Understanding the IP Phone

An IP Phone is one which uses the internet, as opposed to a traditional telephone carrier, to make calls and receive calls. The calls are made over an IP network like Internet or can be made via a companies private IP network.  IP Phones uses protocols allowing callers to view the individual on the other line, and can be viewed by those they are calling.

How does an IP Phone work?

There are certain elements which a IP Phone requires in order to properly function including:

• phyical hardware (earpiece, keypad, display screen, etc); 
• DNS client, STUN client, DHCP client; 
• video & audio capabilities; and,
• a friendly user interface. 

These elements make up the internal system of an IP Phone. 

What features does an IP Phone have? 

There are also several great features you will get with an IP Phone including: 

• caller id; 
• encrypted communications; 
• conference calls; 
• call transfers; 
• directories; and, 
• other features (depending on the IP provider, and depending on whether it is the internet, or a private network provider)

An IP Phone also has several features which a traditional phone does not have. Some of these features includes:

• email contacts (making it easier to remember the contacts or phone number); 
• easy sharing contact lists (multiple accounts); and, 
• other features similar to PC based phone services.

The IP Phone is great for businesses that do conference calls, and want to que in everyone who should be involved in the meeting. With the audio and visual, you can easily interact, and can include a larger group of people in to a call, than other phones allow you to do.

Overview of the Cisco SPA303 3-Line IP Phone

The Cisco SPA303 IP Phone is a feature rich VoIP phone that administers voice communication over an IP network that is fully functional with myDatavo. This model phone includes traditional features, such as redial, transferring calls, call forwarding, conference calling, speed dialing, and access to your voicemail. Calls can be handled through the handset, headset or over the speaker option.

IP Phones include specialized features that are not available on traditional phones. The SPA303 phone has an Ethernet port that allows it to be connected directly to the internet and linked to your computer network. It also included an additional port so that your computer can be connected to the network through the IP phone.

Included Features:

• Three voice lines
• Pixel-based display: 128 x 64 monochrome graphical liquid crystal display (LCD)
• Line status: active line indication, name and number
• Menu-driven user interface
• Shared line appearance*
• Speakerphone
• Call hold
• Music on hold*
• Call waiting
• Caller ID name and number
• Outbound caller ID blocking
• Call transfer: attended and blind
• Three-way call conferencing with local mixing
• Multiparty conferencing via external conference bridge
• Automatic redial of last calling and last called numbers
• On-hook dialing
• Call pickup: selective and group*
• Call park and unpark*
• Call swap
• Call back on busy**
• Call blocking: anonymous and selective
• Call forwarding: unconditional, no answer, and on busy
• Hot line and warm line automatic calling
• Call logs (60 entries each): made, answered, and missed calls
• Redial from call logs
• Personal directory with auto-dial (100 entries)
• Do not disturb
• Digits dialed with number auto-completion
• Anonymous caller blocking
• Support for Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) (IP) dialing (vanity numbers)
• On-hook default audio configuration (speakerphone and headset)
• Multiple ring tones with selectable ring tone per line
• Called number with directory name matching
• Ability to call number using name: directory matching or via caller ID
• Subsequent incoming calls show calling name and number
• Date and time with support for intelligent daylight savings
• Call duration and start time stored in call logs
• Call timer
• Name and identity (text) displayed at startup
• Distinctive ringing based on calling and called number
• 10 user-downloadable ring tones
• Speed dialing, eight entries
• Configurable dial/numbering plan support
• Intercom*
• Group paging
• Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal, including Serial Tunnel (STUN) support
• DNS SRV and multiple A records for proxy lookup and proxy redundancy
• Syslog, debug, report generation, and event logging
• Support for highly secure encrypted voice communications
• Built-in web server for administration and configuration with multiple security levels
• Automated remote provisioning, multiple methods; up to 256 bit encryption (HTTP, HTTPS, Trivial File Transfer Protocol [TFTP])
• Option to require administrator password to reset unit to factory defaults

*Feature requires support by call server.
**Feature activated via feature code.

For more information please contact Datavo at 1-877-7-DATAVO.

What is an IP Phone?

An IP Phone is one which uses the internet, as opposed to a traditional telephone carrier, to make calls and receive calls. The calls are made over an IP network like Internet or can be made via a companies private IP network.  IP Phones uses protocols allowing callers to view the individual on the other line, and can be viewed by those they are calling.

How does an IP Phone work?

There are certain elements which a IP Phone requires in order to properly function including:

• phyical hardware (earpiece, keypad, display screen, etc); 
• DNS client, STUN client, DHCP client; 
• video & audio capabilities; and,
• a friendly user interface. 

These elements make up the internal system of an IP Phone. 

What features does an IP Phone have? 

There are also several great features you will get with an IP Phone including:

• caller id; 
• encrypted communications; 
• conference calls; 
• call transfers; 
• directories; and, 
• other features (depending on the IP provider, and depending on whether it is the internet, or a private network provider)

An IP Phone also has several features which a traditional phone does not have. Some of these features includes:

• email contacts (making it easier to remember the contacts or phone number); 
• easy sharing contact lists (multiple accounts); and, 
• other features similar to PC based phone services.

The IP Phone is great for businesses that do conference calls, and want to que in everyone who should be involved in the meeting. With the audio and visual, you can easily interact, and can include a larger group of people in to a call, than other phones allow you to do.