[Asterisk-Users] Which phones are good, or at least acceptable, for home and office

[Michael Graves]

I can't tell you how many times I've seen broad questions like this posted to the list..

The wiki (www.voip-info.org) is your friend. Use it. There's a lot of good advise there.

Google is also your friend. Use it, too. Most especially use it to search the list archives. There was just a long thread about this a few days ago.

Finally, you can do what I did...buy some phones, try them for a while then resell the ones you don't like. Ebay is a great toolo for this. I bought and sold eight different model of SIP phones 
before settling upon what I use today. When you've gained enough experience to have some well founded opinions add to the wiki.

Lastly, if you're going to buy serious desk phones try the Aastra 480i CT and the Polycom IP600/601. Life's too short to use a cheap phone.

Michael

On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 20:35:02 -0400, M.Hockings wrote:

>I am looking to replace all of the old "Bell" (POTS) phones in my home 
>and office with IP phones.  As you can imagine I don't have a huge 
>budget to work with but I want phones that will provide acceptable voice 
>quality and durability.

>There are basically three categories as I see it
>1. satellite phones (low cost, low function)
>2. primary domestic phone (good quality, POE capable, headset capable)
>3. primary office phone (good quality, headset, speaker phone)

>In most places the LAN wiring is already in place so the phone would 
>need to be able to provide a LAN port for an existing computer.  POE 
>would be desirable in a couple of places due to limited power outlets.

>What I have considered is the Grandstream BudgeTone BT-102 or BT-200 for 
>the satellite phones, a Grandstream GXP-2000 for the domestic phone as 
>it has all the requirements and there is a POE device available for it. 
>My alternative pick for this would be a Polycom 301.  And for my office 
>I was considering a Polycom 501.

>Are any of these choices known to be bad performers, hard to configure 
>with Asterisk, etc.  I have read that it is difficult or not possible to 
>get the message waiting indicator to show for the BT-102.  Is this a 
>problem with the GXP-2000 or Polycom phones ?

>Also is it possible to use the Linksys POE injector/splitter to power a 
>BT-102 ? Or are there other solutions for POE?

>Some Web references follow for the keen.

>Thanks for any thoughts or input on this.

>Mike

>Linksys POE Injector/Splitter
>http://www.insight.ca/apps/productpresentation/index.php?format=print&product_id=LNKPPOE12



>BT-102
>http://www.canadianvoipstore.com/product_info.php?cPath=95_105&products_id=40

>GXP-2000
>http://www.canadianvoipstore.com/product_info.php?cPath=95_106&products_id=331

>Polycom 301
>http://www.canadianvoipstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=757

>Polycom 501
>http://www.canadianvoipstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=758

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