Polycom SoundPoint Series IP Phones are amongst the most popular VoIP phones for use with Asterisk, Trixbox, 3CX and other SIP based VoIP Phone Systems. If you are installing more than a handful of Polycom phones, knowing how to
provision and manage them via TFTP can save you a lot of time and energy. This article will provide you with a basic tutorial on provisioning Polycom IP phones.
Step 1 – Setting up your DHCP and TFTP Server: In order to get started, you’ll need both a TFTP server and DHCP running on your network. I recommend using TFTPD, it’s a free download and will allow you to easily manage both TFTP and DHCP on a single lightweight application.
Step 2 – Obtaining Polycom Firmware and Config Files: Contact your Polycom reseller to get your hands on the latest Polycom SIP bootrom, firmware and configuration files. Polycom also provides a helpful guide which explains their firmware and config files in greater detail, which you can find here.
Step 3 – Getting the Polycom Firmware files onto TFTP: Once you’ve gotten the proper files, you’ll want need to extract them into TFTPD or your preferred TFTP server. Simply unzip the Polycom files into the root directory of your TFTP server without making any modifications to them.
Step 4 – Create a Global Configuration File: Next we’ll create a file containing the default configuration options for any Polycom SIP phones which will be connecting to your provisioning server to receive their provisioning instructions. We’ll be naming this file Name this file global.cfg, and below is a sample configuration file:
Step 1 – Setting up your DHCP and TFTP Server: In order to get started, you’ll need both a TFTP server and DHCP running on your network. I recommend using TFTPD, it’s a free download and will allow you to easily manage both TFTP and DHCP on a single lightweight application.
Step 2 – Obtaining Polycom Firmware and Config Files: Contact your Polycom reseller to get your hands on the latest Polycom SIP bootrom, firmware and configuration files. Polycom also provides a helpful guide which explains their firmware and config files in greater detail, which you can find here.
Step 3 – Getting the Polycom Firmware files onto TFTP: Once you’ve gotten the proper files, you’ll want need to extract them into TFTPD or your preferred TFTP server. Simply unzip the Polycom files into the root directory of your TFTP server without making any modifications to them.
Step 4 – Create a Global Configuration File: Next we’ll create a file containing the default configuration options for any Polycom SIP phones which will be connecting to your provisioning server to receive their provisioning instructions. We’ll be naming this file Name this file global.cfg, and below is a sample configuration file: