How to set up Zoom phone common area phones

Here’s how to set up Zoom Phone common area phones. First, add the common area phone to your Zoom account, specifying details like display name and emergency address. Then, provision the phone by assigning it to a site and configuring device settings to enable calling functionality.

Prerequisites

• A Zoom Phone license that includes common area phone functionality.
• Admin access to the Zoom web portal.
• A supported desk phone device, or a Zoom-certified device for common areas.
• Physical access to the common area phone for provisioning.
• A stable network connection for the phone.

Add a Common Area Phone

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Phone System Management > Phones & Devices.
3. Click the Common Area Phones tab.
4. Click Add.
5. Enter the following information:
   • Site: Select the site where this phone will be located.
   • Display Name: Enter a descriptive name for the phone that will be displayed on the device. This helps users identify the phone’s location or purpose.
   • Emergency Address: Enter the physical address where the phone is located. This is critical for emergency services. Make sure to validate the address.
   • Caller ID Name: (Optional) Enter a name that will be displayed to recipients of outbound calls from this phone. If left blank, the display name will be used.
   • Extension Number: Assign a unique extension number to the common area phone.
6. Click Save. The common area phone is now added to your Zoom account but is not yet provisioned.

Provision the Common Area Phone

1. Locate the newly added common area phone on the Common Area Phones tab in the Zoom web portal (Phone System Management > Phones & Devices > Common Area Phones).
2. Click the name of the common area phone to access its settings.
3. In the Device section, locate the Provisioning area.
4. If the phone is Zoom certified, it will attempt to automatically provision using Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) when it is connected to the network. If this doesn’t occur, or if the phone isn’t Zoom certified, continue with the manual provisioning steps below.
5. Manually Provisioning a Device: Locate the MAC address of your phone, typically printed on the device’s label.
6. Enter the MAC address of the device in the designated field.
7. Select the Model of your phone from the drop-down menu. This is crucial for configuring the phone correctly.
8. Click Save. Zoom will generate a provisioning URL.
9. On the physical phone, access the phone’s settings menu. The method varies depending on the phone’s manufacturer (e.g., Poly, Yealink, Grandstream). Refer to your phone’s user manual for specific instructions.
10. Locate the provisioning settings within the phone’s menu. This may be labeled as “Provisioning,” “Configuration Server,” or similar.
11. Enter the provisioning URL provided by Zoom into the phone’s provisioning URL field.
12. Save the settings on the phone. The phone will restart and connect to Zoom, downloading its configuration.
13. After the phone restarts, it should display the assigned display name and extension number, indicating successful provisioning.
14. Test the phone by making an outbound call to confirm it can connect and transmit audio.

Configure Common Area Phone Settings

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.

2. Navigate to Phone System Management > Phones & Devices.

3. Click the Common Area Phones tab.

4. Click the name of the common area phone you want to configure.

5. On the Profile tab, you can adjust the following settings:

   • Display Name: Change the display name that appears on the phone screen.
   • Emergency Address: Modify the emergency address if the phone’s location changes. Always validate the new address.
   • Outbound Caller ID: Customize the caller ID that is displayed for outbound calls.
   • Department: Assign the common area phone to a specific department for organizational purposes.
   • Site: Change the site if the phone is moved to a different location.

6. Click Save to apply any changes.

Managing Common Area Phone Department and Smartphone Visibility

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Phone System Management > Phones & Devices.
3. Click the Common Area Phones tab.
4. Click the name of the common area phone you want to manage.
5. Locate the Department setting to organize the phone accordingly.
6. Configure the visibility settings based on your needs. This typically involves role-based profiles for shared devices.
7. Click Save to apply any changes.

Common Issues

• Phone doesn’t provision: Double-check the MAC address and phone model in the Zoom web portal. Ensure the provisioning URL is entered correctly on the phone. Restart the phone after entering the URL. Confirm that the phone has internet access.
• Cannot make outbound calls: Verify that the Zoom Phone license is active and that the common area phone is assigned to the correct site with outbound calling permissions. Check the outbound caller ID settings.
• Poor audio quality: Ensure the phone is connected to a stable network with sufficient bandwidth. Try restarting the phone and network equipment. Check the phone’s volume settings.
• Emergency address not validated: If the emergency address fails validation, carefully review the address for errors and correct it. Contact Zoom support if the issue persists. Invalid emergency addresses can cause problems during emergency calls.
• Phone displaying “No Service”: Confirm that the phone has successfully provisioned and is connected to the Zoom Phone service. Restart the phone. If the issue continues, contact Zoom support.