End-user perspective on small office tools & technology

Gigaset News: New Beta Firmware Release

Hereabouts we do love our Gigaset cordless phones. Actually, that’s overstating the case a bit. Recent firmware releases, notably the November & December issues, have proven to be troublesome for some users. It’s tempered our enthusiasm just a little. An earlier post about Gigaset firmware developed a most impressive comment trail.

Not long ago Tony Stankus, Product Manager for Developing Technologies at Gigaset Communications, passed me a note about a new beta firmware release.

Here is the link to the Beta code to try out.  It is a release candidate that will go out in 2 to 3 weeks. Copy this link into the User Defined Firmware File on the Miscellaneous tab then hit upgrade.

http://gigaset.com/chagall/provider/general/chagall223_02.bin

After the upgrade, put the normal gigaset.com/chagall back into the Data Server field.

I’m afraid that my recent level of activity has kept me from acting in this information for a couple of weeks. By now this firmware is possibly close to release. It can’t be in release yet as the A580IP base has not yet indicated that a new release is available.

It just so happens that I’m commissioning a new S675IP system for a co-workers home. This gives me the opportunity to try the new firmware in a system without imperiling the A580IP which are our home phones.

As you can see, this afternoon I have updated this system and we shall see how it behaves over the coming week.

This Post Has 44 Comments

  1. I’ll be interested to see the new release when it comes out. Ever since the last release seems they disabled the G.722 when 022140000000 / 047.00 came out and my fellow A580 users and I have been dealing with G.711.

    1. I confirmed that the S675IP running this new release does make G.722 calls. I made a test call to a Polycom conference phone and it lit up the HDVoice notification.

  2. It seems to be working well in the S675IP. I’ll wait a few more days then, assuming all’s well, go ahead and deploy it to the A580IP that handles our home phone line.

  3. Hmm, can this manager tell us will be there any changes in customer care?
    I mean betas with normal changelog in free access, or some mailing listforum where it can be obtained. Sometimes it’s problematic to explain support any nuance of problem, or tcpdump listings if it needed.

    Or even instruction how to downgrade to older firmware for advanced users.

    And can thay confirm that this type of downgrade for s450:
    http://cawanblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-downgrade-siemens-s450-sip.html
    Also works for c47x s67 s68?
    (yes i know that it doesn’t looks like safe method, but some people who tired of problems maybe can use it)

    1. I applied that trick to an A580IP and an S685IP to get from 225 (which has issues with outgoing calls) back to 191. In both cases the downgrade was successful.

  4. I upgraded my s675ip and it works well!

    The webpage is much more stable then then in the previous release.

    Can you tell me what the number after / means in the firmware version?

  5. Hello everyone! Sorry for any difficulties the 214 firmware may have caused. Please post any issues/comments on the beta 223 firmware that you may have. When 223 goes official, I’ll work with the gang at VUC to give away a couple phones to coincide with its release. Going forward we have a USA-centric website (www.gigasetusa.com) where I plan on having a section devoted to the IP products where I will post updates, beta release info, applications, feedback forum, etc… Let me know any suggestions for what you’d like to see or what would be useful. My goal is to provide a more direct route for questions/answers. Decoder ring for the numbers –> 022140000000 / 047.00 –> 214 is firmware version and the 047 after the / is the version of the system monitor routine. That is fixed and won’t change with firmware upgrades. Go check out http://www.gigasetusa.com!

    1. About usa-centric website: I hope users from other countries(non usa) or devices that not sale in usa(on this site i didn’t saw all models) will not be disallowed? :))

      About voip section, feedback forum: can we hope that there will be someone who close to developers (or one of them) and someone from other department like sales (i don’t know how to explain, but for example i want to know is there any plans about a580ip certified delivers in russia)?
      I mean not just forum for users and only users, forum for users and peoples from gigaset.

      About 02223: few peoples from one of forums use it on c470 and s670 looks like much more stable than 02214. Much less of suddenly base reboot.

      1. Addition to 02223 issues, one of users reports about headset looses base unit while starting voip call (even when second headset is in use and talking).
        And base unit not rebooted as he suppose, headset just loose signal from base. It’s happened only on 02223.
        He has 2 headsets c47h on base c470ip afaik, but others doesn’t report about.
        He reports that reproduced almost like this:
        Base unit must have more than one headset registered.
        Voip provider connected.
        Just type number, press button with green tube. After 1-2 sec headset looses base.
        On calling side phone ringing but there is silence if they made answer.

        But noone other reports about same problem, maybe he need reset base unit.

    2. >>Let me know any suggestions for what you’d like to see or what would be useful.<<
      Oh yes! Ensure that firmware DOWNGRADES – or reversion to prevoius versions are possible. It doesn't matter that much to users if they have to reset all the parameters to factory default and then re-datafill – just so long as they can get back to a working version.
      After the November 09 firmware release debacle, the device was simply unusable for many users because of the frequent loss of provider/reboots – eventually traced down to faulty firmware in the 02214 release when Info Services was enabled. It took nearly three months for users to find a workaround. In the UK, Gigaset invited users to return their base units to the factory for replacement – hardly a feasible or acceptable route for a 'consumer' product – and not something users will readily forgive Gigaset for in future.
      So……….. motherboard manufacturers post versions of firmware and allow users to up/downgrade as required – why not Gigaset?

      1. I’m not at all certain that what you ask is appropriate. In my estimation they fumbled the handling of the event. It was a PR problem. They failed to admit to the trouble and then own it in any meaningful way. Clearly the company needs to move into the internet age as far as how they deal with their end users.

        However, I don’t think that you have the right to prescribe the nature of the solution. You can suggest it, but they may have sound technical reasons why that is not a reliable solution. Some people apparently did hack the devices so as to revert the firmware, but not without risk of rendering them inoperable.

        I think that this is a very interesting topic area. I’m hoping to get some further insight as to how they handle development internally.

        1. mjgraves, I concur that Gigaset had a PR problem over the issue which they failed to address. However, in addition, users were left with a ‘consumer device’ which was rendered unfit for use between November and mid February the following year.
          I have been involved in development and deployment of software in telecoms for a number of years and we always went to extraordinary lenghts to maintain service for customers; software patches applied (at lowest traffic periods) were ALWAYS capable of being reversed out, the equipment we deployed had redundant hardware which was capable of running different versions of software simultaneously and could be switched over ‘instantly’ if an upgrade ‘failed’ for any reason.
          I don’t think Gigaset’s user-base will be very forgiving for the problems caused by the November firmware update because the upgrade process used remains flawed without the ability to revert to a fully functioning previous version.
          Gigaset put a new version of firmware on general release ‘overnight’ – The sleepy consumer in Europe who receives a flashing ‘message’ light inviting him to initiate an upgrade to the new version had better be beware that he could be putting his whole communications system at risk without the ability to recover at the ‘push of a button’!
          Sorry – my opinion – without the the product having the ability to revert to a known good state – unforgivable!

      1. Well some users report that on this 02225 firmware some problem with other headsets. As example c470 and s67h as second headset – hooter in tube (sounds while calling) doesn’t sounds. It happens while calling via sip. On c47h all fine.

      2. Same as 02223 with voip provider sipnet.ru some users have:
        After night (more than one day uptime), on next morning while trying first call – base reboot happens.

        1. Almost forget, this provider support tcp sip, and my device switch into tcp sip mode. Maybe something wrong here,
          We ask sipnet, but they don’t have feature to enable or disable using of tcp sip for user.

  7. I wonder if you have spotted the ‘bug’ in the A580IP when using G.722 wideband audio?
    If you use the A580IP in G.722 mode over any network (such as public internet) where you have some packet loss/late packets – you repeatedly hear an annoying distorting sound lasting about 300ms each time. Doing the same test, but replacing these with that of a competing brand (also running G.722), if you listen carefully, you can just make out a ‘click’ every now and then. So the A580IP does not seem to handle packet loss/large jitter very well when in G.722 mode. Its a pitty as its so dam annoying that you do not really want to use the phone in that mode then.

    1. No, I’ve not seen this behavior with our A580IP system. However, as that system is primarily on our home line most of the call traffic is G.711 based. That said, I have the very same firmware loaded to an S675IP system in my office and I don’t see that problem there either. That system get more use in G.722 mode as it interacts with my employers HDVoice capable Polycom phones.

      FWIW, all our VoIP traffic goes over the internet. That is to say that we don’t have a private MPLS network or TDM circuits. Significant packet loss is going to be a problem regardless of codec although some codecs may show the issue less than others. Very low bit-rate codecs often suffer packet loss more since each lost packet is a more substantial portion of the media stream.

      I would expect that if you are having trouble with G.722 you would be having similar trouble with G.711 calls to an ITSP. Both codecs use the same amount of bandwidth and don’t have any inherent packet loss concealment. They harken from a time when such things were done outside the codec.

      Do you hear this problem if you dial the ZipDX wideband test at sip:wbdemo@conf.zipdx.com? What is the ITSP that you are using? Packet loss rates & ping times to them?

  8. I don’t recommend 224 as that would be a pre-Alpha “will-change-daily” scratch firmware. it could easily be not ready-for-primetime or late-night or after-hours… 🙂 Might be missing big chunks of stuff. Stick with 223 but I will keep you posted when it is a good time to try something newer.

    USA-centric site will be open to any and all. It’s just easier for me to interact through this site than it would be with the Global site. I will gladly chat with anyone and everyone!

    I currently don’t have the setup to test the dropped-packet issue with G.722, but I will look into it.

  9. from what I heard firmware 2214 is a provider specific firmware – don’t know what the differences are

  14. Looks good.
    Anyone have such behaviour on 02223?:
    2 sip providers was setup, info services on.
    I decide move phone on another table and power it off from ac outlet, after powering on phone is up, but on headset i saw “server inaccessible” atleast 4 minutes(but internet fine because i saw weather on screen), if i change something in webinterface like ip address of phone or just reinsert network cable – it register in second.

  15. Its official now… Got home today from vacation and the phone was asking for a firmware update… went ahead and let it update and at least one bug appears to be fixed… I am now able to call Google 411 through the gigaset again… the previous fw version reset the base station every time I called Goog 411…

  16. Anyone noticed that a brand new A580 has a wrong default firmware server (siemens.gigaset.com?)
    Immediate upgrade to 2223 by logging in and change it to gigaset.com/chagall
    (If using Firefox the base is darn slow before because of old firmware, so that takes a while)

    Anyone noticed that sometimes after this upgrade the handset is going to lal-la-land? (C470) (Syncs with base, base is accesible but no IP on handset when paging?
    (A580, Syncs with base, base is accesible but no IP (three — on handset when paging?
    Or missing lines, like “sip server not…” (instead of sip server not availabe)

    (Hold red button on handset for about 5 seconds and then turn it on again. All well after that)

    By the way, C470 can be ordered again, there was a production error with the displays before. A580 is still crap….really crap..handset locks up, registration errors, no ringing, I got the idea that the handset is the fault. (Tried a C47H on a A580 base, less problems.)
    (with 2214 that is)

  18. Well, looks much more stable then previous.
    Still some bugs here, can reboot while starting making call after long uptime (more than 3-5 days) via tcp sip voip provider.
    And if you don’t touch settings of device and open webinterface in webbrowser also after long uptime in 3-5 days it still goes to reboot (headsets looses base and blue light on base is off for 1-2 seconds).

  19. Today I nervously took the plunge and updated my S685IP’s firmware to latest version 02223. Everything seemed to be working OK. I then re-added the G.722 codec to the list of “Available codecs” for my VOIP provider (I had to remove that codec after the previous 02214 update in order to make calls successfully to certain UK 0870 & 0845 numbers), and on testing I can confirm that I CAN now again make calls to UK 0870 or 0845 numbers OK.

    Yipee – so looks like the v02223 firmware has fixed the problems when dialling out with that codec :¬)

    1. Using G.722 is still broken if the peer sends a 183 progress message as is the case for me with Asterisk when dialling out via an IAX2 trunk.

  20. I’m now running 022230000000 / 047.00 on the S675. I had hoped this would help the latency I get on this device. I have 5 SIP devices on my local network, and 2 on the wan. Each of the two devices on the wan are more than 1,000 miles away. On the two wan devices, I usually get 80 – 95ms latency. My gigaset is 100 – 105ms. Other devices on the LAN are < 20ms. I just simply do not understand why the gigaset performs so poorly.

    1. Have you checked the status of the devices connection to your switch? Is it connected at 10 mbits? I suspect that the network interface on the Gigasets is older and slow. It’s not really an issue from an application perspective, but it could be the source of difference in your latency measurements.

      1. Yes, the gigaset device itself has a 10MB nic. Setting it differently on the switch has no effect, and I cannot find anything in the system (gigaset) so reconfigure the nic to 100MB. Was hoping it wasn’t hardware limitations.

  23. Hi, we just got 4 x A580 IP base sets for the office and home office and installed 2 of them no problem, updating the firmware when prompted.

    The next 2 basesets installed up to the new firmware and then failed to connect after the firmware was updated. I can ping the IP of the baseset on our network, but cannot log onto it anymore.

    Any advice would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Shaun

    1. Once I tried to upgrade an A580IP and it appeared to fail. The base was locked up hard. I did a simple reset and left it alone for a while…like 24 hours. When I returned to look at it again it had worked itself out and was running normally.

      Also, once I had one appear to drop off my network. It seems that my switch just didn’t want to see it. Be sure that your switch can handle 10 mbit devices. If it’s a managed switch force the port into 10 mbit mode. Also, try plugging it into some other switch, even an old hub or another phone that has a built-in 2 port switch (like my Polycom’s)

      I bought an old 10/100 hub so that I could occasionally make WireShark captures when devices like the A580IP would not respond to web access, but otherwise appeared to be working normally. When I returned the base to Gigaset they told me it was working fine. They returned it and, sure enough, it was.

      I put it down to my switch getting confused about the 10 mbit device.

    2. Hi,shaun: i have the same issue with you. did you resolve it??
      i bought 4 new base and update the firmware. only one base can not access to gigaset network. we’ve called customer and got answer….the number’s blocked…-o-

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