Soundpoint IP 560 failed to negotiate 1GB with my Cisco Meraki switch

October 4, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Our tech support team at VoIP Supply offers great pre- and post-sales support plus provisioning, consultations, configuration, and installation help. We get a lot of VoIP hardware and software questions and would like to share the solutions with everyone.
In previous Mom’s calling Q&A series, we have discussed: How to Restore FreePBX 13 to FreePBX 14. Today, we have more new real questions and answers from VoIP users just like you.

Soundpoint IP 560 failed to negotiate 1GB with my Cisco Meraki switch

Q: I purchased a Soundpoint IP 560 refurb from you about a year ago. Since I started using it, it’s intermittently failed to negotiate 1GB with my (Cisco Meraki) switch. Now, it always fails. I tested my cable (tests fine) and swapped for another cable, didn’t make any difference – seems to be the phone.

As a workaround, I forced the switch port to 1GB rather than auto-negotiate, which seems to work. I would prefer not to have a one-off custom setting on this switch port. Is this something firmware might fix? Or could it be a bad phone?

A: I would recommend upgrading the firmware to the latest first and then test.

Here is the link to upgrade your firmware to your Polycom Soundpoint IP560:

http://support.polycom.com/content/support/North_America/USA/en/support/voice/soundpoint_ip/soundpoint_ip560.html

Check which firmwares are supported for your phone here:

http://downloads.polycom.com/voice/voip/sip_sw_releases_matrix.html

Here’s a list of available firmwares: http://voipt2.polycom.com/

STAY TUNED

Come back for more VoIP questions and answers next time! If you have VoIP questions to ask us, please submit a technical support ticket or contact our VoIP experts today at (866) 582-8591.

It’s Real – Get FREE Ground Shipping on orders over $499!

October 3, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

For a limited time only enjoy free shipping on any order totaling $499.00 or more! All you have to do is add your items to the cart and the shipping cost will automatically be deducted from your total.

Free shipping is valid for orders shipping ground within the continental United States and at web prices only. Not valid with any other promotions. Ends on October 31st. So act fast before it expires!

Coming soon! Plantronics Introduces the MDA400 QD Series

September 29, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Recently, Plantronics introduced the new MDA400 QD Series with advanced call management functionality.

With the advanced audio processors, the Plantronics compatible headsets, and the Plantronics Manager Pro, you are able to manage your call center with analytics and insights right from desk phones and softphones.

Designed for contact center managers, the MDA400 Series highlights its flexible compatibility which allows you to connect with all major desk phones, softphones, and headsets. The MDA400 Series is also ideal for CSR agent training when used with a Y-cable, as well as a great tool for gathering data insights when used with Plantronics Manager Pro.

Key Features:

Track analytics and gain insights from both desk phones and softphones with Plantronics Manager Pro
Benefit from Plantronics software technology that detects and reports on call events, revealing insights to help make operations run more efficiently
Allows customer service representatives to take calls on desk phones or softphones
Superior noise and echo cancellation
Meets Noise at Work and G616/AAL regulatory compliance
Easy-to-use in-line call controls
Two variants are available: MDA480 QD for Plantronics standard QD headsets and MDA490 QD for Plantronics digital QD headsets
Backed by industry-leading Plantronics Customer Service
Download the datasheet

This is Plantronics first advanced audio processors to support analytics which is so important to get useful insights and improve your customer experience. The MDA400 QD Series is expected to be available for purchase soon. Stay tuned!

Activating The Keypad Light On The Yealink W52P DECT Phone

by Steve Lopian

I don’t know about you, but sometime I sit and think about all of the electronic devices that I own, and then I wonder how much more they can actually do other than what I use them for.

I know that there are a lot of people out there like me. People that use their devices for their basic features and never really bother maximizing their potential. And then there are people who learn the technology inside and out, utilizing every single feature that is offered.

When I use the term “electronic device”, of course I mean your tablet, your cell phone, your laptop, and even (spoiler alert) your VoIP deskphone! Based on experience, I know that there are a lot of features that your deskphone can do that will probably never get used. Even at the entry level, a lot of VoIP phones today are packed with what can seem like an endless amount of cool options, but that does not mean everyone is dying to try them.

Sometimes, however, there can be features on your phone that can really make your life easier, but may never be uncovered. There is a long list of examples, everything from Do Not Disturb mode, to changing the annoying factory preset ringtone!

For this blog, I did some research and found something that could easily go unnoticed. Something that can easily be turned on and could help people who work in low light situations, or who might not have the best vision.

This feature is setting your phone so that your keypad will light up when in use! And the phone that owns this feature is none other than the Yealink W52P DECT phone!

Activating The Keypad Light On The Yealink W52P DECT Phone

Setting this up is quite simple! If you find yourself in the dark, or not being able to see your phone’s keypad well, just follow these simple steps to light up your phone!

Press the OK button to enter the main menu
Select the Settings icon
In the settings menu, select Display followed by Keypad Light
Press the Change softkey to check or uncheck the Keypad Light checkbox

And that’s it! Now the next time you need to take your wireless DECT phone into some dark areas, you will have a beacon of light to help you navigate your phone! And maybe…even help you navigate where you’re walking…if it’s really, really dark.

Do you use a DECT phone at work? Is it the Yealink W52P DECT phone? If not, what DECT phone are you using? And does the keypad light up? We want to know!

Where to sell the used VoIP equipment?

by Ying-Hui Chen

Keep your old phones out of the landfill! Reclaim by VoIP Supply has a better way.

VoIP Supply’s Reclaim equipment buyback program is your outlet for selling off your used and excess VoIP equipment. With Reclaim you can submit your equipment for sale to VoIP Supply and receive fair market value for it allowing you to “reclaim” a portion of your original investment.

Why sell through Reclaim by VoIP Supply?

Easy sales process – A streamlined five step process makes selling your equipment hassle free.
Fair market value – Receive fair market value for your equipment – not pennies on the dollar.
Expertise – VoIP Supply has been buying, reconditioning and selling equipment since 2002. When you work with VoIP Supply, you work with the best.
Go green – Keep your old phones out of the landfill and reclaim some money back!

What can I sell through Reclaim?

Like the sheriff in an old western VoIP Supply’s Reclaim team has a most wanted list. Here’s a look at some of the usual suspects in high demand that are currently commanding the highest payouts:

most-wanted

Check out a complete most wanted product list here!

If you are interested in knowing what you can get for one of the products listed above, please submit the form below to request a quote!

Reclaim in five simple steps

The process for selling equipment to VoIP Supply through Reclaim is simple and straightforward.

Submit a list of equipment for sale
Receive a Reclaim buyback offer on your equipment from VoIP Supply.
Properly package your equipment for shipment and ready package for pick-up by VoIP Supply’s shipment carrier.
Await confirmation of shipment receipt and equipment acceptance from VoIP Supply.
Receive a check or store credit for the agreed upon value of the equipment.

Have more questions? Check out our Q&A page or contact our Refresh/Reclaim Manager, Mike Rehac, at 716-213-6898 or email at miker@voipsupply.com.

The VoIP Addict’s Guide – Sangoma’s FoIP: A Solution to your Faxing Woes

by Marc Spehalski

foip Faxing has been the nemesis of VoIP systems for as long as VoIP has been a thing. If you had a good VoIP vendor in the past, they would generally recommend you stick to a landline, or PRI for your fax services. That was because faxing over protocols like SIP had proven to be completely unreliable due to the fickle nature of faxing over a best effort architecture. Even with the advent of T.38, faxing still was a problem child for many.

Enter FoIP, or Fax over IP. Specifically, Sangoma’s iteration of FoIP, which actually works. I believe we live in a time where things should just work, and we should stop dealing with custom problems born from custom solutions. Sangoma offers Fax Station, which is a service within SIP Station where you can turn on fax service, order DIDs, and order your FAXStation appliance.

How Does FAXStation Work?

What’s nice is the FAXStation appliance is a plug-and-play solution that allows you to use your existing fax machines. How does that even work? Well, think of it as a FXS gateway with a little Sangoma magic on the inside. You request the appliance from the SIP Station portal, and the device ships to you ready to go. Plug it into your network, and plug your analog fax machines into the FXS ports and you’re ready to go.

Sangoma claims analog line equivalent reliability, and the reason for that all of the heavy lifting (fax wise) occurs at Sangoma’s data center. The inbound fax arrives there first via ISDN/SIP, then the data (the fax) is then sent your FAXStation appliance via SSL which is what guarantees the reliability. It’s also a nice bonus that it’s encrypted.

The appliance comes equipped with up to four analog ports for fax machines, and two ethernet ports. You also have the ability to do custom branding if you are selling these to your own customers. Custom branding is something Sangoma also does for it’s FreePBX product.

Do you need a fast connection to the internet?

Nope, you won’t be relying on best effort protocols when moving the fax over the internet. In fact, it works well with satellite services, which may be the only means of communication in remote areas of the world.

You might be wondering, why you wouldn’t want to just stick with your existing landline, or PRI? Well price is the first consideration, and also those dedicated circuit type products are rapidly becoming extinct. EoIP (everything over IP, don’t try and pronounce that) is the way of the present, and you should get with the times.

What does it all cost?

If you have a SIPStation account, which you SHOULD if you run a FreePBX phone system, you can see for yourself. If you’re not willing to look right now I’ll tell you. Expect the appliance to have a one time cost of $190.00 USD, high volume faxing ( a massive 3000 pages per month) will set you back $24.00 a month, and 150 pages per month will cost $9.95 USD per month. Compare that with your recurring analog or PRI bill!

It’s also worth mentioning that FAXStation allows you to do inbound fax to email, as well as outbound faxing via a web portal that supports multi-user, and access control.

If faxing is critical to your business or organization, give Sangoma’s FoIP solution, FAXStation a chance. Thanks for reading and happy VoIPing!

Microsoft Rolls Skype for Business into Microsoft Teams

September 27, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Sept. 27, 2017 – Microsoft announced at the big Ignite conference in Orlando that Microsoft Teams will replace Skype for Business soon. skype-for-business

The Teams will become a one-stop-shop in Office 365 for all of your conferencing need and it will be covering features including making inbound and outbound calls to PSTN numbers, call transfers and voicemail. Teams meetings now have audio conferencing capabilities which allows you to join a meeting simply by dialing a phone number.

For more information, visit Microsoft Teams.

Not sure what that might affect your business? Call one of our VoIP Experts at 1-800-398-8647 and talk to them about more stable service options.

The GWN7600LR: Grandstream Adds New Outdoor, Long Range WiFi Access Point to its GWN Family!

by Ying-Hui Chen

After the release of GWN7600 WiFi Access Point (AP), GWN7610 Wireless AP, and the GWN7000 VPN Router, now Grandstream goes one step further to introduce the GWN7600LR AP to its GWN family.

The GWN7600LR is a WiFi long range access point designed to provide extended coverage support and it is ideal for businesses looking to create an expandable WiFi solutions outdoor. It’s always exciting to see new products. Let’s check out some key features!

Waterproof Outdoor Solution

As the demand for an outdoor WiFi Access Point has been increasing, Grandstream created the GWN7600LR, a high-performance wireless access point that can be deployed outdoors with its weatherproof casing.

Long Range Coverage: Up to 275 meters!

The GWN7600LR also comes equipped with dual-band 2×2:2 MU-MIMO with beam-forming technology and a sophisticated antenna design for maximum network throughput and extended WiFi coverage range of up to 275 meters! This solution has the longest range coverage among all GWN Series APs.

Embedded Controller

Like other GWN Series APs, the GWN7600LR has a controller-less distributed network management design and an embedded controller within the product’s web user interface. This allows each access point to manage a network of up to 30 GWN76xx series APs independently without needing separate controller hardware/software and without a single point-of-failure.

More Features:

Up to 300-meter coverage range— ideal for outdoor use
1.27Gbps wireless throughput and 2x Gigabit wireline ports
Dual-band 2×2:2 MU-MIMO with beamforming technology
Support 802.3af and 802.3at Power-over-Ethernet (PoE/PoE+)
Controller-less network management, auto-discovery, auto provisioning
Offers simultaneous dual-band WiFi signals
Advanced WiFi security features

Download the GWN7600 LR Datasheet

Check out the comparison chart below to compare all three GWN Series Access Points side by side:

The GWN7600LR AP is very easy to install and manage. The extra coverage support and advanced performance features make the GWN7600LR an ideal outdoor access point for mid-size wireless network deployments. Call one of our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 today for any questions you may have!

Grandstream Introduced HA100 High-Availability Controller for the UCM6510 IP PBX

September 25, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

September 25, 2017 – Grandstream announced the release of the new HA100, a high-availability controller for their UCM6510 IP PBX.

Designed for businesses that demand a 100% uptime, redundant voice system, the HA100 provides an automatic failover solution when paired with two UCM6510 IP PBXs. The controller will monitor the operational status of both IP PBXs constantly and will automatically switch all system control to the secondary UCM6510 when the primary device fails (including all the connected telephone lines, network links, auxiliary devices, all registered SIP endpoints and the recorded voicemails).

“Many businesses today require communication solutions that are always-on and fully redundant. For these businesses, a communication platform being down for even a minute can have catastrophic consequences. As our customers around the world continue to deploy the UCM6510 into mission-critical industries, the HA100 ensures that end-user customers will have a completely reliable solution with seamless failover options,” said David Li, CEO of Grandstream.

Key Features:

Connects and constantly monitors two UCM6510 together for high availability
Smart failover solution that automatically switches to a hot-standby secondary UCM6510 if the primary one fails
Up to 14 LED indicators showing real-time status of all of the telecom lines, network links, auxiliary devices, etc
Gratuitous ARP forces SIP endpoints to refresh the MAC address of the new UCM6510 without interruptions
Fast 10 to 50 second system switching time depending on the number of registered endpoints

Check out the datasheet here! The HA100 is currently available at voipsupply.com. Check it out!

What Is Call Parking And How Does It Work?

September 22, 2017 by Steve Lopian

Everyone remembers the old days before VoIP when PSTN lines ruled the business telecommunication world. PSTN lines were, let’s just say, a lot less advantageous than what we have today.

One thing we can all remember is putting people on hold. We can still do this today with VoIP, but now there is something more advanced called Call Parking. This has the same concept of placing a call on hold but gives you more options.

What Is Call Parking And How Does It Work?

In this video, Marc Spehalski will not only talk about the differences between Call parking and putting someone on hold, but he will also demonstrate Call Parking in action using FreePBX! what-is-call-parking

Do you use Call Parking? Let us know in the comments, and if you’re not, but are looking to start after watching this video, then give us a call! 1-800-398-8647

Soundpoint IP 560 failed to negotiate 1GB with my Cisco Meraki switch