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Devices

In FS PBX, Devices are primarily used for auto-provisioning—that is, generating and delivering phone configuration files so supported phones can “plug in and just work.”

This section is not a live view of what’s currently connected to the PBX.

What a “Device” means in FS PBX​

A Device is a record that describes a physical phone (or endpoint) so FS PBX can:

  • Identify it (usually by MAC address)
  • Apply the right vendor/model template
  • Generate the correct provisioning config
  • Assign one or more lines (extensions) to it
  • Keep provisioning consistent after changes (passwords, line keys, BLFs, etc.)

Think of it as: “How FS PBX builds configuration for a phone,” not “which phones are online right now.”

Common question: “Does this page show devices that are connected?”​

No. The Devices section does not show which phones are currently connected/registered/online.

If you want to see live connectivity, you’d look at registrations (SIP registrations) and related status views—depending on your deployment and UI modules.

Another common question: “Do I need to create Devices here before phones can connect?”​

No. Phones do not need to be created in Devices in order to connect to the PBX.

  • If you are not using auto-provisioning, you can skip Devices entirely.
  • Phones can register normally as long as the extension/account credentials are correct and network access is in place.

When you should use Devices​

Use Devices when you want any of the following:

  • Auto-provisioning (plug-and-play)
  • Centralized management of phone configs
  • Easy reassignment of phones to different users/extensions
  • Consistent BLF / line-key layouts (where supported)
  • Easier rollouts across many endpoints

If you’re deploying more than a handful of phones, Devices + provisioning usually saves a lot of time.

What you typically do in the Devices section​

A normal workflow looks like this:

  1. Create a Device
  • Vendor / Model (if applicable)
  • MAC address (most common identifier)
  • Optional: friendly name (e.g., “Front Desk Phone”)
  1. Assign one or more Lines
  • Link the device to an extension (or multiple extensions)
  • Set line positioning (Line 1, Line 2, etc.)
  1. Provision the phone
  • Point the phone to your provisioning URL (or use DHCP option 66, depending on your environment)
  • Reboot the phone so it downloads its config