The Bottom Line
- 2 Ethernet ports
- Soft keys that make navigation easy
- Large status display
- Optional power over [link url=/od/voipbasics/g/whatisEthernet.htm]Ethernet[/link] (PoE)
- No backlight on the status display
- Small buttons on the keypad
- Not easy to set up
- Unusual looks and design
Description
Guide Review - Polycom SoundPoint IP 301 IP Phone
This phone's audio quality is quite good, even with handsets and headsets. It has 10 dedicated hard keys and 3 soft keys which are context- sensitive. Five of the keys are configurable for shortcuts. It is qdequately and interestingly features, with one touch access to the most common ones.
The phone also embeds applications for video, data and web capabilities. Within a business environment, it will surely pave the way towards unified communication with ease and efficiency. However, the phone's initial configuration is not that easy.
The phone looks rather awkward, with a large frame and small buttons. While some might find the design original, others might overlook the design for the interesting features and specifications.
The phone's display is monochrome but nicely large with 4 lines x 20 characters, but it is not backlit. This is one major drawback in IP phones.
Concerning connectivity, the phone does great. It gives 2 Ethernet ports, one of which you can use for powering the phone (PoE) instead of an electrical power adapter. You can also use the phone with two registered lines.
