HotDesking Explained

The Hot Desking feature works in conjunction with End Point Manager and the Login/Logout Phone App. Below is an outline of how to set it up and best practices for Hot Desking.

This Primer assumes you have already used and set up End Point Manager, and that you understand the concepts of EndPoint Manager and Phone Apps.

Setting up End Point Manager to Allow for Hot Desking

In order to use Hot Desking, the Default Login option has to be enabled in End Point Manager. This option creates generic configuration files for a phone and presents it with 2 login options. To configure this setting:

• Navigate to the Global Settings option of End Point Manager ing the right nav menu.
  

  

   

• Enable the XML-API (RestAPI) Default Login option. If this is not enabled, then a default config for a new phone is not generated, which means when an unconfigured phone reaches to the PBX, it will not be presented with a login option. Set the default option to Yes to enable this option. (Dark blue background = selected).

• Verify your Internal or External IP addresses are defined:

  • Internal- Will use the Internal IP address that is defined here. This is used for phones logging in on the Internal Local Network.
    

    

  • External -  Will use the External IP address that is defined here. This is used for phones logging in remotely from the PBX.
    

    

• Save your changes by clicking the Save Global button.

Brand New Phone Setup

In our examples below, we are using a Sangoma s700 phone and have pointed the phone to our PBX so it knows where to look for a configuration file as outlined in our Setting Configuration Server wiki.

• The phone will present us with two login options:

  • Login Int - Pick this option if the phone is logging in on the local subnet

    • If you pick internal and the phone cannot reach the PBX with this internal IP address, then it will not be able to log in, as it cannot communicate with the PBX.

  • Login Extl - Pick this option if the phone is logging in remotely.

    • If you pick external and the phone can not reach the PBX with this external IP address then it will not be able to log in, as it cannot communicate with the PBX.

Logging In to your Phone

• You will be prompted for your extension and password. The password by default is your voicemail password. If you do not have a voicemail box set up on your account, you would use the "User Password" as defined in the End Point Manger Global Settings. You can also optionally use the Admin password as defined in the End Point Manger Global Settings to log into any phone without knowing the voicemail password.
  

  

• Press the Done button when you're finished. 

How does the phone know what to set up for Buttons and Layout?

• The login application checks whether the extension number that you are logging in with is mapped to a specific template in the Extension Mapping section of End Point Manager.

  • A) If the extension number is mapped to a template that matches the brand of phone the user is logging in with, the phone will use that template.

    • Review the section "Mapping an Extension to use a Specific Template" below.

  • B) If the extension number is not mapped to a template that matches the brand of phone the user is logging in with, the default template for that brand will be used.

    • Review the section "Using a Default Template" below.

Using a Default Template

• For each brand of phones in End Point Manager, you can define a single Default Template.
  

  

    

• To view which template is set up as the default for a brand, click on the brand name in the right nav menu in End Point Manager.
  For example we will click on Sangoma.
  

  

   

• Any templates created for the brand will show up in a template list. If one of the templates is currently designated as the default, its name will show up under Default Template at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, if no default is defined, you will only see the template list at the top.
  In our example, we can see we have 3 Sangoma templates, and at the bottom it shows the template named "standard" is set as the default template.

• To change which template is your Default Template, click on the template to edit.
  In our example, we will select the template called "sangoma-default" and designate it as the new default.
   

• Set the Default Template option to Yes.
  

  

   

• Save the template at the bottom of the page.

If you click on the brand name again in the right side nav menu, the new default template will show up under Default Template at the bottom of the page.
In our example, we have designated "default-sangoma" as the new default. Remember, though, that the word "default" in the name is not tied to the status. It simply means this template was "created by default."

Mapping an Extension to use a Specific Template

• In End Point Manager, under the Extension Mapping section, you normally map an extension to a template, model and MAC Address.
  In the example below, if extension 5501 logs in from a Sangoma S500 phone with the MAC address shown below, the template called "my-sangoma-template" would be used.
  

  

• You can optionally NOT define the MAC Address or Model number, but still map the extension to a specific template for a brand. If you leave the MAC address blank, now when this extension logs in from a phone that matches the brand name, the phone will use the specified template instead of a default template.
  In our example, "standard" is not currently our default Sangoma brand template. With the settings shown below, if extension 5501 logs in from any Sangoma brand phone, the phone will use our template called "standard," rather than our current default template.
  

  

Logging Out a User From Your Phone

• Press the Login/Logout application button on the device.
  

  

• You'll then see options to "Login" or "Logout."
  

  

• Highlight Logout and press Select to log the user out of the phone.