I have owned this phone for about 2 years and 3 months.
The biggest problem with this phone is the handsets. I have 5 cordless handsets. On 4 of the handsets the number 1 has stopped working and it is virtually impossible to dail any phone number that has a one in it. The 5th handset is dead and does not work.
The reception is clear. I have the phone in my basement and I can go up 2 flights of stairs and hear the caller clearly. I can also go at least a block from my home outside and not notice any loss of clarity when using the phone. Sometimes the voice on the phone gets faint. It may be because the volume control on the phone get accidently pressed while using the phone.
The caller ID seems to be delayed. Sometimes I have to let the phone ring two or 3 times to get the caller ID. I don't know if the delay is from the phone or from my phone company.
One thing I don't like so far is that the cordless phones don't have a speaker phone. That would be a nice feature to have. Also the cordless phone is a little small so you might want to consider headsets if you plan to use the cordless phones a lot.
One problem with using the cordless phone is the volume control is near where you put your ear. Sometimes while using the phone, my cheek hits the volume control and turns down the volume so I can barely hear the caller. Then I have to fiddle with the volume button to turn up the volume.
Another problem is the phone often redials a number when you try to pick up a line. I am not sure why it does this but it is annoying to you and the caller because the phone does about 10 tones before you can talk to the caller and it make you look like an idiot every time it happens. We answer around 50 calls a day, and think this irritating problem happens 2 or 3 times a day.
Another problem is that two people can sometimes answer the same line at the same time and that can be confusing to the caller. Usually after one person answers the line it prevents another person from accidently using the same line, but when two people get on the phone line at the same time that can be a little bit of a hassle. To solve that problem we have one person answer all calls comming into the office and other people only pick up the calls when the first person is already on another line.
The voice mail seems to be crippled by a poor design. It would be nice to be able to transfer messages to a person's voice mail box. However, none of the cordless phones will allow you to transfer a caller to a person's voice mail. The only way to transfer a call to a voice mail box is from the main phone. It is such a hassle transfering people to the main phone, going to the main phone, then answering the phone again just so you can transfer the caller to another mail box. I can't believe how poorly they designed the voice mail system on this phone. They should allow you transfer a caller to voice mail from any of the cordless phones -- but they dont. Because of this serious design flaw, the voice mail is practically useless.
Sometimes it would be nice to allow 2 people in the office to be on the same line, such as for training purposes. However, I can't figure out how to do this. It usually only allows one phone on the system to be on a line and blocks all other phones from using that same line.
Each extension needs to be programmed so the main phone system can find the phone. For some reson the cordless phones sometimes loose their extension assignment and go dead. We have 5 cordless phones on the system and I would guess we have to reprogram the phone extensions about once a year per phone. It doesn't take long to do (a couple minutes) but it is irritating when you try to answer the phone and your cordless is dead because it is not recognized by the base unit. Also, sometime the extension assignment doesn't work unless you first remove the batteries from the cordless (the cordless locks up for some reason and the only way to unlock it is to pull the batteries).
The manual says there may be problems if the transmitter is put near computers or microwave ovens. My transmitter is only about 3 feet from my computer most the time it seems to work fine. However sometimes the caller's voice is a little muffled. I don't know if this is from my phone or is because of the phone the caller is using. I would guess about 5% of the calls sound a little muffled and usually this problem is caused by the problem that the volume button on the cordless phone is accidently pressed while using the cordless phone. However it is not a major problem and usually the sound is clear.
Also, if you are planning to have a wireless computer network in your office, I have heard that sometimes wireless phones can cause intereference with the network. I tried setting up a wireless network and didn't seem to notice a problem with it. (I use a SMC wireless network). So, if that is a concern you may want to look into it before getting a wireless phone system.
I have had trouble using the 3 way calling feature. The sound seems to be too faint for the other 2 people on the line to hear each other.
The batteries last for a full day of work for about a year. But after about a year of use they don't seem to hold as much of a charge. After about a year of use you have to keep the phone in the cradle, or you only get around 30 to 40 minutes of talk time on the phone before it goes dead.
Also, if you are planning to have a wireless computer network in your office, I have heard that sometimes wireless phones can cause intereference with the network. I tried setting up a wireless network and didn't seem to notice a problem with it. (I use a SMC wireless network). So, if that is a concern you may want to look into it before getting a wireless phone system.
2.4 GHz digital spread spectrum operation Supports 4 lines; expands to 8 handsets Caller ID/call waiting with 50-call history on base, 30 on handset 1...More at Amazon Marketplace
2.4 GHz digital spread spectrum operation Supports 4 lines; expands to 8 handsets Caller ID/call waiting with 50-call history on base, 30 on handset 1...More at Amazon Marketplace
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