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Cisco 877 DSL firmware

ccarmock
Rising Star
Posts: 92
Thanks: 27
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎04-11-2013

Cisco 877 DSL firmware

Hi
I have just ordered a PlusNet ADSL service, and want to use a Cisco 877 router.
It has 12.4(24)T8 firmware
I have what Cisco call the latest ADSL chipset firmware - 6.0.010 dated 4 December 2012.  Is this version compatible with PlusNet?
I ask since I see reference here to 0.0.026 and the release notes for that version claim to be compatible with BT ADSL services, but that 29 November 2011
In their usual wonder manner Cisco version numbers don't seem to run in sequence at all.
My questions are - is anyone here running DSL firmware 6.0.010 successfully with PlusNet and does it incorporate the BT fixes that 0,0.026 contain?
Thanks in advance for any help.
5 REPLIES 5
paulmh5
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 170
Registered: ‎11-04-2011

Re: Cisco 877 DSL firmware

Hi
I've tried without success to get an 877 up and running on ADSL2.  There Cisco claim they have a firmware version that is compatible however I wasn't able to get hold of it at the time of trying so moved onto another solution.
The problem exists between the chipset on the 877 and the MSANs that BT use for ASDSL2 (21CN) services.  The newer 887s use a different chip so work fine.  If you do a bit of Googleing about you should be able to find plenty of suggestions on things to try and firmwares to test, its just a case of getting hold of them without a smartnet contract.  I'm currently running 4.0.018 and I think the claimed fixed version is somewhere in that ball park but yes, the numbers don't seem to run in any helpful order.
Plusnet Staff - Lead Network Design/Delivery Engineer
kevingriffin
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎03-11-2013

Re: Cisco 877 DSL firmware

Hi, I had a Cisco 877 on 21CN for a couple of years, but the only way that I could get a stable connection was to use an external adsl modem and use a pppoe connection between that and the 877.
I in fact used an old Netgear adsl router in modem mode and it worked fine.
Using the built in adsl modem on the 877, it would repeatedly drop the connection, and wouldn't even reconnect without shutting down interfaces.
I tried several different modem firmware, including one from Cisco that was 'supposed' to work with BT - it improved slightly but didn't really solve the issue.
I'm sure in some parts of the country different equipment at the exchange exists but for me it just didn't work
Kevin
DcUK
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Re: Cisco 877 DSL firmware

As mentioned by the previous posters, the STMicro 20196 chipset in the 877 router is pretty poor. Even with perfect conditions and certified-compatible Exchange equipment the connection speeds are frequently 10% below that negotiated by other vendors.
Over the course of around four years I think I tested almost every firmware released for this platform (and some beta releases) and I could never match the performance of other, frequently much cheaper, devices. The most successful firmware to date (across a large number of customer sites) has been 0.0.026, this has solved most of the disconnection and repeated retrain issues, but in still results in a slower connection speed when compared to other chipsets.
For reference the release notes for this version state:
CISCO - ST Microelectronics
DSL Modem Firmware Release Notes
AMR-0.0.026
Stability Build
15-September-2011
Ram Parasuraman  raparasu@cisco.com
Carla Kochmann    ckochman@cisco.com
I.  General
AMR-0.0.026 is a production grade release of the CPE firmware of the ADSL physical-layer system designed and implemented by Cisco engineers working in collaboration on site in the Service Provider Acceptance Test Facilities.
This firmware is based on version 0.0.017 (Major Version 4.0.015)
The fixes added to this firmware will not affect meeting the ITU requirements for PSD or any other ITU requirements.
This firmware is intended specifically for deployment at British Telecom as it contains specific interoperability changes to address issues observed during testing vs DSLAMs at this operator in operating modes ADSL1/ADSL2+ Annex A.
It applies to the following CPE ADSL2+ Chipset: ST20190.
It operates according to the following standards: ITU G.992.1, ITU G.992.3, ITU G.992.5 Annex A.
Depending on the standard, it can operate for POTS and/or ISDN.
The current release base is qualified for the DFE3.0 (full TR-067 eBOM) and for DFE2.6 with the ST20196-AB, ST20196P-AA and ST20196P-AB digital chips.
II. Product Identification
Supported chipset
Analog ASIC identification
The following ADSL Analog Front End chip is supported by this release:
- ST 20184 CA-I1
Digital ASIC identification
The following ADSL DMT engine chips are supported by this release:
- ST20196-AB, ST20196P-AA and ST20196P-AB (AHB configured in 35 MHz mode).
This software should also be functional with ST20196-AAA (AHB configured in 70
MHz mode) and ST20196-AB (AHB configured in 70 MHz mode) but this not explicitly
verified during the validation of this release.

BOM identification
DFE 3.0 annex A/L: allows to fully pass TR-067 (and TR-048)
The current Modem Firmware release supports with indicated maturity:
- ST20184/ST20196 with DFE 3.0 BOM.
The firmware auto-detects the BOM version depending on the values of the resistors connected to the pins T1N/T1P of the ST20184:
R_5V_T1N
R_T1P_GND
R_5V_T1P
R_T1N_GND
DFE 3.0 Annex A Qualified Qualified 16K 22K
Control-E reference
The operation of the runtime software is described in detail in the "ADSL CPE Control Interface Specification CTRL-E" (Rev 7.0).
III. Changes compared to AMR-4.0.015 (MR15)
* Resolves REIN/SHINEtesting vs Huawei & Fujitsu DSLAM (INFN)
* Resolves Fujitsu UK DSLAM issues with no support for Segmented Bitswap Message (TSTC)
* Resolves OLR Defer/Delay being sent late (ALL)
* Resolves ADSL1 issues for Bitswaps (ALL)
* Resolves Link Rate Failure to Train on BANDED PROFILES (ALL)
* Resolves Stockholm Noise Acceptance Test Issues (ALL)
* Resolves Link Freezing with DATA Lock Up, CRC Error Recovery (ALL)
* Resolves Proper NM Margin Display to be Current Average (CPE)
* Reduced Link Train Up Times
IV. QUALIFICATIONS
Lab testing across all network models and profiles continuing successfully.
Field trials proceeding on select, known historically challenging lines.

For reference, the list of firmwares I've tested to date:

-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd  991820 Jun 21  2007 adsl_alc_20190_3.0.33.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd  996472 Sep  3  2008 adsl_alc_20190_4.0.015.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd  990944 Oct  3  2008 adsl_alc_20190_3.0.43.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1000952 Oct 23  2009 adsl_alc_20190_4.0.018.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1002424 Dec 14  2009 adsl_alc_20190_4.0.017.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1001048 Apr  4  2011 adsl_alc_20190_4.0.195.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1000636 Apr  4  2011 adsl_alc_20190_4.0.209.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1001180 Aug  2  2011 adsl_alc_20190_5.0.005.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1002524 Oct 18  2012 adsl_alc_20190_9.0.118.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd  996608 Nov  2  2012 adsl_alc_20190_6.0.000.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd  996608 Nov  2  2012 adsl_alc_20190_6.0.001.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1000952 Nov  2  2012 adsl_alc_20190_6.0.008.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1000952 Nov  2  2012 adsl_alc_20190_6.0.009.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1000952 Nov  2  2012 adsl_alc_20190_6.0.010.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 tftpd tftpd 1001980 Nov 17  2012 adsl_alc_20190_0.0.026.bin

Note that the dates listed are not the release dates, but rather the date upon which the last rebuild of that version was received.
ccarmock
Rising Star
Posts: 92
Thanks: 27
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎04-11-2013

Re: Cisco 877 DSL firmware

Thanks for this.
I have the 0.0.026 firmware on this router so will give that a try.   If this doesn't work I'll ask PlusNet to send me the standard router.
At work we use the BT Private Teleworker service which is via PlusNet and have a few 877W's running now in ADSL2+ mode... see below...
For a standard PlusNet (ie not Teleworker) connection should I just use the ppp chap hostname....    ppp chap password options on the dialler interface or do I need the
ppp pap sent-username ..... password .....
line as well?

On a Private Teleworker ADSL2+ line :-
ATM0
Alcatel 20190 chipset information
                ATU-R (DS)                      ATU-C (US)
Modem Status:    Showtime (DMTDSL_SHOWTIME)
DSL Mode:        ITU G.992.5 (ADSL2+) Annex A
ITU STD NUM:    0x03                            0x2
Chip Vendor ID:  'STMI'                          'IFTN'
Chip Vendor Specific:  0x0000                    0x71C8
Chip Vendor Country:  0x0F                      0xB5
Modem Vendor ID: 'CSCO'                          '    '
Modem Vendor Specific: 0x0000                    0x0000
Modem Vendor Country:  0xB5                      0x00
Serial Number Near:    FCZ132560NJ
Serial Number Far:
Modem VerChip ID:        C196 (0)
DFE BOM:        DFE3.0 Annex A (1)
Capacity Used:  96%                            99%
Noise Margin:    3.5 dB                          6.0 dB
Output Power:    20.0 dBm                        12.5 dBm
Attenuation:    17.5 dB                          7.0 dB
FEC ES Errors:  6570                            0
ES Errors:      97                              0
SES Errors:      25                              0
LOSES Errors:    10                              0
UES Errors:      0                              34
Defect Status:  None                            None
Last Fail Code:  None
Watchdog Counter: 0xD6
Watchdog Resets: 0
Selftest Result: 0x00
Subfunction:    0x00
Interrupts:      4206 (0 spurious)
PHY Access Err:  0
Activations:    3
LED Status:      ON
LED On Time:    100
LED Off Time:    100
Init FW:        init_AMR_4.0.223.bin
Operation FW:    AMR-E-4.0.223.bin
FW Source:      external
FW Version:      4.0.223
                DS Channel1      DS Channel0  US Channel1      US Channel0
Speed (kbps):            0            17796            0              1242
Cells:                    0          141250            0          17901071
Reed-Solomon EC:          0                0            0                0
CRC Errors:              0            1458            0                0
Header Errors:            0            1306            0                0
                                                 
DcUK
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎30-03-2009

Re: Cisco 877 DSL firmware

For the authentication you just need:

interface DialerX
description DSL Interface (Outside)
...
encapsulation ppp
ppp authentication chap callin
ppp chap hostname yourusername@plusdsl.net
ppp chap password yourpassword
...
ppp ipcp dns request
ppp ipcp route default
...

The PAP configuration isn't necessary and really should be discouraged given it is all in clear-text on the wire.  Shocked