Layla UsmanAvaya PBX Troubleshooting: Common Issues, Fixes, Relocation and Migration Options
A BroadConnect guide for Australian businesses, long-form, paragraph-led, SEO-ready
Avaya PBX systems have long been a backbone for commercial telephony in Australia, powering contact centres, multi-site organisations and enterprise phone systems with robust feature sets. Today many businesses still rely on legacy Avaya hardware and software, from IP Office to Aura platforms, but ageing equipment, evolving compliance requirements and the shift to cloud and hybrid work expose new operational challenges. This guide walks through the practical troubleshooting steps we use at BroadConnect, explains the true cost of maintaining Avaya gear, and outlines relocation and migration approaches so your voice services stay live during office moves or platform upgrades.
Why Avaya issues are appearing more often now
Avaya’s platforms are feature-rich and durable, but even the best systems age. Firmware maintenance windows, end-of-support notices and diminishing local stock for spare modules all contribute to rising support complexity. At the same time, Australian workplaces demand mobility, integrations with cloud CRMs and Microsoft 365, and resilient WAN links such as Business NBN. When Avaya systems designed for on-premise operation are asked to coexist with cloud-first traffic patterns, symptoms like handset registration problems, one-way audio, or intermittent call drops become more common. That’s why troubleshooting now needs to consider network design, SIP trunking, and hybrid architecture — not just the PBX box on the rack.
The typical Avaya faults we diagnose
Hardware degradation remains a frequent cause of outages: failing power supplies, fans, RAID arrays and ageing line cards lead to intermittent or complete service loss. Software mismatches — where endpoint firmware diverges from PBX code — can create registration failings that manifest as phantom reboots or missing voicemail. On the network side, misconfigured VLANs and absent QoS easily turn into poor call quality as voice competes with video and cloud backups over a single internet breakout. Carrier-side changes to SIP credentials or SIP ALG on firewalls also produce outbound/inbound failures that look like PBX faults but are external in origin. BroadConnect’s approach is to run layered diagnostics from PSU health to SIP traces to carrier logs so we identify the true root cause quickly.
Practical troubleshooting steps that actually work
Start with the basics: confirm power stability, check RAID/storage health (especially if voicemail or recording is corrupt), and review system logs for repeating error codes. When multiple extensions drop simultaneously, test whether a switch or PoE feed is the common denominator. Compare Avaya endpoint firmware to system software and, if required, stage firmware updates in a lab environment before production roll-out. For call-quality complaints, run jitter, latency and packet-loss tests from each site to your SIP provider; if jitter is consistently above ~30ms, prioritise voice with VLANs and QoS. If trunks fail, pull SIP traces and confirm carrier registrations and expiry dates — a dead certificate or rotated password often explains sudden outages. Where on-site fixes are required, BroadConnect’s field engineers can be dispatched nationally through our Hardware & Provisioning service.
The hidden operational cost of keeping Avaya on-premise
At first glance a legacy Avaya estate can look like a low-cost option because hardware is paid off. In practice, emergency callouts, scarce spare boards, and specialist engineer time add up quickly. Missed calls and slower response times also erode customer trust and revenue. When you build a three-year Total Cost of Ownership model that includes parts sourcing, remote and on-site labour, call recording storage and support SLAs, hybrid or cloud alternatives often present a more predictable and sometimes cheaper outcome — especially if you factor in business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities.
| Metric | Typical legacy Avaya | Typical BroadConnect hybrid/cloud outcome |
| Annual unplanned downtime (hrs) | 18–30 | 2–6 |
| Average time to repair (hrs) | 5–8 | 1–2 |
| Missed inbound calls (%) | 10–18 | 2–6 |
| Monthly telecom & support cost per site (AUD) | $900–1,300 | $450–800 |
| Time to provision new user | days | hours |
We have worked with BroadConnect for several years now and their service has been amazing. When we transitioned our office phones and internett to BC, the team was quick to answer queries and gave regular updates during the process. The support team is always quick to respond to queries and provide updates to our phone system and provide solutions to any issues we have.
Relocation: moving an Avaya PBX without dropping calls
Office relocation is one of the most stressful events for telephony. Moving an Avaya PBX requires planning across number porting, circuit handover, physical re-racking, and cutover testing. The safe approach is staged: validate the new site’s connectivity, port or pre-provision numbers where possible, and maintain a temporary parallel route (SIP failover / mobile backup) to ensure calls keep flowing during the move. BroadConnect runs relocation projects end-to-end: we assess the new site’s Business NBN or fibre suitability, coordinate circuit cutovers, physically move or re-rack Avaya chassis, and verify trunk registrations and emergency location (ELIN/ERL) configuration. For larger moves we recommend a weekend cutover with a rollback window and real-time monitoring by our engineers so any unforeseen issue can be instantly remediated.
Migration pathways: hybrid, cloud PBX, and Microsoft Teams
For organisations ready to modernise, there are pragmatic migration routes. A hybrid model preserves the Avaya PBX for local survivability while moving PSTN trunks to SIP via SIP Trunking, reducing carrier costs and enabling cloud adjuncts. Complete cloud migration to a hosted Cloud PBX delivers rapid provisioning, voicemail-to-email, and simplified disaster recovery. For Microsoft-centric shops, integrating telephony into Teams via Direct Routing and Microsoft Teams integration provides a single collaboration and calling interface, though it requires SBC design, ELIN mapping and network readiness. BroadConnect models the 36-month TCO for each route and runs staged pilots to validate provisioning, number porting and user experience before wider rollout.
Compliance, recordings and Australian data residency
If your business records calls for quality, legal or audit reasons you must control storage and retention. Older Avaya recording systems often rely on local storage and bespoke appliances; moving to cloud can simplify retention policies and on-shore storage. BroadConnect offers on-shore AI meeting transcription & call recording that keep audio and metadata in Australia and help meet the Privacy Act and industry-specific rules. We also ensure that any migration preserves auditable trails and that ELIN/ERL settings for emergency services remain correct for each site.
How BroadConnect supports Avaya customers now
BroadConnect provides a full suite of services for Avaya estates: scheduled health audits, firmware lifecycle management, locally held spare parts and rapid on-site support through our Managed IT & Networking team. For relocations we coordinate circuit provisioning and physical moves with minimal downtime, and for migrations we manage SIP trunking, zero-touch device provisioning, and contact centre continuity via our Contact Centre Solutions. If security is a priority we wrap voice projects with enterprise-grade Cybersecurity and role-based access controls.
Practical next steps for IT and business leaders
Begin with a concise discovery: an asset inventory, firmware and licence audit, and a network readiness test measuring jitter and packet loss. If you plan to relocate, lock the circuit provisioning early and request a temporary SIP failover so inbound calls continue during the cutover. If migration is on the table, ask for a two-week pilot that routes a percentage of calls through SIP or Cloud PBX while the Avaya core remains live. BroadConnect will produce a clear recommendation and a staged plan that minimises risk.
Final thought
Avaya systems have served Australian businesses well, but operational realities are changing. Whether you need urgent troubleshooting, a managed relocation, or a staged migration to hybrid/cloud calling, the objective is the same: preserve call continuity, protect customer experience, control costs, and reduce risk. BroadConnect can help at every step — from immediate fault isolation to full migration planning and execution — with Australian-based support and predictable outcomes.
Contact Us
Talk to our Sydney-based team today to find out how BroadConnect can transform your business communications.
📞 Book a Consultation or email us at hello@broadconnect.com.au to get started.
Getting connected with Broadconnect is simple and quick:
Visit us: Level 26, 1 Bligh Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Call: 1300 880 330
Email: hello@broadconnect.com.au