Anyone use a VoIP PBX?

altis · 12-04-2006, 16:07

One of my customers is likely to move soon. I'm considering suggesting they use VoIP phones on their network.

Linksys offer a SPA9000 PBX but the only information I can find about it is fairly limited.

Anyone have any experience of these or any other PBX?

Druchii · 23-04-2006, 15:51

Like the Wanadoo Livebox ?
I've used one, and apart from a minor problem with the internet not working properly (PC issues...) the VoIP service is great, gets out of sync every now and again, but rectifies itself within 3-5seconds.

That's about as much help as i can offer.

TheBlueRaja · 23-04-2006, 16:43

Whats the budget? Number of users etc?

altis · 24-04-2006, 09:31

There's no particular budget but it must be competetive to an analogue PBX (probably Panasonic).

Currently they have 3 incomming lines and 7 phones. Obviously, this may change - but not much. They also have a PA system for paging people in the factory. Apart from a ringing group and being able to transfer calls, they don't use many other gizmos at the moment. Caller Display, I imagine, would be very useful to them.

I've been looking round a bit more and, if we go with it, I will probably use Asterisk on a Linux system. This could all be very stressful if it goes wrong.

TheBlueRaja · 24-04-2006, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by altis

There's no particular budget but it must be competetive to an analogue PBX (probably Panasonic).

Currently they have 3 incomming lines and 7 phones. Obviously, this may change - but not much. They also have a PA system for paging people in the factory. Apart from a ringing group and being able to transfer calls, they don't use many other gizmos at the moment. Caller Display, I imagine, would be very useful to them.

I've been looking round a bit more and, if we go with it, I will probably use Asterisk on a Linux system. This could all be very stressful if it goes wrong.

My job is to sell and design these things for thousands of users - trust me 7 people aint nothing.

Just make sure that the network is Ok, if its a LAN with no WAN then your laughing, ensure the switches and the phones are configured to 100 Full, dont trust auto / auto on the switch / phones. Have you considered power for the phones (plug or Power over ethernet, this requires an 802.3af compliant switch), seperate switch ports on the phones for a PC connection (otherwise you will need two network ports on the floor). On the LAN use G.711 as the codec for voice, if you have a WAN with phones at the end of it use G.729.

You may also wish to configure VLAN trunking on the Phone so that the phone port and the switch port are in seperate VLAN's, but you might get away with it depending on the average users usage. It could be a case of suck it and see.

Anyway - good luck - if you get stuck give me a shout.

altis · 24-04-2006, 12:30

I was planning on getting a new switch with PoE - way to go. I'd assumed that using PoE phones with twin ports would be a piece of cake.

Currently, their LAN reaches the outside world through a Netgear FWG114P NAT router. I'm assuming that I can configure its inbound rules to allow VoIP but ,as far as I'm aware, it doesn't have any QoS support. This may be a problem. I could use the Linux box as the router instead but it will also need to support VPN to a couple of another FWG114Ps - more things to configure and go wrong!

I hadn't thought before about having a phone outside the LAN. Since their sales director lives up in Scotland this might be a neat idea too. But let's not run before we can walk.

TheBlueRaja · 24-04-2006, 12:43

Qos shouldnt really be an issue on the LAN side, its the limited bandwidth on the WAN you need to concider and unless you have a LES circuit between sites you will be running over the internet anyway which has absolutely zero support for QoS.

altis · 25-04-2006, 11:54

Another, simple, question: can they transfer their existing geographic (01) number to VoIP?

TheBlueRaja · 25-04-2006, 12:07

Not a simple question as it depends on your provider. Most bigger VoIPBX's still use ISDN or DASS to connect to the public network, it is these that determine the numbering scheme used.

If you are using an internet based "service provider" (i assume) it will depend upon what they can provide. (Not used any myself so i cant comment)

One other point to mention, safety - your service relies on your broadband connection. No broadband = no phones = inability to dial Emergency Services.

Is this allowed in your company as this is a health and safety issue (i would imagine not to be honest).

Just a thought, but you might find your better off with a similar box that has a couple of ISDN Basic rate connections in the back. This would provide 4 trunks, but that should be enough for 7 users and geographical numbers wont be an issue, nor would the health and safety aspect.

More expensive though and you'll have recurring costs on the Basic rates.

You also realise there is no Voicemail on that box... Just a thought.

altis · 25-04-2006, 12:30

I've thought about the emergency line issues. The plan is to have one POTS line to use for the fax and, in extremis, dialling 999. The existing fax machine has a handset on the side.

On top of this I wanted to put an ADSL connection. The local exchange is not unbundled but at least it has ADSL. This would provide, through the router, Internet access for the office. On top of this I wanted to add VoIP for the office phones. As yet, I have no ideas about which VoIP provider to use.

I don't think that changing their phone number is an option - I'll check tomorrow. If not, then VoIP outside the building may not be an option.

TheBlueRaja · 25-04-2006, 13:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by altis

I've thought about the emergency line issues. The plan is to have one POTS line to use for the fax and, in extremis, dialling 999. The existing fax machine has a handset on the side.

On top of this I wanted to put an ADSL connection. The local exchange is not unbundled but at least it has ADSL. This would provide, through the router, Internet access for the office. On top of this I wanted to add VoIP for the office phones. As yet, I have no ideas about which VoIP provider to use.

I don't think that changing their phone number is an option - I'll check tomorrow. If not, then VoIP outside the building may not be an option.

Yeah but where is your connection to the outside world when the broadband goes down?

There are two phone ports there...

2 RJ-11 FXS Phone Ports - For Analog Circuit Telephone Device (Tip/Ring)

You might get away with putting in one analogue line to the outside world via that.

spikeinin · 24-07-2009, 19:51

Yes with that the VoIP service is great, using their VOIP PBX.

webcrawler2050 · 24-07-2009, 20:13

Gradwell is good! they provide a decent PBX

altis · 24-07-2009, 21:11

Blimey, that was a bit of a bump!

I can report that the Asterisk PBX coupled to Gradwell has been working well for three years. It was certainly worth the struggle to set it up.

Gradwell now offers the facility to register an address against an account so that 999 now works too.