Predict what the IT guys will do with my phone

[kranky]

They are replacing our office PBX-type phones with IP phones. They send out the new phones in a box with your name on it, and then on the appointed day, the IT guy comes around to hook it up and configure it. My appointed day was last Wednesday, but I was out of town last week.

I have a wireless headset connected to my phone via a wire that lets me answer calls on the headset. There's another wire that connects a tiny mic on the phone to the headset base (so it can detect a ring).

What do you think the IT guys did?

 

[Printer Bandit]

plug it into the ethernet jack.

 

[SamQuint]

I say they ignore the guy that doesn't bother to reschedule his appointment.

Call the help desk. Do you really think they have time to keep checking to see if you are there or available?

If the headset was not supplied by the company I would assume the user would be able to hook it up themselves.

 

[waffleironhead]

New phone hooked up. Headset never to be seen again.

 

[Ichinisan]

What good is the microphone? Does the headset ring in your ear?

The Plantronics wireless headsets we use at work have an optional mechanical lifter. I don't think the lifter had a microphone, but maybe there's a place to connect it. I hear the ringing from my desk phone and push the button on my headset to activate the lifter and answer the call.

Actually, I haven't used the lifter in years. I de-cluttered my desk by detaching the handset entirely. I just push the button on my headset to open the connection and push a button on my phone to answer.

 

[Leros]

Most wireless headsets aren't encrypted and thus pose a security risk. There was an interesting article a while back about a guy that used some equipment to snoop in on phone conversations that were had over wireless headsets. He gained enough intelligence to social engineer his way into convincing people that he was a new employee. They gave him a new computer, got him an account on the network, etc.

 

[Spineshank]

That wire probably wont work with the IP phone. Ive done numerous Nortel to Cisco conversions. PITA.

 

[Kaido]

That wire probably wont work with the IP phone. Ive done numerous Nortel to Cisco conversions. PITA.

Shoretel ftw. Brilliant system. Cisco work pays well, but given my choice at new sites, I'd do Shoretel. So many nice features: PC integration, iOS docking, mobile apps, super easy management, etc.

 

[Spineshank]

Shoretel ftw. Brilliant system. Cisco work pays well, but given my choice at new sites, I'd do Shoretel. So many nice features: PC integration, iOS docking, mobile apps, super easy management, etc.

I can honestly say, I know nothing of Shoretel systems.

 

[Ichinisan]

Most wireless headsets aren't encrypted and thus pose a security risk. There was an interesting article a while back about a guy that used some equipment to snoop in on phone conversations that were had over wireless headsets. He gained enough intelligence to social engineer his way into convincing people that he was a new employee. They gave him a new computer, got him an account on the network, etc.

I think my Plantronics unit is DECT 6.0 and it's probably 8+ years old.

 

[Kaido]

I can honestly say, I know nothing of Shoretel systems.

Similar to a Cisco system, but a lot easier to implement. That's a big key - you don't have to have a Cisco guy to maintain the system. A lot of it's the same functionality-wise, just easier access for everyday usage & management. If Cisco is Linux, then Shoretel is Mac. I mean, if you need to deploy like 50 phones with a mix of DID's & extension-only all of a sudden, you can easily do it in an afternoon. It's a cinch!

The core idea is IP phones, which can be hardware, software, or a mix of both. So you can have a desk phone. Or a software phone with a Bluetooth headset from your computer. Or an app on your smartphone. Or you can load the software on your computer and have it dial your desktop. Or forward to your 3G cell phone. Or use an iPhone or iPad on a desk phone dock. Basically just have access everywhere, in whatever way you want it. You can have a Wifi phone, or a DECT phone, or even an analog phone if the environment calls for something cheap & easily replaceable.

A lot of the functionality obviously overlaps Cisco & other PBX vendors, I just happen to like how easy it is to implement & maintain. The server software controls administration & voicemail storage, then you just drop a voice switch in for every X number of phones. Super easy to VPN phones into a HQ site from branch sites. They have IM software. You can plug it into stuff like Salesforce. All kinds of stuff. Basically, imagine if Skype made a PBX...the core IP communication kind of goes everywhere & spreads into smartphones, computers, and physical phones, rather than just an "IP phone + Server" plus some additional functionality. I still like Cisco for reliability, but other vendors like Shoretel have brought some serious game!

It's interesting how competitors are creeping up on the big names & how they're getting consolidated. Dell has had some interesting collaborations with Aruba, which offers some pretty nice wireless systems (toast, anyone?). Extreme Networks acquired Enterasys, which makes pretty awesome networking gear. Logitech acquired Lifesize, which makes a pretty killer HD video conferencing system. Dell has actually been on fire lately...Sonicwall, Wyse, etc. I think they'll be a major player in coming years in all aspects of corporate IT. Anyway, enough about all that. There's some neat stuff out there

 

[Spineshank]

Similar to a Cisco system, but a lot easier to implement. That's a big key - you don't have to have a Cisco guy to maintain the system. A lot of it's the same functionality-wise, just easier access for everyday usage & management. If Cisco is Linux, then Shoretel is Mac. I mean, if you need to deploy like 50 phones with a mix of DID's & extension-only all of a sudden, you can easily do it in an afternoon. It's a cinch!

The core idea is IP phones, which can be hardware, software, or a mix of both. So you can have a desk phone. Or a software phone with a Bluetooth headset from your computer. Or an app on your smartphone. Or you can load the software on your computer and have it dial your desktop. Or forward to your 3G cell phone. Or use an iPhone or iPad on a desk phone dock. Basically just have access everywhere, in whatever way you want it. You can have a Wifi phone, or a DECT phone, or even an analog phone if the environment calls for something cheap & easily replaceable.

A lot of the functionality obviously overlaps Cisco & other PBX vendors, I just happen to like how easy it is to implement & maintain. The server software controls administration & voicemail storage, then you just drop a voice switch in for every X number of phones. Super easy to VPN phones into a HQ site from branch sites. They have IM software. You can plug it into stuff like Salesforce. All kinds of stuff. Basically, imagine if Skype made a PBX...the core IP communication kind of goes everywhere & spreads into smartphones, computers, and physical phones, rather than just an "IP phone + Server" plus some additional functionality. I still like Cisco for reliability, but other vendors like Shoretel have brought some serious game!

It's interesting how competitors are creeping up on the big names & how they're getting consolidated. Dell has had some interesting collaborations with Aruba, which offers some pretty nice wireless systems (toast, anyone?). Extreme Networks acquired Enterasys, which makes pretty awesome networking gear. Logitech acquired Lifesize, which makes a pretty killer HD video conferencing system. Dell has actually been on fire lately...Sonicwall, Wyse, etc. I think they'll be a major player in coming years in all aspects of corporate IT. Anyway, enough about all that. There's some neat stuff out there

Functionality wise, everything you listed Cisco can obviously do. Minus the dock for the iPhones. But what i am curious about is you said "voice switches". So they run over their own special switches and not the data switches?

 

[kranky]

Well, they disconnected my headset and put in the new IP phone. And they let two of the headset cords fall down behind the desk where it's going to be a PITA to get them out.

Guess that was a message not to have non-"IT approved" equipment attached to the phone.

Now, how do I convince the boss to let me buy a new compatible wireless headset, when I already have a wired one on the PC that works with the new phone? I can't stand being on hour-long conference calls while being glued to the chair the whole time.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Well, they disconnected my headset and put in the new IP phone. And they let two of the headset cords fall down behind the desk where it's going to be a PITA to get them out.

Guess that was a message not to have non-"IT approved" equipment attached to the phone.

Now, how do I convince the boss to let me buy a new compatible wireless headset, when I already have a wired one on the PC that works with the new phone? I can't stand being on hour-long conference calls while being glued to the chair the whole time.

Maybe tell your boss "I can't stand being on hour-long conference calls while being glued to the chair the whole time"?

 

[kranky]

Maybe tell your boss "I can't stand being on hour-long conference calls while being glued to the chair the whole time"?

Bold approach, but I don't think it will work, given that my boss and his boss are content to do it for hours at a time. It's going to sound a little whiney.

 

[rudeguy]

Bold approach, but I don't think it will work, given that my boss and his boss are content to do it for hours at a time. It's going to sound a little whiney.

because it is?

Dial in from your cell, that's all I do. Hook up my bluetooth, mute the call, and wander around aimlessly while people bitch and babble.

 

[OutHouse]

Shoretel ftw. Brilliant system. Cisco work pays well, but given my choice at new sites, I'd do Shoretel. So many nice features: PC integration, iOS docking, mobile apps, super easy management, etc.

Yup, shoretel is geat.

 

[CZroe]

Our new Cisco IP phones were installed two weeks ago and areHORRIBLE compared to the old ones. On top of that, many are vulnerable to Heartbleed. Thanks, Cisco!

 

[Kaido]

Functionality wise, everything you listed Cisco can obviously do. Minus the dock for the iPhones. But what i am curious about is you said "voice switches". So they run over their own special switches and not the data switches?

Sure, they all mostly overlap in features these days. So Shoretel works in a tiered setup:

1. Director software
2. Voice switches
3. IP phones

You throw the Director software on a server (or get it hosted) - it handles voicemail storage & management (deploying phones & whatnot). Think of the voice switches as phone routers for a set number of phones, not like an Ethernet router - it can handle a certain number of phones (ex. 90-series voice switch = 90 phones) & handles local voicemail storage. So if you need more phones, just toss in another voice switch. Voila, done. This was always how I wanted Asterisk to work, but apparently it takes a commercial company to make that ease-of-functionality happen, hehe.

Then you can start getting crazy with it. If you have systems linked by VPN, MPLS, etc. you can have a single Director for everything, which really isn't a big deal if the system hiccups since it's mostly just for administration & extended voicemail storage. Individual phones can bounce back to a host, so if you have a remote site or a home user or whatever, there are ways of doing that. They have good software that integrates with Office & whatnot. Apps, phone docks, the usual gamut of goodies.

It's not that it's much different from other phone systems, it's just that I don't need a PhD in Cisco PBX gear to properly setup a new phone. Plus the system is laid out in an extremely smart way. So if you have linked sites, for example, you can do failover with voice switches & have them route out across the network in the event of an equipment failure. It's a pretty nice, decentralized setup. Super easy. So it's simple to admin for & has a lot of great features. Plus you can run it to analog phones, DECT phones, Wifi phones, smartphone apps, etc. To me, it's the ideal PBX.

 

[Kaido]

Our new Cisco IP phones were installed two weeks ago and areHORRIBLE compared to the old ones. On top of that, many are vulnerable to Heartbleed. Thanks, Cisco!

Yeah, this stuff has been sucking up my weekends lately. iirc they were even telling people not to use the Cisco VPN software

 

[Kaido]

Now, how do I convince the boss to let me buy a new compatible wireless headset, when I already have a wired one on the PC that works with the new phone? I can't stand being on hour-long conference calls while being glued to the chair the whole time.

A lot of stuff I just end up buying myself. And a lot of people at my various workplaces have ended up doing the same - memory foam seat cushions for crappy office chairs, phone headsets, etc. It's a hassle when you get kickback for wanting stuff that will making working better, but if you can get past that & spend a few bucks on yourself, your work life will be better. You're stuck there for 8 hours a day, so might as well make it better however you can!

On the flip side, I've seen some people really dig their heels in & decide that if the company wasn't going to buy them what they wanted, they weren't going to purchase it themselves, and have to live with stupid, solvable hassles all day long. Enough to drive you bonkers :biggrin:

 

[Red Squirrel]

Could be worse, you should see what lead them to need to do that upgrade!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rawFV6V0vqw

:biggrin:

 

[CZroe]

Yeah, this stuff has been sucking up my weekends lately. iirc they were even telling people not to use the Cisco VPN software

Most of my issues are basic usability problems, like being unable to dial without it missing keypresses or detecting others twice even with slow, firm, presses. To add insult to injury, I also can't cancel and dial again without waiting for it to time out or deliberately dialing a number I know is wrong just so I can hang up!

I can no longer call an extention and let it ring to attract someone because it forwards me to the receptionist even though I am not an outside call. I can no longer leave a number dialed and have it call as soon as I open the line (it times out after several seconds). If I accidentally add an extra digit it will not even try (00 should still reach 0, 99111 should still reach 911 with 9 for outside line, 50015001 should still reach 5001).

Twice now in two days I have been connected to a completely incorrect phone than the one I dialed (numbers aren't even close). Certain phones in the building are mixed up so I accidentally pranked one of our employees when I kept trying to call the phone he was closest to (I could see him on camera). Speaking of that incident, twice I was connected to the receptionist (0) when I was calling an extention that doesn't even have a 0 in it, which delayed me figuring out what was happenning and prolonged the accidental "pranking."

Another previously working extension does nothing when I call it (doesn't ring).

My phone no longer allows me to switch freely between lines. I have a hold button (pause symbol) but nothing seems to switch.

The display shows the name only with no way to tell what extension is calling. Departments on completely different floors have the same name so why doesn't it show the extension like my old phone?!

Yesterday I realized that I couldn't make or receive calls for the first hour of the shift until I rebooted my phone by unplugging the ethernet cable (power over ethernet) and plugging it back in. I never had to reboot my old, more advanced, PBX phone. The bigger problem turned out to be that it knocks all my other equipment offline because they pass through it in order to avoid making additional cable drops all over the facility (supposedly an "advantage").

If they can't even get a functional numeric keypad then they shouldn't be making phones. I am in a control center position where I have to dial near constantly and quickly while multi-tasking with radios and other communications while coordinating with what I see and operate on cameras (similar to a dispatch person) yet I spend 20 times longer calling the police and other emergency contacts than I had to with my old phone. Everything I do has been throttled by this piece of junk phone. Despite it being the second fanciest phone in the building (reception has a fancier one with a full color screen for some reason), it's almost useless. My old phone was a lot fancier but it's the little things that mattered most (plastic keys, for example).

Oh, and I can't be reached without going through the receptionist anymore. Grrr...

I had plenty of gripes about my old phone and the system supporting it but this thing is so much worse that it has convinced me to never, ever, use Cisco for any damned thing.

 

[OCGuy]

They are going to look for deleted pictures of your wife naked.

 

[sdifox]

geniuses at the place I am at now upgraded the 100mbit switch to gigabit poe. Then buy Cisco phones that only does 100mbit, effectively downgrading all the computers (plugged into phone) back to 100mbits...sob