Today we look at two small, but useful devices. These are the USB dongles Snom A230 and A210. The first one in conjunction with the Snom C52 module allows you to make conference calls anywhere, and with the second one, you can turn any Snom desk phone into a Wi-Fi client and install it anywhere you want, if only the outlet is at hand.

Snom A230

Not always in the office are required fixed devices for conference calls. For example, because such a need arises infrequently. Or it is inconvenient to put a conference module somewhere in one place, because employees move between rooms or buildings is unpredictable, and every time everyone goes to a dedicated conversation with a conference call is simply inconvenient. And it happens that a separate room simply does not work out.

In such situations, the portable module Snom C52, which we have already written, comes to the rescue.



The beauty of the C52 is that it is powered by a battery and is absolutely not tied to the wires. Initially, it is an extension for the Snom C520 fixed conference unit, but with the USB dongle of the Snom A230 you can use the C52 as a separate device.

Dongle looks like this:



This is a tiny DECT transmitter that can be inserted into any Snom phone, and the C52 starts working as a wireless headset for this phone. The A230's range is very decent, up to 25 meters at a distance of direct visibility. Meeting up for a conference call in the same room with the telephone itself is not necessary, depending on the material of the walls and floors, it will be possible to sit in one of the neighboring rooms, or even go to another floor. At the same time, the A230 works completely on the principle of plug-n-play: no settings, no fuss with configurations.

But what is even more interesting, with the help of A230 and C52 you can make conference calls without a physical phone at all! Today, we have a variety of communication tools available that allow us to communicate in voice - all kinds of instant messengers and specialized softphones. And for such cases, when it is more convenient to connect via the application, but you need to hold a conference conversation, and the function of connecting C52 via A230 to a laptop or desktop computer is useful. The procedure is as follows:

• We insert the dongle into a computer or laptop, the device will automatically install its drivers.
• We turn on C52, press the REGISTRATION button on it and hold it until the LEDs blink alternately red and green.
• Now we press and hold the button on the A230 until the LED flashes and turns off - the pairing of devices is successful.
• Check in the Control Panel → Hardware → Sound:
  
  
• Double click on the headset icon:
  
  
• Repeat both steps for the Record tab.
• Now we check in the settings of the volume mixer:
  
  
  
• Finally, on C52, push buttons 1 and 2 one by one - everything is ready for a conference call!

Snom A210

Wires are inconvenient and unaesthetic, few will argue with that. They always hang out under their feet, they have to be hidden in the box or quietly stretch along the furniture. And if you insert an A210 into any Snom D3xx or D7xx phone line, you can connect the phone to a Wi-Fi network and even get rid of the wired connection. It can be put where it is convenient, but not where the wires are reached. And here we get rid of not only the wires themselves, so we also save on routers.



Of course, it’s a utopian idea to transplant all the staff in a medium-sized office to Wi-Fi telephony. But for small companies and small businesses, the A210 fits perfectly. Especially if you sometimes need to move away from the workplace, and you need to have your phone on hand (for frequent absences, it is better to immediately buy a DECT handset).

Snom A210 operates in two bands, 2.4 and 5 GHz, so finding a place on the air will be easy. Supported standards include IEEE802.11a, b, g, n, and ac, with WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK, WPA / WPA2, or WEP encryption.