Open Forum

Community, how are you implementing your overhead paging? What is your MOST creative design? Over the years I have designed many different solutions but wanted to see what our customers are implementing, what works, what does not work...

My favorites are as follows

Algo 8301 IP Paging Adapter & Scheduler
For easy implementation and flexibility, this is my swiss army knife. 

• Integrate to just about any traditional page amp using traditional 600 ohm interface (even integrated with Proprietary IP Paging solutions to extend that solution)
• Able to support overhead AND over phones at the same time
• Able to support overhead zone, over phone zone, and mix of the two with a single dial number
• Able to support multiple phone-based paging zones (8373 IP Zone Paging Adapter can be used instead to support up to 3 overhead zones with a single amp)
• Able to support paging without SIP credentials (but depending on the design you may want/need sip cred)
• Provides night/loud ring (up to 10) in a single device
• Provides the ability to support "panic buttons" ideal for factories or educations who want physical button press to trigger alerts/announcements
• Provides the ability to trigger announcements that repeat until repeat count is exhausted or told to stop. Perfect for Factories that need evacuation announcements
• When used with SIP creds you can page remotely (different building) for from a softphone

Viking FXI-1a for Analog solutions using an ATA
When doing simple overhead paging ONLY my goto is the Viking FXI-1a converting FXS to 600 ohm to be connected to traditional paging gear

• With additional hardware and ata's night/loud ring can be added

My most creative design
The issue was a medical facility needed a phone in the operating/surgical suite that the DR could use or be called at in the case of an emergency. They had started with a Poly VVX mounted on the wall but due to the size, and equipment in the room they struggled with making the ring loud enough or being heard over the equipment when talking. Our solution was to mount a 8188 IP Ceiling Speaker and a physical push button on the wall. The push-button was connected to the speaker and programmed to call a predefined number when pressed. Incoming calls were auto answered by the speaker which has a built-in talkback mic in the speaker itself allowing for handsfree operation and was plenty loud. Pages made in the building were also now clearly heard in the room as well. There was a rumor that the DRs even connected music playing devices to it to listen to playlists (due to the superior sound and cut ot when calls were made/received), this was never confirmed.

Documents

• 8x8 and Algo
• Algo Integration guide

------------------------------
Paul Chase
8x8 Network Engineer (Pre-Sales and Deployment)
------------------------------

as far as pro-tips go, I'll add my 2cents.   Having helped many people with implementations involving ATA's for paging.   It's VERY helpful if you have quick access to an analog telephone set.  Having an analog telephone handy when trying to test and troubleshoot can save a lot of aggravation.

Doesn't have to be fancy.  A $20 model from the discount store will work.

Ideally, if you have access to a "Lineman's Test set", this can be even more helpful, but don't run out and spend the $100 unless you plan to do this sort of thing often.  :-)

------------------------------
Steve O'Neal
Sr. Deployment Engineer
8x8 Center of Excellence
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy5ZlPF5hYa-scDJp7nyzlQ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-15-2021 05:58
From: Paul Chase
Subject: Looking for Pro Tips: Overhead Paging

Community, how are you implementing your overhead paging? What is your MOST creative design? Over the years I have designed many different solutions but wanted to see what our customers are implementing, what works, what does not work...

My favorites are as follows

Algo 8301 IP Paging Adapter & Scheduler
For easy implementation and flexibility, this is my swiss army knife. 

• Integrate to just about any traditional page amp using traditional 600 ohm interface (even integrated with Proprietary IP Paging solutions to extend that solution)
• Able to support overhead AND over phones at the same time
• Able to support overhead zone, over phone zone, and mix of the two with a single dial number
• Able to support multiple phone-based paging zones (8373 IP Zone Paging Adapter can be used instead to support up to 3 overhead zones with a single amp)
• Able to support paging without SIP credentials (but depending on the design you may want/need sip cred)
• Provides night/loud ring (up to 10) in a single device
• Provides the ability to support "panic buttons" ideal for factories or educations who want physical button press to trigger alerts/announcements
• Provides the ability to trigger announcements that repeat until repeat count is exhausted or told to stop. Perfect for Factories that need evacuation announcements
• When used with SIP creds you can page remotely (different building) for from a softphone

Viking FXI-1a for Analog solutions using an ATA
When doing simple overhead paging ONLY my goto is the Viking FXI-1a converting FXS to 600 ohm to be connected to traditional paging gear

• With additional hardware and ata's night/loud ring can be added

My most creative design
The issue was a medical facility needed a phone in the operating/surgical suite that the DR could use or be called at in the case of an emergency. They had started with a Poly VVX mounted on the wall but due to the size, and equipment in the room they struggled with making the ring loud enough or being heard over the equipment when talking. Our solution was to mount a 8188 IP Ceiling Speaker and a physical push button on the wall. The push-button was connected to the speaker and programmed to call a predefined number when pressed. Incoming calls were auto answered by the speaker which has a built-in talkback mic in the speaker itself allowing for handsfree operation and was plenty loud. Pages made in the building were also now clearly heard in the room as well. There was a rumor that the DRs even connected music playing devices to it to listen to playlists (due to the superior sound and cut ot when calls were made/received), this was never confirmed.

Documents

• 8x8 and Algo
• Algo Integration guide

------------------------------
Paul Chase
8x8 Network Engineer (Pre-Sales and Deployment)
------------------------------

YES, you CAN page to your overhead zone(s) AND to your phones at the same time. Recommended is using the Algo 8301 device. Follow the normal paging setup for 8x8 Configuration Manager to define the paging groups and memberships in the 8x8 solution. TIP: when creating the Page zones in 8x8 add the ZONE ID in the actual name as you will need to map them appropriately to the zones in the ALGO itself. When creating paging zones in 8x8 the first one you create is page zone 1, 2nd is the 2nd and so on, BUT the list is shown alphabetically and has no reference to the actual zone ID.

Finally, in the Algo itself, you will map the Algo zones to the 8x8 zones.

When NOT using SIP Creds




When using SIP Creds:



------------------------------
Paul Chase
8x8 Network Engineer (Pre-Sales and Deployment)
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-15-2021 05:58
From: Paul Chase
Subject: Looking for Pro Tips: Overhead Paging

Community, how are you implementing your overhead paging? What is your MOST creative design? Over the years I have designed many different solutions but wanted to see what our customers are implementing, what works, what does not work...

My favorites are as follows

Algo 8301 IP Paging Adapter & Scheduler
For easy implementation and flexibility, this is my swiss army knife. 

• Integrate to just about any traditional page amp using traditional 600 ohm interface (even integrated with Proprietary IP Paging solutions to extend that solution)
• Able to support overhead AND over phones at the same time
• Able to support overhead zone, over phone zone, and mix of the two with a single dial number
• Able to support multiple phone-based paging zones (8373 IP Zone Paging Adapter can be used instead to support up to 3 overhead zones with a single amp)
• Able to support paging without SIP credentials (but depending on the design you may want/need sip cred)
• Provides night/loud ring (up to 10) in a single device
• Provides the ability to support "panic buttons" ideal for factories or educations who want physical button press to trigger alerts/announcements
• Provides the ability to trigger announcements that repeat until repeat count is exhausted or told to stop. Perfect for Factories that need evacuation announcements
• When used with SIP creds you can page remotely (different building) for from a softphone

Viking FXI-1a for Analog solutions using an ATA
When doing simple overhead paging ONLY my goto is the Viking FXI-1a converting FXS to 600 ohm to be connected to traditional paging gear

• With additional hardware and ata's night/loud ring can be added

My most creative design
The issue was a medical facility needed a phone in the operating/surgical suite that the DR could use or be called at in the case of an emergency. They had started with a Poly VVX mounted on the wall but due to the size, and equipment in the room they struggled with making the ring loud enough or being heard over the equipment when talking. Our solution was to mount a 8188 IP Ceiling Speaker and a physical push button on the wall. The push-button was connected to the speaker and programmed to call a predefined number when pressed. Incoming calls were auto answered by the speaker which has a built-in talkback mic in the speaker itself allowing for handsfree operation and was plenty loud. Pages made in the building were also now clearly heard in the room as well. There was a rumor that the DRs even connected music playing devices to it to listen to playlists (due to the superior sound and cut ot when calls were made/received), this was never confirmed.

Documents

• 8x8 and Algo
• Algo Integration guide

------------------------------
Paul Chase
8x8 Network Engineer (Pre-Sales and Deployment)
------------------------------