Provisioning Your First Desk Phone
What auto-provisioning is
Modern desk phones (Yealink, Grandstream, Cisco SPA, Polycom) can be configured automatically over the internet. You enter the phone's MAC address into the dashboard, plug the phone into a network, and it downloads its configuration on its own.
No more typing SIP server URLs and passwords into a phone's tiny LCD screen.
What you need
- A supported desk phone — most Yealink T4x/T5x, Grandstream GXP/GRP series, Cisco SPA series, Polycom VVX series
- The phone's MAC address — printed on a sticker on the back, or found in the phone's network settings menu
- The extension you want to assign to the phone (already created — see chapter 4)
Adding the phone to the dashboard
Top nav → Phones (or Provisioning → Phones, depending on your menu layout). Click Add Phone.
Form fields:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| MAC Address | The 12-character ID from the phone's sticker. Format like 0c:38:3e:12:34:56 or 0C383E123456 — the dashboard accepts both. |
| Phone Model | Pick from the dropdown |
| Extension | Which extension this phone will register as. Pick from your existing extensions. |
| Timezone | Defaults to your tenant's timezone. Override if the phone is in a different physical location. |
| Display Name | Optional. Helpful when you have multiple phones. |
| Button Layout | Optional. Use a saved button layout (covered later). |
Click Save.
Plugging in the phone
- Connect the phone to power (if not powered over Ethernet/PoE)
- Connect the phone to your office network with an Ethernet cable
- Wait
The phone will:
- Get an IP address from your network's DHCP
- Look up its provisioning server (set automatically to our platform)
- Download its config (your extension's SIP credentials, button layout, etc.)
- Reboot once
- Register
Total time: 2-5 minutes.
Verifying registration
In the dashboard, the phone's status flips from "Pending" to "Registered" once it shows up. The Extensions list also shows the extension as online.
Pick up the phone. Dial *43 (echo test). You should hear your own voice played back. If you do, audio is working in both directions.
What if it doesn't register?
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Phone shows "No Service" or "Network Unreachable" | Not getting DHCP | Verify Ethernet cable, try a different switch port |
| Phone shows "Provisioning..." for more than 5 minutes | Can't reach provisioning server | Check firewall — outbound HTTPS to the provisioning URL must be allowed |
| Phone registers, but calls fail with "Unauthorized" | SIP credentials mismatch | Reboot the phone (it may have cached old config); verify the MAC address in the dashboard matches the actual phone |
| Phone registers, but you hear yourself echo | Network problem (high latency/jitter) | Try a wired connection if on Wi-Fi; consider QoS on your router |
| One-way audio (you hear them, they don't hear you, or vice versa) | NAT / firewall issue | Make sure your firewall isn't blocking outbound RTP on UDP ports 10000-20000 |
For NAT/firewall issues, see Troubleshooting in the appendix or contact your service provider.
Configuring buttons
Most phones have programmable buttons — for speed dial, BLF (busy lamp field), feature codes, etc. The platform offers Button Layouts that you can apply to phones.
For a single phone, edit the phone, scroll to the buttons section, configure each button:
- BLF — show whether another extension is busy/idle/ringing
- Speed Dial — one-touch dial of an internal extension or external number
- Feature Code — one-touch dial of a star code
- Park — park the current call on a parking lot slot
Save. The phone re-downloads its config automatically.
For multiple phones with the same button layout (e.g., a department where everyone has the same buttons), create a Button Layout in Provisioning → Button Layouts, then assign that layout to multiple phones at once.
Expansion modules
Some phones support expansion modules (sidecars with extra buttons). Add the module in the phone's settings, configure its buttons (or assign an Expansion Module Layout).
Useful for receptionists who need to monitor 30+ extensions at a glance.
Rebooting a phone remotely
In the Phones list, click Reboot on a phone's row. The phone restarts and re-downloads its config within a minute. Useful when:
- You changed a setting and want it to take effect immediately
- The phone seems stuck (registered but not actually reachable)
Reassigning a phone to a different extension
Edit the phone, change the Extension dropdown, save. Reboot the phone. Now the phone rings for the new extension.
This is useful when an employee leaves — instead of buying a new phone for their replacement, just reassign.
Releasing a phone
If a phone is no longer in use (employee gone, hardware failed), click Delete on its row. The MAC address is released and the platform forgets it. If you re-add the same MAC later, it'll re-provision normally.
What's next
You've got a working phone system. Calls come in, calls go out, callers route themselves, voicemails arrive in inboxes, desk phones ring.
The Quick Start is done. The rest of the manual is reference — turn to it when you need to add a feature, debug a problem, or train a new admin.