Manually Update Polycom VVX Phones via Your Own TFTP Server

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LAST UPDATED: 09-20-2024

HOW TO MANUALLY UPDATE POLYCOM PHONES, USING YOUR OWN TFTP SERVER
- If your Poly phone is unable to get updates from 8x8, because the software is out of date, and you can't get it to update for the life of you?  It took me 2 days to figure the below steps that allowed me to update the phone to the latest firmware. 
- These instructions are for using a TFTP server on a Micrsoft Windows OS.
- You will need the admin password to the 8x8 phone. 
- The below is for the Poly VVX 500 phone.  Make firmware name changes for your respected model.

1.) Create a folder at the root of your C: called "TFTP-Root".


2.) Download and install PumpKIN TFTP Server. https://kin.klever.net/pumpkin/
3.) Open PumpKIN TFTP Server app, and make sure the "Server is running" check mark is checked.  If not, and the port is in use, don't proceed further.  You must fix this before proceeding.  I had Solarwinds TFTP server installed and running as a service, and was using UDP port 69, for example.  I uninstalled Solarwinds TFTP, and PumpKIN loaded with the server check mark just fine, after that. 


4.) Click "Options" in PumpKIN. Add the TFTP Filesystem root path "C:\TFTP-Root".  Make sure "allow access to subdirectories" is checked. Change radio button options to "Give all" and "Take all". Click OK..


5.) Go to Polycom and download the split firmware for your model. This is what your phone will update to.
https://downloads.polycom.com/voice/voip/uc_sw_releases_matrix.html


6.) Download and extract the 000000000000.cfg-master.zip contents to your C:\TFTP-root folder. 
Source Notes (in case the above link dissapears): https://github.com/greiginsydney/000000000000.cfg/tree/master


7.) Open customisations.cfg in notepad and make sure, or change, the Device Update options to "1", and save.  If you download our .zip file, it will already be set this way, and you can skip this step.


8.) Factory reset the phone, so you can change the provisioning server to TFTP.  Boot the phone and press "Cancel", and hold down keys 1-3-5 at the same time (while it is counting down).  You should get a password screen.  Type in the MAC address of the phone, and factoryt reset the phone.  You can follow these instructions, if you are having trouble.
https://emak.tech/support/polycom-factory-reset-without-password/. 

9.) Once phone is rebooted.  Go to settings, status, network, TCPIP to get the IP of the phone. Login and change the provisioning server.  Change the provisioning server Type to TFTP.  Change the Server Address to the IP address of you TFTP server windows pc. 


10.) Save the settings and Reboot the phone, or power cycle via POE.  PumpKIN will make noises and show logs when the phone connects and boots.  Check the PumpKIN logs and make sure the correct sip.ld file is uploading. Mine gave me a 3111-44500-001.sip.ld file not found error. So I copied the respected file in the C:\TFTP-Root folder.  Rebooted the phone.. and I could see the PumpKIN logs showing the phone downloaded it. Note.. The phone boots to the application screen, and waits about 10 seconds, and reboots to start the update. Photos of the process below.



11.) Set a new password on the phone. New default password is 456.  I set my new password to 123.


12.) The phone is updated, once you see "Provisioning Successful". We don't need to provision from TFTP anymore. Exit Pumkin TFTP from your workstation. We now need to provision from your VOIP SIP provider now.


13.) Factory Reset the Phone.  The downloaded github .cfg configuration files (in the C:\TFTP-Root folder) has something in it to disable the web gui via IP, configures as skype, etc.  I am not sure what else it configured, so I just factory reset the phone to be safe.  On the phone itself, go to settings, advanced, typed in the admin password, Administrative Settings, 5 Rest to Defaults, 5 Reset to Factory.

14.) Set a new password for the phone again when it is done factoy resetting. Again, default is 456.  I set my new password to 123.


15.) Provision your phone like you normally would now.  Put in the 8x8 provisioning server via the web ip, save, and the phone should auto reboot. Once it boots up it should contact the provisioning server and will provision.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you login to 8x8 and deactivate the phone from the User, before you try and activate it again. 
We use 8x8. Here is the link for 8x8 provisiong servers. 
8x8 instructions: https://support-portal.8x8.com/helpcenter/viewArticle.html?d=e7a73331-46d8-439b-9403-7a19cd53ac07
HTTPS
pccfg.8x8.com/polycomuc/



16.) AGAIN. IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you login to 8x8 and deactivate the phone from the User, before you try and activate it again, or you may get this error.  If you are.. just Deactive the phone from the user.  Reboot the phone, and activate it again.