Phones 101
We’ve graded the most popular Voice over IP phones on the market. We’ve done extensive research to grade the quality and functionality of these phones across all VoIP platforms so that you can better choose the right VoIP phone for your needs.
• Polycom Soundpoint 550
• Linksys SPA 942
• Linksys SPA 525G (Wifi)
• Linksys WIP310 Wireless-G IP Phone
• Aastra 480i CT
• Grandstream GXP 2020
• Snom 300
• Snom 820
• Snom M3
Overall VoIP School Grade: A
• Cost Range: $215-$280
• Benefits: A
The Polycom Soundpoint 550 is a higher end voice over IP phone that is great for a high volume user. The phone features High Definition Voice Technology, making calls clearer than ever.
• Provisioning Time: B-
The Soundpoint 550 takes a number of minutes to boot up and provision itself for use. This can be a problem if you have a weak internet connection or if you frequently experience outages, in that it will take a little while before the phones are ready to use once the problem has been rectified.
• Ease of Use: A-
This phone is slightly more complicated to use than say a Linksys 941, but the 550 has a higher level of functionality. For instance the user can easily access call lists and directories by having to press a minimal amount of buttons. By no means is the phone too difficult for anyone to use, it just takes a few minutes for the user to get acquainted with and configure the phone exactly how they want it to be.
• Extra Features: A+
This phone has all of the features that you would expect a great IP phone to have, such features like an integrated Ethernet switch, programmable speed dial, a backlit LCD display, and power over Ethernet (PoE). By having a PoE phone you completely eliminate the need for an electrical socket to run the phone, a plus if you are in a tight office. Unique to the Soundpoint 550 is the HD Voice Technology that it employs. The HD technology is based on the concept that the higher bandwidth connection used by the 550 more than doubles call quality. However, there is a catch. For the HD voice technology to be fully employed the phone on the other end must be able to communicate at that same bandwidth, which my not be the case all of the time. But don’t let this turn you off to the phone, the sound quality on the 550 is still vastly superior to that of many other IP phones.
• Value: A
The 550 is not the cheapest phone on the market but the price is fair for the high quality associated with the phone. Especially with the HD technology, the Soundpoint 550 is a great phone for high volume users who demand high quality on their calls.
Linksys SPA 942
Overall VoIP School Grade: B+
• Cost Range: $110-$160
• Benefits: B+
The Linksys SPA 942 is a high quality phone for everyday users; it is extremely user friendly and is one of the most affordable IP phones on the market.
• Provisioning Time: A
The 942 takes only seconds to boot up, so if there is a power outage or the need to troubleshoot a problem, time is not wasted on account of the phone. Another nice feature of Linksys phones with regard to provisioning is their ease of portability; you can move the phone from location to location without having to worry about reconfiguration issues. Some other brands of IP phones take a number of minutes to reboot and are not as easily portable, giving Linksys phones a competitive edge.
• Ease of Use: A
While this phone does not have all of the bells and whistles that some of the more expensive phones have, it is simple to use, reliable, and a functional business phone. It is ready to go out of the box; the phone should not prove to be a challenge to any user.
• Extra Features: B
The 942 has a full duplex speakerphone as well as a headset connection for those who need to use the phone hands-free. It has the other basic functions like programmable speed dial and an integrated Ethernet switch, used to maintain your internet connection at all times. As well, the 942 is fully SIP compatible and interoperable with Asterix and other products.
• Value: A-
The Linksys SPA 942 is one of the best options for those who need basic functionality from their IP phone. It is one of the cheapest phones on the market yet is also one of the easiest to use and most reliable. This phone is great for the end-users who may not be too savvy on IP phone technology. Prices vary depending on where you purchase the phone from and if you are not familiar with VoIP phones then the price range may seem exorbitant for a telephone, however, the 942 is one of the most affordable options amongst all of the VoIP phones.
Linksys SPA 525G
• Overall VoIP School Grade: A
• Cost Range: $310 - $450
• Benefits: B-
The Linksys SPA 525G is a phone based on the model of the Linksys SPA-900 series with added wireless features. The phone is also Bluetooth ready for those who have a use for the feature. The only major drawback that the VoIP School team encountered with the phone was the level of call quality when the phone was connected to the internet wirelessly.
• Provisioning Time: A
The SPA 525G provisions just like every other Linksys phone, taking only a few seconds. As well, the phone can be moved from location to location and will still provision itself faster than most other IP telephones.
• Ease of Use: B
When we took the phone out of the box and set it up we had some initial problems getting all of the settings right and configured with our wireless router. Setting the phone up that way proved to be the only real obstacle. The phone can also be plugged directly into the Ethernet; making the provisioning process much easier. And of course after setting the phone up, it proved to be like all Linksys phones, very user friendly.
• Extra Features: A
The SPA 525G has a number of additional features that most IP telephones do not. Here is a list of the major features that the 525G boasts:
o Five-line IP phone supporting up to two SPA932 attendant consoles
o Connectivity with Power over Ethernet, 802.11g wireless client, and Bluetooth connectivity
o His-resolution 3.2 inch QVGA 320 x 240 color display
o Secure wireless setup
o Multimedia support for MP3’s, digital photos, and RSS feeds
o Multi-feature support, caller ID, call forwarding, call transfer, 3-way conferencing, call history, phonebook, MP3 ring tones, and speakerphone
o Support both SIP of SPCP Protocols with Cisco Unified Communication 500 Series for Small Business
• Value: B+
This wireless desk phone is a great step in the direction of creating a totally wireless unit that can handle calls without sacrificing any call quality. However, the phone is not quite perfect. When taking calls over the wireless connection the call quality can be compromised at times, therefore we recommend plugging the phone directly into the Ethernet. Despite this one pitfall the phone does everything else that it promises and is a reliable phone for business purposes.
Linksys WIP310 Wireless-G IP Phone
Overall VoIP School Grade: B+
• Cost Range: $195 - $240
• Benefits: B
The WIP310 is a wireless IP phone that supports the most up-to-date VoIP protocols that will allow you to make calls from anywhere within range of your wireless router. The phone works wonderfully if kept close to the router; quality starts to diminish as the signal weakens with distance.
• Provisioning Time: A
WIP310 takes only seconds to boot up and to connect to a wireless network within range; you will need to know the router configurations. As with any Linksys phone the phone will quickly re-provision itself if moved from one location to another.
• Ease of Use: B+
The WIP310 is just as easy to use as any traditional or IP telephone. It incorporates your standard set of features that you would expect from any phone allowing you to use the phone right away; no instruction necessary.
• Extra Features: B-
The features that are available on the WIP include: a backlit keypad, a full-color, high resolution display, full text messaging capabilities and visual voicemail display. These feature are nice but since the phone is not as fully equipped as some of its desk-bound brothers. This is to be expected though; the ideal use for this phone should be for mobility in a small office, not for handling larger loads of calls.
• Value: B+
The value inherent in this phone is considerable. The WIP310 gives you the ability to make quality calls within range of your wireless router. However, if you extend out of range the call will be lost, so this phone is not ideal for handling calls that are of significant importance. The phone can also be purchased at a relatively wide range of prices, by all means find a reliable source to buy from but do not over pay for the phone.
Aastra 480i CT
Overall VoIP School Grade: C-
• Cost Range: $250-$325
• Benefits: C-
The Aastra 480i is one of the more reasonably priced cordless IP phone options on the market. Despite some good deals available, the phone is given a VoIP School Benefit grade of C- because of the low quality cordless handset. The sound quality both inbound and outbound is questionable at best. And to use the phone strictly as a desk phone would not make any sense due to its high price point. There are better cordless options out there.
• Provisioning Time: B-
Aastra phones take some time to provision but they are relatively consistent across the board. The 480i took around seven minutes on average to boot up after being plugged in, this is not great nor is it terrible.
• Ease of Use: D
The phone is pretty easy to use but the second you engage the cordless handset and begin to move away from the base unit, it becomes clear that the signal is not strong enough to support calls. In many cases cordless phones are used in very large warehouse type settings which require a long range from the cordless unit. The 480i did not perform like someone on a warehouse floor would need it to; one would constantly need to return to the desk unit to make and receive calls, rendering the cordless option useless.
• Extra Features: C
The phone does have the features that most would expect to see on an IP phone. It has four line appearances, an integrated Ethernet switch, programmable speed dial and power over Ethernet. While it does have the attractive cordless option, we feel that it is not worth mentioning due to its poor functionality.
• Value: D
You do not get what you pay for with the Aastra 480i. The phone boasts its cordless option but the sound quality is so poor that the cordless option is mostly useless. Now consider the price paid for the unit and the fact that the phones most attractive feature does not work, and you end up with a low-value phone. We at VoIP School feel like there are some better options out there if you need to go cordless.
Grandstream GXP 2020
Overall VoIP School Grade: F
• Cost Range: $135-$170
• Benefits: F
The Grandstream GXP 2020 is a 6 line executive level IP telephone. While the phone may appear to be fit for your small business executive, it is not. The phone looks far improved from what Grandstream has historically produced; cheap phones. Unfortunately the GXP 2020 has turned out to be a failure in Grandstreams attempt to create a higher quality phone. Calls are lost far too often to call the phone reliable and when you can hold a call; there is a good chance that it will be riddled with static. There aren’t many benefits to the GXP 2020; our opinion is to stay away!
• Provisioning Time: F
This phone is nothing to get excited about, especially when it comes to setting it up. The VoIP School testers could not determine an average provisioning time across our group of tests. This was due to an extremely wide range of provisioning times. More often than not the phones would freeze and the testers would have to unplug the phones and start over. After a number of tries a few began to have some success but not nearly enough to warrant a grade above failing.
• Ease of Use: D-
The phone is easy in its design and no one would experience any problems using it if the phone was set up and working beforehand. However setting up the phone is a total nightmare. Our testers experienced frequent loss of connection as well as frequent freezes during provisioning. The phone would not be an easy one to set up for someone unfamiliar with the phone.
• Extra Features: C-
No, there are no extra features on the GXP 2020. Yes it has a few programmable keys and an Ethernet switch but so does every other executive level phone on the market. It also has a few other basic features like call waiting, hold, mute, and can multi-party conference with up to 4 others parties. However, the problem with this phone is that it just does not perform, period. Everyone can agree that a non-performing phone should not be used by an executive; so again, we do not recommend it for your small business.
• Value: F
The money spent on this phone could easily be spent elsewhere to get a much better phone. There are phones listed and reviewed here at VoIP School that are much higher quality and listed for sale at comparable prices. At least do some shopping before you decide to go with the GXP 2020.
Snom 300
Overall VoIP School Grade: B-
• Cost Range: $100
• Benefits: B
The Snom 300 is the most basic model in the Snom telephone family. The 300 offers all relevant office functions such as choice of trunk line, status display and so on. The phone also has six programmable function keys that can be easily allocated to security-related menu functions, or assigned to multiple lines.
• Provisioning Time: B
The 300 took only a minute or so to boot up, making it one of the quicker provisioning phones on the market. Despite the relatively fast provisioning time it did take a number of attempts at provisioning before the process actually initiated itself. Once the process starts however, the time it takes to provision is not long at all.
• Ease of Use: A
The Snom 300 is a user friendly telephone that does not require any instruction in order to use. The phone is versatile enough to fulfill basic office functions but it can also serve as an effective home phone. Once the phone is set up and configured you can expect it to work like a charm.
• Extra Features: B-
The 300 boasts a two-line graphical LCD display that enables the display of call information, and the menu-driven user interface provides the simplest of feature management. The 300 does not have much more aside from the standard feature set that one would expect from a business-class IP telephone; below are a few of the primary features:
o 2-line display
o 2 Ethernet ports
o 6 programmable function keys
o 27 keys and 7 LEDs
o Headset connection
o Full-duplex speakerphone
o SIP compatible
o Security: SIPS/SRTP, TLS
o Codecs used: G.711, G.729A, G.723.1, G.722, G.726, GSM
• Value: C+
The 300 is an average IP telephone that comes at a competitive price for a base model phone. Since the functionality of the 300 is relatively limited and due to its older design, we feel that there are higher quality phones available for similar prices. Along with improved quality we also feel that there are some additional functions that you can get with other phones at a comparable price. Do a bit more shopping before deciding to go with the Snom 300, but if you are looking for a cheap phone that is reliable; this is a good bet.
Snom 820
Overall VoIP School Grade: A
• Cost Range: $340
• Benefits: A
The Snom 820 is a fully functional IP Business phone that redefines the image of the stereotypical office desk phone. Like the Linksys 525G, the Snom 820 can connect to the internet via WIFI or directly to the Ethernet, allowing users to utilize the phone in area where Ethernet connections are not available. The 820 is a reliable, high-end IP phone with a sleek design; great for executives.
• Provisioning Time: B
The 820 takes a couple of minutes to provision itself. It did not set a record by any means but there are plenty of phones on the market that take longer to provision than this one did.
• Ease of Use: A
This phone is as easy to use as any other IP phone available. The 820 configures itself and takes the user through a set-up process that is easy to follow and configure. Once set up the phone is just as easy to use as a traditional phone yet it has capabilities that put traditional phones to shame.
• Extra Features: A
The 820 offers a wide range of features that provides its users with an easy to operate and highly effective phone. Features include:
o High-resolution TFT color display
o Comfortable and intuitive menu structure
o Caller identification on display
o Directory (250 entries)
o Import/export of directory/phonebook
o Speed dial
o Local dial plan
o Lists of missed, received, and dialed calls (100 entries each)
o Indication of calls on hold
o Clock with automatic daylight-saving time, call timer
o Call blocking (deny list)
o Handling of up to 12 calls simultaneously
o Auto answer mode
o Ringtone selection, VIP ringtones, import of individual ringtones
o URL dialing support
o Multilingualism
o DND mode (do not disturb)
o Speakerphone (full duplex)
o Keyboard lock
o Extremely easy WiFi connection via USB 1.1
o Hold
o Unattended and attended transfer
o Hold music (if supported by PBX)
o Call forwarding
o 3-way conferencing (bridge on phone)
o Call park, call pickup (if supported by PBX)
o Call completion on busy/not available
o Client Matter Code (CMC)
o Call waiting/switching between calls
o Redialing
o RTP multicast paging
o Multiple audio device support
• Value: A
The Snom 820 is by no means a cheap phone. This phone offers some of the latest technologies in IP phone technology while simultaneously breaking the mold of IP telephone design. We recommend the 820 for upper level users since it is so costly, but we imagine that anyone would enjoy using this phone everyday at work.
Snom M3
Overall VoIP School Grade: B
• Cost Range: $120 (handset only) $190 (handset w/base station)
• Benefits: B+
The Snom M3 is a high quality fully mobile business phone. Each M3 handset does not connect directly to an Ethernet connection; instead each phone communicates with a base station that then routes calls over the internet. Each base station can connect with up to 8 handsets and vice versa; making the effective range of the phones far greater than if they were to only connect to one router. Each handset has an indoor range of 50m from a given base station.
• Provisioning Time: B-
The M3 takes slightly longer to provision when compared to other wireless IP phones, such as the Linksys WIP310. This is due to the fact that the phones have to be configured to connect with a base station before they can be provisioned. But once connected to the base station provisioning is pretty quick.
• Ease of Use: A-
The Snom M3 is a very user friendly phone that allows its users to move around the office without having to worry about compromised call quality. This is due to Snom’s proprietary DECT technology that ensures quality call transmission from the base station to the handset.
• Extra Features: B-
Since the M3 is a handset; its full range of features is limited. The phone offers all of the basic features like call holding, call forwarding, caller ID and so forth. The problem with the M3 is that there is no way to tell which extension an inbound call is trying to reach; calls ring on all of the phones that the base station is connected to, requiring those users to know ahead of time who the caller is trying to reach. Once this problem gets worked out the phone will be infinitely more effective.
• Value: B-
Because of the problem mentioned above this phone looses a great deal of its potential value but aside from that one problem, the M3 is one of the best mobile IP phones available. The M3 is a high quality and reliable option and it has a great deal to offer any office that requires mobility for its employees.
fbnewman | 
November 17, 2008 5:09 pm
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