Tom's Guide | Tom's Hardware | Tom's Games
By: Radix-64
If you have a VoIP phone and it suddenly stops working for no apparent reason (no vendor service outages), here are some tips on how to diagnose/fix it. what probably happened is that your service provider had a firmware
update, necessitating your having to completely reboot the VoIP router
unit to update it manually.
The first step is to establish whether or not you have Internet service working. You do that by opening a web browser and typing in several different addresses to see if you have a connection.
If your Internet service is not working, the next step is to reboot
your modem by using a paperclip to push the restart button on the back of the unit. Sometimes
this button is concealed with white tape--just remove the tape to
access the button. Then open a web browser and test different URLs to
verify that you have an Internet connection.
Once you've established
that you have an Internet connection, then follow the below steps.
If your Internet service is working, but not your VoIP phone, the next step is to reboot your VoIP router unit. Note, plugging and unplugging the power wire to the router does not constitute a reboot. Grab a paper clip and use it to push and hold for at least 40-60 seconds the tiny round restart button on the back of the unit. If there isn't a general service outage with your VoIP provider, you will see lights flickering. Once the light on the Phone indicator is a solid green, your VoIP phone is working again.
