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Overview
The ZIP 4x4 integrates the functions of
a managed switch with a business phone, and adds an address
book, a calculator, and a speaker phone. The phone is referred
to as a "four by four" because it has four call
appearances and four Ethernet circuits. The phone is available
in white and black.
The ZIP
4x4 is 100% based on open standards. It uses SSIP for call
control, making it compatible with Windows Messenger and any
IP phone system using the SIP standards. The switch on the
phone supports all applicable standards for VLANs and QoS,
ensuring it is compatible with any network, new or old. The
phone can be powered from an ac adapter or receive power over
an Ethernet connection.
By deploying the ZIP 4x4, an enterprise
can achieve significant gains in productivity. In installation,
only a single circuit needs to be taken to the desktop, to
provide both voice and data communications. In deployment,
by using open methods for configuration, an administrator
can rapidly deploy the phones without any involvement by the
end user. The phone makes moves and changes painless by requiring
no re-provisioning and no rewiring.
In day
to day operation, end users can access all features and functions
quickly and unambiguously. The phone has 35 buttons and keys
which eliminate the need to plow through menus and a frustrating
quagmire of soft keys.
Ergonomics
The phone has the appearance of a traditional business telephone
set. It therefore occupies no more space than such a phone,
but by incorporating the Etherent switch, it actually saves
space on the desktop and reduces the number of ac outlets
required.
The LCD
on the phone has a high contrast that the end user can adjust
to suit the environment. Further, the LCD can be tilted to
suit the viewing angle. This removes the necessity of leaning
forward to view the LCD or tilting the entire phone.
Users
can choose the call announcement tones by selecting a WAV
file stored on the network by the system administrator. This
allows users to select pleasing sounds that can distinguish
the ring on their phone from others nearby.
There
are 35 buttons and keys. Every standard feature is readily
accessible using a button or key. For example, calls can be
immediately
redirected using the do not disturb (DND) button. To transfer
a call, the user simply presses the transfer key.
There
are 11 LEDs, eight of which show red, green, and orange. With
these, a user quickly identifies the status of the phone or
the phone
system. For example, one LED indicates there are voice mail
messages (MWI). The call appearance LEDs indicate incoming
calls, calls on
hold, and conference calls.
The dc
power plug connects under the phone at a right angle. If the
user pulls the phone forward, the connector stays in place
ensuring that service is not disrupted. The phone has four
rubber feet and a wire guide for the handset cord to ensure
that it sits neatly on the desk.
Voice Features
The phone fully supports all commonly used PBX features.
These are easily accessed and simple to use. Single keys access
redial, transfer, hold, and conference.
Users can set the phone to forward calls unconditionally,
when busy, or on no answer. A headset
is supplied with the phone, but users can use any headset
with a single 2½ mm plug, or an older version that connects
in series with the handset. The ZIP 4x4 has a speaker phone
mode with acoustic echo cancellation. This gives high quality
audio if the phone is used on a desk or in a conference room.
The user presses a single button or key to switch between
the handset, headset, and speaker.
Conference
The ZIP 4x4 supports conferencing with three to five
people. The conference is easily set up with any combination
of inbound and outbound calls. Individual members can join
or leave the conference at any time. The conference can be
put on hold, allowing the other parties to continue without
the host. The host can use a free call appearance to place
or answer another call. The LEDs on the call appearance buttons
show a different color to indicate those calls involved in
the conference.
Dialling
Users can dial by phone number or SIP URL, which can
be abbreviated for example by dialling “sales.” Users can
enter a number prior to seizing a call appearance or picking
up the handset. This allows users to review and edit the number
prior to calling. A single button (with its own LED) is used
to mute the phone, regardless whether the handset, headset,
or speaker is in use. The phone remembers the last 32 numbers
called by the phone and the last
32 numbers that called the phone. These numbers can be quickly
accessed and redialled. The phone provides a phone book for
storing the contact information of 100 individuals. Phone
book entries can be easily added, modified, and deleted. Calls
can be made with two or three key presses.
Encryption
The phone can encrypt the voice stream to another
ZIP 4x4. Users can access this function before or during a
call. This prevents the conversation from
being heard using a LAN monitoring device.
Data
Features
The ZIP 4x4 has a five port managed switch so users
can connect other devices without any additional investment
in an external switch. One switch
port is used internally and four ports are available for external
connections. The four external ports are labelled LAN, P1,
P2, and P3. The LAN port is connected
as the uplink into the network and the other ports are used
to connect to external devices such as PCs or laptop computers.
The Ethernet ports support auto MDIX so they can easily be
connected to other devices with straight through or crossover
cables. In addition, all ports perform auto negotiation of
link speed and determine whether operation will be full or
half duplex.
Once a speed is negotiated, all ports are
capable of switching Ethernet traffic at wire speed. The switch
is based on hardware, not software running on the processor.
This allows it to forward traffic at line rates without limitation,
thus ensuring that devices downstream are not starved of bandwidth.
Power
over Ethernet
The LAN port on the ZIP 4x4 switch supports the IEEE
802.3af standard and is capable of receiving power over the
Ethernet connection. This power is sufficient to allow the
ZIP 4x4 to perform all of its functions without the need for
an external ac adapter.
The phone is usually shipped with an ac adapter.
Using this reduces power dissipation in the network room and
allows use of the phone when LAN power is not available. If
ac power fails and the LAN can supply power, operation of
the phone is uninterrupted.
VLAN and QoS Support
 By
default, all ports on the switch are untagged members of a
single VLAN, so the switch can interoperate with any network.
The switch supports the configuration of up to eight VLANs.
Each port can be a member of a tagged VLAN, a member of an
untagged VLAN, or excluded from a VLAN. Full support for IEEE
802.1q VLAN tagging and IEEE 802.1p QoS settings allows the
ZIP 4x4 to provide enhanced quality of service functions at
the Ethernet layer and operate in a modern network.
At the IP layer the ZIP 4x4 supports the
ability to mark the lower six bits of the IP QoS byte with
the various differentiated services code
point (DSCP) markings. This allows for up to 64 codepoints
to be defined which map to various per-hop behaviors (PHBs).
The ZIP 4x4 internally has eight different priority queues
which correspond to the IEEE 802.1p priority levels and DSCP
values. This allows for the prioritization of voice and signalling
traffic over the best effort data traffic. Each queue is serviced
in such a way that no particular queue is starved.
Cascading of Phones and Devices
The ZIP 4x4 switch ports P1, P2, and P3 can be used
for cascading additional ZIP 4x4 phones in addition to connecting
external devices. By cascading a few layers of ZIP 4x4 phones,
a switching network can be created at no additional cost that
supports multiple users and devices.
Because the switch forwards traffic at line
rates, and because it fully supports QoS and VLANs, cascading
devices in this fashion provides the equivalent functionality
of multiple switches in a network room. PCs and other phones
cascaded in this way have access to the full line rate of
traffic provided by the network.
LCD
The LCD intelligently shows users all relevant information
without any soft keys being required. It displays all information
about a call, such as the name and number of a caller and
its duration. For incoming calls it displays the intended
recipient of the call, which is useful if the phone is shared.
For conference calls, the phone displays the name of
each person on the call and their associated call appearance.
Preferences and Settings
There are many parameters on the phone that allow
it to operate in the network. The phone automatically downloads
these at power on from a configuration file that is generated
by the system administrator. On the phone, these settings
are protected by a password. The user can customize personal
preferences without preventing the phone from functioning
properly in the network.
Special Functions
These features depend on the IP phone system, but
are fully supported by the ZIP 4x4:
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Location. If the phone is connected
to a phone system, but physically remote from it, the
phone system must dial a unique number to access
emergency services. The ZIP 4x4 allows a user to
select a location (derived from the phone system) when
the phone powers up.
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Call Park and Pickup. When a user
parks a call, the phone system puts the call on hold,
and maintains control of the call. The phone system issues
a two digit number to the user. From any ZIP 4x4, the
call can be retrieved (picked up) using this number.
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Page. This allows a user to make
an announcement through the speaker on a group of phones.
The announcement is made without interaction on behalf
of the recipient. The system administrator provisions
the paging groups. Depending on a user’s rights, the user
can send an announcement to different paging groups.
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Here I am. This feature enhances
the follow me feature incorporated into many phone systems.
Users indicate they can be contacted at a specific ZIP
4x4 by quickly entering their name or extension and PIN.
Subsequently, the phone system can forward calls to that
phone and any other phone associated with that user. This
feature is also used by agents to log into an ACD group
without using a PC. The phone system can then route calls
to all agents who are logged in.
Calculator
The phone incorporates a calculator that can represent
numbers up to 12 digits in fixed and scientific notation.
A user can easily put the phone in
calculator mode and still use the phone to make or receive
calls. At the end of a call, the phone displays the calculator
exactly as it was prior to the call.
Date and Time
The phone uses SNTP to automatically obtain the date
and time from the network. However, the date and time can
be set manually in the absence of an SNTP server. The phone
displays the date and time, the start time, and the duration
of each call on the LCD.
Technology
The ZIP 4x4 has an internal computer capable of performing
400 MIPS. This internal computer runs a highly reliable real
time embedded Linux operating system. The phone externally
looks and behaves like a regular business phone, and not like
a computer with a handset attached. The ZIP 4x4 is based on
SIP. This protocol is now widely recognized as the standard
for IP telephony.
The ZIP 4x4 performs all of the functions
of a user agent client and a user agent server. It can be
used with all standard SIP servers, making it a truly open
IP phone. The phone incorporates comprehensive self tests
and diagnostic capabilities. These allow for rapid isolation
and resolution of problems associated with deployment.
Physical and
Environmental
Operating temperature: 10°C to 40°C (50°F to
104°F)
Storage temperature: 0°C to 50°C (32°F to 122°F)
Weight: 0.9 kg (2.0 lb). Shipping weight 1.6 kg (3.6
lb)
Size: 180 mm (W) x 230 mm (D) x 100 mm (H) (7"
x 9" x 4")
Safety: UL 60950, CSA-C22.2, EN 60950:2001
EMI: FCC Part 15, ICES-003 class A, CISPR 22,
AS/NZS 3548 Class A
EMC: CISPR 24 (EN55024:1998), EN61000-4
Warranty: one year
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