How to connect an IP phone - instructions for beginners

How to connect an IP phone?

Interaction with clients, communications between departments, specialists, negotiations with business partners - all this is necessary for the successful operation of any enterprise, regardless of the scale, profile of activity. The classic version of organizing communication is analog telephone lines, however, recently they have been replaced by IP telephony.

This format assumes that when transmitting data, not only specialized devices are used, but also universal ones, for example, PCs, laptops, smartphones. For correct operation, effective data transfer, they must be correctly installed and configured. How to connect an IP phone? What nuances should be taken into account?

Advantages

The transition to IP telephony provides the following benefits to an organization:

• Reduction in communication costs, especially interregional and international;
• Clarity, intelligibility, perfect voice audibility;
• Confidentiality of negotiations. The voice signal is encrypted before transmission, so its interception does not make sense. You do not have to worry about theft of commercial, personal and other data, the access of which to third parties is unacceptable;
• The ability to link several numbers to one device.

Modern phones are highly functional, they support not only standard voice communication, but also holding conferences, transferring multimedia files, images, videos, text and other documents.

How to connect to IP telephony?

Enterprises that need only voice communication, in whose offices stationary devices are already installed, can connect telephony using IP gateways. This solution is reliable, effective, and does not involve additional financial investments.

An economical scheme is also using smartphones, laptops, tablet computers and similar equipment on which you need to install a softphone application. In addition to reducing investments, this option is attractive due to its mobility. Even employees who have to regularly go on business trips, work on the road, constantly stay in touch with managers, management, clients.

Large organizations that want to get the maximum benefits of IP telephony should think about purchasing specialized devices, organizing their own corporate PBX, or connecting to a virtual station serviced by a provider.

Choosing a phone

Before connecting a phone, it must be chosen correctly. The following indicators are assessed:

• Equipment. Determined by the needs of a specific employee, his specialty. For example, standard devices are suitable for employees whose task is to negotiate with clients and partners. In the event that a specialist has to not only talk to a customer, but also simultaneously enter data into a database, type on a keyboard, a device with a headset, freeing his hands, will be useful. A wireless phone equipped with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module will not leave specialists who have to constantly move around the office without communication.
• Functionality. Like the equipment, it must meet the needs of the specialist. A technical support operator will be satisfied with a device designed only for voice calls, middle and senior managers, and management - with advanced functionality that allows for conferences. Separately, it is worth mentioning the IP phone based on the Android operating system, which supports communication via popular instant messengers and social networks.
• Technical capabilities. For example, to simplify the connection, a phone that supports PoE technology is suitable, thanks to which power is supplied via a twisted pair, without an additional power line. The number of RJ-45 ports and supported handsets is also important, so that one device can be used by several specialists at once.

Connection and setup

After the IP phone has been selected, it must be properly connected and configured in order to 100% use the available functionality, eliminate failures and possible operational problems. For fine-tuning, experts recommend using the web interface, for which the device must be connected to a computer or laptop via a wire, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The standard algorithm is as follows:

• Connecting the power supply. If the phone supports PoE technology, a separate line is not required.
• Establishing a connection between the telephone and the head unit, PC, laptop, using a patch cord based on a twisted pair or a wireless module.
• Opening the “IP address” line in the telephone menu.
• Opening a browser on the head unit, specifying the above IP address.
• Specifying information from the provider providing IP telephony services in the opened forms. The minimum set is a username and password, but you may also need to enter the server address and the type of protocol used. When establishing a connection through a proxy server, the corresponding port is indicated.

Upon completion of the configuration via the web interface, the phone must be rebooted, which will confirm the acceptance of the changes. After that, the device is ready for use.

Connecting to a router

If an IP phone is used in combination with a router, the latter must match the scale of the organization. Small companies will be satisfied with ordinary household models, large ones need professional ones, with an expanded channel capacity, resistant to failures, eliminating problems with signal transmission. Saving is unacceptable, the reputation of the enterprise, its commercial success depends on the reliability of the connection.

Assignment of a network address, as a rule, occurs automatically, due to the DHCP server, after the IP phone is connected to the router via a wire. Some models allow manual indication and change.

To connect a wireless model, it is necessary to pre-register it in the Wi-Fi network by entering a password. After connection, the IP address assigned to the wireless device will be available. Entering this address in the browser opens a full set of settings necessary for the effective use of the device.

Summing up

Overall, the IP phone can be connected without any problems, all the settings are intuitive. If any difficulties arise, or the equipment does not work correctly, it is recommended to contact the technical support service of the provider providing IP telephony services.

Author of the article:

Editor-in-Chief

Danaev Almaz