In this thread, I will outline three methods by which you can choose from in order to perform a System Restore to Factory Defaults.

  1. Once in a blue moon, you may feel the urge to restore your Cisco SPA112 VoIP ATA to its factory set default values. I can only speculate as to what might bring these feelings on:
  2. Your ATA is plagued with mysterious problems that don't seem to be resolved by a simple system restart/reboot procedure.
  3. You suspect the mysterious performance issues could possibly be caused by a configuration settings corruption.
  4. You have been doing lots of fiddling around with configuration settings and can't remember what the default values were way back when you first bought your shiny new ATA.
  5. Other reasons I haven't thought of yet...

Whatever the reasons may be, sometimes there is nothing like a fresh new start in life. And, that goes for VoIP telephone adapters, too.


Before I get started with the procedures, I would like to point out that, in my mind, there is a clear distinction between "factory restore" and a "current firmware restore" to defaults.


In my mind, a factory restore would restore the configuration settings back to the actual settings that existed in the ATA when it was actually manufactured and shipped directly from the factory. As far as I am aware of at this time, there is no way for me to do this procedure, short of downloading the original firmware version from Cisco's support web site and re-installing that original version back into the ATA at some future date (assuming the original firmware that shipped with the unit has since been updated in the field).


For myself, I make the distinction between a current version firmware restore from a factory restore, as when the firmware version that is currently installed in the ATA is restored to its intrinsic default values. For example, once I have updated or upgraded the version of firmware in my ATA to a later version than what was in the unit at the time I purchased it as new, any "Restore to Factory Defaults" procedure I perform will only restore the "current firmware version" to its default values, and not to the version and values that actually shipped from the factory.


Perhaps this is all just semantics. I admit, I do tend to get bogged down with the details sometimes. (You know, spending too much time examining a single tree when I should be viewing the whole forest...) Anyway, from here on I will refer to the nomenclature as presented in the SPA112 and its user guide.


Three Methods for Restoring Factory Defaults


1.
The Built-in IVR System

This is probably the most convenient way to reset and restore the SPA112 defaults:

  1. Plug your analog telephone into one of the rear-panel telephone RJ-11 jacks.
  2. Take the phone off-hook and press the star key four times: * * * *
  3. Then, dial the following IVR code: 73738 followed by the # key.
          TIP: RESET spelled out on the telephone keypad = 73738.
  4.  
  5. The IVR will ask you to Confirm by pressing the keypad digit 1.
  6. You must hang-up (put phone on-hook) to commence the reboot sequence.
       -   30 seconds later, you will see the Power LED blinking (indication of a restore/reboot).
       -   The power LED will blink for another 120 seconds.

The complete IVR initiated reboot sequence will take a full 150 seconds, or 2.5 minutes to complete.


This IVR restore method is a full restore. In other words, it restores both Network and Voice settings. Cisco now provides the ability to segregate and differentiate between a Network restore vs. a Voice settings restore. Method 2 below is the only means by which the administrator can differentiate between these two types of restores.


Note:

It is possible to Password Protect access to the SPA122 IVR system.

To find out how, click here.


2.
The Cisco Phone Adapter Configuration Utility

This procedure requires that you login to the SPA112 via the Cisco Configuration Utility using your PC and a web browser.  I have already written another guide that completely covers the topic of  How To Login As Administrator On A Cisco SPA112.  Please refer to that guide for instructions on how to login.

  1. Login to the SPA112
  2. Click on the Administration button at top of the landing page
  3. Navigate to the Factory Defaults option  (located in the left side navigation menu pane)
  4. Once in the Factory Defaults option page, note that the restore option radio buttons default to No.



    SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_No.jpg

     SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_No.jpg (56.38 KiB) Viewed 6057 times



  5. A restore will only occur if you set one or both radio buttons to Yes, and then click Submit button.
  6. Cisco has now enabled the ability to selectively differentiate between restoring Network settings only, Voice settings only, or Both. For the purposes of this example, I will perform the Factory Restore to Defaults for both Network settings AND Voice settings by setting both radio buttons to Yes and then clicking on the Submit button.



    SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_YES_1.jpg

     SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_YES_1.jpg (58.34 KiB) Viewed 6057 times



  7. Once the Submit button has been clicked, you will be immediately greeted with the following pop-up Warning:



    SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_Yes_Warning.jpg

     SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_Yes_Warning.jpg (13.91 KiB) Viewed 6057 times



    Once you click OK, you will almost immediately see the "Restore is Successful" page pop-up.

    Note: You won't see the power LED start blinking until about 30 seconds after you click OK on the warning message.



    SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_Success_Restarting.jpg

     SPA112_Factory-Defaults_Restore_Success_Restarting.jpg (14.95 KiB) Viewed 6057 times



    ~ 120 seconds  after you clicked the OK button, you will once again be greeted with the default login page. I advise waiting another 30 seconds before attempting to log back-in. Otherwise, when you do login prematurely, you may be greeted with the "Voice Module Not Ready" message:



    SPA112_Reboot_Successful_LogIn_Voice-Module_Not_Ready.jpg

     SPA112_Reboot_Successful_LogIn_Voice-Module_Not_Ready.jpg (41.33 KiB) Viewed 6057 times



  8. The complete sequence of events will take at least 150 seconds to successfully complete.
  9. If you did wait the full 150 seconds, or 2.5 minutes before logging back-in, you will initially land on the Quick Setup page, by default as usual.

    Note that after a full (Network and Voice options) Factory Restore to Defaults procedure has been initiated, ALL data is reset to the current firmware version defaults level. And, this includes setting the Administrator Username and Password back to their defaults:

    Username = admin     -    Password = admin



    SPA112_Quick_Setup_Admin.jpg

     SPA112_Quick_Setup_Admin.jpg (58.25 KiB) Viewed 6055 times



Notes:

  • If you perform a Voice only Restore, only data under the Voice menu will be reset to the firmware level defaults.
    *  This sequence only takes about 90 seconds to complete.
    *  No Network or Administration specific values will be affected. (Passwords not affected)
  • If you perform a Network only Restore, only Network specific and Administrator specific settings will be reset to defaults.
    *  This sequence only takes about 90 seconds to complete.
    *  No Voice communications settings will be affected in this procedure.
    *  Administrator Login credential are reset back to Default settings.
    Thus,  Administrator Login is reset to: Username = admin     -    Password = admin

3.
The Rear-Panel Reset Button

This is the old well known paper clip trick.


This method will perform a full firmware level restore to defaults. In other words, it will restore Both Network configurations AND Voice configurations.

  1. Using the end of a paperclip, press it into the red hole marked RESET, located on the bottom-left side of the back panel of the SPA112. Press and hold for at least a full 10 seconds. Cisco documentation is currently stating to hold as much as 20 seconds.  10 seconds is working for me.



    SPA112_Rear.jpg

     SPA112_Rear.jpg (10.46 KiB) Viewed 6054 times



  2. Power LED will start to blink when the restore process begins.
  3. Power LED will continue to blink for a total time of ~ 150 seconds.

When the power LED stops blinking (after ~ 150 seconds, or 2.5 minutes has elapsed), you should be able to log back into the SPA112, if desired.


NOTE: 

The rear-panel RESET button (Factory Restore feature) can be disabled by logging-in as Administrator, and then navigating to the Administration menu and selecting the Reset Button menu option. By default, the rear-panel RESET button is Enabled. (This option only affects system restores; not reboots)



SPA112_Reset_Button_Disable.jpg

 SPA112_Reset_Button_Disable.jpg (52.87 KiB) Viewed 6054 times



Final Note:

  • If you only want to restore Network settings OR Voice settings back to default values (but not both), you will need to use the Cisco Configuration Utility procedure outlined in method 2 using your web browser access.