Into The Great Unknown: The Dreamwave D28P
Earlier this week Asterisk guru Ward Mundy pointed out an E-bay auction for a phone that looked kinda familiar and purported itself as offering “HDVoice” – the Dreamwave Networks D28p. A quick Google online revealed that Dreamwave Networks are based in New Jersey, and their web site looked to have both a brochure and some documentation about the device. I even found a tutorial on setting up the phone for use with various Asterisk distributions.
So I took a leap of faith and bought one for the relatively modest sum of $150. At that price it’s significantly less of an investment than the Polycom Soundpoint IP450. Offering 6 lines it’s perhaps more directly comparable to the IP550. It’ll be interesting to see if the device actually delivers the call quality that we see with more expensive devices from bigger brand names.
The Gigaset consumer DECT gear proves that there’s merit in examining low-cost phones that support wideband voice. I also hope to get my hands on one of the low-end Gigaset desk phones one day soon.
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FYI: The eBay vendor has other auctions, including a 3-line version for $50 less. The listing claims that this is an introductory/short-term price.
The display on the 3 line model looked a little limited, which is why I thought the 6 line model was preferable.
Someone contacted me via Twitter to say that these are actually made by YeaLink. See: http://yealink.com/en/view.asp?ClassLayer=681
They look OK but what do they sound like?
I don’t know just yet. UPS delivered the box just a few minutes before I had to leave for SFO. I’ll have it unpacked and running some time this weekend. I intend to explore some low-cost, wideband capable desk phones just to be able to point out alternatives to those who are more cost conscious.
@ mjgraves | Can you please post your comments on this device? I am planning to buy one but I am expecting to read first your comments on it. I am planning to use it with three free SIP providers because the SIP device I currently own only listen to ONE account and is able to dial the other two thru a dialplan but it would be great to be able to be online on all of them at the same time.
Thank you
I would, but in the hectic couple of weeks that have just passed I haven’t had time to get it running yet. Maybe Monday.
so you get a chance to check the device out or what?
Yes, I’ve used it briefly to this point. It has a single problem that keep me from getting on with a longer review. It has no sidetone at all. That makes it very unnatural to use.
This is apparently a software configuration issue. The US distributor tells me that the matter can be resolved if the phones are centrally provisioned. The provisioning scheme exposed some settings that are not available locally on the device.
They are supposed to get back to me with provisioning details.
Just set this phone up using a multi-line, Broadvoice account. Sound is absolutely fantastic. The no sidetone is diffently different. However, the distributor advised me last week that new firmware update will be out soon to address the issue. Looking forward to your full review and perhaps any comments using the phone in a Dreamwave or Trixbox system.
FYI: Dreamwave has posted the new firmware update that addresses the no sidetone issue. Its at http://www.dreamwave.net/support/downloads.php The new version is (V41). After my update, the screenshot changes to “Yealink” from “Dreamwave”. However, the upgrade definitely gives the phone sidetone.
Yep, another Yealink distributor that I met at Astricon told me that the firmware was available two weeks ago. That very day Dreamwave emailed me to tell me about it. Next week I’ll be trying it in the phone and reporting back.
When I first read your article, I was waiting for my device to arrive (5-line) and it came right after. This is my 2 cents experience.
I bought this for home use, usually I am away (out of the country) and I need a solution to call home if not free, cheap. I configured very easy and fast and intuitively my three accounts I usually use with my other Cisco-Sipura and these are: Voxalot [great great great free service for like “PBX” calls between users], VoIPBuster [“free unlimited-limited” USA calls] and RapidVox [very cheap Mexico calls]
The web-menu was way easy, you know SIPAddres, SIPPort, UserName and Password. That’s it.
I really recommend this product to users like me they need a good-looking and efficient SOHO VoIP Phone.
The fact is that we have provided both the D28 and D26 models of this phone to PBX in a Flash for testing. Early results from Ward and Tom are that the sound is phenomenal but we don’t have lots of the fun scripts like Aastra units.
If anyone is interested we have a sale on both models in the PIAF forum in this thread:
http://pbxinaflash.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6873
Mike we are really interested to hear your opinion on the phones also.
Mark Sumpter
Dreamwave Networks
mark@dreamwave.net