AT&T TL86103 2-Line Corded/Cordless for Small Business with Answering Machine

Top Positive Review

The telephone came in a box with another order. It was appropriately packaged and all of the parts were in the box. It was easy to open and check for all items. It was very easy to assemble and set up. Directions are clear and concise. The “Quick Start Guide” was easy to follow and the handbook provided additional information on all of the features available on this phone and the handset. It was one of the easiest phones to set up that I’ve purchased in recent years. The speaker and the headset are clear and the volume control allows one to set the voice as quietly or loudly as one prefers. Setting up the directory was very easy and i did not need the guide to do it. It does have the cell phone feature, but I did not set it up. I have not used some of the other features of the phone as yet, but from a quick scan of the “User’s Manual” I think they, too, will be easy to set up. I like this phone and would recommend it to others.

Top Critical Review

This is a good looking phone. Everything about this phone LOOKS good. In fact, this phone almost gleams as it sits there grinning at you from that small corner of your desk where phones just GO. The day it was delivered, I ordered a second one just like it. Why? Cuz I have two desks that needed phones and DAMN this was one fine, sexy phone.

Both of these exceptionally good looking phones worked great for the first couple of months, then, in all their beautiful splendor, made a mutual death pact and died within days of each other. Well, almost died.

Sometimes it happens that even the best-planned, well-executed self-destruction fails. In that case, the sad remains are left to languish in a kind of “not-quite-dead” but “not-really-alive” (AKA brain dead) state. Such is the case with these fine looking hunks of chromed plastic, convenient cordless handsets and backlit keypad buttons. (BEAUTIFUL!)

Neither phone has any working electronics after their sad, sad decision to end it all. No displays, no access to the second line whatsoever, no answering machine function, no hold function, no bluetooth function… nothing that might be powered by electricity. The phone does make a death rattle ring-gasp type sound when someone calls but you’d better be sitting right there when that event occurs if you plan to hear it. The cordless handset doesn’t work at all, other than to display WHY it doesn’t work. (Base no power) Yeah, we know but thanks for that update, useless handset.

In case you’re still reading, yes, the power is connected to the base and has also been connected to various 110v outlets in two different households AND multiple outlets in my office. Since new, the units were connected to a high Jule surge protector which is connected to a battery backup. (I need phones and those phones need to ring 24/7) Nothing else on the circuit has a problem but BOTH of these phones die within days of each other…?? Hmmmmmm. Thinking it’s nothing but the phones.

If you were wondering why I don’t “just order a new power supply” I’ll tell you: this power supply is some kind of unholy aberration with a cord that terminates into what looks like an oversized RJ-11 connector. If you’re not google savvy, an RJ-11 connector is the squarish end part of a landline phone cord that connects the wall to the phone. And no, I didn’t get drunk when setting up the phone and NO, I didn’t plug the power cord into the phone port. One is red and both are clearly marked. Besides, the power cord won’t plug into the RJ-11 port. No, this was a self-inflicted, self-destructive, self-administered wound on the part of the phone itself.

So now, the grandkids have some pretty realistic toy telephones and I have learned a very expensive lesson.

Customer Questions & Answers

How does speed dial work?
Answer: Hi – Speed dial allows you to dial a phone number with one touch of a button without manually dialing it. Thank you for your interest!

Can the cordless handset be wall mounted?
Answer: Jerry – the cordless handset is not wall mountable.

Does this phone have an RJ9 jack?
Answer: Hi – The AT&T TL86103 only has an Rj11 and RJ14 jack. Thank you for your interest!

What is the push to talk capability?
Answer: From what I can discern, it allows the phones to connect to each other for conversation (kinda like a walkie talkie).
However, I’ve never used this function but often accidentally press the side button to see the phone asking me which phone I would like to connect to.