Phone Features and Setup

Phone Features and Setup Overview

After you install Cisco Unified IP Phones in your network, configure their network settings, and add them to Cisco Unified Communications Manager, you must use the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration application to configure telephony features, optionally modify phone templates, set up services, and assign users.

This chapter provides an overview of these configuration and setup procedures. Cisco Unified Communications Manager documentation provides detailed instructions for these procedures.

To list supported features for all phones or for a particular phone model on your Cisco Unified Communications Manager, you can generate a Unified CM Phone Feature List report on Cisco Unified Reporting.

For suggestions about how to provide users with information about features, and what information to provide, see Cisco IP Phone User Support.

For information about setting up phones in non-English environments, see International User Support.

Cisco IP Phone User Support

If you are a system administrator, you are likely the primary source of information for Cisco IP Phone users in your network or company. It is important to provide current and thorough information to end users.

To successfully use some of the features on the Cisco IP Phone (including Services and voice message system options), users must receive information from you or from your network team or must be able to contact you for assistance. Make sure to provide users with the names of people to contact for assistance and with instructions for contacting those people.

We recommend that you create a web page on your internal support site that provides end users with important information about their Cisco IP Phones.

Consider including the following types of information on this site:

  • User guides for all Cisco IP Phone models that you support

  • Information on how to access the Cisco Unified Communications Self Care Portal

  • List of features supported

  • User guide or quick reference for your voicemail system

Telephony Features

CiscoUnified IP Phones provide traditional telephony functionality, such as call forwarding and transferring, redialing, conference calling, and voice messaging system access. CiscoUnified IP phones also provide a variety of other features.

As with other network devices, you must configure CiscoUnified IP Phones to prepare them to access CiscoUnifiedCommunications Manager and the rest of the IP network. By using DHCP, you have fewer settings to configure on a phone, but if your network requires it, you can manually configure an IP address, TFTP server, subnet information, and so on.

Finally, because the CiscoUnified IP Phone is a network device, you can obtain detailed status information from it directly. This information can assist you with troubleshooting any problems users might encounter when using their IP phones.

You can modify additional settings for the CiscoUnified IP Phone from Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration. Use Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration to set up phone registration criteria and calling search spaces, among other tasks. See the "Telephony Features" section in this document and the CiscoUnifiedCommunications Manager documentation for additional information.

For more information about CiscoUnified Communications Manager Administration, see the CiscoUnifiedCommunications Manager documentation, including Cisco UnifiedCommunications Manager Administration Guide. You can also use the context-sensitive help available within the application for guidance.

After you add CiscoUnified IP Phones to CiscoUnifiedCommunications Manager, you can add functionality to the phones. The following table includes a list of supported telephony features, many of which you can configure using CiscoUnifiedCommunications Manager Administration.

For information about using most of these features on the phone, see the Cisco Unified SIP Phone 3905 User Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager.


Note

CiscoUnified Communications Manager Administration also provides several service parameters that you can use to configure various telephony functions. For more information on accessing and configuring service parameters, refer to Cisco UnifiedCommunications Manager Administration Guide.

For more information on the functions of a service, select the name of the parameter or the question mark help button in the Service Parameter Configuration window.

Table 1. Telephony Features

Feature

Description

Audible Message Waiting Indicator (AMWI)

A stutter tone from the handset or speakerphone indicates that a user has one or more new voice messages on a line.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Cisco Unified IP Phone" chapter.

Auto Answer

Connects incoming calls automatically after a ring or two.

Auto Answer works with the speakerphone.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Directory Number Configuration" chapter.

Block External to External Transfer

Prevents users from transferring an external call to another external number.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Features and Services Guide, "External Call Transfer Restrictions" chapter.

Call Forward

Allows users to redirect incoming calls to another number. The Call Forward All option is supported. Users hear a stutter tone after going off-hook if the Call Forward All feature is configured on the phone.

See:

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Directory Number Configuration" chapter
  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Cisco Unified IP Phone" chapter
  • Customize the Self Care Portal Display

Call Forward All Loop Breakout

Detects and prevents Call Forward All loops. When a Call Forward All loop is detected, the Call Forward All configuration is ignored and the call rings through.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Cisco Unified IP Phone" chapter.

Call Forward All Loop Prevention

Prevents a user from configuring a Call Forward All destination directly on the phone that creates a Call Forward All loop or that creates a Call Forward All chain with more hops than the existing Forward Maximum Hop Count service parameter allows.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Cisco Unified IP Phone" chapter.

Call Forward Destination Override

Allows you to override Call Forward All (CFA) in cases where the CFA target places a call to the CFA initiator. This feature allows the CFA target to reach the CFA initiator for important calls. The override works whether the CFA target phone number is internal or external.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Understanding Directory Numbers" chapter.

Call Pickup

Allows users to answer a call that is ringing on a co-worker's phone by redirecting the call to their phone

You can configure an audio alert for the primary line on the phone. This alert notifies the users that a call is ringing in their pickup group.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Features and Services Guide, "Call Pickup" chapter.

Call Waiting

Indicates (and allows users to answer) an incoming call that rings while on another call.

The phone sounds the call waiting tone (single beep) and the phone screen displays the second incoming call.

See Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Understanding Directory Numbers" chapter.

cBarge

Allows a user to join a non-private call on a shared phone line. cBarge adds a user to a call and converts it into a conference, allowing the user and other parties to access conference features.

For more information, see the Cisco UnifiedCommunications Manager Features and Services Guide "Barge and Privacy" chapter.

Conference

  • Allows a user to talk simultaneously with multiple parties by calling each participant individually.
  • Allows a non-initiator in a standard (adhoc) conference to add participants; also allows any conference participant to join together two standard conferences on the same line.

The service parameter, Advance Adhoc Conference, (disabled by default in Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration) allows you to enable these features.

See:

  • CiscoUnified Communications Manager System Guide, "Conference Bridges" chapter.

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Cisco Unified IP Phone" chapter.

Note

 

Be sure to inform your users whether these features are activated.

Forced Authorization Codes (FAC)

Controls the types of calls that certain users can place.

For more information, see the Cisco UnifiedCommunications Manager Features and Services Guide, "Client Matter Codes" and "Forced Authorization Codes" chapters.

Group Call Pickup

Allows a user to answer a call that is ringing on a directory number in another group.

For more information, see the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Features and Services Guide, "Call Pickup" chapter.

Hold/Resume

Allows the user to move a connected call from an active state to a held state by using the Hold/Resume button. The user resumes a held call by pressing the Hold/Resume button, speaker button, or going off-hook.

No configuration required unless you want to use music on hold. See "Music-On-Hold" in this table for information.

Hookflash Timer

Controls the length of time before the hookflash indicates a timeout (or call disconnect).

See Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Cisco Unified IP Phone Configuration" chapter.

Line Text Label

Sets a text label for a phone line instead of the directory number.

See Set the Label for a Line.

Message Waiting

Defines directory numbers for message-waiting on and message-waiting off indicator. A directly connected voice-messaging system uses the specified directory number to set or to clear a message-waiting indication for a particular Cisco Unified IP Phone.

See:

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Message Waiting Configuration" chapter
  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Voice Mail Connectivity to Cisco Unified Communications Manager" chapter.

Message Waiting Indicator

A light on the phone that indicates that a user has one or more new voice messages.

See:

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Message Waiting Configuration" chapter
  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Voice Mail Connectivity to Cisco Unified Communications Manager" chapter

Music On Hold

Plays music while callers are on hold.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Features and Services Guide, "Music On Hold" chapter.

Mute

Mutes the microphone from the handset or speakerphone.

No configuration required.

On-hook Call Transfer

Allows a user to press the Transfer button and then go on-hook to complete a call transfer.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Cisco Unified IP Phones" chapter.

Plus Dialing

Allows the user to dial E.164 numbers prefixed with a + sign.

To dial the + sign, the user needs to press and hold the * key for at least 1 second. This applies to dialing the first digit for both on-hook or off-hook calls.

Requires no configuration.

Private Line Automated Ringdown (PLAR)

The Cisco UnifiedCommunications Manager administrator can configure a phone number that the Cisco UnifiedIPPhone dials as soon as the handset goes off-hook. This can be useful for phones that are designated for calling emergency or hotline numbers.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Directory Number Configuration" chapter.

Redial

Allows users to call the most recently dialed phone number by pressing the Redial button.

No configuration required.

Shared Line

Allows a user to have multiple phones that share the same phone number or allows a user to share a phone number with a coworker.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Understanding Directory Numbers" chapter.

Telnet

You can use Telnet to connect to your Cisco Unified IP Phone for use in troubleshooting and phone maintenance.

See:

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, " Cisco Unified IP Phone Configuration" chapter
  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "SIP Profile Configuration Settings" chapter

Time-of-Day Routing

Restricts access to specified telephony features by time period.

See:

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Time Period Configuration" chapter
  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Time-of-Day Routing" chapter

Time Zone Update

Updates the Cisco Unified IP Phone with time zone changes.

See the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, "Time Group Configuration" chapter.

Transfer

Allows users to redirect connected calls from their phones to another number.

No configuration required.

Voice Messaging System

Enables callers to leave messages if calls are unanswered.

See:

  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration Guide, " Cisco Voice-Mail Port Configuration" chapter
  • Cisco Unified Communications Manager System Guide, "Voice Mail Connectivity to Cisco Unified Communications Manager" chapter

Disable Speakerphone

By default, the speakerphone is enabled on the Cisco IP Phone.

You can disable the speakerphone by using Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration. When the speakerphone is disabled, the Redial, New Call, and Forward All softkeys are not displayed on the phones when the user presses the speakerphone button. The softkey labels are dimmed or removed.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration, select Device > Phone.

Step 2

Select the phone you want to modify.

Step 3

In the Phone Configuration window for the phone, check the Disable Speakerphone check box.

Step 4

Select Save.

Control Phone Web Page Access

For security purposes, access to the phone web pages is disabled by default. This practice prevents access to the phone web pages and the Cisco Unified Communications Self Care Portal.


Note

Some features, such as Cisco Quality Report Tool, do not function properly without access to the phone web pages. Disabling web access also affects any serviceability application that relies on web access, such as CiscoWorks.

Procedure

Step 1

In Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration, choose Device > Phone.

Step 2

Specify the criteria to find the phone and select Find, or select Find to display a list of all phones.

Step 3

Select the device name to open the Phone Configuration window for the device.

Step 4

Scroll to the Product Specific Configuration area.

Step 5

To enable access, from the Web Access drop-down list, choose Enabled.

Step 6

To disable access, from the Web Access drop-down list, choose Disabled.

Step 7

Select Save.

Set the Label for a Line

You can set up a phone to display a text label instead of the directory number. Use this label to identify the line by name or function. For example, if your user shares lines on the phone, you could identify the line with the name of the person that shares the line.

When adding a label to a key expansion module, only the first 25 characters are displayed on a line.

Procedure

Step 1

In Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration, select Device > Phone.

Step 2

Locate the phone to be configured.

Step 3

Locate the line instance and set the Line Text Label field.

Step 4

(Optional) If the label needs to be applied to other devices that share the line, check the Update Shared Device Settings check box and click Propagate Selected.

Step 5

Select Save.