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Phone Provisioning

Provisioning is how a phone learns its SIP credentials, line assignments, and other settings without anyone typing them in by hand. As a platform admin you decide which method your accounts' phones will use — the choice is usually the same across your whole fleet, and your account-admins do not need to think about it once it is in place.

There are three ways a phone can find its configuration. The resulting configuration is the same; the difference is how the phone discovers DialStack on first boot.

Manual URL​

The provisioning URL is pasted into the phone's local admin interface.

  • Works on every supported phone, with no network changes.
  • One-time per phone, but each phone has to be touched at least once.
  • Best when you have phones on a bench before they ship, or for one-off deployments.

DHCP Option 66​

The provisioning URL is set on the customer's network DHCP server as Option 66 (or Option 159 / 160, depending on the equipment). Phones plugged into that network read the URL automatically on boot.

  • Works for any number of phones on the same network with zero per-phone setup.
  • Requires that you (or someone on-site) controls the customer's DHCP server.
  • Best when you manage the customer's network or they manage it themselves competently.

Zero-touch​

For select phones from supported vendors, the phone discovers DialStack automatically the first time it boots. No URL, no DHCP, no on-site configuration.

  • Add the phone to the account by MAC address on the Devices page, then ship it directly to the end site.
  • The phone contacts its vendor's redirection service on first boot, gets pointed at DialStack, and pulls its configuration.
  • Best for ship-to-site deployments where no one will be on hand to touch the phone or the network.

Zero-touch is enabled automatically — nothing to configure. The list of supported models changes over time, so before standardising on a phone family or placing a large order, contact support to confirm what's currently supported.

Picking a method​

Most platforms standardise on one method for the bulk of their fleet and keep one of the others as a fallback.

Deployment shapeRecommended
Ship-to-site (you never touch the phone or network)Zero-touch where supported, otherwise manual URL
You install on-site or manage the networkDHCP Option 66
Pre-staging phones in your warehouseManual URL while staging, then ship
Mixed fleetPick one default and document the exceptions

MAC conflicts​

Some phones arrive pre-registered to a previous provider — this is common with refurbished units. When this happens the phone's zero-touch registration will be refused. Contact support and we will help release them.