[asterisk-users] Good comparisons on cheaper VOIP phones

[forums - sigma]

Rob Hillis wrote:
> Michael wrote:
>> My experience with Grandstream is that are one of the better 'cheap' ones, but 
>> cheap non the less.
>
> I am yet to run into a worse IP phone than the Grandstreams - although 
> having said that, I should say that I've always steered clear of most 
> of the Chinese "no-name" brand phones.  They're unstable, 
> temperamental and upgrading the firmware is a crapshoot half the time 
> since you never know what new bugs will be introduced and quite often 
> you can't downgrade the firmware if you don't like the newer firmware.
>
> My suggestion would be to look at the Snom 300 (although they are very 
> simplistic phones), the Polycom IP330 (I have a feeling the 320s don't 
> support PoE) or the Linksys phones.  I noted an earlier post saying 
> that these phones were overpriced and designed to lock you in to 
> Linksys gear - my experience has been completely different.  The 
> SPA-942 is quite cheap and integrates nicely with Asterisk.  The 
> SPA-962 is considerably more expensive - but considering the size of 
> the colour LCD screen, they're not that badly priced. (as an aside, 
> the button banks for the SPA-962 are one of the /cheapest/ available!)
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having deployed a fair amount of phones I have the following observation
(and these observations are worth what you paid for them :-) )


1. Linksys 942, my preferred mainstream desk phone, a bit more expensive
than the Polycom IP330.   Be careful as there are two SKUs with and
without power supply (which is true of the ip330).   The 942 has a nice
large backlit screen, nice big MWI light, takes a 3.5mm headphone.  With
latest firmware, now supports BLF and LDAP.
2. Polycom IP330 (320 is same, except it doesn't have the 2port ethernet
switch built in "PC port").   Biggest dis advantage is no voicemail key,
you have to assign a speed dial to Line2 (there is a plastic VM key you
can use, but you have to swap the plastic key overlay). 3.5mm headphone
jack.
3. Grandstream phones... they work with "quirks" for call xfer and
conference as an example.   The phone buttons don't have a "business"
feel to them

my 2 cents...   jim (www.sigma-networks.com)