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The Siemens optiPoint 100 advance IP phone feels and acts similarly to
that of a regular executive phone in that its features include call waiting,
transfers, forwarding, speakerphone, and speed dials. However, it is more
than just an executive phone because of its ability to make calls via the
Internet or within a company�s intranet using Session Initiation Protocol
(SIP). This reduces long-distance and infrastructure costs and allows users
to administer and upgrade software on the IP phone from any computer on the
network.
INITIAL CONFIGURATION
As with most IP devices of this type, the first step of the
configuration is to set the IP address of the phone. This must be done from
the phone by entering a special password to get into the administrative
settings. From there, �Network� can be selected, and the IP address can
then be either dynamically or statically assigned. We decided to just turn
the DHCP setting on and let our DHCP server assign the IP address.
While this was all we were required to do from the phone, we also decided
to select �System� and enter the E164 address, change the SIP routing
from direct to server, and enter our SIP proxy server address. The E164
address acts as the IP phones phone number so that other end points can
reach it through that number instead of by the phone�s IP address. The
proxy server we used was Mediatrix�s IP Communication Server (this
software product is discussed more in the review of Mediatrix 1104, which is
also in this issue of Internet Telephony). After setting up another Siemens
IP phone in the same fashion and restarting both phones and the
communication server, we were able to call from either phone to the other
via the Mediatrix proxy software.
APPLICATION UPGRADE
Since we did not originally have the latest application release of the
IP phone�s software, we decided to download it into the phones using FTP.
This should have simply been done via the phone�s interface or even
remotely though the Web interface, but the process ended up to not be as
easy as originally thought. After the FTP failed, we thought that there
might have been a problem with the firmware (the latest version 2.7), so we
contacted a Siemens representative to attempt to figure out the problem.
We knew that these particular IP phones originally had the H.323 firmware
installed, which was then changed to the SIP firmware. After some
deliberation, we concluded that the problem lay in the fact that the
firmware prior to version 2.7 contained code that put some security
restrictions on upgrading between H.323 and SIP. This was supposed to be
removed for the version 2.7. However, it seems that the code was not checked
as thoroughly as desired. The Siemens representative was finally able to
help us debug the IP phones, but it was a little bit out of the ordinary.
Without success, we attempted to use TFTP to load a debug file initially
using a crossover cable. Then, we decided to try it using a hub, which is
what did the trick. Subsequently, we were able to debug the existing
firmware and application and load the new application on it.
While we had problems with this upgrade because of the change of H.323
and SIP firmware, we do like the fact that this change can be made on the
phone. This makes infrastructure upgrades less costly and easier to manage
since the phones do not need to be replaced no matter which protocol is
being used with new equipment. It would be even better if both protocols
were supported on one version of firmware, but at the moment, we think that
this is not really an option because space on the IP phone�s firmware chip
may only be able to handle one protocol.
INTERFACES
Both the telephone user interface (TUI) and the Web-based GUI were very
easy to navigate. In both cases, we did not even need the guidance of the
Quick Start Guide or lengthier administrative manual, although they are both
available and informative. The Web-based GUI (Figure 4) did not provide all
of the settings that the TUI did but satisfied the needs for most remote
administrators. Any changes saved in the Web-based GUI were automatically
updated on the IP phone or after the phone is restarted, which can be done
from the GUI.
There are only a few minor improvements we would suggest for the
Web-based GUI. First, when logging in, we noticed that we could not enter
the password and then press Enter. Instead, we had to click the Login
button. This is important only because many users are accustomed to pressing
the Enter key, and by doing this, the user is actually sent back to the
initial screen, thereby forcing a few extra clicks and keyboard strokes
before getting into the administration settings. Second, although the
product can be easily understood without help files, it would be nice to
include a link to them. Third, we would like to see the ability to add or
change the E164 address from the Web-based GUI, although the end-user must
be notified of this change.
INTEROPERABILITY
As mentioned previously, we were able to make calls through Mediatrix�s
IP Communication Server. We also set up a Mediatrix 1104 device (a 4 FXS IP
telephony adapter) to interoperate with Siemens� optiPoint 100 advance IP
phone. Simply put, when the Mediatrix equipment was set up correctly, it
immediately interoperated with the Siemens IP phone. While neither the IP
phone nor the 1104 device supported conferencing, we were able to make blind
transfer calls, use the call-waiting feature, and perform a third-party
consultation, which places the first caller on hold. Furthermore, the
quality of the calls was of very high quality. There was not much delay, and
we can hear each other as clear as a whistle, especially on the Siemens IP
phone�s end.
Most of the interoperability testing for the Siemens IP phone was done at
Internet Telephony Conference & EXPO in San Diego in October, where many
different companies� SIP equipment did indeed interoperate with the
optiPoint 100 advance IP phone.
CONCLUSION
The optiPoint 100 advance phone is arguably one of the best IP phones on
the market. It passed all of our tests and held its own in sound quality
against every other IP phone tested at Internet Telephony Conference &
EXPO. It is also flexible in terms of which VoIP protocol it can use, which
is especially useful in a lab setting. On top of that, configuring the phone
is easy and the features are admirable. We look forward to seeing more from
Siemens in this market in the near future.
[ Return
To The January 2002 Table Of Contents ]
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