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Cisco IP Phones - Equipment?
MichaelLC
In what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered User regular
In what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered User regular
Question about Cisco VoIP phones, specifically for a small office. I've used them before, and have a general understanding of what's needed, but it's really hard to dig through the hype-speak on their site.
If I want to add 5 phones to an office and connect them to the network, which will probably be a business-level package through Comcast, what besides the phones is required? It's an office with warehouse space, but fairly small: everyone is within shouting distance. No branches, local (Chicagoland) clients only. Just need phones for business-hours calls and VM.
So what besides the phones is needed? Is a server required, or only if I want to do more advanced options? Thanks.
If I want to add 5 phones to an office and connect them to the network, which will probably be a business-level package through Comcast, what besides the phones is required? It's an office with warehouse space, but fairly small: everyone is within shouting distance. No branches, local (Chicagoland) clients only. Just need phones for business-hours calls and VM.
So what besides the phones is needed? Is a server required, or only if I want to do more advanced options? Thanks.
MichaelLC on
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For the network switch(es), I would recommend one that supports VLANs and QoS. And if you want to avoid the power bricks for the phones, you could get a switch that has PoE ports so they get powered over the network cable. But none of those things are necessary to actually get things to work. Most IP phones have a pass-through port on the back, so if you don't have any extra switch ports/wall jacks, you can connect computers and such up through them.
Your VoIP vendor should be able to tell you all the pieces needed.
We've got some Cisco VoIP handsets working with our Trixbox PBX. Think we had to flash the firmware on them, but cannot recall if that was to convert them from SCCP to SIP, or to support some of the codecs we were using.
I was hoping there was an option to do it all appliance-side, but doesn't look like it. There's some 'inherited' equipment from the previous tenant, so will see if there's anything usable. PROTIP: If you're vacating an office, make sure you wipe the machines, particularly if you're in charge of recording eBay purchases and customer accounts. :x
Will check that Trixbox out too!
I think the former. SCCP is a cisco owned protocol, so you cannot use it with Trixbox.
We've had alot of problems, but they are getting knocked out.
Ours are mostly 9971s (well for IT and important folks, everyone else has the non-touch screen version), PoE. We use a VOIP switch plugged into our normal infrastructure, with the phones plugged into the plates in the offices and the computers plugged into the phones.
It will have Unity express on it (call management, voicemail, autoattendent, etc) Just make sure you get Cisco SMall business support to help get the kinks ironed out. once in place and working properly, they just .. work.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps7293/index.html
Grateful though as that uc540 looks interesting. I'm familiar with network set up and protocols, but far from being a professional network admin. so definitely interested in 'out-of-the-box' solutions. Though I know anything that promises that is a goddamn liar.