Hi guys, I posted a somewhat similar question about a month ago and got a thoughtful resonse from Steven Critchfield, but I've got a quick follow up question to it. I'm looking to setup a 16 extension / 10-14 phone line Asterisk install for a customer who would like to have DID numbers for the extensions, since they're currently on Centrex and already have the 1-to-1 correspondence. Since I'm in a less populated area of the country, SBC doesn't seem to have much in the way of fractional T1 products (on the scale that we need them) available, so I think my only option for DID is to use (analog) DID trunks for incoming calls and POTS lines for outbound calls. I'm familiar w/ POTS lines and have already done limited testing w/ a CAC channel bank equipped with FXO cards and that works fine. What I'm concerned about is the DID trunks. I've been told they have no dialtone and of course you can't place calls on them, but can receive calls. My question is, in general, should my CAC channel bank w/ the FXO cards that work on POTS lines work okay w/ analog DID trunks from the phone company? Might I have to purchase additional equipment to handle the DIDs (going into one of two Digium T1 cards I have in the Asterisk box)? Would they be different cards to plug into the CAC channel bank? Something totally different? Sorry to bring what I know is a rather off-topic question here, but the SBC guys don't like to help with customer education so much. As always, I appreciate all of your expertise and patience with me and the other new guys. John Lawler
On Monday, December 22, 2003 3:40 PM, john lawler [SMTP:maillist@tgice.com] wrote:> Hi guys, > > I posted a somewhat similar question about a month ago and got a > thoughtful resonse from Steven Critchfield, but I've got a quick > follow > up question to it. > > I'm looking to setup a 16 extension / 10-14 phone line Asterisk > install > for a customer who would like to have DID numbers for the extensions, > > since they're currently on Centrex and already have the 1-to-1 > correspondence. Since I'm in a less populated area of the country, > SBC > doesn't seem to have much in the way of fractional T1 products (onthe> > scale that we need them) available,Have you asked for a full T1 but with just 10-14 DID/DOD trunks? We can not get fractional T1 here but on a full T1 we can add anywhere from 1 - 24 trunks. So we pay one amount per month for the T1 and on top of that we pay another amount times the number of trunks we have. I know this didn't exactly address your questions. For your primary question I believe that your would need different type of channels in a channel bank than FXOs. DPTs (Dial pulse) terminating come to mind, but that may be wrong. Don Pobanz>so I think my only option for DID > is > to use (analog) DID trunks for incoming calls and POTS lines for > outbound calls. > > I'm familiar w/ POTS lines and have already done limited testing w/ a > CAC channel bank equipped with FXO cards and that works fine. What > I'm > concerned about is the DID trunks. I've been told they have no > dialtone > and of course you can't place calls on them, but can receive calls. > > My question is, in general, should my CAC channel bank w/ the FXO > cards > that work on POTS lines work okay w/ analog DID trunks from the phone > > company? Might I have to purchase additional equipment to handle the > > DIDs (going into one of two Digium T1 cards I have in the Asterisk > box)? Would they be different cards to plug into the CAC channel > bank? > Something totally different? > > Sorry to bring what I know is a rather off-topic question here, but > the > SBC guys don't like to help with customer education so much. As > always, > I appreciate all of your expertise and patience with me and the other > > new guys. > > John Lawler
You should be able to just order Trunk Lines. They are also known as ground start lines. They are usually for incoming only so you would have something like 4-5 Trunk lines for the incoming DID's and the rest would be regular pots lines. In your CAC, you would take the Trunk lines and they would come in on the FXS channels and the POTS lines would come in on the FXO channels. In our area, Trunk lines run about $29-$35 each and then you pay for the DID's. Hope it helps. Tim Thompson Commercial Sales Engineer http://www.amatechtel.com (806) 722-2227 -----Original Message----- From: Don Pobanz [mailto:dpobanz@hastingsutilities.com] Sent: Monday, December 22, 2003 4:42 PM To: 'asterisk-users@lists.digium.com' Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] DID trunks -- equipment requirement On Monday, December 22, 2003 3:40 PM, john lawler [SMTP:maillist@tgice.com] wrote:> Hi guys, > > I posted a somewhat similar question about a month ago and got a > thoughtful resonse from Steven Critchfield, but I've got a quick > follow > up question to it. > > I'm looking to setup a 16 extension / 10-14 phone line Asterisk > install > for a customer who would like to have DID numbers for the extensions, > > since they're currently on Centrex and already have the 1-to-1 > correspondence. Since I'm in a less populated area of the country, > SBC > doesn't seem to have much in the way of fractional T1 products (onthe> > scale that we need them) available,Have you asked for a full T1 but with just 10-14 DID/DOD trunks? We can not get fractional T1 here but on a full T1 we can add anywhere from 1 - 24 trunks. So we pay one amount per month for the T1 and on top of that we pay another amount times the number of trunks we have. I know this didn't exactly address your questions. For your primary question I believe that your would need different type of channels in a channel bank than FXOs. DPTs (Dial pulse) terminating come to mind, but that may be wrong. Don Pobanz>so I think my only option for DID > is > to use (analog) DID trunks for incoming calls and POTS lines for > outbound calls. > > I'm familiar w/ POTS lines and have already done limited testing w/ a > CAC channel bank equipped with FXO cards and that works fine. What > I'm > concerned about is the DID trunks. I've been told they have no > dialtone > and of course you can't place calls on them, but can receive calls. > > My question is, in general, should my CAC channel bank w/ the FXO > cards > that work on POTS lines work okay w/ analog DID trunks from the phone > > company? Might I have to purchase additional equipment to handle the > > DIDs (going into one of two Digium T1 cards I have in the Asterisk > box)? Would they be different cards to plug into the CAC channel > bank? > Something totally different? > > Sorry to bring what I know is a rather off-topic question here, but > the > SBC guys don't like to help with customer education so much. As > always, > I appreciate all of your expertise and patience with me and the other > > new guys. > > John Lawler_______________________________________________ Asterisk-Users mailing list Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
>Hi guys, > > >I'm looking to setup a 16 extension / 10-14 phone line Asterisk install>for a customer who would like to have DID numbers for the extensions, >since they're currently on Centrex and already have the 1-to-1 >correspondence. Since I'm in a less populated area of the country, SBC>doesn't seem to have much in the way of fractional T1 products (on the >scale that we need them) available, so I think my only option for DIDis>to use (analog) DID trunks for incoming calls and POTS lines for >outbound calls.I'd look into ISDN, both PRI and BRI. If the costs are not too prohibitive, this would be the most flexable option. ISDN uses out of band signaling and has a number of features which complement a DID enviroment, such as DNIS (dialed number information service), where the number dialed is passed along with an incoming call. If your enviroment never uses all its outside lines at the same time, this can be cost effective, because you can have direct dial numbers for all the phones without a one to one correspondance of outside lines to extensions. PRI is usually too expensive, but sometimes BRI is affordable, however you should check on pricing for both to see if they may be cost effective.