Set-Up of a Basic Grandstream Phone System

Grandstream Basic set-up

This is a full walk-through for a basic system.  It can be used as a starting point before adding the features of the more advanced systems.  This can verify functionality before more complicated features are activated

In this scenario: The system has two incoming lines, 4 extensions, and one voicemail box.  Calls coming into the system will ring all 4 phones 4 times, and then transfer to the voicemail of one designated extension.  The UCM is connected to the existing network via the “WAN” port.  There is a POE switch connected to the “LAN” port and the phones are connected to this switch.

When the system is connected to the main network, it will receive an IP address and display it on the LCD screen.  Enter this IP address to log onto the system for the first time.   User ID and Password are both “admin”.

If you made the network connections as described above, you are not required to make any network changes.  However, if you network topology doesn’t permit connecting the phones off the “LAN” port; you may need to make changes.

Go to “Settings” across the top and “Network Settings: Basic Settings” down the left side.

Based on consumer reaction, most users prefer a 3-digit extension.  This is simple to do in “PBX: Internal options: General”.  Simply remove the last digit from extensions for the first 7 entries.  The last three need to be filled in to avoid exceeding “700”.  Save and “Apply Changes” before moving on.

Now, you are ready to create your extensions.  Navigate to “PBX:Basic/Call Routes:Extensions”.  Choose “Batch Add SIP Extensions” To get the screen below.  This will allow you to create all extensions as a common template.  Later you will make changes on each extension.

If you are fine with the starting extension number, you can skip to “Create Number”.  This value should be the total number of extensions, including cordless and door phones.  “Permission” would be the level of calling the user would be permitted from this extension.  If most extensions are getting voicemail, check “Enable Voicemail”.  If only one, like this example, leave it unchecked. “SIP/IAX Password” is used by the phone to log onto the UCM.  Unless you have a high security concern, you should choose a common password for all.  In the case of the voicemail passcode, choose a common passcode, as all users should change it when they set up their voicemail anyway.  When done “Create Users” and “Apply Changes”

This is the time to name all the extensions.  Click on the “pencil” to edit.  Fill in the name of the extension.  It can be the location or person using it.  In our scenario, the Library is the room that will have the voicemail box.  Voicemail is enabled and the passcode set.  Then, save and “Apply Changes” before moving on.

Connect all the phones to the network and allow them to boot up.  It will be useful to have the last 4-5 digits of the MAC address on same model phones to tell them apart.  Navigate to “PBX: Zero Config: Zero Config”.  You should see a list all devices that the UCM found on the network.  If the phones are not visible right away, you can continue with system programming, but phones will not work until this section is completed. The Grandstream phones should be identified by model and MAC address.

Click on the “pencil” to edit.  Place a check by “Account “1 and use the drop-down to pick the preferred extension number.  There are advanced options and MPK buttons that can be set here, but for this scenario, we will not go into them.  When you save, they system will “Notify” the phone of its extension number, password, and name.

For models with MPK programmable buttons, you can pre-program those buttons here.

Next step is to assign a “Ring Group”.  When a call comes in, which phones do you wish to ring?  In this scenario, all will ring.  Go to “PBX: Call Features: Ring Groups” and create a Ring group.  Name the group and move all the phones from left to right into “Ring Group Members”.  Change the “Ring Strategy” to “Ring Simultaneously”, so all phones will ring at the same time.  Fifteen seconds will get about 4 rings.  Check “Enable Destination” and have the destination be the Voicemail box of the Library we set earlier.

To direct calls to this Ring Group, we need to set-up the incoming lines.  Go to “PBX: Basic Call/Routes: Analog Trunks”.  Create a New Analog Trunk.  In this scenario, we have two incoming lines with the same actions, so both will be in the trunk.  Name the trunk and go down to the “Detect button” to configure the lines.

The system comes with default settings for the DTMF tones used in the US.  However, your local system may be slightly different.  Using “Detect” will usually ensure proper operation.  Since our system has two lines, we can use “Auto Detect”.

If there was only one line on the system, “Semi-auto Detect” can be used.

Now that we have analog lines active, we want to be able to send calls to our ring group. This is done using “PBX: Basic/Call Routes: Inbound Routes” In our scenario, just choose the active trunk and choose the destination ring group.

Finally, we want to handle outgoing calls.  Since all extensions want to be able to call nationally, we need to provide patterns for local (7-digit), regional (10-digit) and National 11-digit.  Set the privilege to “National”.  And choose the trunks

 At this stage you have a functioning phone system.  You can make outgoing calls, receive incoming calls.  The customer must set-up the voicemail before he can receive voicemails.  Have them press *97 on the Library phone and follow the prompts to set-up the voice mail account.