Auto Provision IP Phones Remotely via RPS Method

RPS (Redirection and Provisioning Service) provisioning lets you deploy and update IP phones that are not on the same network as the PBX (Private Branch Exchange, the phone system that manages your extensions and calls). Once you create a phone entry in the portal, the vendor’s redirection service points the device to your provisioning server the next time it reboots, so it downloads its configuration automatically. This makes RPS well suited to rolling out or refreshing phones in bulk without visiting each location.

Note

The steps below cover provisioning a phone and binding a specific user’s extension to it. To configure a shared phone that different users can sign in to, see Set up a Hot Desking Phone instead.

Supported IP phones

This method works with any phone that supports RPS provisioning and appears in Auto Provisioning - Supported Devices.

Before you start

• Download the provisioning template for the phone model you plan to deploy. Templates live under Auto Provisioning > Resource Repository > Default Templates. See Update a Default Auto Provisioning Template.
• Have the phone’s Vendor, Model, and MAC address on hand. The MAC (Media Access Control) address is the device’s unique hardware ID, usually printed on a label on the underside of the phone or on the box.

Step 1: Generate the configuration file on the PBX

1. If the phone was used previously, reset it to factory defaults first.

   Caution

   A factory reset erases the phone’s current configuration and drops any extension it is registered with, ending calls in progress on that device. Only reset a phone you know is safe to wipe.

2. Sign in to the PBX web portal and go to Auto Provisioning > Phones.

3. Click Add.

4. In the IP Phone section, identify the device:

   • Vendor: Choose the phone’s manufacturer.
   • Model: Choose the phone model.
   • MAC Address: Enter the phone’s MAC address.

5. In the Options section, set the following:

   • Template: Pick a template from the drop-down list. The template supplies every setting except the extension assignment. You can use the default template that matches the model or build your own.

     Note

     To adjust the settings in a default template or add custom parameters, see Create a Custom Auto Provisioning Template.

   • Provisioning Link: The PBX fills in the provisioning server URL for you.

   • Authentication for the First-time Auto Provisioning: When enabled, the phone prompts for credentials before it provisions for the first time.

     Tip

     Leave this option selected whenever it is available. It keeps unauthorized devices from picking up your configuration.

6. In the Assign Extension section, choose the extension to bind to the phone.

   Tip

   If the extension you want is missing from the list, it is probably already bound to another phone or gateway. You can either release it from that device, or allow the extension to register on multiple devices.

7. Click Save.

   The PBX generates the configuration file and reports an RPS Request Success event notification, confirming the phone’s MAC address was added to the RPS server.

   Note

   Some Yealink models no longer receive RPS support from the manufacturer. For those phones, update to the firmware version Yealink specifies and pair the device with an RPS PIN to keep using the service. Retrieve the PIN by editing the phone under Auto Provisioning > Phones () and opening Options > RPS PIN, then enter it on the phone if prompted during provisioning.

   

Step 2: Reboot the phone to pull the configuration

1. Reboot the IP phone.

2. If you enabled Authentication for the First-time Auto Provisioning, enter the credentials on the phone to finish provisioning:

   • Username: The extension number assigned to the phone.
   • Password: The extension’s Voicemail Access PIN.

   

   Note

   You can look up the Voicemail Access PIN on the Voicemail tab of the extension’s configuration page.

Result

The registration status of each provisioned phone appears under Auto Provisioning > Phones:

• The assigned extension is registered on the phone.
• The assigned extension is not registered on the phone.