Avaya IP Office Setup from Scratch (Step-by-Step, 2025)

Q: Do I need VLANs?

No. Start flat and add a voice VLAN later for cleaner QoS.

Q: H.323 or SIP phones?

Both work. Newer J-Series favor SIP; 9600s often use H.323.

Q: What ports do I open?

Your ITSP specifies SIP signaling and RTP media ranges. Don’t expose the system directly; use a firewall/SBC.

Q: Embedded vs Voicemail Pro?

Embedded is simple; Voicemail Pro adds advanced call flows and integrations.

Q: Where do I get Manager/SSA?

From the official Avaya Support portal (account required).

Quick Table of Contents

1) What we’re building 2) Requirements & downloads 3) Network plan & cabling 4) First login & IP settings 5) Users & extensions (H.323 / SIP) 6) Hunt groups 7) Short Codes & ARS 8) SIP trunk & inbound routes 9) Auto Attendant & hours 10) Voicemail 11) Music on Hold 12) Button programming 13) Security, QoS, encryption 14) Ten-minute test plan 15) Troubleshooting FAQ

What we’re building (in plain words)

A small office phone system: handsets ring with extensions (100, 101…), outside callers reach your main number, there’s voicemail, an auto-attendant (“Press 1 for Sales”), music on hold, and safety rules for emergencies.

Plan first: Extensions 100–120, main number +1-555-0100, after-hours → voicemail, Sales hunt group (201), Support hunt group (202), emergency code 911.

Applies to:

IP Office 500 V2 / Server Edition. Phones: Avaya J-Series (SIP) or 9608G (H.323). Trunks: SIP (ITSP) or analog (FXO).

Requirements & official downloads

Hardware: IP Office 500 V2 with System SD, PoE switch, Internet router/firewall, CAT6, UPS.

Optional: Digital/analog modules, analog lines (FXO), paging, door relay.

Phones: Avaya J179/J169 (SIP) or 9608G (H.323).

Official links:

Avaya Support portal — downloads & docs (login required).
IP Office Manager (Admin Suite) — install on Windows (download from portal).
System Status Application (SSA) — real-time monitoring.
pool.ntp.org — reliable time source.

Licensing: Some features (SIP trunks, Voicemail Pro, softphones) may require licenses. Check your SD card licenses in Manager.

Network plan & cabling

Example plan
LAN1 (Voice): 192.168.20.2/24
Gateway:      192.168.20.1
VLAN:         20 (Voice)
QoS:          DSCP 46 (EF)
DHCP:         Router (recommended)
DNS:          1.1.1.1, 9.9.9.9
NTP:          pool.ntp.org

Connect IP Office LAN1 to your switch. Plug PoE phones into the switch. Keep IP Office + switch on a UPS. Label cables (e.g., “SW-24P-A-5 → Finance-Desk-Amy”).

New to VLANs/QoS? Start flat (no VLAN), then add VLAN 20 and DSCP 46 later.

Clean cabling from IP Office LAN1 to PoE switch and desk phones

First login & IP settings

Install IP Office Manager on Windows from the Avaya Support portal.
Connect your PC to the same LAN. Open Manager → it discovers the system → Open Configuration.
Set a static IP for LAN1 (e.g., 192.168.20.2/24; gateway 192.168.20.1).
Set NTP (e.g., pool.ntp.org) and country/tones under System → Locale/Time.
Save. Allow merge/reboot if asked.

Security first: In Security Settings, change default passwords for Administrator & security users. Store them in a password manager.

Users & extensions (H.323 or SIP)

H.323 phone (e.g., 9608G)

Extensions → New → H.323
  Extension ID: 100
  Name: Amy
Users → New
  Name: Amy
  Extension: 100
  Login Code (PIN): 1234
Save/merge → On phone: Server = IP Office IP; Ext 100; PIN 1234

SIP phone (e.g., J179)

Extensions → New → SIP
  Extension ID: 101
  SIP Credentials:
    User Name: 101
    Login Code: strongSecret
Users → New
  Name: Ben
  Extension: 101
Save/merge → On phone: Registrar = IP Office IP; User 101; Pass strongSecret

Numbering suggestion: 1xx = people, 2xx = groups, 3xx = test/conference, 7xx = features.

Hunt groups (ring teams)

Hunt Group → New
  Name: Sales
  Extension: 201
  Members: 100 Amy, 101 Ben
  Ring Mode: Collective
  Voicemail: On (20s)

Repeat for Support (202). Groups simplify inbound routing and call coverage.

Short Codes & ARS (outbound rules)

Short Codes define what users dial; ARS (Alternate Route Selection) defines where those calls go.

Short Codes → New
  Code: 9N
  Feature: Dial
  Telephone Number: N
  Line Group ID: 50:Main

ARS → 50:Main
  Route 1: Use SIP Line (or analog) for N

Emergency: Create a dedicated Short Code for 911 (or your region) that skips prefixes and uses the primary line group immediately.

SIP trunk & inbound routes

Lines → New → SIP Line
  ITSP Proxy: sip.provider.net
  Registrar: sip.provider.net
  Transport: UDP/TCP/TLS (per provider)
  SIP URI: Local URI = Contact = Display = "MainNumber"
  Line Group ID: 50:Main
  (If required) Authentication: username/password

Incoming Call Route → New
  Line Group ID: 50:Main
  Incoming Number: +15550100
  Destination: Sales (201)

Ask your ITSP for transport (UDP/TCP/TLS), RTP port ranges, and auth method (IP-auth vs credentials).

Auto Attendant & business hours

Embedded Voicemail provides a simple menu; Voicemail Pro enables advanced trees (download via Avaya Support portal).

Create Time Profiles: OpenHours (Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00), AfterHours (else).
Create AA nodes/short codes like MenuOpen and MenuClosed.
Inbound routes: OpenHours → MenuOpen; AfterHours → MenuClosed (or group mailbox).
Record a friendly prompt: “Welcome to Example Co. Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support, or 0 for the operator.”

Keep menus short (max 3 options). Always include “0” to reach a human.

Voicemail basics

Under System → Voicemail, choose Embedded (SD card) or Voicemail Pro (download). For each User and Hunt Group, enable voicemail, set timeout (e.g., 20s), and optional email alerts.

Music on Hold (MOH)

Convert your audio to 8 kHz, 16-bit, mono WAV (short loops sound best).
Upload to System SD → WAV via Manager or File Manager.
Select it under System → Telephony → Tones/Music.

Keep MOH under 30 seconds and small (<100 KB) to save SD space.

Button programming (happy users!)

For each User → Button Programming, add:

• Line Appearance
• Park 1 / Park 2
• Pickup Group
• Voicemail Collect
• DND Toggle
• BLF (Busy Lamp Field) for teammates

Security, QoS & encryption (polish)

Passwords: Change all defaults in Security Settings.
Backups: File → Save config to SD; export a copy to your PC (and off-site).
Updates: Keep IP Office firmware and Manager matched (get updates from the Avaya Support portal).
QoS: Mark voice with DSCP 46 (EF). Prioritize voice VLAN on switches/APs.
Encryption: If licensed/supported, enable TLS/SRTP on the SIP line & phones.
Emergency: Test emergency calling (E911) and confirm correct location information.

Ten-minute test plan

✅ 100 ↔ 101 extension to extension
✅ 9 + outside number (outbound)
✅ Main number inbound rings Sales (201)
✅ Voicemail record & retrieve
✅ Auto attendant keys 1, 2, 0 work
✅ MOH plays when on hold
✅ Park a call → pick up
✅ Emergency test (per local policy)
✅ Phone reboot → re-registers

Troubleshooting (quick wins)

Phones won’t register
• Server IP/VLAN mismatch
• DHCP options missing (SIP/H.323)
• Wrong user/PIN
• Firewall blocks SIP/RTP

Outbound fails
• Short Code or ARS pattern wrong
• SIP line down / auth mismatch
• ITSP expects E.164 (+1555…)
• Transport (UDP/TCP/TLS) mismatch

Open System Status Application (SSA) to watch calls, trunks and errors in real time (download via Avaya Support).

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FAQ: Avaya IP Office setup

Do I need VLANs? No. Start flat and add a voice VLAN later for cleaner QoS.

H.323 or SIP phones? Both work. Newer J-Series favor SIP; 9600s often use H.323.

What ports do I open? Your ITSP specifies SIP signaling and RTP media ranges. Avoid exposing the system to the internet directly; use a firewall/SBC.

Embedded vs Voicemail Pro? Embedded is simple; Voicemail Pro adds advanced call flows and integrations (download).

Where do I get Manager/SSA? From the official Avaya Support portal (account required).

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Educational only. Follow your local telecom and emergency-calling regulations and your provider’s requirements.