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Advanced Hints and Tips Page
Grandstream GXV3240 & 3275 video phones
How to download Apps
With your video phone connected to Mesh... there's no internet access to download Android apps. This is quickly remedied by one of three means:
1. unplugging the Mesh ethernet cable from your phone, and plugging the phone into your homes internet router. Now you will be able to access internet and download apps. When done, switch back to Mesh connection.
or
2. Go into your phone Settings, Wireless and Network, and turn on Wi-Fi at the top of that screen. Once the Grandstream connects to yout homes internet source... the phone ignores data from its ethernet source (mesh in this instance) and switches over solely to your homes Wi-Fi internet source. You do not need to unplug the mesh ethernet cable; the 3240/3275 will ignore the ethernet source when Wi-Fi is active. Once done on the internet, turn off your phones Wi-Fi and within 10-15 secoinds your phone will reconnect to the mesh via ethernet.
or
3. Connect your mesh equipment to their node via a managed switch; this will allow both Mesh and internet to be available at the same time.
How to download apps when you don't have a Google Store/Play/Apps account
* Connect your phone to the internet
* Run browser and search for something called "Aptoide". Aptoide allows you to download an Android app directly, and not through Google. Download & install Aptoide to your phone. Next time you want to add an app to your Grandstream video phone, connect phone to internet... run Aptoide... tap on search (magnifying glass at upper right of screen).
Firefox Browser
* seems to run better for me than the phones provided Chrome. From the internet, download and install Firefox.
* To add a specific Firefox link icon to your phones homescreen, navigate to the Firefox browsers Mesh page you wish to create a homescreen icon, press and hold on the address bar showing the Mesh page URL, click on "Add to Home Screen". When tapping on this newly created icon, not only does Firefox launch, but it will take you to that specific page. I have a link icon to my own Mesh node, and a second link icon that takes me directly to our areas Mesh Chat server... as well as a general Firefox browser icon.
IP Cam Viewer
Although I can view most of the Mesh IP cams on our grid via browser, the IP Cam Viewer app makes it a lot simpler. I am using one called "IP Cam Viewer Lite". About the only drawback is that the video runs a little slower; I don't know if it's the fault of the app or the processor speed of the Grandstream phone. But for me... the viewing flexibility of this app outweighs the minor slowness.
WiFi Hotspot Feature
This sends out whatever source is plugged into the phones LAN port... out over consumer WiFi - to any Wifi capable device that's in range of your Mesh phone. These devices would simply do a WiFi scan, see the phone, and you'd tell the device to connect to it; then the smartphone/tablet/computer will have access to Mesh via their browser.
To activate the WiFi Hotspot, go into Settings, Wireless & network. Once on that screen... do not turn on WiFi that's displayed at the top of the screen. Instead scroll down to the bottom of the page and activate HotSpot/Tethering. If successful, a WiFi symbol will appear at the top of your Home page. Note: when the phones power is cycled... the HotSpot feature will not automatically run.
For initial testing purposes, I'd suggest not securing the phones WiFi HotSpot, run it "open" until you get some experience.
Task Viewer
To show which programs are currently running, press & hold the phones Home key, a list of all running apps will appear. To close just one app, swipe it left or right. To stop all apps, press the sweep icon. Note: this does not affect the WiFi HotSpot; it is not an Android App.
To Place an App Icon shortcut on the Home Screen
Click on the Apps button, find the app icon you want to place on the home-screen. Drag the icon down to "move to homescreen"
These last few are not unique to Grandstream, but instead are a part of Android itself. Almost all things you can do with your Android smartphone/tablet... will work on this phone. Consider your Grandstream GXV3240 and 3275 as a desktop version of an Android smartphone.
Please visit the discussion thread on the AREDN forum about these video models:
https://www.arednmesh.org/content/grandstream-video-phones
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