[Asterisk-Users] New $89 VOIP phone

[Jay Milk]

Have you ever been to an office?  A budget meeting?  Filled out an
acquisition form?

Ok, now we got the switching wall-plate option... $100/each for
starters, some technician time and another wall-wart.  Or another $5 for
a powerstrip.

Desktop switch... Well, at least we're getting closer now.  Sure, it'll
take another network cable, $20-$40 depending on speed, create
additional heat and clutter, maybe another power-strip... 

One you forgot of course, was to bastardize the CAT5 cabling, since it
really only requires four conductors, and splitting each run into two,
both at the jack and in the wiring closet.  Works for runs up to 40-50
ft fairly reliably.  Only costs a few network jacks (hope you don't have
to replace the wallplate) and some technician time, and probably a new
switch for the network rack.

Or maybe I should look to the phone.. And if spending $20 extra buys me
a second port with built-in hub, then that seems to be the least
expensive idea.... Put phone on desk, unplug computer, plug in phone,
connect phone to computer, done.

"think ahead and install another wall jack" -- best one I've heard in a
long time.  Between thinking ahead and low startup cost is a huge gap,
and guess which one wins most of the time?  Money.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris Shaw [mailto:chriss at watertech.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 3:12 PM
> To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] New $89 VOIP phone
> 
> 
> A solution to this very problem has already been discussed... 
> in fact... in this very thread!
> 
> There are several options (much better than plugging your PC 
> into the phone I might add) one being to buy a small desktop 
> switch... Another would be to install a switching wall plate 
> like those from Cisco or 3com... Another would be to think 
> ahead and install another wall jack if your company might now 
> or in the future use IP telephony...