Sangoma Releases the Latest Version of FreePBX!

March 29, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Sangoma FreePBXSangoma has been continuously investing in FreePBX R&D to bring customers new features such as Zero-Touch Provisioning with Sangoma IP Phones, Zulu Softphone and other language and compatibility support to enhance its functionality and the user experience.

Today, Sangoma goes one step further to release the latest version of FreePBX – FreePBX 14 RC1 (Release Candidate 1). This version offers advancements in all areas, from a newer Operating System to many new features including Calendar Module, New End User Control Panel (UCP), and a new Updates & Upgrades module.

We are thrilled to see FreePBX become more powerful than ever before! To learn more about FreePBX features follow our blog series: Sangoma’s FreePBX Modules!

Grandstream IP Phones and ATAs are Now Interoperable with BroadSoft’s Business Platform

March 28, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Grandstream and BroadSoft customers are in luck! Grandstream Networks and BroadSoft, a global market share leader for cloud business communications, announced today that they have completed BroadSoft’s BroadWorks® call control platform interoperability testing for Grandstream’s new products including GXP1700 series Mid-Range IP phones and HT800 series Analog Telephone Adapters (ATAs).

Service providers and customers using BroadSoft’s business platform can now deploy Grandstream’s GXP1700 IP phones. The HT800 series ATAs can also be deployed to integrate analog phones with IP network.

grandstream-logoThis successful interoperability testing unlocks all Grandstream’s current IP phones and ATAs to be interoperable with the BroadSoft Business Software-as-a-service (SaSS). The validated IP phones include the GXP1600 series, GXP1700 series, GXP2100 series, GXV series, DECT Cordless IP Phones and more! We are excited to see how our customers will benefit from this great integration in the near future!

For additional information please call one of our experienced VoIP consultants at 800-305-1427.

Cloud Phone Systems by Cloudspan

The VoIP Addict’s Guide – VoIP Redundancy in the Cloud

cloud-computing-1989339_1280Make no mistake, almost everything is becoming a cloud based service. Still running Exchange? You’re living in the past, my friend. Phone systems are, of course, no different. While I’ll maintain there are huge advantages to running an on-prem system (mostly cost and low latency), there are a lot of conveniences of having your system in the cloud. Now, when I say cloud, I am referring to platforms like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services for this specific post.

Let’s talk a little about the conveniences of a cloud hosted phone system. First, it makes deploying remote phones a much easier process, mostly because every phone is now remote. It also allows anyone traveling abroad to bring their phone with them, and with Internet access, they can make calls from Singapore as if they were calling from Buffalo, New York (for example) with no international toll charges. Of course, you can always call extension to extension for zero cost. That’s a pretty amazing concept.

You might be thinking, this can all be done with an on-prem system as well, and you’d be right, but why poke holes in your corporate firewall, and subject yourself to the fun of NAT traversal if you don’t need to? You can also accomplish redundancy with an on-premise system, but you will lack the flexibility of providing multi-region connectivity and redundancy (because it’s in the same building), which is what the above-mentioned cloud services can provide.

Why is multi-region connectivity important? Well, if you’ve been reading the news lately, you’ve probably heard that Amazon dropped an entire region for a couple of hours causing mass panic, and the zombie apocalypse (not really). This is the risk you take in exchange for convenience when you place an application or service in the cloud, but when you distribute that application or service across multiple regions, you mitigate that risk significantly. Some businesses went down entirely because they stuck all of their eggs into one basket (region).

It should be known that regions in these cloud services are treated as completely siloed entities. Instances in one region, cannot simply ping an instance in another region via local IP address, even if they are on the same Amazon, or Azure account. For that, you need some sort of connector, like a VPN. Be aware, however, this is accomplished differently based on what service you are using.

Amazon Web Services, for example, does not have any built-in tools at this time to connect regions together. If you’re planning on deploying FreePBX in both Oregon, and Virginia for redundancy, you’ll need to create a VPN between the two systems with your own virtual appliance so that they can exchange configurations. This should not be confused with Sangoma’s High Availability module for FreePBX, as that requires two systems to be on the same subnet with very low latency between them.

Microsoft Azure, DOES provide the ability to create a region-to-region VPN without using a 3rd party VPN concentrator, and with my experience, the more natively supported tools and services you use, the better things work overall. Truthfully, a VPN may not always be necessary, but that will be dependent on the specific phone system, and how it prefers to communicate with its slave or warm spare. It generally isn’t a bad thing to have regardless.

Before I get more into the strategy of multi-region redundancy, I’d be remiss not to mention a second option, which is connecting either Microsoft Azure, or Amazon Web Services to your local corporate network. Both services, have native tools to create a VPN to your network, provided you have a compatible firewall on your side of the equation. In this scenario, you would have a system on your local network, with a warm spare in the cloud, which can talk local IP to local IP. This option isn’t as flexible as moving all phone system communications to the cloud, but would still provide redundancy in the event your on-prem system goes down, but you still have a live Internet connection to your building. If your entire network takes a nose dive, you are SOL.

Strategy: I originally had the idea (when writing this post) of testing Wazo’s built in high availability module, but I found that just installing the platform on Amazon was so incredibly difficult and an inconsistent process that I just gave up. Back when it was called Xivo, I tested high availability and it worked great. It didn’t work as well as Sangoma’s High Availability module, but it did a decent enough job. The way that it works (or worked), is by moving the configuration from the master system to the slave via a secure tunnel, then it would synchronize and shut down Asterisk on the slave. Its job would then be to continuously ping the master, and in the event, the master was unresponsive, start Asterisk, and bring up the SIP trunks. The only thing you’d have to worry about is registering all of your phones to the slave PBX. That can be automated by using IP phones with a secondary SIP server.

>Sangoma Gateways and Analog/Digital CardsSo, because Wazo was such a PITA, I decided to go with something more mature in the open source space for this post, FreePBX. FreePBX can be configured as a warm spare similarly to Wazo, but it isn’t as automated of a process. Take a look here, to see what’s involved in the basic setup. You will STILL employ IP phones with a secondary SIP server (>Sangoma’s phones do this BTW). Like WAZO, a transfer of the configuration is sent to the warm spare in the opposite region via a secure tunnel, but the difference is in the synchronization. Wazo will instantly synchronize, but FreePBX will require a restore to be performed, which can be automated. You will also need to exclude changing the network settings on the warm spare. We aren’t exactly replacing the production system, we are just providing an alternate for phones to register to. The only intervention that should be required in the event of a failover is activating the SIP trunks (because you would have chosen to turn them off in the warm spare’s restore).

To summarize: When your production phone system has an issue and goes down, your IP phones will attempt to register to the secondary SIP server (via public IP address), which resides in another region (using either Azure, or Amazon). To complete the failover, you will need to log into the warm spare, which has now become the production system, and enable the SIP trunks. Within a reasonably quick period of time, calls in and out will occur as if nothing happened.

While this all works, the primary challenge is the timing of the synchronization between systems since it is not instantaneous. Logically, you’ll want to back and restore to the warm space nightly, but if a lot of changes are expected on a system daily, you may want to schedule that more frequently.

If you plan on deploying your phone system to the cloud, and redundancy is going to be an important priority, well then, I hope I gave you something to think about. Stay tuned for my upcoming post on creating a quick and easy VPN between Amazon Web Services regions.

Happy VoIPing!

Cloud Phone Systems by Cloudspan

VoIP News! The Latest on Several New Releases from Grandstream, Gearing Up for Channel Partner 2017 and more!

March 24, 2017 by Steve Lopian

 

gds3710Things have been pretty busy over at Grandstream HQ as they have recently released a few new products! Grandstream has expanded their large VoIP catalog once again with the release of the GDS3710 IP Video Door System. This is an easy to manage surveillance solution that integrates with your IP communications and features a powerful 1080p video resolution!

gwn7000Grandstream also released the GWN 7000 Enterprise Multi-WAN VPN Router is a features-rich powerful tool for any business and can be shared across one or many different physical locations!

 

gwn7600Another new product released by Grandstream is the GWN7600 WiFi Access Point. This is a mid-level access point for small sized businesses or multiple floor offices and providers dual-band network throughput and expanded WiFi coverage range.

All of these products are available to order now!

As April is rapidly approaching, VoIP Supply is getting ready to exhibit at Channel Partners 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas! This will take place April 10th to the 13th and we will be focusing heavily on our Partner and Fulfillment Programs. If you are attending the show, please stop by booth 250 and say hello! We will be there to answer any questions you might have and we will also be giving away several Plantronics Headsets, so make sure you don’t miss out!channel-partnersAnd lastly, in VoIP News, VoIP Supply has hit a very special milestone as we are celebrating 15 years of business! It is an honor to work for VoIP Supply, and we have enjoyed solving problems and creating solutions for over 125,000 customers worldwide over the years. We are proud of everything the company has accomplished since 2002 and we look forward to the next 15 years!

15-years-anniversary

How to Mute a Call with the Plantronics Savi W730

March 23, 2017 by Steve Lopian

When it comes to work, we are all busy. A lot of times we are locked down to our desks for hours working on large projects. Other times we are on exhaustingly long phone calls that we think may never end!

No matter what the cause may be, it is always a good idea to get up every once in a while to stretch or even just to break up the monotony of the day. What allows you to do this? Wireless headsets!

Being able to get up from your desk while on a call can be extremely convenient. Even if it is just to run to the printer, or even walk circles around your desk. There is something liberating about not being tied down to your desk; literally.

The best part about having a wireless headset is being able to keep it on at all times to answer calls away from your desk, and with most wireless headsets these days, you can go pretty far! But what happens if you’re on a call and the environment around you becomes too noisy? You don’t have your desk phone near you to place the call on hold, and you can’t say “call I call you back” so what do you do?

Well, not too many people know this, but a growing number of wireless headsets will allow you to mute your call! This is not common knowledge because headsets don’t really have a “mute” button on them, but with the right headset, you CAN do it!

Let’s take the Plantronics Savi W730 for example. This is a high-end wireless headset that can connect to your computer, desk phone and cell phone all at once! This headset also happens to have the ability to mute calls with the press of a button!

plantronics-savi-w730If you find yourself in a sticky situation and you need to mute the call, all you have to do is press the volume down button for at least 1.5 seconds. When mute is activated, you will hear three high tones. These tones will repeat every 60 seconds while the mute option is activated. You will still be able to hear the caller on the other end while mute is active.

When you are ready to take your call off mute, you simply hold the volume button in the up position for the same 1.5 seconds. When the call is taken off mute you will hear three low tones, letting you know that you are back on the line and ready to talk!

So the next time you are stuck on a long call and really need a cup of coffee or if you need to take a stroll around the office to stretch your legs, you can feel good knowing that at any moment, you can block out any unwanted noise right from your headset!

Do you have a wireless headset? Are you able to mute calls with one touch? If it’s not the Plantronics Savi W730, then what is it? We want to know!

Is Audiocodes Mediant Gateway Interoperable with SBCs?

March 22, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Our tech support team at VoIP Supply offers great pre- and post-sales support plus provisioning, consultations, configuration, and installation help. We get a lot of VoIP hardware and software questions and would like to share the solutions with everyone.

In previous Mom’s calling Q&A series, we have discussed: What’s the default password for Plantronics Headsets? Today, we have more new real questions and answers from VoIP users just like you.voi

Is Audiocodes Mediant Gateway Interoperable with SBCs?

M1KB with modulesQ: Is AudioCodes Mediant 1000B M1KB Gateway able to be fixed with FXO, T1, etc modules and also take on SBC sessions to make it a hybrid solution?

A: Yes, it can and is interoperable with SBCs. It is technically not a Session Border Controller. Users can customize the hardware with limitation. See more information about AudioCodes Mediant Gateway here.

Stay Tuned

Come back for more VoIP questions and answers next time! If you have VoIP questions to ask us please submit a technical support ticket or contact our VoIP experts today at 866-582-8591.

More from: Q & A Ying-Hui Chen Q&A

Why not buy VoIP Supply’s Refresh?

March 21, 2017 by Youleidy Vega

If you are in search of Polycom phones to update your current VoIP environment or to replenish a new office, don’t overlook our Refresh offerings. Our Refresh Polycom phones are great quality used phones that have undergone a 10-step reconditioning process to assure that you get the best of the best. And the best part of it all is that they come with a full six-month worry-free guarantee.

Watch below for the process of Examining, Upgrading, Setting to default, and Repackaging Refresh products.

Polycom VVX 310 (Refresh)Polycom vvx300

The VVX 310 is a Gigabit six line phone that provides crystal clear communications and enhances the workplace with collaboration tools and personal productivity features. Receive meeting reminders and alerts, manage your Microsoft Exchange calendar and see your colleagues’ Instant Messaging presence/status right on the screen of the VVX 310.

Learn more about the VVX 310

Polycom VVX 410 (Refresh)

VVX410The VVX 410 is a 12-line Gigabit IP Phone featuring High Definition (HD) Voice and a 3.5 color LCD display. This is a great phone for office environments handling a moderate volume of calls and also suitable for Unified Communications (UC) applications.

Learn more about the VVX 410

Polycom IP 7000 (Refresh)Polycom IP7000

A conference phone for all conference rooms, the IP 7000 provides high-fidelity conference calls for clear, life-life communication. With flexible configuration options and strong interoperability, the IP 7000 is a great choice not just for conference rooms, but for executive offices, boardrooms, and huddle rooms alike.

Learn more about the IP 7000 

These are just a few of the Polycom Refresh options that VoIP Supply has to offer. Take a look at our Refresh Catalog to view more. With so many options at a great price and with a 6-month guarantee, we think you would agree when we say, “Why not buy Refresh?”

The GWN Series Wireless Networking Products – Secure, Easy and Powerful!

March 20, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

gwnseries

About The GWN 7600 Series

The GWN 7600 Series are the wireless access points (APs) that facilitate wired and wireless network access to large custom areas indoors. This series includes the GWN 7600 Entry-Level Access Point and the GWN 7610 Mid-Range Access Point.

controller-less-managementFrom small-sized businesses, multiple floor offices, to multiple branch offices, the GWN 7600 series has the right solution to cover all your needs, providing dual-band network throughput and expanded WiFi coverage range. With up to 175 meters range and over 250 concurrent clients access, the GWN 7600 series is a very powerful solution for commercial locations that have medium wireless network deployments with medium-to-high user density.

The GWN 7600 Series also features the Controller-less Management, an easy and centralized management through a single interface which allows each access point to manage a network of up to 50 WHN7510s or 30 GWN7600s/GWN7610s independently without needing separate controller hardware/software.

 

What are the differences between the GWN7000 and the GWN7610?

Both models feature Gigabit wireline ports, Embedded controller, and Advanced QoS that ensures the real-time performance of low-latency applications. The main differences include the coverage range (176 meters for the GWN7610; 165 meters for the GWN7600) and the number of concurrent clients (over250 concurrent clients per the GWN 7610; 450 for the GWN7600). Take a look at the highlighted features of these two models here:

The GWN7600 – Entry Level Wireless Access Point

  • 802.11ac Wave-2 WiFi access (PoE)gwn7600
  • Dual-band 2×2:2 MU-MIMO
  • Sophisticated antenna design
  • Quality of Service (QoS)
  • 1.27Gbps wireless throughput and 2x Gigabit wireline ports
  • Up to 165-meter coverage range
  • 450+ concurrent WiFi client devices
  • Anti-hacking secure boot and critical data/control lockdown via digital signatures, unique security certificate/random default password per device

Download GWN7600 Datasheet Here

The GWN7610 – Mid-Range Wireless Access Point

  • gwn7610Up to 175-meter range
  • Support for more than 250+ WiFi client devices
  • Dual-band 3×3:3 MIMO technology
  • PoE with self-power adaptation
  • Auto-discovery and auto-provisioning
  • QoS

Download GWN7610 Datasheet Here

 

About The GWN7000 Enterprise Multi-WAN Gigabit VPN Router

gwn7000-pic
The GWN7000 is a feature-rich, powerful tool that supports WiFi and VPN solutions and can be shared across one or many different physical locations. With hardware-accelerated VPN client/server, the GWN7000 delivers secure, high-performance switching and routing for small to enterprise businesses. Even better, the intuitive web-based central network management even lets you control your system from any GWN7000 router.

See some of the popular features:

  • gwn7000Embedded provisioning. Can control up to 500 GWN76xx Wi-Fi access points.
  • Seven Gigabit ports, 2 WAN and 5 LAN.
  • Hardware accelerated VPN including PPTP, L2TP/IPSec and OpenVPN with speeds up to 300Mbps.
  • 1M packet/sec routing & 10Gbps aggregate switching power.
  • 3G/4G-LTE wireless uplink via USB dongle.
  • Web interface to centrally monitor provision the entire network.

Download The GWN7000 Datasheet Here

 

Where are the Best Places to Deploy?

The GWN7600 Series is suitable for small offices, multi-floor offices, and multiple branch offices. See the suggested setup for each of the deployment scenarios:

best-places-to-deploy

  • Small office: Use the same SSID and access credentials across all Access Points
  • Multi-floor office: Use multiple APs and SSIDs depending on how many floors the building has.
  • Multiple branch offices: Have multiple GWN7610s or GWN7600s linked through VPN (provided by the router).

 

Want to Learn More?

Download our full GWN series guide by filling out the form below! Also, join our upcoming GWN series technical training webinar on April 5th 2:00pm3:00pm to learn how you can manage the APs through the router’s interface, and much more. Register now!


How-To Choose Where You Hear Sound Effects on the Polycom VVX300

March 16, 2017 by Steve Lopian

Every workspace is different.  Some of us that work in call centers can be in a close-quarters environment where you are working alongside several coworkers, and others may have their own office in order to maintain focus on large projects.

No matter where you find yourself working, if you have a desk, chances are you have a phone to go with it.  Depending on where your desk is, you may find yourself in a situation where your phone could be a bother to the people around you.

Obviously, if you have an office to yourself, you can easily close your door and make calls on speakerphone and not disturb anyone, but if you share an area divided by cubicles, then you run the risk of being an annoyance to your neighbors.

Naturally, you are going to be heard when speaking on the phone, that is to be expected; but what about the phone itself? Its ringtone is one thing, but a lot of times phones can give off other noises that can be annoying to others.  A great example of this would be the sound effects your phone produces when pushing buttons.  Whether you are dialing, scrolling, or changing your menu options, your phone will most likely omit some sort of beeping effect.  Over time, this can become somewhat of a nuisance to your coworkers.  Luckily, the Polycom VVX 300 has you covered!

vvx300

How-To Choose Where You Hear Sound Effects on the Polycom VVX300

While this may be considered an entry level phone, the VVX 300 it is still packed with tons of features that other phones in its class, may be lacking. One of those features is the ability to choose where you hear your sound effects.

By default, all sound effects are going to come out of the phone’s speaker, but it only takes a few quick changes in settings to route your effects to either your handset or your headset. Here’s how:

Select Settings from the Home view, and then select Basic followed by Preferences and then Audible Ringer.  Once there, you are able to select where you want to hear your sound effects!

If you want to to make them come out of your handset simply select Handset. For Headset, select Headset.  Lastly, you can select Active.  By doing this, the phone will actually omit the sound effects out of whatever you are using, how cool is that?

So if you currently have a VVX 300 on your desk, and your coworkers keep giving you dirty looks every time you dial a number, just follow these easy steps to keep your sound effects to yourself!

Are you currently using the Polycom VVX 300? If so, let us know what you think!  

Grandstream GDS3710 Protecting Businesses, Empowering Control

For businesses and residential users to who rely on surveillance in order to maintain safety and access control, Grandstream Networks’ new release will definitely fill that need.

Grandstream, a key manufacturer of IP Communications has ventured into the door security market with their newest product, the GDS3710, an IP Video Door System.

 

Grandstream GDS3710

gds3710-1
The GDS3710
is a high-definition IP surveillance camera with 180-degree video viewing angle for wall-to-wall coverage. It also acts as an IP intercom to offer facility access control and security monitoring for buildings and homes of all sizes, where protecting assets, the workplace and the people is a big factor.

gds3710-2The GDS3710 has a built-in RFID (radio frequency identification) chip reader that allows keyless entry where the user is able to control, validate, and operate the entries and exits into any room. Better yet, the door station has 2-way audio with the included microphone and speaker, allowing for intercom technology that easily integrates with existing security devices.

This door phone and IP surveillance camera works great under any lighting condition with 1080p FHD video resolutions powered by its advanced Image Sensor Processor (ISP) and state-of-the-art image algorithms.

How is the GDS3710 managed? Very easily through Grandstream’s GDS Manager Software. Here you can manage RFID card information, video feeds and the GDS3710 itself, making it easy to access and control all of the applications in one place. The audio and video streams can be sent directly to smartphones, SIP endpoints and the GDS Manager software.

gds3710-features

For a full access control, video intercom, and security recording solution, you can combine the GDS3710 with Grandstream’s GXP2100 IP phones, GXV video phones, GS-Wave mobile app, and GVR350X NVR products.

gds3710

Want to learn more?

  • Featured Posts

  • Popular Posts

  • Read Our Feed

  • Latest

  • VoIP Post Categories

  • Archives