Grandstream UCM6300A Audio IP PBX, 250 Users, SIP Only

Overview

An office where every phone is an IP phone and nobody needs video meetings can keep its phone system (IP PBX) simple. The Grandstream UCM6300A is a voice-only phone system for up to 250 users from the UCM6300 Audio series, with instant messaging and audio meetings built in and no analogue ports. It is a compact desktop or wall-mount unit that runs in your own building.

Is it right for you?

• Suits small offices with up to 250 users and up to 50 calls at once, with or without SRTP encryption.
• Suits offices that want voice, instant messaging and audio meetings but not video: unlimited rooms, up to 3 public rooms at once and 50 participants in total.
• Suits offices where every phone is an IP phone. It has no analogue ports, so a landline needs an FXO gateway such as the HT841 or HT881.
• Choose the UCM6302A if you need analogue ports, or the UCM6301 if you want video meetings.

Key features

• Up to 250 registered users and 50 concurrent G.711 calls, with or without SRTP encryption.
• No FXS or FXO ports: calls run over Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunks and IP phones only, which keeps the unit simple for an all-IP office.
• Audio meetings and built-in instant messaging: unlimited rooms, up to 3 simultaneous public rooms and 50 participants in total.
• Three Gigabit network ports that work in switched, routed or dual mode, with PoE+, and a NAT router mode, so it can sit behind your router or act as one for the phone network.
• Call queues with skills-based distribution and up to 64 IVR (voice menu) layers.
• Free Wave app for desktop, web and mobile, so staff on the move use their extension from a laptop or phone.
• Secure boot, a unique certificate, a random default password and hot standby high availability.
• A 320 x 240 colour touch screen on the unit, a USB 3.0 port and an SD card slot.

What else you need

• A SIP desk phone, Wi-Fi phone or the Wave app for each user. Grandstream phones get zero-configuration provisioning; other makes register over standard SIP. Phones are bought separately.
• SIP trunks from a provider for outside calls. Trunks are bought separately.
• A network switch for the phones, connected to the LAN port, and your internet router, connected to the WAN port.
• Power from the included 12 V DC adapter (1.5 A output). The PBX itself needs mains power or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to keep working in a power cut.
• Only if staff work from outside the office, a UCM RemoteConnect (UCMRC) cloud plan, which handles NAT traversal for remote users and devices.
• Only if you need a landline, an FXO gateway such as the HT841 or HT881, because the unit has no analogue ports.

Installation

A phone system installer or IT team should set it up. The hardware side is a desktop or wall-mount job: connect the WAN port to the internet router and the LAN port to the phone switch, then plug in the adapter. The rest is configuration in the web interface: extensions, trunks, voice menus, queues, voicemail and meeting rooms.

The unit measures 270 x 175 x 36 mm and is rated for 0 to 45 °C, so it belongs in a dry, ventilated spot such as a network cabinet or office shelf.

Software and licences

The system runs on an Asterisk 16 based operating system. The Wave app is free and runs on desktop, web and mobile. UCM RemoteConnect is a cloud plan for remote users, bought separately. Grandstream Device Management System (GDMS) provides cloud management, and a full API allows integration with CRM (customer relationship management) and hotel PMS (property management system) software.

Before you buy

• Phones and SIP trunks are bought separately.
• If you want video meetings, look at the UCM6301 in the UCM6300 series instead.
• It is a desktop or wall-mount unit, not a rack unit.
• There are no analogue ports, so a fax machine, analogue phone or landline needs a gateway.