
11. Khalid says:

    9 August 2009 at 08:54 am

    So if you have a new phone and wants to upgrade it you will put your TFTP server ip in the phone right? if you can not access the menu how you will put this IP?

    Thanks
12. Paul says:

    10 August 2009 at 06:36 pm

    I think you’re on the wrong guide: http://www.greenwireit.com/blog/2008/12/a-guide-a-faq-how-to-unbrick-the-cisco-7970g/
13. Khalid says:

    31 October 2009 at 01:08 pm

    Paul,

    I changed 7970 7941 to SIP and i can make calls to other phone on same network but the other can not call me, when i make call from 7960 to 7970 or 7941 , i am getting “processing in 180″ then line busy, what is the problem?

    Best regards
14. Paul says:

    31 October 2009 at 01:14 pm

    Sounds like a NAT problem.
15. Khalid says:

    1 November 2009 at 05:22 pm

    Dear,

    I enabled the NAT but same thing, i can call from 7970 or 7941 to 7960 but i can not call from 7960 to 7970 or 7941, i got same massage ” processing in 100″ then “line busy”
    from 7960 to 7960 is working!
    Note: the firmware version for 7960 is 8.9 and for 7970 i used 8.2.2 S2 and S4 samething and 8.3.1 but the phone is not registering…

    Thanks
16. Joe says:

    6 November 2009 at 02:09 pm

    Dear All,

    What is the file copstart.sh?

    Kind regards
17. John Milton says:

    8 February 2010 at 09:37 am

    Hi, thanks for the help and nice work. Do you also have the SEP Configuration for 7971G-GE? Thanks in advance,