IP Phones & Devices

Introduction

VeloPBX supports auto-provisioning of IP phones, which lets you bring large numbers of devices online with no manual configuration. As a Tenant Admin, you can attach IP phones to extensions, monitor device status, and import phones in bulk.

In the Web Portal, navigate to Call Manager → Phones:

https://pbx.fortis-tele.com:8887

What is auto-provisioning?

Auto-provisioning is a process in which an IP phone retrieves its configuration (SIP server, extension credentials, codec preferences, BLF keys, etc.) from the VeloPBX provisioning service automatically, without requiring an admin to type values into the phone’s web interface.

Benefits:

• No manual SIP credential entry on each phone
• Centralized configuration — change once on the PBX, every phone picks it up at the next sync
• Automated firmware updates on supported models
• Faster fleet rollouts and replacements

VeloPBX supports several provisioning methods, including Plug-and-Play (PnP) on the local network, Redirect & Provisioning Service (RPS) for remote phones, DHCP Option 66, and HTTP/HTTPS provisioning links for legacy phones (Polycom, Cisco, Aastra).

Adding an IP Phone

Step 1 — Open the Phones page

1. Sign in to the Web Portal (https://pbx.fortis-tele.com:8887)
2. From the left-hand menu, open Call Manager → Phones
3. Click Add

Step 2 — Fill in the device details

Step 3 — Save

Click Save. The phone will pick up its configuration automatically on its next reboot or provisioning sync.

Activating provisioning on the phone

If the phone is not on the LAN with PnP, you must point it at the VeloPBX provisioning URL once.

Yealink phones

1. Open the phone’s web interface (enter its IP address in a browser)
2. Go to Settings → Auto Provision
3. In Server URL, enter:

   https://pbx.fortis-tele.com:8887/prov/

1. Click Auto Provision Now or reboot the phone

Fanvil phones

1. Open the phone’s web interface
2. Go to Auto Provision → Basic Settings
3. Enter the provisioning URL in Config Server URL
4. Save and reboot

Note: For the exact provisioning URL for your tenant — and for RPS / Zero-Touch onboarding of phones outside your LAN — contact [email protected].

Bulk Provisioning

To onboard many phones at once:

1. Call Manager → Phones → Import
2. Click Download Template to get the CSV template
3. Fill in the CSV with the following columns:

1. Upload the file and click Import

Checking device status

The Call Manager → Phones list shows the live state of every device:

If a phone has been previously provisioned by another PBX through the vendor’s RPS service, you must unbind it there before VeloPBX can take over — otherwise auto-provisioning will fail.

Supported brands

VeloPBX supports auto-provisioning for the following manufacturers:

• Yealink — T2x, T3x, T4x, T5x, W series (DECT)
• Fanvil — X series, H series, DECT
• Grandstream — GXP, GXV series
• Snom — D series, DECT
• Gigaset — DECT
• Cisco — SPA series (legacy, via HTTP provisioning link)
• Polycom / Aastra — legacy, via HTTP provisioning link

Note: For the full compatibility list and firmware recommendations, contact [email protected].

BLF (Busy Lamp Field) on IP phones

BLF (Busy Lamp Field) turns programmable phone keys into live status indicators for other extensions. Each BLF key shows whether the watched extension is idle, ringing, or on a call via a colored LED, and a single press lets the user call that extension or pick up a call ringing on it. BLF is the most common way to give receptionists, team leads, and small workgroups one-glance visibility over who is available — without switching to a desktop app.

Where BLF is configured

BLF keys are configured per extension in the Web Portal:

1. Sign in at https://pbx.fortis-tele.com:8887
2. Open Call Manager → Users (or Call Manager → Extensions depending on tenant)
3. Select the extension whose phone you want to program → Edit
4. Open the BLF tab

The number of programmable keys depends on the phone model — a Yealink T46U exposes around 10 line keys plus expansion-module keys, while entry-level phones may expose only 2–4.

Adding a BLF key

In the BLF tab, click Add and fill in one row per key:

VeloPBX also supports these BLF function types in the same tab:

• BLF — monitor another extension’s call status
• Speed Dial — one-touch dial of any number
• Custom Speed Dial — speed dial with prefix/suffix or feature codes
• Visual Park — light up a key when a call is parked on a slot (see Call Pickup)
• Change Status — toggle the user’s presence (Available / DND / Away) from the phone
• Night Mode — activate or deactivate Night Mode for the tenant

Auto-provisioning behavior

BLF assignments are pushed to the phone through the same auto-provisioning channel as the SIP credentials. Once you save the BLF tab:

1. The provisioning template for that MAC is regenerated on the PBX side.
2. On its next configuration sync the phone downloads the new template and reprograms its keys.
3. For some models (older Yealink and Snom firmware in particular) a manual reboot is required before new BLF keys appear.

Tip: If a key shows the correct label but the LED never lights up, the most common causes are a stale provisioning cache on the phone (reboot it) or a wrong Value field — the value must be the extension number, not the user’s display name.

Pickup via BLF

When the watched extension is ringing, its BLF LED flashes (typically red). Pressing the flashing BLF key picks up that call on your own phone — no need to dial a pickup feature access code by hand. Under the hood the phone sends a directed-pickup INVITE to the PBX, the same mechanism used by the dialed pickup FAC. See Call Pickup for the full pickup model and group rules.

Device support

Most current Yealink, Fanvil, Snom, and Grandstream phones support BLF natively, including the LED-status feedback and pickup-via-BLF behavior. Older or off-brand SIP phones may render the keys as plain speed dials without live status — check the vendor’s spec sheet for “BLF” or “presence keys” support before procuring.

Important: BLF subscription traffic uses SIP SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY. Large fleets of phones each watching dozens of extensions can produce significant signaling load — keep BLF lists focused on the people each user actually needs to monitor.

DECT phones (Yealink, Fanvil, Snom, Gigaset)

DECT is a wireless protocol for cordless phones used in offices, warehouses, hotels, and clinics where staff need to roam away from a desk. Instead of a desk phone with its own SIP registration, you deploy a DECT base station wired into the LAN — the base station registers to VeloPBX as a SIP endpoint, and multiple wireless handsets pair with the base and share its connection. One base typically supports 5–20 handsets depending on the model; multi-cell systems scale further.

Vendor support matrix

VeloPBX auto-provisions DECT systems from the following vendors:

Single-cell bases (Yealink W60B/W70B, Fanvil W610W, Snom M300/M400, Gigaset N510) are right for one floor or a small office. Multi-cell systems (Yealink W80/W90, Snom M700/M900, Gigaset N870) are required when handsets must roam across a building without dropping calls.

Adding a DECT base in the Web Portal

The flow mirrors Adding an IP Phone, but the device you register is the base station, not the handset:

1. Sign in at https://pbx.fortis-tele.com:8887 and navigate to Call Manager → DECT Phones
2. Click Add
3. Select the phone model (e.g. Yealink W70B) and enter the MAC address of the DECT base station (printed on the label on the back of the base)
4. Click OK and give the base a descriptive name (e.g. Reception DECT Base)
5. Choose the Network interface and transport protocol (UDP / TCP / TLS) — same considerations as for desk phones
6. If the PBX has Internet access, enable Save to RPS so the base auto-discovers its provisioning URL via the vendor’s Redirect & Provisioning Server

Provisioning the base

DECT bases auto-provision through the same VeloPBX provisioning service used for desk phones. Two paths:

• RPS path — Save to RPS enabled. After the base reboots and contacts the vendor’s RPS, it is redirected to the VeloPBX provisioning URL automatically. Zero manual steps on the device.
• Manual path — for on-premises deployments without Internet, or where RPS is disabled:

1. In Call Manager → DECT Phones, double-click the base and copy the provisioning URL.
2. Open the base’s web UI in a browser (its LAN IP).
3. Yealink: Settings → Auto Provision → paste the URL into Server URL → Confirm → Auto Provision Now.
4. Fanvil: System → Auto Provision → Static Provisioning Server → paste the URL into Server Address and set the configuration filename to {mac}.cfg → Apply → Auto Provision Now.
5. Snom and Gigaset use equivalent Auto Provision / Provisioning Server sections in their respective web UIs.

For the general auto-provisioning model and the difference between PnP, RPS, DHCP option 66, and HTTP links, see Activating provisioning on the phone earlier in this guide.

Registering handsets to the base

Handset registration is a two-step process — first you create the handset in VeloPBX, then you pair the physical handset with the base:

Step 1 — Create handset extensions in the Web Portal

1. With the DECT base added, open it from Call Manager → DECT Phones and switch to the Users tab.
2. For each handset slot, select the user / extension you want to assign. One base supports several handset slots; each slot maps to one extension.
3. Save.

Step 2 — Pair the physical handset with the base

1. Open the base’s web UI → Handset & Account → Handset Registration (Yealink) or the equivalent Handset Management page on Fanvil / Snom / Gigaset.
2. Click the Edit icon next to the extension to register, then click Start Register Handset — the base enters pairing mode.
3. On the handset, either:

• press the Reg. softkey (Easy Pairing on Yealink), or
• navigate to Settings → Registration → Base 1 and trigger a manual scan.

1. From the scan results, select the DECT base station.
2. When prompted, enter the base’s AC code / PIN — default is 0000 on Yealink and most vendors. Change this PIN in production environments.
3. Repeat for each handset.

Tip: Place the handset in the charging cradle with the battery above 50% before any pairing or firmware upgrade. Yealink and Snom both refuse to upgrade a handset whose battery is too low, and a handset that powers off mid-upgrade may need vendor RMA.

Multi-cell deployments

For sites larger than the range of one base (roughly 30 m indoors), multiple bases can be linked so handsets roam between cells without dropping calls. The relevant systems:

• Yealink W80 / W90 — a DECT Manager appliance controls multiple W80B/W90B base stations. Each base is registered to the DECT Manager via Base Station Registration, and handsets register to the Manager rather than to an individual base.
• Snom M700 / M900 — single-base or multi-cell, with a built-in DECT Manager role on the primary base.
• Gigaset N870 IP PRO — multi-cell with integrated synchronization over the LAN.

For RF site planning (cell overlap, channel placement, sync sources), follow the vendor’s deployment guide for the chosen platform — radio coverage testing in the actual building is non-negotiable for any deployment > 1 base.

Limitations

DECT handsets trade desk-phone features for mobility. Be aware of the following before specifying DECT for a site:

• No video. DECT is audio-only — switch to a desk phone or the VeloPBX softphone app for video calls.
• Limited or no BLF. Most DECT handsets do not have programmable BLF keys; some show a phonebook-style presence list at best. If receptionists need BLF, give them a desk phone alongside the DECT handset.
• Few line keys. Handsets typically expose 1–2 line keys. Heavy multi-line users (queue managers, supervisors) are better served by a desk phone.
• Audio quality depends on RF. Concrete walls, metal shelving, and 2.4 GHz interference all degrade DECT range — survey the site, don’t guess.

Important: If the deployment will exceed one base, plan the RF survey before ordering hardware — multi-cell bases are not interchangeable across vendors, and a mid-project switch from single-cell to multi-cell often means replacing every base in the site.

Next step

→ SIP Trunk configuration

Last updated: 2026-05-01