I am the IT Manager for an international company who preserves its competitive edge by cutting costs. We are moving to a new office in about two months, and naturally, Asterisk came to mind as a way to implement a VoIP setup at low cost. My expertise is computers, not telephones, so all of this is new to me. I need to know what the ideal setup for an Asterisk set up is. My idea is to have our ISP run a voice/data T1 into our corporate office (about 60 users) and run this into a fast Dell server with Asterisk and a Digium card. Theoretically, the ISP would connect us into the traditional phone system. However, I don't know the specific requirements for the T1 line or how to split the data and voice. What is the best type of T1 line to run? What protocols does it need to support? I have heard of dynamic T1s, how do you split the data and voice? We are thinking of using someone like XO (who currently does both our voice and data). What do I need for this installation? I appreciate your help in this!
If you are bringing in a T1 trunck for the phone lines, you will need a Digital Line Card for the Asterisk server. Once you have that configured within Asterisk, everything else is the same. A good provider such as XO or SBC can easily sell you a Voice T1. Kerry Garrison http://www.geekgazette.com -----Original Message----- From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Tim Chandler Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2005 6:39 PM To: asterisk-users@lists.digium.com Subject: [Asterisk-Users] Choosing an ISP for Asterisk I am the IT Manager for an international company who preserves its competitive edge by cutting costs. We are moving to a new office in about two months, and naturally, Asterisk came to mind as a way to implement a VoIP setup at low cost. My expertise is computers, not telephones, so all of this is new to me. I need to know what the ideal setup for an Asterisk set up is. My idea is to have our ISP run a voice/data T1 into our corporate office (about 60 users) and run this into a fast Dell server with Asterisk and a Digium card. Theoretically, the ISP would connect us into the traditional phone system. However, I don't know the specific requirements for the T1 line or how to split the data and voice. What is the best type of T1 line to run? What protocols does it need to support? I have heard of dynamic T1s, how do you split the data and voice? We are thinking of using someone like XO (who currently does both our voice and data). What do I need for this installation? I appreciate your help in this! _______________________________________________ Asterisk-Users mailing list Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
>However, I don't know the specific requirements for the T1 line or how to split the data and voice. >The point of VoIP is to consolidate data and voice onto one network. Combining both allows for economies of scale: * you don't have to use sangoma or digium card, this is the VoIP provider's task! * bandwith for voice + bandwith for data > bandwith for (voice + data). * you have only one network to focus your efforts on. So assuming you can have high quality bandwith (guaranteed throughput, guaranteed uptime, good pings) - then just have an IP data pipe. Say, 2 Megs symetrical, contention ratio 1:1. This is to be used for voice and for internet. Then you just need 1 PSTN line for 911 emergencies. Then you'll need to deploy a solid bandwith shaping solution to guarantee enough bandwith for VoIP traffic at all times. An additional advantage of this setup is that should you have offices that are equiped the same way, then communications cost between those offices would drop to zero because they become purely VoIP <-> VoIP. Another benefit is that you're not limited to 24 channels but by your bandwith. Cheers, Jean-Michel.
I am using Sprint for a couple of reasons. First, they are a tear 1 internet provider. Second, they are a tear 1 long distance provider. Third, They are a CLEC in most markets in the US. Fourth, They are the only Telco/Intenet provider not rocked by recent Bankruptcy, Bad Customer Service or other scandals. Fifth, Exec lent Customer service. I am connecting 2 ISDN PRI One is Local Switch access( Local Line) and one is dedicated long distance(Gives a lower toll rate for both incoming 800 and outgoing long distance calls). VoIP is going through a SDSL connection (Provided by Covad) at 1Mbps. Sprint has exec lent customer Service compared to SBC. and we have taken SBC out of the loop for us providing a better rate and customer service at a reduced cost of phone service. A good book on Telephone Technologies is "Telecommunications Essentials" ISBN 0-201-76032-0 and also "T1: A Survival Guide" ISBN 0-596-00127-4. A good VoIP Technologies book "Taking Charge of Your VoIP Project" ISBN 1-58720-092-9. All of these books are available online at http://safari.oreilly.com/ or at your favorite bookstore. Max W. Blackmer, Jr.