Solid IP phone

Author's Rating:

Pros: High quality, robust product with better compatibility than predecessors

Cons: Expensive, lacks some features.

The Bottom Line: 
Recommended.  For basic phone functionality, this is one of the best ip phones I've used.

Author's Review
This product is generally very well thought out.  The controls are simple and intuitive, the screen is easy to read, the handset is comfortable, and the audio quality is superb.  It can be powered by PoE, which means, only one cable, the ethernet cable needs to be plugged in (an ac adapter is also available) There are also additional jacks on the back to plug your computer's Ethernet port in, as well as a hands free headset (there's no wireless option, as there's no wireless transciever in the unit).  This would be a nice option to have, as well as an illuminated keyboard and screen, however these options are missing.

The phone can accomodate 6 lines, and I believe there are very similar versions available with support for as few as 2 lines and as many as 8.  The lower level models are sold as Linksys products.

For those who prefer a snazzier phone with a lit and color screen, those are also available, however I have no personal experience with them.  What I can say is the ring and call volume are fully adjustable and can go as loud as I need them to, the speakerphone is indeed excellent, and the phone seems well built and robust against physical abuse.

Another appreciated feature is the integrated stand, which allows one to maintain the phone at various angles with respect to the table, from completely horizontal, to vertically mounted on the wall.

I have only used this phone (7961G-GE) with the cisco proprietary voip system, but I know that unlike some other cisco phones, it can operate in a SIP environment, and a standard PoE environment.  Keep this in mind when looking at the cisco ip phone line, as there are many models which seem similar but have some important non-obvious differences.