IP phones, headsets and devices for your cloud PBX

Start with how each person works

Before choosing hardware, list who needs what. Many teams end up with a mix:

• Reception and front desk: a desk phone with enough programmable keys to see colleagues' status (BLF) and transfer calls quickly.
• Office staff: a basic IP desk phone, or the Linkus desktop app with a headset.
• Staff who move around (warehouse, shop floor, clinic corridors): a cordless DECT handset or the Linkus mobile app.
• Remote and hybrid staff: the Linkus mobile, desktop or web app, usually with no desk phone at all.
• Meeting rooms: a conference phone or speakerphone.

A softphone-only setup is possible. Many businesses only buy desk phones for reception and a few shared positions.

IP desk phones

Yeastar states that P-Series Cloud Edition supports most SIP-based IP phones. For many models from Yealink, Fanvil, Grandstream and Snom, Yeastar supports auto provisioning: the administrator adds the phone's vendor, model and MAC address in the PBX, assigns an extension, and the phone downloads its configuration when it restarts. This saves time and keeps phones centrally managed. Yeastar also publishes configuration guides for other brands, such as Htek, Tiptel, Cisco and Avaya.

Support is model- and firmware-specific. Yeastar's supported-devices list states a minimum phone firmware and PBX version for each model. Phones that are not on the auto-provisioning list can often still be registered manually, with fewer central-management features. We check the exact model and firmware against Yeastar's current list before you buy or reuse a phone.

Some Linkus features also depend on the phone. For example, Yeastar's CTI feature lets a user control a compatible Yealink, Fanvil, Snom or Grandstream desk phone from the Linkus desktop or web client, while other phones support fewer operations.

Cordless DECT phones

For staff who need to walk around, a DECT system (a base station with cordless handsets) gives better coverage and call quality than using Wi-Fi phones in many buildings. Yeastar publishes provisioning guides for Fanvil and Gigaset DECT systems, and Yealink W-series and Snom M-series models appear on its auto-provisioning list. Plan the base-station positions for your floor layout and test coverage in the areas where staff actually take calls.

Headsets for the Linkus apps

The Linkus Desktop Client supports HID-compliant headsets connected by USB or a Bluetooth transmitter. Once connected, staff can answer or reject, end, hold and resume, and mute calls, and adjust volume from the headset. Yeastar notes that headsets from Jabra, Yealink, EPOS and Poly have been verified, and that other brands may have limitations. Ask us before a bulk purchase so we can check the model you have in mind.

Analog phones, fax and other devices

Analog handsets, fax machines, door phones and alarm lines do not connect to a cloud IP PBX directly. They usually need a gateway, such as a Yeastar TA-series analog gateway, or a separate service. Each one needs its own assessment. Do not cancel those lines until the replacement has been tested. Our IP phone vs analog phone guide explains the trade-offs.

Network and power

IP phones plug into your office network. Check that there are enough network ports, whether your switch supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) or each phone needs an adapter, and that voice traffic is prioritised on the router. Disable SIP ALG on the router. See the network readiness checklist.

Reusing the phones you already have

If you already own SIP IP phones, for example from a previous IP PBX, many can be reused. Send us a list of the models and firmware versions. We will mark each one as reusable, needing a firmware update, or best replaced, before you commit. Reuse only counts as a saving once it has been confirmed in testing.

Buying hardware

Hardware is quoted per customer together with your phone-system package, because the right device mix depends on your team. LinkusPBX office packages start at SGD 39 per month for CP10 on an annual commitment; desk phones, headsets, gateways and setup are quoted separately. See prices and packages.