Topic: SL2100 wireless options

[Yoda]

A customer has asked me about adding three wireless phones. I've done some wiring work over the years in this place, but the system was installed by others and is quite old and is not worth expanding, imho. The whole project is going to be based on replacing the system with an NEC SL2100. The customer is a nursing home with 15 phones and a 3 analog trunks.

- What kind of experience will we run into with the NEC IP Dect phones for the new wireless stations?
- Would three plain old home cordless phone on analog ports be simpler?
- Have you used the feed thru port on the IP phones to connect the user's computer? Is this more trouble waiting to happen (QoS, network finger pointing, moving the 2100 from the phone room to the IT room, etc.)?

Thanks for your input.
Jim

[Keighlar]

I haven't worked with the IP DECT yet - just digital, but I've heard that it can be an involved process.  Analog phones would definitely be simpler depending on their needs.  If they expect to use them for call control rather that just making and taking calls, it will be more difficult on the end user.

If you're talking about the desktop IP phones, then yes - I've implemented many installations that use the switch port on the phone.  Complexity will depend on VLANing, subnetting, and the caliber of the IT administrator.  If it's a flat network, it's super easy.  If voice is on it's own VLAN, the IT admin will have to create those routing rules.  I've had a very mixed bag of experiences.

I don't think any of that was much help.  I doubt I told you anything you don't already know.    I just didn't want to leave you hanging.   

[Yoda]

Thanks Stacy, I appreciate your comments. Nice to hear it from somebody else. I was leaning towards keeping it simple and just using some slt cordless devices (customer provided of course). But I didn't want to miss out on any cool features of something new. That being said, simple is better, for them and for me!

Thanks.
Jim

[MacGyver]

There was a day when you could grab some Uniden, digital 900 MHz phones, put them on a single line port, and customers loved you.  One could be sitting at the bar in the hotel across the street from the office (or so I understand), and sound like you were on the landline at the desk it was so clear.  Add to that you saved them a huge chunk of money.  That was back in the days when you engineered a tech solution and things actually worked.