Background

NEC IP telephones used with systems such as the SV9100 or SL2100 communicate with the PBX using a proprietary, non-standard SIP implementation. This allows the phones to integrate closely with the PBX, enabling advanced features such as display synchronization, softkeys, dynamic button labels, and centralized control of each device.

Normally, re-using NEC IP phones on another PBX (other than the UCX) requires converting them to standard SIP. This process is complex and time-consuming. Each phone must be loaded with model-specific firmware using a specially configured TFTP or HTTP server. The phone must then be rebooted into firmware update mode, flashed with the standard SIP software, and configured with PBX server details, user credentials, passwords, and provisioning server URLs. Finally, each phone must be rebooted again to confirm successful SIP registration. Even after all this work, functionality is greatly reduced—leaving the phone with only basic, analog-like features.

NEC IP Telephones and UCX Integration

By contrast, when NEC IP phones are deployed with the UCX, no firmware changes are required. The UCX leverages its XSTIM technology to fully support advanced features such as displays, softkeys, button labels, and centralized phone control. In addition, user and password authentication are no longer needed—the UCX simply associates each extension with the phone’s MAC address.

Migration can be seamless: if the NEC PBX is removed from the network and the UCX is assigned the same IP address previously used by the NEC system, the phones will automatically register as XSTIM extensions with the UCX.

Supported Devices

E-MetroTel has introduced support for the following NEC digital phone models (other models may be supported in the future):

Supported Functionality

UCX Features

The following features have been fully tested:

• Voicemail
• Set based configuration
• Hot desking
• Conference
• Call Transfer
• Call Park
• Redial
• Call Hold
• Call Log
• Shared Call Appearance
• Distinctive ring types for internal/external calls

Configuring NEC IP Phones

Step 1

If this is the first time NEC phones are being configured on a UCX system the proper signalling method needs to be enabled in the NEC IP Phone Support Settings section of the PBX – PBX Configuration – Settings – PJSIP Settings page.

Refer to PJSIP Settings for additional details.

Step 2

To create a single extension for an NEC IP Phone, refer to Basic – Adding XSTIM Extension for details. For NEC phones, select NEC as the Phone Vendor and then select the specific model of phone from the Phone Type drop-down.

Remote NEC IP Phones

If you have phones that are not colocated on the same LAN as the host UCX system, then the NEC phones need to be configured for Remote Mode operation. Remote Mode operation is required when connecting one or more NEC IP phones at a remote office to a premise based Galaxy appliance or UCX Virtualized system, or when connecting phones within the main office location to a UCX Cloud. (Note that this is consistent with the operation of NEC IP phones when connected to a NEC PBX as well.) NAT Traversal Mode will also need to be set to the default of Disable to prevent the phone from handling the NAT when the UCX is handling it.

To configure an NEC phone for Remote Mode Operation:

1. Log into the administration settings of the NEC phone either using the phone display or using the web interface
2. Scroll to the SIP Settings > Access Mode
3. Scroll to the Remote selection and press  Save.
4. Scroll to SIP Settings > NAT Traversal > NAT Traversal Mode
5. Scroll to the Disable (Default) selection and press Save
6. Wait for the phone to reboot (or initiate a manual reboot)

You may also need to configure Port Forwarding rules on your router, see Configure Port Forwarding for Remote Access.