Start Up Guide (Readme First)

Here you will find a start up guide designed to give you the best experience with your Unified Communication System.

Overview

info-note.png INFO: Before starting we strongly advice that you read the IP Requirements page here. Firewall configuration is likely to be required to use Pod on a corporate or VPN network. This information may also be helpful for subscribers having problems connecting to use Pod.

Welcome to your Pod Unified Communications System.

Your Service Provider may have given you information on setting up, if so you should follow any instructions given by your Service Provider first. 

We recommend that you first take the time to read through this Start Up Guide before making any changes. Depending on your package(s) some configuration options may not apply to some or all subscribers (users).

Before you continue, you must have an understanding of what your package consists of and how you would like calls to be managed/routed. 

This guide assumes that you have a working internet connection to use with your package, Administrator access to any PC/Laptops that require Pod Connect to be installed and any mobile devices to hand that require Pod Connect.

bulb-icon.png TIP: If your package includes Desk Phones you can unpack and connect these phones to your network and power them on before starting.  They may need to have a firmware update and require several reboots before they can be used. 

This Start Up Guide will walk you through the following:

 

Logging Into The CommPortal

Your Service Provider will have given you all the login details for your subscribers (users). If you have not received any login details please contact your Service Provider before continuing.

This will consist of:

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TIP: If you have multiple users and you are managing the account passwords and security e-mails for your users then you complete the process from one machine for all users. Just log out after completing the steps below for one user, then log in with the next user and repeat. 

login-new01.png

Next you will required to enter an account e-mail address, this will also be used for security to reset the password.

Enter a valid e-mail address and the password for that subscriber (user). Optionally you can tick the Allow email login enabling this will allow the subscriber to user the e-mail address or phone number to login to the CommPortal. 

account-email-new01.png

info-note.png INFO: It is important that the e-mail address entered is valid and the user has access to this. This will save time if a password reset is required. If Allow email login is enabled then each subscriber will need a unique e-mail address you will not be able to use the same e-mail address on multiple subscribers. 

Click on Continue to save the changes. 

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TIP: More detailed information on the CommPortal can be found here.

The next stage is optional Changing the CommPortal Password

Changing the CommPortal Password (Optional)

info-note.png INFO: Please keep your passwords in a safe place. This password is required to access the CommPortal and is required for both mobile and desktop Pod Connect applications. 

Once logged in the CommPortal scroll down to the bottom of the page and under Security click on Change Password

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Next, in the change password box enter your current password then enter a new password, type the new password again in the Confirm new password field.

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Click on Confirm once completed. You will receive and e-mail to account e-mail address advising tat the password has been changed.  


Next continue to Downloading Pod Connect for Desktop/Android/iOS if this is included in your package, if not continue to Desk Phones

Downloading Pod Connect for Desktop/Android/iOS

info-note.png INFO: If Pod Connect for Desktop/Android/iOS is not included in you package please skip to the Desk Phones section of this guide. If you would like to know more about Pod Connect for Desktop/Android/iOS please contact your Service Provider. Information on how use Pod Connect for Desktop/Android/iOS can be found here. 

To download Pod Connect for Desktop see this guide for detailed instructions:  How Do I Download Pod Connect For Desktop?

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INFO: If you are logging on to the CommPortal from a Windows machine you will only be able to download the Windows version and vice versa if you are logging in on Mac OS.
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TIP: If you have multiple machines that require Pod Connect to be installed on you can copy the downloaded file to a USB thumb drive or other media and install from there. This would save time logging into the CommPortal and downloading each time.

To download Pod Connect for Android/iOS see this guide for detailed instructions: How Do I Download Pod Connect For Android/iOS?

The easiest way to download Pod Connect for Android and iOS device is scan the below QR Code: 

scanqr.png

apple.png       google.png

Once the Pod Connect Applications are installed you will be able to log in with your phone number and password. 

Please continue to the Recommended Settings for Pod Connect for Desktop

 

Recommended Settings for Pod Connect for Desktop

Whist these settings are optional we do recommend that these are enable and other set to your personal preference. 

To access the Pod Connect for Desktop Options:

For MAC - Click on pod connect > Preferences

For Windows - Click on Tools > Options

The Options are are slightly different on both MAC and Windows versions.

The Options will open by default on the General tab. 

For MAC: General

Double click action in main window: You can choose what happens when you double click on a contact - This is personal preference.

Use contacts from: You can choose which contact you would like to use.

macops001.png

For Windows: General

Launch pod connect on startup: If ticked this will launch Pod Connect when your Windows PC?Laptop starts up.

Double click action in main window: You can choose what happens when you double click on a contact - This is personal preference.

Use contacts from: You can choose which contact you would like to use.

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For MAC & Windows: Calls

Enable call park: If you have Call Park enabled you will need to enable this option to be able to use it from Pod Connect for Desktop.  If you do not see this option then Call Park has not been enabled. 

macopts002.png

info-note.png INFO: The Calls options are the same on both MAC and Windows. 

For MAC & Windows: Chat

By default Open the chat window when new messages are received and Display a popup when new messages are received are enabled by default. These should be left on otherwise you may miss a message. 

bulb-icon.png TIP: If you are hosting a meeting or in a meeting and using screen sharing  or remote control you you may wish to disable these options. Otherwise the notifications would be displayed during your meeting. Just don't forget to enable these options again!

Load messages when opening a new chat window: The default for this is only 10 messages, we recommend that you increase this. The maximum is 140. 

macopts003.png

For MAC & Windows: Audio

We recommend that you throughly test you microphone and speakers and/or headset. When you connect an external headset you will see pop notification on screen and it may have been auto selected. 

Microphone: Select the microphone you wish to use from the drop down list. Now click Test Mic - Speak into the microphone when finished it will be played back to you. 

In-call Audio: Select the In-call audio device you wish to use from the drop down list. Now click play button. This will play the default ring tone back to you. 

Notifications: This is the device that will play notifications , for example an inbound call. Choose the audio device and click play.

info-note.png INFO:  If you remove your headset or change it, you may need to come back to the audio options to confirm your settings. 

macopts005.png

info-note.png INFO: The Audio options are the same on both MAC and Windows. 

For MAC & Windows: Video

This will allow view and test you web cam

podvid.png

 

For MAC & Windows: Meetings

info-note.png INFO: If you do not have the Meeting options, please contact your Service Provider to have this enabled. 

Two options worth taking note of are Mute my microphone when joining this is turned off by default. When you join a meeting your microphone will be active. Turn off my video when joining this is enabled by default. When you join a meeting the video is not displayed to other users, you must enable this manually within the meeting. 

Email invitation: This allows you to modify the content of the email invite.

macopts006.png

info-note.png INFO: On Windows versions you will see an option to download and install the Outlook plugin. This is optional but will give overall better integration with Outlook. 

Advanced Settings: Click on Advanced Settings this will open a new web page. The following settings are enabled by default - Some settings will be locked and cannot be change for additional security:

info-note.png INFO: The Attention Tracking option has been has been set to off and cannot be enabled. This feature has been permanently disabled and will be removed from the Options page in a future release. 

We recommend that the you leave the above settings enabled. Feel free to enable other options to see which suits your needs best, all changes will take effect immediately. 

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INFO: With Waiting Rooms enabled as the Host you will need to manually allow participants into the meeting. See the following document How Do I Use Waiting Rooms on how to do this. If you are hosting a large Meeting you may wish to turn this feature off. 

 

Please note that when using joining from a web browser the following web browsers are supported : 

 

 

Features across browsers Chrome Firefox Safari Edge Internet Explorer
 Share video ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓  
Share screen ✓ ✓   ✓  
Join computer audio ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓  
Join audio by phone ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Meeting host controls  ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
View shared video ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓  
View shared screen ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Request remote control ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓  ✓
In-meeting chat ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓  ✓
Closed captioning ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓  ✓
Co-host ✓  ✓  ✓  ✓ ✓ 
Breakout Rooms ✓   ✓   ✓  ✓    ✓ 
Simultaneous screen share viewing and sharing ✓  ✓ ✓   ✓*  

*Screen sharing on Microsoft Edge requires Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise. It is not supported on Windows 10 Home. If you are running Windows 10 Home and need to share your screen, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox.
info-note.png INFO: To use all the listed features above you MUST install the AccessionMeetingLauncher for MAC or Windows. Note that the meeting experience from the join from browser is limited.

Please continue to Desk Phones or if you do not use Desk Phones continue on to Voicemail Configuration. 

Desk Phones

If you are not using Desk Phone please skip this section. 

You will first need to confirm with your Service Provider as to how your phones will be provisioned. If they are been auto-provisioned and are already powered on and connected to the network they should ready to use, once the updates have completed.

You can check which phones are been auto provisioned from the BG Admin portal. Please take a look at the Provisioning Phones section in the CommPortal: Administrator Guide for information on provisioning phones. 

Once the phones have an allocated time to authenticate with the Provisioning Server power them on and connect them to your network. Depending on make and model they may require several updates and restart several times. This is normal behaviour. 

If the phones are powered and not reregistered with the correct DDIs (the phone number) please contact your Service Provider. Please make a note of the MAC addresses for each device as they will need to be checked against the Provisioning Server. 

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INFO: If your phone had been used with a previous supplier you will need to factory reset the phone and enter the new provisioning URL exactly as shown below within the phone configuration via the web interface.

 

Provisioning URLs can vary for each manufacturer :

 

Polycom:

https://commportal.connectbetter.net/sip-ps/

Yealink:

https://commportal.connectbetter.net/sip-ps/

Snom:

https://commportal.connectbetter.net/sip-ps/{mac}.xml

 

You will need to know IP address and the admin login username and password for your phone in order to factory reset them. If you do not know this you will not be able reset the device and add the provisioning URL. Please contact your Service Provider as they may be able to assist.    

Additional configuration of the Soft Keys can be found in the CommPortal under devices.

Please continue to the Voicemail section. 

 

Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Voicemail Configuration Overview

info-note.png INFO: Voicemail is enabled on all phone numbers (DDIs) by default is set at 36 seconds. Please also note if you are using the Pod Connect for iOS and Android devices you will receive a persistent notification on that device until you have completed Voicemail setup wizard. 

When you first call Voicemail from your phone you will be required to follow the initial setup wizard, this will take around 2 minute to complete.

Setting up Voicemail for your DDI

From either your Desk Phone or Pod Connect Application dial *318

    1. Select the language you wish to use - press 1 to confirm - The first choice is British English
    2. Record your name. 
    3. Setup a greeting - Select the type of greeting you wish to use or record you own
    4. Confirm greeting press #
    5. Your initial voicemail setup has been completed. 

Optional Settings 

You can log into the CommPortal to manage most of your Message Settings these include:

Further information can be found in the Message Settings documentation here.

Please continue to Music on Hold. If you would like to leave it as default then continue to Testing Your System.

 

 

Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Using The Voicemail System

The voicemail system is menu driven. Listen to the voice prompts and then press the keys on your phone to select which option you would like.

Accessing Voicemail

The first time you access your voicemail box you will be asked to set up your mailbox, and record your name, greeting to be played by callers and setup a PIN.

When you have one or more unheard voice messages waiting, your phone will display a solid red light on the top of the phone and/or you will receive a notification on your Pod client.

From Pod Mobile Client:

On the Pod mobile client you will receive a notification on your mobile device similar to the below image:

vm_notice.png

You can either tap on this to open the Pod client or open the Pod client normally from your apps. Voicemail messages are located under the Phone section and Voicemail tab as per below. 

podvm.png

From Pod Desktop Client:

On the Pod desktop client, you can access your voicemail from the keypad by clicking on the blue voicemail icon as below. 

jeypad.png

This will open the CommPortal and take you to your messages, from here you can listen/delete messages. Further information on this can be found here.

commvm.png

From a Desk Phone:

  • Press the Messages button or dial *318. 

  • Enter your voicemail password.

  • If you have new messages, the messages will be identified.

  • After hearing any new messages, you will be presented with the Voicemail Main Menu.

From a External Phone:

Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Voicemail Main Menu

The Pod Voicemail main menu is as follows:

Option

Key

Play Inbox Messages

1

Send Messages

2

Work with Greetings

3

Mail Box Settings

4

Work with Reminders

5

Access Deleted Messages

6

Log on as a different user

7

Help

0

Exit Voicemail System

*
Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Message Playback Options

While listening to your voicemail messages, the following options are available:

Option

Before Message

During Message

After Message

Skip Message

#
(skips header, goes to message body)

# (skip to next message)

N/A

Reply to Message

n/a

4

4

Save Message and go to next

n/a

2

2

Delete

n/a

3

3

Play Inbox Messages

1

n/a

1

Send Messages

n/a

5

5

Help

0

0

0

Return to Main Menu, Exit Voicemail System

* (repeatedly, depending on how deep you are in the menu)

*

*
Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Forwarding a Message

While listening to messages, you can send a copy of the message to another recipient.

  • To Forward the current message, press 5.

  • Enter an extension number or Distribution Group Number. Repeat this step until you’ve entered all the desired destinations.

  • Press # when finished entering destinations.

  • You will be prompted to record an introduction.

  • After the tone, record your introductory message and press # when finished.

  • Press # to send or press 1 for delivery options, followed by # to send. Delivery options include the following.

DELIVERY OPTIONS MENU

Option

Before Message

Review the message

1

Mark message as urgent

2

Mark message as private

3

Re-record your message

4

Request a delivery report

5

Request a read report

6

Add or remove recipients

7

Schedule the message to be delivered in the future

9

Send the message as is

#

Exit or cancel press

*
Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Replaying to a Message - Dialling the Originator

While listening to a message, you can call the person back by pressing 4 and selecting option 1.

This capability will not work if the voicemail system was not able to identify the Caller ID information when the original voicemail was received or if your phone is configured with call restrictions which prevent you from calling the originator’s number.

Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Changing Your Voicemail Pin

Access your voicemail box.
From the Main Menu, press 4 to change your settings.
Press 3 for security options.
Press 1 to change the PIN.

You can also change your Voicemail PIN from the CommPortal. Login and click on Change Voicemail PIN in the Security section at the bottom of the page.

CPVMPin.png

Voicemail Configuration (Optional)

Recording Your Personal Greeting

Access your voicemail box.
From the Main Menu, press 3.
To set up a personal greeting press 1.
To set up a system generated greeting or to change the recording of your name press 3.
To change the greeting that callers hear when you’re busy press 5.
If you don’t record a personal greeting, a generic greeting will be played.

Music On Hold (Optional)

Music On Hold (Optional)

Music On Hold Overview

Music on Hold is used for placing a call on hold/transfer or call queueing. This is turned on be default.

The default action for Music on Hold (MoH) is royalty free music. This will play whenever a call is placed on hold or when starting a transfer.

We recommend that you configure MoH - This can be music/announcements in any .wav/.mp3 file.

info-note.png INFO: Only the Business Group Administrator can configure MoH from the  BG Admin portal.

Please take a look at Pod Connect: Music On Hold for configuring your MoH service.

Once Music on Hold is configured continue to Testing Your System.

 

 

 

Music On Hold (Optional)

Logging In

Log In to the BG Admin CommPortal  portal as normal. Click the Music On Hold link at the bottom of the left hand side of CommPortal.  This opens up a new browser window with the Music On Hold administration system.

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TIP: More detailed information on the BG Admin CommPortal can be found here.

moh-001.png

If you are the administrator for the top-level department of your business then you will see three links at the top of the page, each taking you to a different section of the Music On Hold administration system.

If you are not an administrator for the top-level department of your business you will not see Resources as only administrators for the top-level department can manage recordings.

moh002.png

Music On Hold (Optional)

Viewing and Changing Your Security Settings

To view your security settings, select the Security section.

moh-002.png

As well as accessing the Music On Hold system using CommPortal, you can also use your phone to access it. Using this page you can view and change the password you will need to enter to use the phone access. To change your password, follow these steps:

    1. Enter the new password in the text box.
    2. Click Apply.
Music On Hold (Optional)

Managing Recordings

To access the recordings section, click on the Resources

moh-003.png

Global Media List

The Global Media List section specifies any recordings that we have made available for your use. Whether we make any recordings available to you depends on which service you have subscribed to. You cannot add or remove recordings from the Global Media List.

Your own recordings

The second section displays any recordings that you have uploaded to the system, either using this web interface or via the phone access.

Recording limits

At the bottom of this section you will see:

The system will not allow you to exceed either your storage limit or the maximum number of recordings you are allowed.

Recording formats

Adding a recording

To add your own recording, follow these steps:

    1. Enter an ID for this recording in the ID text box. This ID must be between 10 and 99.
    2. Enter a description for this recording in the Description text box.
    3. Click on Browse and select the recording you wish to upload. This must be either a .wav or .mp3 file.
    4. Click on Add.

Depending on the size of the recording you are uploading this process may take a few seconds.

Modifying a recording

To change the description of a recording, follow these steps:

    1. Click on the Edit button to the right of the recording.
    2. Edit the Description
    3. Click Save.
    4. To change the volume at which a recording will play, follow these steps:
    5. Click on the Edit button to the right of the recording.
    6. Select a new Gain value from the drop-down list.
      • Select 0 to play the recording at its original volume,
      • Select +1, +2 or +3 to play the recording louder, with +3 being the loudest.
      • Select -1, -2 or -3 to play the recording quieter, with -3 being the quietest.
    7. Click Save.

Playing a recording

Removing a recording

Music On Hold (Optional)

Assigning Recordings To Lines

You can assign recordings either to all lines in your business, or different recordings per line. To do this you need to access the mappings section.

moh-005.png

You will now see a list of mappings between the directory numbers of lines in your Business Group or department and the Music On Hold resources that each line uses.

There is always a default mapping, which is used if you don't specify a mapping for a particular line. This is shown first in the list with Default instead of a Directory number and applies to all directory numbers except for those with their own individual mappings in the list. The mappings screen also shows how many individual mappings you are allowed to create.

Each mapping consists of a series of fields which you can set:

The Start point field indicates whether the recording will start at the beginning (the value Start indicates this) or whether it should start at a random point of the recording (the value Random indicates this).

The Duration field which is used by the Repeat – Initial Interrupted and Repeat – Follow-up Interrupted actions to indicate how often the repeated recording should be interrupted.

In general, your Service Provider will configure a Default resource to be played as a single, repeating resource.

If you are an administrator for the whole Business Group, you can override this mapping for the whole group and all its departments, to use a different resource or a combination of resources.

If you are an administrator for a department within the group, you can override the default mapping for your department and any sub-departments.

If you have not changed the default, it appears with an Override button to the right (instead of the Edit button shown for other mappings).

Adding a mapping

To add a mapping for a particular line, follow these steps:

Modifying a mapping

To modify either the default mapping, or the mapping for a line, follow these steps:

To change any other existing mapping, including the default mapping if you have already overridden it, click Edit to the right of the mapping.

To revert to the existing default mapping that was supplied by your Service Provider for the whole Business Group, or the default mapping for your department if you are a department administrator, click the Use Default

You cannot modify the telephone number that a mapping applies to. If you need to do this, remove the mapping and add a new one.

Removing a mapping

To remove a mapping click on the Delete button to the right of the mapping. You cannot delete the default mapping but you can override it, edit it, or revert to the original default that was inherited from Service Provider settings or from a higher-level department.

Testing Your System

You should now be ready to complete the basic testing, this is has been designed to to ensure that all basic functionally is working correctly. 

You may also have the following services in your package:

If you are using either Easy Attendant or Premium Attendant you will need to make sure these have been configured first. In most cases your Service Provider will have discussed this with you and will already be configured. 

If you have agreed with your Service Provider that you are managing and setting up the Easy or Premium  Attendants this should be completed now. Please see the following documentation for help with this. 

Standard Auto Attendant

Advanced Auto Attendant

Please contact your Service Provider for further assistance if required. 

Before continuing with testing you will need access to an external test phone, a mobile would be fine. You may also need to speak to your Service Provider if you are unsure about how are your incoming calls handled, what happens, greetings and options if required.

info-note.png INFO: Please do not use another Pod phone for testing. Any testing must be carried out with an external phone. Pod to Pod calls are routed as internal calls therefore may not show any faults or configuration issues with the service provided. These tests are based on the assumption that you have not made any changes within the CommPortal Phone Status section on how calls are handled. 

Outbound Calls 

info-note.png INFO: Premium Numbers include the following number ranges - 09, 084, 087. Please contact your Service Provider if you require this.  

Inbound Calls To Your DDI

Inbound Calls To Your MLHG and/or Easy/Premium Attendant

info-note.png

INFO: Before proceeding with this test it is advisable to have a written out call flow on how calls should be handled.

For MLHGs:

  • Make a note of the Pilot Number - This should be given to by your Service Provider with the password for that account. 
  • Which subscribers are in each group
  • How the subscribers phones in the group ring - Circular, Uniform Round Robin, Longest Idle, Ring All etc. 
  • If not using Ring All is the number of seconds correct before the call is passed to the next subscriber. 
  • What happens on No Answer, do you require voicemail? 
    • If no, is the timeout set long enough?
    • If yes, voicemail will need to be configured from the CommPortal for the MLHG Pilot Number. 

For Easy/Premium Attendants

  • Ensure the Easy/Premium Attendant if configured from the CommPortal you will need the Easy/Premium Attendant phone number and password. 
  • Check greeting audios and phone options (ket presses) are configured to goto to the correct number. 
  • You may also be using a key press that diverts to a MLHG see the above details.
  • When testing we recommend you try all options that have been configured.
  • Check the Easy Attendant and Premium Attendant documentation for further help. 

Music On Hold

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INFO: If any of the above tests are failing please check the configuration within the CommPortal and relevant documentation. If you are still having issues please contact your Service Provider. 

Remember to make a note of which tests are failing and any error messages that maybe presented. You will also need the subscribers phone number and the external test phone number that you have been using.