VoIP Q & A: Cisco Intercom, WiFi Video Conferencing, and AT&T Small Business VoIP Systems

Questions about VoIP devices and services are regularly submitted to VoIPSupply.com through a technical support ticket or via the “Ask The Expert” tab on our product pages.

We respond to these requests directly but more often than not, this Q & A would be helpful for lots of other folks.

Below are your VoIP questions answered – Real questions from real people  just like you.

Q: I am a solo attorney. I have a support person who answers the phone for me. Does this phone have an intercom type feature that allows her to “buzz” me and let me know who’s calling?

A:  Yes, the SPA303G does have the intercom feature that you’re looking for.

This feature is called paging and it works like this:

Your IP phone can automatically answer pages from other Cisco IP phones in the office, if your phone administrator has enabled this feature. When your phone is paged, the phone emits a series of beeps, and two-way audio is established between your phone and the phone that called you. You do not have to accept the page.

For more information, go to Page 62 of the Cisco SPA303G User Guide.

Q:  Our facility in Texas needs to deliver digital instructions to a group of people via video conferencing system. The group has a common school house with electricity but no Internet.  They have wifi phone service however most do not have phones.  Most families do not have computers or power at home. How can we communicate and teach them remotely?  What solutions will we need at our facility and at the remote end?

A:  Sounds like you’re in quite the pickle there. There is a solution though, and one that applies to many things in life:

Keep It Simple!

Since the common school house has electricity and WiFi service just use something like mobile Google Hangouts which offers free video calls for face-to-face connections on a tablet, laptop, or even a cell phone on both ends of the connection. No need for a fancy video conferencing system here.

Q:  We are seeking to buy a system that supports VOIP gateways as our phones will run on high speed internet.  Will this system [AT&T Syn248 Analog Gateway Phone System] work for us?  If not, is there another to which you might direct us?

A:  Yes, the AT&T Syn248 Analog Gateway is a great entry-level small business phone system to get started with when switching over to VoIP.

The Syn248 can also be stacked with another Syn248 to add additional phone lines if you ever need to expand.

Just remember that the Syn248 analog gateway needs a AT&T Syn248 Desk Phone to operate because it’s a proprietary gateway that only works with the AT&T Syn248 Small Business Phone System. Configure your own AT&T system here:

Stay Tuned

Check back next time  for more VoIP Q & A.

Thanks for your questions!