ViA Support

Getting Started

To perform a firmware upgrade of your codec you need to:

1. Download the latest firmware to your PC from the GREEN Download button on this page.
2. Connect your PC to your codec to open the Toolbox web-GUI for your codec.

The web-GUI is used to perform the firmware upgrade from within the Settings panel. (This process has been tested using Chrome and Firefox.)

Update Firmware using the HTML ToolBox Web-GUI:

1. Disconnect all connections before attempting the firmware upgrade.
2. Attach an Ethernet cable to the LAN1 port on the codec.
3. Press the HOME button to return to the Home screen, then tap Settings.
4. Tap to select Transport Interfaces and then tap LAN1 or LAN2.
5. Tap to select Network Settings and view the IP address in your codec.
6. Ensure your PC is connected to the same LAN.
7. Open your web browser and type the IP address of your codec into the address bar of your browser, e.g. http://192.168.0.xxx (the last digits are the private address details unique to your codec over a private LAN).
8. Refresh the browser and the web-GUI application should launch automatically.
9. When you open the Toolbox web-GUI an authentication dialog prompts you to enter a password to login. The first time you log in you can enter the default setting “password” and click the OK button.
10. Click the Settings button at the top of the web-GUI screen if the Settings panel is not displayed.
11. Click Firmware.
12. Click Update from a selected file and click the Select File button.
13. Select the .bin file you have downloaded to perform the upgrade and click Open.
14. Press the Update Firmware button to commence the upgrade.

We recommend clearing your browser cache after the upgrade is complete when using the HTML5 Toolbox web-browser GUI to control codec functions. The short cuts for this are:

• Google Chrome: shift+Ctrl+delete
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl+shift+delete
• Internet Explorer: Ctrl+shift+delete
• Safari: Ctrl+alt+e

Updating Using an SD Card (ViA, Bridge-IT, Gateway and Gateway 4 codecs) or a USB Stick (Genie, Merlin): requires firmware v2.16.xx or higher

1. Insert an SD card with the latest firmware into the SD card slot on the rear panel of the codec.
2. Press the HOME button to return to the Home screen, then tap Settings.
3. Swipe up and tap to expand the About & Firmware menu, then tap Firmware. Note: A single partition FAT32 formatted SD card must be used.
4. Navigate to the firmware file on the SD card, then press the OK button.
5. Tap to confirm and commence the firmware upgrade. Update progress is displayed. IMPORTANT: The codec will reboot automatically after the firmware upgrade. DO NOT remove power or reboot the codec before the update has completed and the codec has rebooted itself.

1. Check if there is a SIM lock on the modem that requires a PIN code. This can be disabled in the codec via Settings > Cellular > Select USB Modem/Cellular Module > SIM Pin, or by putting the modem’s SIM card into a phone and turning this setting off. Consult your mobile carrier for these instructions.
2. Check if your modem is set to automatically connect. This is usually done through a software client setting on a laptop/desktop computer. Configure the modem to manually connect instead. Consult your mobile carrier for instructions.
3. Check with your carrier to see if different APN settings are needed based on using a pre-paid versus a post-paid mobile broadband account. Custom APN settings can be configured in the codec as required. 
4. Ensure the authentication type is correctly configured.

A list of tested modems are available above click here

We list modems that have been reported as working by Tieline and/or customers in various countries and regions. Cell phone network providers sometimes offer variations in modem hardware and software and how devices are recognized by the codec. This means that the same modem reported as working on a carrier in one country, may not work on a different carrier in a different country. We cannot guarantee that a modem not on this list will work reliably.

The latest revision of the RRC2057 battery used in ViA codecs has a nominal voltage of 7.2V rather than 7.5V. All ViAs manufactured with a serial number of 51397 and higher can accept these new 7.2V batteries. Unfortunately, older ViA codecs manufactured earlier than mid-2020 and with a serial number lower than 51397 need to be modified to use the newer 7.2V batteries. Customers can send their ViA unit to Tieline and we will perform the modification at no charge, the only cost to the customer is to ship the unit to and from Tieline.

As a result of the battery voltage change, Tieline recommends that customers do not swap batteries between units and adhere to proper storage and charging procedures. Please read the RRC2057 battery user manual shipped with the ViA before use. It includes very important safety, charging, operational and disposal information. This user manual can also be downloaded at http://www.rrc-ps.com/. 

Please also note that due to air freight laws we cannot ship new batteries on their own.

To connect the codec to a Wi-Fi network access point:

1. Press the HOME button to return to the Home screen, then tap Settings.
2. Tap to select Transport Interfaces and then tap Wi-Fi.
3. Ensure the Wi-Fi State is Enabled and tap Rescan Access Points if the required Wi-Fi network is not populated in the access point list.
4. Tap to select the Wi-Fi access point to which you are connecting.
5. Tap to select the preferred Authentication Mode and then tap Password to enter the network password.
6. Enter the password, then tap Done in the top right-hand corner of the TOUCH SCREEN.
7. Tap Connect in the top right-hand corner of the TOUCH SCREEN to connect to the Wi-Fi network.
8. Verify the Wi-Fi symbol is visible in the Status Bar to confirm the codec has connected to the Wi-Fi access point.

Important Note: ViA supports IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi with dual band connectivity (2.4 and 5 GHz). For increased security Tieline has implemented the WPA2-PSK authentication protocol because standard WEP encryption is less secure

1. Attach a supported USB Modem to either USB PORT 1 or USB PORT 2 on the codec. When the modem is detected by the codec, the network symbol and signal strength is displayed in the Status Bar on the TOUCH SCREEN. Note: It may take up to 90 seconds for the modem to be detected by the codec and connect to the network.
2. From the Home screen tap Settings > Transport Interfaces > Cellular > USB1/2 Modem to view cellular details.

Important Notes:

• It may be necessary to manually add an Access Point Name (APN) if the codec cannot connect automatically to the network.
• To safely remove a USB modem press the HOME button to return to the Home screen, then tap Settings > System > Safe Eject.

It may be necessary to add a custom access point number (APN) profile if a USB modem or cellular module does not connect to a cellular network. Often this is necessary when you are using different SIM cards in an unlocked USB modem. E.g. When using SIM cards from various carriers in different countries. It may also be necessary to enter a SIM PIN unlock code.

Up to 10 custom access point profiles can be added to the codec. Before configuring the custom access point you need to obtain the access point details from the cellular network provider; this is normally found on their website. Usually a Telco will list internet and MMS APN information and you need to enter the internet APN details in the codec, as well as the correct authentication type.

Entering a SIM PIN Unlock Code

1. Press the HOME button to return to the Home screen, then tap Settings.
   Tap to select Transport Interfaces and then Cellular.
2. Tap to select the device you are configuring.
3. Tap to select SIM PIN.
4. Enter the SIM PIN and tap Done.
5. Tap Save in the top right-hand corner of the TOUCH SCREEN to apply new settings.

Add a Custom APN Profile

1. Press the HOME button to return to the Home screen, then tap Settings.
2. Tap to select Transport Interfaces and then Cellular.
3. Tap Profiles to add a new APN profile.
4. Tap to configure a profile with the custom APN settings.
5. Tap Name to name the profile and then tap to enter each access point setting.
6. Tap Save in the top right-hand corner of the TOUCH SCREEN when all settings are entered.

Select a Custom USB Modem Profile (APN)

1. After adding the custom profile and APN, tap to select the interface you want to configure. (Navigate to Home screen > Settings > Cellular > Select a modem or module).
2. Tap to toggle the On/Off button for Enable Data and Overwrite APN to enable these settings.
3. Tap to select the APN profile you want to apply to the USB modem, or tap Done to keep the existing setting.
4. Tap Save in the top right-hand corner of the TOUCH SCREEN to apply all settings.
5. The USB modem should connect to the network.

Click to watch the short video about how to use File Playback on the ViA.

Click to watch the short video about how to record audio files with the ViA.

Management Information Base (MIB) files are required for SNMP applications to interact with your Tieline codec and interpret SNMP data. The codec supports SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 MIB protocols.

The required MIB files can be downloaded from the codec using the following link in a PC web browser connected to the same network as your codec:

http:///mibs/tieline-mibs.zip

Save the .zip file to your PC and import the contents into the MIB browser you use to manage SNMP-enabled network devices.

Important Note: The codec supports the attributes specified in the MIB-II standard.

Please verify that your SNMP software contains the required files as specified in

 RFC 1213

You can make IP connections to a different codec brand, e.g. Comrex, if the SIP protocol is used on codecs at both ends and the codec you are connecting to is EBU N/ACIP Tech 3326 compliant. You can start by configuring the most commonly used settings on both codecs as follows:

• Profile mono
• Bit rate 64k
• Algorithm G.722
• Session port 5060 UDP
• Audio port 5004 UDP

On newer firmware versions of Bridge-IT, Merlin, and Genie codecs the SIP Interface needs to be enabled first. There are two options to configure this:

1. Using the Toolbox HTML 5 GUI select  Transport > SIP Interfaces and select the Enable check-box, then click Save.
2. Using the codec screen tap Settings > SIP > Interfaces > SIP1 or SIP2 and tap the On/Off button to turn it On.

Note: The codec user manual has more information on connecting using SIP and using SIP servers. Alternatively, for more info see the codec Compatibility document under Tech Notes on the Support page for your codec at www.tieline.com.