Snom + OCS (Part 1)

Yesterday a number of snom phones arrived: snom 820, snom 300 and snom 360.

We started by trying to connect 820 and get it to register with OCS.

I was working in my home office so phone was "remote" to network.

 

The snom 820 is the "pretty" white phone in front. Behind it is Microsoft "Tanjay" which is rather clunky and to the back right is "old" normal PSTN phone.

Connecting the snom phone is simple: plug it into the network, watch what IP address it gets assigned and then use browser to http: to it. In my case it was as simple as entering http://192.168.1.107/ into address bar on browser.

Each snom phone has an embedded web server that you use to configure it manually (you can also configure many phones using a shared config file).

When you point your browser to phone's IP address you get main web menu that looks like below:

You then use the menus to setup relevant settings. For OCS it means completing "OCS Account Data" screen.

And then if all is good you force the phone to reboot (on Advanced, Update menu) and you are connected to OCS Server.

If you need to tweak settings you can do so on Identity 1 à SIP screen which has lots more options!

 

You can also map "directory" button to display OCS Contacts list using the "Function keys" screen. OCS contacts look like this (granted not a great picture given I used a flash -- never said I was a professional photographer J):

 

So far I can make and receive calls between the snom phone and the desktop Office Communicator; however, unfortunately calls to or from the PSTN through our Audiocodes gateway don't fully work.

There are many configuration options for snom phone, so next we need to do some traces and see what isn't working and how to fix it.

More details in part 2 shortly.

Who out there sees the need for "hard phones" even in the brave new world of UC and Microsoft OCS?

 

Comments

[Dan]

I do see some need for hard phones. Meeting rooms, guest desks, reception lounges. The rest of us is better off with MOC.
Speaking of hard phones: I was testing the OCS enabled firmware on a snom320 the other day, together with a snom MeetingPoint. What do you make of the fact that they can't support wide-band calls snom-to-OCS due to the lack of compatible codecs? I was a bit disappointed to see (or hear) this working only between snom phones. I say the race for a true Polycom Soundstation killer is still open :-)

Dan