IP Phone Overview & Compatibility
What Is an IP Phone?
Section titled “What Is an IP Phone?”An IP phone (also called a SIP phone or VoIP phone) is a desk phone that makes and receives calls over your internet connection rather than a traditional phone line. Instead of plugging into a phone jack, it connects to your office network via an Ethernet cable (or Wi-Fi on select models). The phone communicates using the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), the same protocol that powers SIPSTACK Nova PBX.
Once connected to your network, an IP phone registers with Nova PBX and behaves just like a traditional desk phone — with the addition of features like call forwarding, voicemail, call recording, and extension dialing built directly into the platform.
How Provisioning Works
Section titled “How Provisioning Works”SIPSTACK Nova PBX uses auto-provisioning to configure your phones automatically. Rather than manually entering SIP credentials and server addresses on each device, you register the phone in Switchboard and it fetches its configuration directly from the SIPSTACK provisioning server.
Every organization has one provisioning URL and one provisioning PIN that all of its phones share:
https://<slug>:<PIN>@cfg.sipstack.com/<slug>/<slug> is your tenant slug (also the username) and <PIN> is your provisioning PIN — 8 digits for organizations set up since September 2026. Both are in Switchboard → Nova PBX → System → PBX Settings → Provisioning Access; the PIN is shown once when generated. Lost it? Rotate it in Provisioning Access — phones keep working on the old PIN for 24 hours. There are no per-device passwords: the server tells phones apart by the MAC address you register.
Basic workflow:
- Generate your provisioning PIN once, in PBX Settings → Provisioning Access, and put the URL above in DHCP option 160 on the network your phones use (how, per DHCP server). Phones cannot be registered until the PIN has been generated.
- Navigate to Nova PBX → Devices → Devices, click Register device and enter the phone’s MAC address (found on the label on the bottom of the phone), brand and model.
- Assign an extension to line 1 in the key editor and click Apply Changes — this publishes the phone’s configuration to the provisioning server.
- Plug the phone in. It picks up the URL from DHCP option 160 (or you enter it once on the phone), fetches its configuration, and registers with Nova PBX.
For phones that do not support auto-provisioning (such as Cisco SPA models), you enter the extension’s SIP credentials on the phone by hand. See Cisco SPA Series Setup Guide for details.
What each brand does with configuration changes
Section titled “What each brand does with configuration changes”| Brand | After you click Apply Changes |
|---|---|
| Yealink, Poly | Receive an instant “reprovision” signal and re-download their configuration within seconds (also on demand via Reprovision on the device page) |
| Grandstream | Poll the provisioning server on a schedule — wait for the next poll or reboot the phone |
Firmware is not distributed by SIPSTACK: keep phones on the vendor’s recommended release yourself (each setup guide shows how).
Compatible Device Families
Section titled “Compatible Device Families”Yealink T Series (Recommended)
Section titled “Yealink T Series (Recommended)”Yealink is the recommended brand for SIPSTACK Nova PBX. All current T-series and conference phones support full auto-provisioning and receive regular firmware updates.
| Model | Lines | Screen | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| T43U | 3 | Graphical | Small office, receptionists |
| T46U | 16 | Color graphical | Power users, managers |
| T53W | 8 | Graphical + Wi-Fi | Flexible desk environments |
| T54W | 16 | Color + Wi-Fi | Executive desks |
| T57W | 29 | Large color touchscreen | High-call-volume users |
| CP920 | — | Touchscreen | Small conference rooms |
| CP960 | — | Large touchscreen | Medium conference rooms |
Grandstream GRP / GXP Series
Section titled “Grandstream GRP / GXP Series”Grandstream phones support full auto-provisioning and are a solid second choice, particularly the GRP series for enterprise deployments.
| Series | Models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GRP (enterprise) | GRP2601, GRP2602, GRP2612, GRP2614, GRP2616 | Zero-touch provisioning support |
| GXP (business) | GXP1628, GXP2135, GXP2160, GXP2170 | Reliable, widely deployed |
Polycom VVX Series
Section titled “Polycom VVX Series”Polycom VVX phones (now rebranded as Poly by HP) are widely deployed and remain fully supported on Nova PBX. The newer Poly Edge E series is also compatible via standard SIP.
| Model | Lines | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VVX 300 / 310 | 6 | Entry-level |
| VVX 400 / 410 | 12 | Mid-range |
| VVX 500 / 501 | 12 | Color display |
| VVX 600 / 601 | 16 | Flagship |
Cisco SPA Series (Legacy)
Section titled “Cisco SPA Series (Legacy)”Cisco SPA300 and SPA500 series phones are still common in the field and work with Nova PBX via manual SIP configuration. Note that Cisco reached end-of-sale on these models in 2020.
Important: Cisco Unified IP Phones (7800, 8800, 9800 series) require Cisco Call Manager and are not compatible with SIPSTACK Nova PBX.
Power Options
Section titled “Power Options”Most IP phones support two power methods:
- Power over Ethernet (PoE): The phone draws power directly from a PoE-capable network switch (IEEE 802.3af). This is the recommended approach — no separate power adapter is needed, and it simplifies cabling.
- Power adapter: If your switch does not support PoE, use the manufacturer-supplied power adapter (typically 5V or 12V DC, included in the box).
A PoE switch is strongly recommended for office deployments. It also allows the phone to restart cleanly when the switch port is power-cycled, which is useful for remote troubleshooting.
Network Requirements
Section titled “Network Requirements”IP phones require a stable internet or LAN connection. For best call quality:
- Disable SIP ALG on your router or firewall. SIP ALG (Application Layer Gateway) is a feature on many consumer and business routers that attempts to inspect SIP traffic and frequently corrupts it. Check your router’s advanced settings and disable it.
- Enable QoS (Quality of Service) if your network carries both voice and data traffic. Prioritize RTP and SIP traffic (UDP ports 5060 and 16384–32768) to reduce jitter and packet loss.
- Use a wired Ethernet connection where possible. Wi-Fi is supported on select models (T53W, T54W, T57W) but a wired connection is more reliable for voice.
- Minimum bandwidth: 100 kbps up/down per concurrent call using G.711 codec.
For detailed network configuration guidance, see the Network & Firewall knowledge base section.
Getting Help
Section titled “Getting Help”If you need help selecting a device, registering it in Switchboard, or troubleshooting a connection issue, visit the setup guides for your specific brand:
- Yealink Setup Guide
- Grandstream Setup Guide
- Polycom VVX Setup Guide
- Cisco SPA Setup Guide
- DECT Cordless Phones
For additional support, contact SIPSTACK at https://www.sipstack.com/contact.