Setting the Time

Phones local to the server use a Network Time Service in order to synchronize with the accurate, local time.  This Time Service comes in the form of an IP address given to the phone by the server (If used as a DHCP server) or by your own DHCP server.  

This technology is called NTP, and though Fonality tries to automate the process of a new phone booting up and correctly synchronizing the time for your location, when the phone is moved from the office to a remote location (including a remote office that does not have a server installed on-site), the automated process will fail.

Fonality uses the IP address of your server as the NTP value for every phone.  When the phone is moved to a remote location, it stores this IP address.  However, the IP address of your server is private and cannot be located from a remote location.  Therefore, the time on the phone will begin blinking 12:00 and/or set to some other incorrect time.

You can manually configure the NTP settings on your Polycom or Aastra phone if you follow these directions:

Aastra

1. Find the IP Address of your phone

2. Open your web browser and navigate to that IP address (type it into the URL field)

3. Login with username admin and password 22222

4. Click on Network Settings

5. Set Time Server 1 to http://pool.ntp.org

6. Click Save Settings

7. Click on Reset

8. Click on Restart Phone

Polycom

1. Find the IP Address of your phone

2. Open your web browser and navigate to that IP address (type it into the URL field)

3. Login with username Polycom and password 456

4. Click on General

5. Set the SNTP Server to http://pool.ntp.org

6. Click Submit

As long as the router in your remote location allows the phone to communicate with http://pool.ntp.org , the phone should correctly synchronize with the local time.