Partner case study · CX-01 CORE · AV & phone systems · Tiffin, Ohio
Sound Solutions of Ohio: the network under a three-site phone rollout — and the day the link dropped.
When Preferred Pathways opened a Maumee location, its phone-systems partner needed a site there that could reach the Tiffin phone system over a secure site-to-site link. Crossover designed and built it — fiber, UniFi, a voice VLAN, PoE drops, links to both Tiffin buildings — handed the crew everything they needed, and on install day restored the site-to-site link live when it dropped, so the phones registered the same day.
3
Sites on one phone system
2
Site-to-site links to Tiffin
Same day
Phones live after the link was restored
0
Truck rolls wasted
✓Fiber + UniFi gateway✓Dedicated voice VLAN✓QoS tuned for VoIP✓PoE+ phone drops✓Site-to-site links✓Remote standby on install day✓E911 · Kari's Law · RAY BAUM's Act✓Written handoff
At a glance
PartnerSound Solutions of Ohio — AV and phone systems, Tiffin
End clientPreferred Pathways — Toledo / Maumee location
EngagementMar – Jul 2026 — network build, handoff, install-day support
ScopeSite network · voice VLAN · PoE drops · site-to-site links · E911 scoping · live support
StackBusiness fiber · UniFi gateway, PoE switching and Wi-Fi · FortiGate site-to-site links
ResultPhones registered to the Tiffin system the same day as the install
The challenge
Phones that live in another city
Preferred Pathways' phone system lives in Tiffin. The new Maumee site was an empty condo building: no internet, no network, no drops. In March 2026 the phone partner spelled out the dependencies — internet, switching, wired PoE for every phone, and a VLAN between the sites so handsets in Maumee could register to the system in Tiffin.
The install date moved with one day's notice. Then, mid-install, the site-to-site link went down.
- No ISP, network or cabling at the new site
- Phones require wired PoE and a stable voice VLAN
- Handsets must reach the Tiffin phone system over the site-to-site link
- E911 (Kari's Law, RAY BAUM's Act) responsibilities to define
- Install scheduled on one day's notice
- Link failure mid-install with the crew on site
The approach
Build the network for the phones — then stay on the line.
Design the site around voice from day one, hand the phone crew a written handoff sheet, and be on remote standby so a problem on the site side never stops the install.
ISP
Business fiber
Handed straight to the UniFi gateway
→
SWITCH
PoE switching
PoE+ phone drops on the voice VLAN
→
SEGMENT
Three VLANs
Staff · voice with QoS · residents
→
LINK
Two site-to-site links
Maumee ↔ Tiffin, both buildings
→
HANDOFF
Written handoff to the crew
Which port does what, and link status
→
STANDBY
Live on install day
Link restored, phones registered
The phone partner's scope — E911 compliance — was written into the SOW so nothing fell between two vendors.
What was deployed
Everything the phone crew needed to plug in
Designed, built and supported by the same person — the founder of Crossover.
01
Site network
UniFi gateway on business fiber, PoE switching and Wi-Fi; three VLANs with QoS tuned for voice.
02
Phone drops
Cat6 to both phone locations on PoE+ ports assigned to the voice VLAN, plus a live equipment-room port added before the install.
03
Site-to-site links
Two secure links from Maumee to the two Tiffin buildings so handsets register to the phone system as if they were local.
04
Written handoff
Which port does what, the voice VLAN and link status emailed to the phone crew ahead of the install.
05
E911 scoping
Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act compliance formally scoped and assigned in the statement of work.
06
Install-day support
Remote standby during the install; when the site-to-site link dropped, it was restored live and the crew finished the same day.
Timeline
From dependency list to dial tone
MAR 18, 2026Dependencies definedThe phone partner lists what the site needs: internet, switching, PoE, drops and a VLAN between sites.
MAY 2026Fiber in, scope setBusiness fiber installed; phone requirements confirmed with the field tech.
JUN 2026Site built, links liveSite built; both links to Tiffin live; handoff sheet sent to Sound Solutions.
JUL 25, 2026Extra port + standby offeredLive equipment-room port added; remote standby offered for install day.
JUL 29, 2026Install dayInstall moved up on one day's notice; the link dropped mid-install; it was restored live; phones registered the same day.
JUL 29, 2026Partner note“Thank you for your assistance on the Preferred Pathways phones in Maumee … We will keep you in mind for future projects.”
Results
What the rollout got
3
Sites, one phone system
2
Site-to-site links to Tiffin
Same day
Phones live
1
Written handoff
- A site network designed around voice from the start
- PoE+ drops and a voice VLAN the phone crew could plug into
- Handsets registering to Tiffin over the site-to-site link
- E911 responsibilities written into the SOW
- A partner who answers on install day — and fixes it live
- A phone integrator that will keep Crossover in mind
Why it works
Two vendors vs. one accountable network partner
Same phones, same building — a very different install day.
| Crossover CORE | The usual hand-off | |
|---|---|---|
| Before install | Written handoff sheet sent to the crew | “Talk to the IT guy” |
| Scope | E911 and phone scope named in the SOW | Assumed |
| Install day | Remote standby, fixed live | Ticket opened, crew sent home |
| Network | Voice VLAN, QoS and PoE+ by design | Phones on the office LAN |
| Multi-site | Links to both Tiffin buildings | Cloud workaround |
| After | The same person manages the network | Escalation tiers |
In their words
“We will keep you in mind for future projects.”
The best review a network gets from a phone integrator is a quiet install. This one was not quiet — the link dropped mid-install — which is exactly why the note below matters.
“Thank you for your assistance on the Preferred Pathways phones in Maumee. … We will keep you in mind for future projects.”
Sound Solutions of Ohio — phone-systems partner · July 2026
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