Most user-friendly phone for 3CX

[eug]

My last 3CX V9 (started as V8) deployment was with the Cisco/Linksys SPA 500 series. I found it required a lot of manual configuration to get them working well (apart from autoprovisioning with dhcp option 66), with custom xml files, having to manually assign the shortcut buttons around the screen, and a phone book that doesn't seem to be automated. Maybe I was doing something wrong.

User-based tasks like forwarding calls was a hassle compared to an analog PBX as well, as I'd have to manually configure park orbits, or the users have to press too many buttons to get to the directory list, etc.

We got a few Snom 320 phones in and they weren't straightforward either. The Directory and Transfer buttons don't do anything by default, for example. I was surprised as the Snom 320 is a 3CX-preferred phone.

I'm about to help a friend set up three more systems at three locations. With 3CX V12, is there a phone where all the basic features just works out-of-the-box, or with minimal configuring?


Thanks.

previous thread references:
http://www.3cx.com/forums/provisioning-blf-on-cisco-spas-discussion-16509.html
http://www.3cx.com/forums/cisco-company-phonebook-not-generated-14202.html

 

[gschwab]

I like the Yealink phones, they work very well for me.

 

[jasit]

We also use the yealink phones, we went with the t32's and t38's because we were able to use one data drop for the pc's and the phone system.

The yealink phones do have their quirks, and the repeated auto provisioning is not setup by default with 3cx. But it doesn't take long to make changes to the xml file so that you can get it up and running.

Some of the changes I made include
updated to the newest firmware so it supports multicast paging

company logo as the phone background
update the dnd button so that it does the *30,*31
turned off the screen saver so that the screen is always active.
decreased the brightness of the screen.


created dial rules so users dial 100-109 for the SP0-SP9 park

Programmed the top two line buttons on the t38's to be Call Park and Page.


jasit.

 

[craigreilly]

jasit,
just wondering why you are using 100-109 for Shared Parks? I am using T38's, 28's and they handle the SPx Shared Parks just fine with BLF's... I can understand maybe on the T32.... since they do not have a bunch of BLF's.

 

[eug]

Thanks, jasit and gschwab. The Yealinks look interesting. It still sounds like it needs some tweaking though. Is there a phone which just works as one would expect it to?

i.e. once autoprovisioned, the user's name appears, the "transfer" button actually transfers, the Directory button displays the auto-populated directory, the BLFs follow the BLFs set in the 3CX web interface, that sorta thing. If it can be done with some tweaking, shouldn't 3CX have those tweaks as part of their autoprovisioning setup?

Thanks!

 

[gschwab]

Thanks, jasit and gschwab. The Yealinks look interesting. It still sounds like it needs some tweaking though. Is there a phone which just works as one would expect it to?

Thanks!

I think the Yealinks do pretty much work "as expected" but keep in mind pretty much ALL phones are designed to be set up and connected to a wide range of IP/PBX systems in a variety scenarios so they all will probably require at least a little "tweaking". I personally think the Yealinks require very little, and once it's done...it's done, then you simply save your config files and make a backup of everything.

 

[jasit]

I setup the shared parks as the 100 -109 because that's how our old Nortel system was. initially I setup all the phones to use the top button as a blf for the park button. But when the first call came in, people saw the flashy light on their phone so they picked it up. So we quickly scrapped that idea and went to the Paging the persons name and saying they have a call on 101 and they simply pick up their phone, dial 101 and they get the call. the receptionist and the admin staff have the t38 phones so they have the top button as a park blf and they can see that there is a call parked.



jasit

 

[david jack]

Have you tried Yealink Company Phone Systems. It worked for m. hope it will work for you too