Really simple VoIP setup

K.C. Leblanc

K.C. Leblanc

K.C. Leblanc

Soldato
Joined
13 Sep 2003
Posts
8,518
Location
Glocestershire
I need a couple of super cheap VoIP phones that can be easily setup to call each other over a LAN, ideally without any other kit or subscriptions.

They also need to have flashers so they can ring silently. Suggestions please.
 
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Steveocee said:
Will need so pbx to talk to. The phones themselves are “just” subscriber devices.
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So I'd need something like FreePBX. I'm guessing for just two phone it would run on a potato.

I'm seeing loads of really cheap phone on ebay, mostly yealink and Avaya, I'm guessing these would all be fine?

The use case is for a small theatre/music venue, I want to have a phone backstage and another in the lighting box. Mostly just so we can coordinate the start of shows.
 
This is best suited to 2 way radio tbh. VOIP phones would do the job but it'll be a fair few watches through Crosstalk youtube videos to get freepbx working right.
 
GaryTheSnail said:
Walkie Talkies? :p

If people can't press a button to operate a set of these sack them. Seriously.
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Not practical, in some situations they're actually our customers. Sacking customers isn't a good idea, no matter how tempting.

I was under the impression most SIP phones could directly dial with an IP address. I was hoping someone who'd working with them could suggest a nice robust model where I could save the ip of the other phone into an easily accessible memory.
 
K.C. Leblanc said:
Not practical, in some situations they're actually our customers. Sacking customers isn't a good idea, no matter how tempting.

I was under the impression most SIP phones could directly dial with an IP address. I was hoping someone who'd working with them could suggest a nice robust model where I could save the ip of the other phone into an easily accessible memory.
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How about a suggested intercom then? that's like walkie talkies. You never said they were customers! :D

If you go down the voip route you need a server. It's possible yes as internal numbers but it won't be cheap even if you try to do it on your own.
 
You could make what you're suggesting work and get it done relatively cheaply with an RPi, or something already in situ, for PBX and cheap VOIP handsets (Linksys, aka Cisco, can be picked up for £10/15 off eBay). Bar the hassle of setting it up, the big issue would be making it reliable, especially if you have customers using it - nothing says professional when you have gear failing.

But as others mentioned, and from experience doing similar years ago albeit live sound and broadcasting, you would use an intercom setup from the likes of Canford, ClearCom etc (loads of others) or if doing it cheap, walkies and headsets.

If you have a spare board/mixer then you can bodge something with mics and monitors/headsets.
 
K.C. Leblanc said:
Not practical, in some situations they're actually our customers. Sacking customers isn't a good idea, no matter how tempting.

I was under the impression most SIP phones could directly dial with an IP address. I was hoping someone who'd working with them could suggest a nice robust model where I could save the ip of the other phone into an easily accessible memory.
Click to expand...

Realise this thread is a few months old but what you’re suggesting here is possible and a PBX is unnecessary unless you want external reachability as well
 
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