If a cordless phone is described as "digital," digital refers to the mode of radio transmission between the base and handset, but the phone is still designed to connect to an ordinary analog phone line. EnGenius phones are digital, but require adapters to connect to digital ports in a phone system. No adapters are needed for use with ordinary analog phone lines, or analog ports in a phone system.
Handset Compatibility
SN-900 and SN-920 handsets can be used in the same system.
DuraFon 4X and EP-490 handsets can be used in the same system.
A DuraFon 1X system can use only DuraFon 1X handsets.
Multiple Bases or Antennas
If you are using more than one base and/or external antenna in the same area, keep them at least 20 feet apart to minimize interference.
How to register a new DuraFon handset to a base unit
1) Power the base unit 2) Power the handset to be added 3) On the handset, press MENU - 6 4) On the Durafon 1X base unit, press and hold the REG button near the telephone line jacks 5) All the LEDs should light up when registration mode is entered 6) On the handset, press 1 7) Handset will indicate successful registration and handset ID will have been assigned 8) Press END to exit to main menu
How to dedicate a DuraFon 4X line or port to a handset
1) Using an Administrator handset (ID# 10 or 11), press Menu - 9 - 1 - 4 2) Use the handset's scrolling keys (arrow keys) to select the line to be dedicated. 3) Select OFF, this will turn the Auto Attendant off on this line / port 4) Choose YES, for "Dedicate line?" 5) Enter the handset ID number to have access to that line
Antenna Tips
1) If you are not using an external antenna, mount the DuraFon base as high as possible, and clear of any obstacles in the office or equipment room. 2) If the base is mounted on a wall, tilt the antenna downward by about 45 degrees -- don't point it straight up. 3) The external antenna can also be used indoors to provide greater range than you can get with the standard antenna on the base. The antenna can be mounted upside down, if necessary, and hung from the ceiling in a warehouse, garage or even an airplane hanger. 4) if your antenna cable enters your building through a vertical wall, let the cable drop slightly below the entrance hole in a "drip loop" to prevent rain or melting snow from following the cable patch into the building.
Auto Attendant
The DuraFon 4X has an Automated Attendant feature that allows callers to select a person or department by listening to a menu and pressing buttons. By default, the feature is OFF. Leave it off if the DuraFon is connected to a phone system that has its own Auto Attendant. The DuraFon does NOT have voicemail (we think that's dumb.)
Troubleshooting
1) If a handset can't make or receive calls, pop out its battery pack for a few minutes, and then reinstall. If this doesn't help, use the tip of a ballpoint pen to press the reset button on the base (while power is on). LEDs will flash to show that the reset has occurred. Then re-register handset(s) with the base. 2) If you are not getting as much range as you think you should, and suspect that there may be a problem with the base or external antenna, test using a different handset, and also test range from one handset to another. Handset- to-handset range should be about 75% of the range from base to handset.
Resetting a DuraFon 1X handset (settings):
Press menu, then * # # * then 7 (Factory), then 2 (Keep Registration). The screen will say “cycle power” press the left soft key for OK. After this you will turn the handset off with the bottom left power key and then back on with the same key.
Resetting a handset registration without a base: Press menu, then * # # * then 7(Factory), then 1 (clear all). The screen will say “cycle power” press the left soft key for OK. After this you will turn the handset off with the bottom left power key and then back on with the same key. The screen should say, “Please register” with an ID of 00.
Resetting the base: First power-up the base for at least 15 seconds. Now locate the reset button. The reset button is near the phone lines plug in on back of the base unit, and next to the register button. Hold this button down until all four green LED lights illuminate on and off. This will happen quickly. The base is now reset. This means registration information now starts back at “11”.
Deregistering a handset
First power-up the base for at least 15 seconds. Press and hold the register button (REG) on the base, until all four green LED lights illuminate. Then on the handset press menu, followed by 6 (register), then 2 (deregister). The handset will display “Deregister” The ID of the handset is now removed from the base and the handset.
Using more than one base (linked): The Durafon 1X system allows you to use multiple bases, and therefore more than one line. To add additional base units, first register all handsets to the primary base originally used in the system. Next get an administrator handset (ID 11, or 12) and the additional base unit you plan to add. First power-up that base for at least 15 seconds. Next press and hold down the register button (labeled REG) on the base until all four green LEDs light up. Next, press MENU on the handset followed by 6 (register) 3 (add base), and then choose 20 (for base #2). Note additional bases 3, and 4 can be done the exact same way, however their base numbers would be 30, and 40 accordingly.
**Note, unlike the EnGenius SN-920 model, all DuraFon 1X handsets that were originally registered to base #1 are automatically registered to the additional base as well.
Seeing which line is available
From a DuraFon 4X handset, you can see which lines are available for use.
Go to Menu, #5, and then #8 (which is the option to turn line selection on or off). By default, it is off.
By turning it on, the handset will prompt you to choose which one of the four possible lines are available.
When you press “Talk” you will now see a display of the lines. For example: 1,3,4.