Congratulations! You now have a VoIP phone on your desk. You have questions about it, and hopefully you will find the answers here.
Most common questions and their answers
Please refer to the VoIP FAQ page first for the answers to most of the general questions. That page is located at VoIP FAQ page
What does VoIP actually stand for?
VoiP, or VOIP, stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.
The previous phone system had a physical phone jack to attach to, which used a different type of wiring cable from what your computer uses to connect to our network and the Internet. Two ports with different functions, one for phones and the other for network/Internet connectivity.
VoIP uses our network to communicate. Each physical VoIP desktop phone has two Ethernet ports on it, one for the network connection in your office to connect to and the other provides a pass-through Ethernet connection for your computer. One Ethernet connection for your phone and computer to share, with no slow downs or problems doing so.
Why was my previous phone just replaced with another phone? I thought we were moving into a new area of technology, not replacing one for another.
While your older desk phone was replaced by a new desk phone, that is not all. You now have the flexibility of using the new desk phone, we in IT call a hard phone, just like you would the previous one before VoIP. The operation of it is the same in some functions, ie. taking and making calls; similar in other ways, ie. the voicemail system is very similar to the previous one; and different in other ways, ie. unlike the old phone system, any voicemails left can be converted to an audio file and emailed to your Shepherd account.
Must I permanently use the VoIP desktop phone you set up and left?
No, not permanently. You may use an application or program on your computer (called a soft phone), which we can assist you with installing. You can also download and install an app on your smartphone, which we can also assist you with. You have some flexibility for how and where you use this phone system.
We left the physical phone for everyone to use while learning about the WebEx / Cisco VoIP system. The heart of the system is WebEx, which is similar to Zoom, but has some other capabilities, such as being the center of the VoIP system we use. Setting up and learning about this new phone system is made easier by having the physical phone device there. If later on, after you get up to speed on the VoIP system, you decide you do not need a physical phone in your office and want the desk space back, just tell us and we will retrieve it. No problem.
How will I know if I have a voicemail?
On the top of your VoIP phone’s handset, there is a long, thin light. If it is glowing red, then you have at least one voicemail message waiting.
How do I log into the voicemail system the first time?
Pick up your phone’s handset and press the button on the phone which looks like a cassette tape or upside-down eye glasses. Once you press it, you will be asked to enter your PIN. The default PIN is the year Shepherd was founded, 1871. The system will audibly walk you through what you need to do, like the previous phone system’s voicemail did.
NOTE: Look at the next question about the rules for creating a new PIN.
Once I log into the VoIP voicemail system the first time, and enter the initial PIN, I am asked to change the PIN. What are the rules for selecting a new PIN?
While the initial PIN is four digits, the new PIN must adhere to the following rules as established by Cisco:
- Must be between 6 and 30 digits
- Cannot contain your VoIP phone number, your extension, nor either of them in reverse
- Cannot contain any of the last 10 voicemail PINs
- Cannot contain the reverse of your previous PIN
- Cannot contain a repeating pattern, such as 101010 or 103103
- Cannot contain four ascending or four descending digits, such as 2345 or 9876
- Cannot contain four digits in a row, such as 4444
I changed the PIN of my voicemail, but now I cannot get back in. How can I get the PIN changed?
Please send an email to itworkorder@shepherd.edu requesting to have your voicemail PIN reset. We will do so and contact you back when it has been reset to the default again. You may then change your PIN to what you want. NOTE: See PIN restrictions above.
I missed a call and I want to know who called me. How can I see my recent calls and return it?
There are two ways:
1. Lift up the handset and a list of your missed calls will show on the screen. There is a big silver colored button with a green ring around it with four points like the cardinal directions of a compass. To call them back, use the green colored ring and push on the bottom of it. This will move what number is highlighted. When the number you want to call back is highlighted, press the big silver button in the middle of the ring. The call will be placed.
2. With the handset on its cradle, press the setup button, which looks like a gear and is located beneath the voicemail button. A menu will appear on the phone’s display. Press the bottom of the green ring beneath the display to highlight 2 Recents, then the big silver button in the center of the ring to select Recents. Press the same silver button again to select All calls, or scroll down to 2 Missed calls and press the silver button. Scroll with the down button on the green ring until the correct missed call is highlighted, then lift your handset and the return call will be placed.
I had a headset I used with my previous phone. Will it work with the new VoIP phone?
In our experience, it will not. If you want to use a headset with this new phone, you will need to purchase a new headset and device to virtually lift the handset. Please contact the IT Service Desk and they can assist you with recommendations.
I want to use a soft phone instead of a physical phone. What do I need to make this work?
After your phone number is active on the VoIP system, you will need to install the appropriate application on your computer. You will also need to have either a speaker or speaker bar to hear the caller speaking, and a microphone so they may hear you; or a headset which is a combination of headphones and a microphone.
Updated on March 23, 2022