Giving old phones a second life.

[Fejj]

We are trying to make (very) limited use of old office SIP phones. I would like to know if any of these Cisco models, all of which I expect are long since past end-of-life, can be used as stand-alone SIP phones. By stand-alone I mean fully directly configured on the device itself or via a web browser. Or if that is not possible, a TFTP and appropriately configured DHCP solution. Specifically, can any of these be used without being tied into a central management system.

Thanks in advance for any info./links!

6921
7936
7940
7960
7961
7962
7965

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

69XX and 79XX cannot be configured using GUI.  

There are two ways around this. 

1. Persevere and get the phones integrated to Asterisk-based call managers.  This option is "skills dependent" with the user. 
2. Either get someone, with skills, or put the phone out for resale.  

Search this forum for "SEPmacaddress.xml.cnf" and there should be configuration files that is compatible with the 7961//62/65.

[ExTermite]

---

@Fejj wrote:

We are trying to make (very) limited use of old office SIP phones. I would like to know if any of these Cisco models, all of which I expect are long since past end-of-life, can be used as stand-alone SIP phones. By stand-alone I mean fully directly configured on the device itself or via a web browser. Or if that is not possible, a TFTP and appropriately configured DHCP solution. Specifically, can any of these be used without being tied into a central management system.

Thanks in advance for any info./links!

6921
7936
7940
7960
7961
7962
7965

---

I have the same question and didn't get a satisfied solution.

[Fejj]

Based on the reply from Leo Laohoo, I will sum up my conclusion. We're screwed.

The only way to use these is connect them to a telephone system designed to support them, OR possibly with an own "provision server" (I think is the right term, basically a TFTP server with the needed files and maybe more). I have not tried this yet, but apparently also the telephones need to be started up on a network that the DHCP gives the right options to the phones when starting to contact the provision server.

If I get these working (probably not this year), I'll post info. here. If you get yours working, please do the same.

Otherwise, try to recycle them in an environmentally responsible fashion, or give to some artist to paint and glue things all over them.