The document summarizes common issues with the Cisco IP Communicator (CIPC) and provides troubleshooting tips. It addresses how CIPC determines time, when it will support Windows 7, issues with USB headsets and installation, errors with Cisco Emergency Responder, populating device information, crashes, audio problems, and black screens. Troubleshooting steps are provided for each issue.

1. CIPC Targeted Training

2. CIPC Common
Issues
Analysis of Q2FY2010
Sri Paladugu
spaladug@cisco.com
Michael Luo
htluo@cisco.com
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 2

3. Agenda
•How time is determined on CIPC
•When will CIPC support Windows 7
•USB headsets
•Installation Issues
•"Unable to initialize support for Cisco Emergency
Responder" Error
•Populating device name and tftp addresses
•CIPC crash
•Audio issues
•CIPC showing a black/blank screen
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 3

4. How time on CIPC is determined
The time on CIPC is determined differently than a normal IP phone. A normal IP
phone will get the UTC time and the time zone from the CUCM server. CIPC will only
get the time zone from the CUCM and will get the UTC time from the local computer.
Process of CIPC determining time:
1. Get the UTC time from the local computer
2. Use the time zone from the Date/Time group configured in the device pool that the
CIPC is assigned to.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 4

5. How time on CIPC is determined
Troubleshooting Tips
•If you want the CIPC to display the same time as the windows PC
then make sure that the time zone configured on the device pool of
the CIPC is the same as the time zone configured on the local
computer.
•You might find that some uninformed end users will not choose the
proper time zone on the local computer and will instead just adjust
the time manually. This action will affect the UTC time on the local
computer which will lead to CIPC having the wrong time because the
UTC time will already have the time zone applied and then CIPC will
apply the time zone on the device pool.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 5

6. CIPC support for vlan traversal and
remote access with ASA
•CIPC is supported for vlan traversal with ASA.
•CIPC is not supported for remote access with ASA.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 6

7. When will CIPC support Windows 7?
CIPC 7.0.4 will support Windows 7. This release is
estimated to be out around May 2010. This will entail a
change in the CDP driver that CIPC installs.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 7

8. USB headsets
•Might want to try a powered USB hub.
•We do not have an official list for compatible headsets.
Some manufacturers like plantronics will say which of
their headsets are compatible with CIPC.
•If it s a Plantronics headset there are some issues with
the Plantronics Persona software. Please ask the
customer uninstall that software to see if the issue
persists.
•Some incompatible headsets with cause CIPC to
flicker/flash.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 8

9. Installation Issues
You have to install CIPC with administrator privileges.
Not doing this will lead to the CDP driver not being
installed successfully and will lead to CIPC displaying the
error message "Unable to initialize support for Cisco
Emergency Responder. Please consult your system
administrator".
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 9

10. Error "Unable to initialize support for
Cisco Emergency Responder. Please
consult your system administrator"
This error is received because the CDP driver was not installed successfully and CIPC is
trying to use it. This usually happens because CIPC was not installed with administrator
privileges.
The workarounds are the following:
1. Uninstall CIPC and install CIPC with administrator privileges.
2. In CIPC versions prior to 7.0.4 you can create a registry key that will tell CIPC not to
use the CDP driver upon launch.
a. Open registry editor - Run regedit
b. Get to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARECisco Systems,
Inc.Communicator
c. Add EnableCDP as a DWORD value.
d. Set its value to 0 (To enable it later change the value to 1. By default, the key
doesn't exist and the default value is 1).
3. In CIPC 7.0.3.3 there are some commands for the MSI file that will allow you to create
the registry key above during install. This is documented under bug CSCtc37052.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 10

11. Disabling CIPC webpage
Uncheck the checkbox for the webpage on CIPC device
configuration on CUCM.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 11

12. Populating the device name and tftp
addresses
The following are the only two supported ways to autopopulate the
device name and the tftp information for CIPC.
1. You can use the MSI commands in the following document to
populate the information during install.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cipc/2_0/engli
sh/administration/guide/CADins.html#wp1137111
2. You can alter the registry keys Hostname, TftpServer1, &
TftpServer2 under the following location in the registry.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARECisco Systems,
Inc.Communicator
3. Under an Administrator account go into the CIPC preferences. If
you do not use an administrator account then the changes will
not be saved for the next launch of CIPC.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 12

13. CIPC Crash
If you experience two way audio for a few seconds, then
one way audio for a few minutes and then CIPC crashes
AND this only happens on VPN then most likely the
Cisco VPN software is below version 5.0. Ask the
customer to upgrade the Cisco VPN client because the
CIPC 7.x release notes mention that only Cisco VPN 5.0
and higher are supported.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 13

14. CIPC showing a black/blank screen
1. Close CIPC
2. In the registry, delete the Communicator folder under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Cisco
Systems, Inc.
3. Run CIPC as an administrator
4. CIPC registered successfully.
5. Run CIPC as a non-administrator user
6. CIPC registered successfully.
7. We rebooted the PC and CIPC still works for non-
administrator users.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 14

15. Audio Issues
•Check if the option for "optimize for low bandwidth" is
checked under Preferences > Network on CIPC
•Check if the packet capture shows rtp streams in both
directions
•Check if the phone's webpage on both phones show
increasing counts for transmit and receive.
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 15

16. Q&A
© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 16

17. © 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 17