Installation guide

54 Planning and Installation Guide ShoreTel 14.2
Network Requirements and Preparation IP Address Assignment
3
IP Address Assignment
Each ShoreTel voice switch must have an IP address, and each ShoreTel server must have a static IP
address. Use one of the following ways to assign an IP address to a voice switch:
 DHCP on a network server. (ShoreTel does not support DHCP on its servers.)
 The BOOTP server that ShoreTel Director has in its records.
 The maintenance port on the front of the ShoreTel voice switch. For information about the location
of the maintenance port on the switch, see Appendix F, ShoreTel Voice Switches for all switch
models or refer to the ShoreTel quick install guide for a specific ShoreTel voice switch model.
If a voice switch has been configured to request a dynamic IP address, it puts a DHCP/BOOTP
request on the network when powered on. If the voice switch receives a response, it uses the new IP
address. If no response is received, it reverts to the previous IP address. If there is no previous IP
address, the voice switch continues trying to get an IP address.
If the network has a DHCP server, ShoreTel recommends that you reserve IP addresses so that the IP
addresses of the voice switches do not dynamically change.
If the network does not have a DHCP server, the integrated BOOTP server within ShoreTel Director
lets you assign IP addresses.
The maintenance port is for configuring the networking parameters.
The following recommendations can assist with the assignment of IP addresses:
 Ensure that only one DHCP server is on the network. Multiple DHCP servers can unexpectedly
change IP addresses and disrupt operation of voice switches.
 The ShoreTel system must be on a private network in some situations and on a public network in
other situations. For example:

If the enterprise is using a firewall with Network Address Translation (NAT), all remote facilities
must establish VPN connections to headquarters and be on the same private network.

If the enterprise is using firewalls but not NAT, all remote locations must use public IP
addresses.
 Each IP phone must have a unique IP address. You can configure the IP phone through DHCP or
manually on the phone.
 Phones at different sites must be configured on different subnets or assigned from different
address ranges so that the ShoreTel system can properly assign the voice switch for the IP
telephone site.