On Thu, 2 Oct 2008, Eric Fort wrote:
> I presently need to connect a few channels of voice and data between
> multiple locations where I own the copper between them. Each location
> exceeds 300M from any other location. I'm thinking of generating
T1's and
> running those between locations. If I use PC based cards wired back to
back
> (I can do that, right?) what kind of distance can I expect to be able to
> span without needing repeaters? What inexpensive cards can you recommend
> for use with asterisk? I'm considering either digium or sangoma.
Would I
> get any better performance if I used a sync-serial card connected to a
> separate csu/dsu?
300 metres, right? (not 300 miles?)
Why stop at T1? Go for E1 :) with the right kit at each end you ought to
be able to get 2Mb/sec or more. (distance depending)
Personally, I'd go for a technology that gave me Ethernet at each end -
then it makes it much easier to mix voice and data - But using something
like a sync. modem and line driver then you need a media converter of some
sorts at each end which might bump up the cost - at the savings of the E1
card in the PC though. Last time I had bare copper to play with (a BT EPS8
circuit) I had a 2Mb modem at each end going into a Cisco 2600 which was
running CHDLC over the link and acting as nothing more than a dumb media
converter to give me Ethernet at each end. This was 6 years ago though.
Ah, Looks like the technology has improved somewhat:
http://www.blackbox.com/Catalog/Detail.aspx?cid=381,1452,1468&mid=5261
From the UK site:
Or even:
http://www.blackbox.com/Catalog/Detail.aspx?cid=425,1423,1424&mid=4946
(same thing from the UK site:)
http://www.blackbox.co.uk/solutions/display.asp?cs=dvh&id=1&doc=lb300a-r2&tx=LAN&sx=Network%20Appliances
You need a pair, obviously...
Hm. US site is $305, UK ?253. Rip-off Britain again by the looks of it....
As for inexpensive cards - OpenVox. Their E1 cards seem to work OK, but
if using a LAN extender, then they're not neeed at all...
Gordon