Review on Enhance Small Business Communication with the Grandstream GS-GXP1630 High-End IP Phone VoIP Phone and Device by Jonathan Clark

Maybe Do you know what an IP address is Do you know what SIP and VoIP mean Do you know how to set up a router and DHCP service Get the correct model number file from the website and then patiently wait for it that it's done without poking around? If the answer to the above question is "Yes, absolutely" then you are done. a phone for use with Vonage or Skype or whatever you consider a VoIP service to be. If you're looking for something to use with your cable company's VoIP system. If you're not sure what BLF stands for and don't care if you think manuals are for wimps. Then you should probably skip it. It's not worth the hassle you'll have and the return shipping you'll have to do if things like improperly attaching the stand or not reading any of the six pages that explain how to fold the tab under the wall mount phone are endless cause disappointment. . This phone (and similar phones) are primarily intended for professional telecom operators who make a living installing and configuring them for offices. It's largely not intended for end users in the usual sense of the word. The most important first parts are: -> No warranty for end users. -> No technical support for end users. When you buy phones here, the warranty is given to the reseller, not you. The same goes for technical support. The only information provided is digital information online. The quick start guide is intended to educate the professional installer on the specifics of the variables associated with this phone (physical and data specifics) and everything else about SIP and such is entirely up to them. then buy this phone?!"I'm so glad you asked! People will want to buy this phone if they know how to set it up and don't want to deal with ordering 20pcs directly and 19 Having spare parts People who want to play around and think of it as a project buy this phone Professionals who want to make a prototype or two to see if the phone is right for their business will find it a good way is to take a small amount with you to test out. Audience. Knowing if you're in is a good start to make sure you don't break your heart. Are you the right audience for this phone? Then read on Next! Grandstream caught my eye in 2014 when I needed to set up a phone system for a school with most other VoIP phones (Cisco, Polycom etc.) being very expensive and if you are installing phones in classrooms with students , they are almost guaranteed to replace you many times. Given the choice between a broken $90 phone or a broken $40 phone, the Grandstream was a solid choice. Damaged by being hit by a child, after all the warranty is not covered. Yaelink was considered as another option, but even there, the simplest device was significantly more expensive. The GXP1630 is more what I would describe as a high-end low-end phone. The GXP1xxx series is considered an entry-level kit, with the 1630 being at the higher end of that spectrum. A gigabit switch, PoE, three SIP accounts, and a good selection of BLF buttons make this a great option for a VERY budget phone that needs multi-line, multi-account capability and to be co-located with a nearby computer got to. The 45-degree and 60-degree desktop position and wall mount make it flexible, and the display design gives it a more premium feel than the much cheaper GXP1615. In terms of build quality, the phone is solid. The phone is weighted to give it a good weight and the plastic construction is sturdy and durable. The keys have good travel and are strong. The indicator lights are viewable from multiple angles, and the BLF buttons have a tinted lens that allows the button to appear more solid black when not lit. Depending on the codec on the phone and the codec chain in general, latency can be extremely low. G.711 has a delay just above the burst duration. Encoding, encapsulation and transport require very little overhead. However, other compressed codecs have a bit more latency due to the phone cutting costs by reducing processing power, among other things. The sound quality is very decent both when receiving and when transmitting and of course depends on the codecs used in the chain. If you're familiar with SIP/VoIP, you'll understand what I'm talking about. If you don't, suffice it to say that when you use G.729 from a phone to a PBX, transcode it to G.711 to get into a backbone that sends it to another system that uses it transcoded again to G729 (or *shivers* G.723.1), it gets messier every time it's changed. The phone can be powered via a (frighteningly tiny) 5V adapter or via PoE, and is fully auto-configurable via DHCP. and ATS. With a little preparation, deploying hundreds of them is just a table of MAC addresses and configuration values. All in all, this is a very good phone. That being said, there are a small handful of things that are disappointing about it. - The volume rocker is not a rocker. There is no rotation in the middle, so both buttons can be pressed at the same time, even accidentally. Grandstream has a history of at times inferior firmware. Any device you receive should be checked for the latest firmware version and updated if necessary to ensure reliability and stability. User training is difficult due to the symbols on the function keys. This is a great idea for a multilingual concept, but trying to tell the user which key to press can be excruciating. "No one can hear me!" "Phone is disabled. Press the mute button again." "Oh, you mean the one-legged spear servant button?" Last but not least the most annoying thing, the paper insert for the BLF area is an annoying one Bunch of rounded corners and cut notches. While other phones (even in the Grandstream line) can easily print and trim BLF data with nice straight edges, this phone doesn't. You're pretty busy handwriting your stash of supplements or fakes or buying new ones when they run out. All in all, if you need multiple SIP accounts and/or a gigabit split power phone with an internal switch and don't want to go broke, this is the model to go for. If you're looking for a very affordable phone and don't need a gigabit or switch and just a line, the 1615 is exceptionally good value yet is a decent quality basic VoIP phone with full customization to withstand even the rigors of elementary school.