atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Other Telephones & Systems Sprint Protege

Anybody work on these or have any manuals?

What is the problem???? Any programming must be done from a laptop...Typical Intertel POS...

Mitch Taylor
[email protected]

A fellow tech asked me if I had anything on it and I told him I would see if I could get him the install and program sheets. So Inter-Tel makes it?

Intertel dealers sold it along with the Intertel Line, it is actually made by Sprint.

I wouldnt get to involved with it cause basicly its dead... Bad Voice Mail, Bad Hook Switches in Phones, very weak when it came to power surges, and you needed a laptop to do EVERYTHING...
A big fish that made a big splash and sunk...

how many systems have we seen that followed the same route???

i have a sprint protege 616 but have no idea how to program, so you use a laptop, not a phone, huh.

will hyperterm work, what are the comm parameters?

You can use a telephone to program these. I have not had to touch one in 5 years, and I can't even find any of the manuals. They don't have any support and were poorly built. More headache than it worth.

Words spoken the truth from the Z-Man....
Poorly built is being nice...they area true POS...

Interconnects that had an account from Sprint/North Supply were given great pricing on this system and they fell for it hook,line and sinker....

Avoid this system and Omega/Iwatsu at ALL TIMES...

Oh by the way, they needed special Sprint/Protege software to programm. It was a 4 disk set on 3 1/2 floppy's. Released in 4 versions...each version with a different set of fixes...

Boy you guys make this sound like a nightmare, I think I'll wish him good luck.

Agree on Protege, but I have had pretty good luck with Iwatsu, at least thier ADIX series. Can't say that I miss working on the older Omega III & IV, or the ZTD, but the ADIX has some pretty nice features. It really boils down to what you were brought up on. For me it was Avaya & Nortel, with some NEC and Iwatsu sprinkled in for good measure. The ADIX even has a very nice ACD package for a good price. I avoid Intertel and Telrad, not because I think they are bad systems, but because I not even sure if I could figure out how to turn one on or off It really just boils down to what you are comfortable with. Still, I wouldn't break any speed records to get to a Protege service call. I would have to be REAL slow in business to take that one on.

some programming can be done through a executive handset. However you need the software to program the majority. Additionally, each rev level is specific to your interface s/w. Crack the case and look for something like Sf04 written on one of the eeprom chips. I will send you s/w you need.

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Dose this include the Protege CTX systmes? If I crack the case I should find the same s/w release info. and you can get me the s/w?

I AGREE WITH THE OTHERS ON THE QUALITY OF THE PROTOGE.....I HAVE RUN INTO TWO VERSIONS OF THE CRITTER HOWEVER...THE NEWER VERSION REQUIRES A LAPTOP AND SOFTWARE AND THE OLDER VERSION PROGRAMMED INDENTICAL TO A STARPLUS DHS.

Sorry for the all caps. I forgot all caps are considered rude in forums.

>>Sorry for the all caps...

No problem and welcome to the forum.

Caps aren't a big deal...watch how we spell.

If you still need info i have a hard copy of the manual.

I hate the protege! Didn't realize it was actually an intertel.
RIpping out a protege voice. It's funny. Toshiba Stratagy box, with a stripped down weak version of the NVM 202 as the software.

the 616 is strictly phone programming. (just made a mistake about telling a customer that has the old 32 "sure you can use your existing phones" didn't realize they had the Executive sets 616 only supports up to a Business)
The CTX, MTX,and LTX is 99% laptop programming. And you better have the right version programming software to match the installed vwersion. Only about 50 different ones.
Then programming them is substantially different than anything else I have ever done.

Over all a real pece of junk.

We repair the phones and they are JUNK!!!!
I hate to see them come in the door.

So a Protege LTX system, even if given to me for free, is not worth the time to get it installed? I have a quote for a Nortel CICS system w/ call box installed for about $3,500. Any suggestions?

The telephones do make attractive paperweights...
In all seriousness... Throw it all into a dumpster and spend the money on a system that actually functions, can be programmed, and is still supported. The Protege was a nightmare when it was new. Age has made it even worse.
The Norstar is a nice product. A small Avaya Partner or a Toshiab 40i, heck, any number of small systems would be much better than the Protege. I think that I would prefer a 15-year old Comdial Executech I system to the Protege.
You might also want to read this thread from another forum:
https://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?SQID=857570&SPID=461&page=1

[This message has been edited by paul144 (edited July 09, 2004).]

The Protege is not made by intertel. (its made by Tcom, the same people that make comdial, vodavi and a host of other systems.
Early versions were a nightmare.
The phones are not garbage, but I would not install them in a harsh enviorment(repair shops, marinas, etc)The hook switch problem is do to abuse not normal wear and tear (if you want a phone you can beat up then Nortel and Lucent win hands down).

The voice mail Protege Voice is made by a company called ABS talks... I have never installed one, although we have some customers that we service. My opinion of the voice mail is that it is not user friendly but seems to be a very stable product.

The software: Yes they have changed the versions of software more often than I change my underwear (not really but it seems like that) And yes when the new version comes out to fix and old problem the new software has a problem that the old one did not have.

That might not sound bad and in some cases it was but overall it was not a mjor issue. You see the reason that the Protege was an easy sale was because of the software. The Sprint software blew away Norstar, Avaya, Toshiba, Panasonic etc.

This phone system was so powerfull I could sell it on application not price. We would use the Telekol voice mail and more recently we used the allen voice mail. The intergration was real tight.

I have 3 or 4 hundred very satisfied Sprint Protege customers.

I have been in the business over 25 years (a old 1A2 tech) and I do believe the Protege was a good product when you look at the product overall and compare it to other systems its size. I sell avaya and norstar and love there systems, but again depending on the application the Sprint would kill both of them.

Anyway that was then and this is now, yes the Protege is now a system of the past (It is still sold and from my understanding there are no plans to discontinue it in the near future).

The new Sprint system (called the K3 ) is just as more advanced than the Avaya Partner, Panasonic or any other system that is in the 24 co line 48 extension system. Has most but not all of the advanced features of the Protege, but check out this one feature that I find a real deal closer. You can assign 8 extensions that whenever they go off hook there calls are automaticly recorded into a seperate mailbox (not there personal mailbox).Think of the applications you can sell with that... and the phone migrate into there larger system that is made by Tadiran.

Anyway Im done, I just wanted to give you guys some more informative insight on Sprint.
If you really knew the system you wuold of understood its merits.

As discuused you all had valid issuses but your overall conclusion was off base.

I hope you see my responses are not bias and as I noted I sell many more systems than Sprint.

Walter

Why would anyone buy a Sprint Protege?

Application and Price

[This message has been edited by walterv (edited July 12, 2004).]

Yes the Protege had lots of features at the time it came out, but compared to the Toshiba DK series there is no comparison....The "Shiba blew it all away. And I sure do hope you have extra sets of underwear....

I guess maybe Walter has some valid points but he also said he thinks the Partner was good!
The Protege is fairly simple to program (once you get really used to it) and the LTX would get rather powerful, but the problems were not worth any of it's advantages.
My biggest cons -
phones lost programming sometimes when unplugged.
Keeping up with the software.

Biggest Pros - UCD groups EXTREMELY Easy to set up, Although I never set up a true ACD group that users logged in and out of with it.

It had it's place and we still sell the 308 version. (can't buy a ne Modkey 16 anymore)

he thinks the Partner was good!

Ok .... Tell me your thoughts are on the partner.

I have quite a few customers that own them...
Service call rate is very low....

The older MLS phones have the membarane problem... but I still see a lot of them ten plus year old systems out there humming away with no service...

20 or so years ago we were contractors for ATT and installed a bunch for them...

Im very much intrested in your reasoning for thinking there not a good system.

I do not like there voice mails and do not use them ... but do have a handfull of account that we took over that has them...

Walter

I like the partner as well. my problem with the Protege' and other systems like it, is that it is too feature rich. They add so many things that they don't work all the time. Case in point: One of the few Pros we installed called us and kept complaining that once they put a caller on hold, they could not retrieve it. sure enough, went out on site, and once the hold button was pressed, you couldn't get it back. It just stayed on internal hold. I have never experienced these issues on Partners, Nortstar, Legends, etc. I have not done much Toshiba, but it seems to be a reliable product. Half of a good product is getting to know it a taking care of it.

Let me stick my 2 cents worth in regarding the Partner.....

I have been on jobsites where Partners where located next to boiler rooms, electrical closets, plumbing closets and the friggin think was clunking away working fine.....

While Im not a fan of the modular connections or the slots that never seat properly, once it goes in it stays working forever.........

MY ONLY BEEF is I wish they would expand the thing to 2 cabinets, some companies cannot afford the complex MAGIX and find the Partner just fine.....

THEN AGAIN......the winner is the 1030/3070....what a rock solid monster.....

ZMAN

Funtion 69 then press F2 (display above this should say go)
Unplug the phone than plug back in

This will re-set the phone port...

Clears out any user programing .... Very helpfull to do this when you have a weird problem with a phone..

Walter

I install alot of Partner systems , & work on a ton of them. Nice system for a small office. Then only beef I have with them is that ports get staticy, especially on 206 cards. The cabinet is also of poor design, cards don't seat very well. I wish they did not have fixed extension #'s either. Partner systems run pretty warm, too. Just look at the discolored cabinets. Partner VM is complicated for the end user as well. But all in all a good system, I installed one in my house. Nope, not a mansion, but I had the spare parts & "just had too".

Sorry to have turned this from a Protege to a Partner system.

I always found the Partner system more of a very poorly designed piece of plastic that is over priced. Sure it is User friendly and easily programmed. But, It over-heats, real bad problems with 206 cards, takes up a lot of room, Cards don't always seat right, battery problems, and on and on. My biggest gripe though is that they won't DIE! They DO keep plugging along. With the Advent of the ACS, I thought they might try to migrate to the 21st century, but, for better or for worst, it is almost the same system as it was 10 - 15 years ago.
Also I have disliked any and all ATT voicemail (except for the AMANDA liscenced to AT&T)
Proteges still suck though, but if the price was the same I would go with the protege of a partner.

Sorry one more negative about the partner...2pair? c'mon.

We "partner" our Partners with Keyvoice VMSs. they work really nice. The two pair thing is so you can have analog phones.

2 pair allows the use of the same ports for either system phones or analog phones. Show me another key system that will do that!

NItsuko Portrait will.

Panasonic..and they do it the right way.

When dealing with software I think the s series stuff is for the ctx and the f series is for the mtx ltx. Also if you stay within the series level it should be downward comp. (f5,f4,s4,s3 etc.) the series is the first number and the rev within that series is the second.

[This message has been edited by frodo_35 (edited November 19, 2004).]

I was called today to a site with a Protege CTX that was no longer supported by an installer. I understand from your earlier posting that this system is programmed via terminal and requires special software. The software in this CTX was S4F06, do you have the software to manage this switch and if so how can I get a copy? Thanks for your help.

Hi all;

I've got a protege system, and I am in need of software to program it. EEPROM labels tell me I need k32us5.f05. Can someone send me this? I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks.

Please complete your profile in full, so we know who it is we are helping. Thanks!

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| Signal Communication Systems - Fresno, CA |

| Telephone Systems, Voicemail Syste... & Data Cabling - Central Valley, CA

Done. Sorry about that. Should be all set now. I'm actually the network guy, and have inherited the phone system as well. Mostly just need to be able to add and remove users from the voicemail system. Hate having to call the vendor every time we hire someone.

TIA

Thanks! The software you requested is for programming your phone system, not voicemail. Do you know what type voicemail you have? Is it onboard, or a separate unit?

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| Signal Communication Systems - Fresno, CA |

| Telephone Systems, Voicemail Syste... & Data Cabling - Central Valley, CA

Hi -- Yes, I know it's for programming my system. It must be onboard VM. I spoke with my telco tech, and it was his idea that we get set up to manage it ourselves. He doesn't want to come out every time we hire someone either (can't blame him there). He walked me through the system with his machine, and said he'd send over the disks, but hasn't, and I haven't been able to get in touch with him. I've got a call in there too, but we're hiring a few new people next week, and I've gotta get this done. I appreciate the help. MY KSU is the protege CTX, there is another, separate, smaller box also -- this is marked as Sprint-built as well.

Thanks for the help!
c0d3r

I'm unsure what your voicemail is. The second box could be voicemail, but then again, it could just be a power supply. Maybe another tech on here can help answer that question. I can't remember off the top of my head how a CTX is layed out.

Oh by the way, you've got mail!

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| Signal Communication Systems - Fresno, CA |

| Telephone Systems, Voicemail Syste... & Data Cabling - Central Valley, CA

Why would you service guy not want to come out and service your phone system? this is how we earn our living...

I know what you have and what you need to do... but I will never tell...

Why do you guys continue to give out software and support to the non telco guys?... Computer guys have already hurt us with cabling... now you want to give them the tools to take away moves and changes.......

Sad very Sad

Walter

Walter

Walter -- My local support guy is a small business owner, and he is currently swamped with work. I probably mis-spoke, it isn't that he doesn't want to come out and do this for us, but more that he has bigger fish to fry. The last time we needed this type of work done, it was the owner of our support company that came out to swap voice mail settings for us, because all of his guys were out working on the bigger contracts.

He saw the racks of equipment in our server room, and thought if I can manage all of that, I could probably handle these things myself, he did say that he normally wouldn't recommend it, but felt okay in this case. My boss (who owns the company that I work for, and was standing there when he said it) agrees with him, and for reasons of response time (half a dozen mail boxe edits is not a big priority for a busy telco guy) and money, of course, wanted to bring the small-fry stuff in house.

On our side of course, my IT guys and I do what we're capable of, and what we have time for, and we do have diverse talents. We do our own cabling too -- but only up to a point. If we have to run a few wires, we do that ourselves, and punch them down ourselves. If we open a new office, that usually goes out to bid. I don't intend to reprogram our whole phone system from scratch, and If I did, I'd call my local support guy, and pay him to do it. It's all about knowing our limitations.

In any event, I'd like to thank the folks who did respond and assist me in getting my job done. I was successful in accessing, backing up, and editing some voice-mail settings on my system. I couldn't have done it without these folks. If you guys should ever have any computer-guy type questions, please feel free to hit me up -- I'll be glad to help.

Thanks again,
c0d3r

does anyone have the software to program the protege voice system?

I got a program. the version is: R72UF4.F29. but I fail to communicate to the system.

Can anyone help please?

I have a Protege System, let me know if you still need help. I may have information you need.
Vortex Admin

What type of system does your software match the rev on the system etc. there are lots of revs on protege systems. and should'nt this be a new post or is this the new protege one stop. I mean 2 pages and lots of new problems.????

The K32... and such software IDs refer to the phone system software only. The voice mail systems are separate.

Protege has been sold with at least 3 differnt VM products, "SVP", "DVP" and recently "Flash." You probably need to describe the physical box to determine which you have.

SVP is programmed via terminal emulation. DVP and Flash can be managed via DTMF codes or software.

(I agree with the previous post - this should probably become a new topic.)