[asterisk-users] cheap ip phone with auto-answer

[Gordon Henderson]

On Mon, 28 Dec 2009, Tim Nelson wrote:

> ----- "Leif Neland" <leifn at neland.dk> wrote:
>> I want some cheap ip-phones with auto-answer, to work as paging system
>>
>> at dinnertime.
>> Options, please.
>>
>> Leif
>>
>
> I've had great luck using the BT201 phones from Grandstream for this 
> purpose. In fact, this is the only situation where I still use 
> Grandstream handsets. They support "auto answer" as well as "auto answer 
> by call info" which allows you to auto answer based upon the SIP header 
> in case you don't want *ALL* calls to be auto answered.

I'll second that. I've a small local charity (really tight on funds) who 
have a couple of dozen BT201's as desk phones and as paging/intercom 
devices. They're also cheap enough to use as remote ringer bells, screwed 
to a wall above head height...

> The only thing to watch out for is the Grandstream power supplies *WILL* 
> die on you, likely within 2 years. For every Grandstream device I've 
> deployed in the last few years, the power supply died and needed to be 
> replaced. Luckily, they're just simple 5v wall warts and easy to find.

That too... Although the newer ones seem much more reliable than the older 
(bigger) ones. Maybe the newer UK ones are better? Failure rate seems to 
be 1-2% over a few 100 Grandstream devices I've installed over the past 
few years. I try to persuade clients to go down the PoE route for the 
GXP2000's, if possible. Gives me a box of spare PSU's if nothing else..

Gordon