[asterisk-users] Anyone use the Linksys phones?

[JR Richardson]

> Is anyone out there using any of the newer linksys phones since Cisco
> took over? I am more specifically looking at the spa-941 & 942's. Just
> curious about call quality, programability, and functionality with
> asterisk.

We like these phones, hundreds deployed to business customers.

Mass provisioning is a bit tricky.  Make sure you get this worked out in the
lab before looking like an idiot in front of the customer.  Set option 66
TFTP [IP Address] in the DHCP server, pointed to your config files.  You can
use a perl script to generate any number of config files with a text file as
input of MAC, User Name, Exten Number, Server IP.

Users seem to have trouble with the 941's and handling multiple calls, using
the soft keys to navigate back and forth between hold calls, for this
reason, I don't use the 941's, just the 942's and put first line extension
on all line 4 positions, users seem to understand and use this better.

Do upgrade to the latest firmware and check for new updates frequently, bug
fixes and added and features come relatively quick on this phone, which is a
good thing.

Paging takes priority over an existing call, so be careful if you plan to do
phone-to-phone intercom, it annoys the hell out of users when a page puts a
call on hold automatically, you can turn call waiting off on the phone or
set the page not to auto answer or in Asterisk you can check the channel
state and not page if existing channel exists (this is the best way).  I can
send you the dial plan to handle this if needed.

Set the backlight to 'always on' on the user tab, any SIP messaging or SIP
info messages to the phone triggers the backlight, annoys users when the
light is on-off-on-off-on-off throughout the day.

No way to upload a directory file yet, wish there was.

10 second boot time, up and running, which is really great.

Lots of good features, solid mid to low end cost business phone, customers
seem to like it and not many support calls once the users get used to using
it.

JR
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JR Richardson
Engineering for the Masses