Hey guys, appreciate the input. Here are some thoughts. ADSI phones are out of the question. This is a business environment, I can't worry about my employees not knowing how to forward calls, answer calls when away from the multiline phone, and no ADSI phone will handle multiple lines that I have found. I would love to put 6 X100P cards in a case and run asterisk on it. but... I hate the idea of running a channel bank. It just seems unecessary, and more crap to break, set up, and buy. DIalogic 4 and 12 port cards are expensive. The 12 port prohibitively so, so I think I would be better off getting 2 of the 4 port cards. I have found them for <900$ apiece on ebay. That compairs as: Case 1 Channel bank Asterisk box: 500$ (provably less than this, as it is a minimal machine) T100P card: 500$ Channel Bank 600$ (actually, from what I can find, provably more like 1000$ before I am done) Phones: I am going to go with the Mitel Networks 5055, they are about 400$ apiece. Total: 1600$ for the setup (to 2000$) + 2000K for 5 phones. Case 2: FXO cards Asterisk box 500$ Dialogic 4 port card 900$ Phones: same as the above Total 1400$ plus phones, 2K$ for 5 phones. Case 3 proprietary system Mitel 3100 server: 3K Phones: 250$ apiece, 1250$ total. 4250$ total. Case 1 and 2 are ties in my eyes, except the channel bank would provably be cheaper to upgrade to 8 lines. I am just afraid of the channel bank. I just don't know anything about them. If I buy the wrong crap, it gets really expensive fast, plus adds another layer of complexity. Michael Rowley MD FP
On Tue, 2003-12-09 at 20:48, Michael Rowley wrote:> Hey guys, > > appreciate the input. Here are some thoughts. > > ADSI phones are out of the question. This is a business environment, I > can't worry about my employees not knowing how to forward calls, answer > calls when away from the multiline phone, and no ADSI phone will handle > multiple lines that I have found.Do you need multiple line appearances at each phone? Take a while to itemize what it is you are going to accomplish with a multiple line appearance phone. Then think about ways the same functions can be done without them.> I would love to put 6 X100P cards in a case and run asterisk on it. > but... > > I hate the idea of running a channel bank. It just seems unecessary, > and more crap to break, set up, and buy.If you have more than about 8 analog lines the telco will deploy a channel bank in your office space and drop you a T1 to it. The point is, telcos trust them to provide the appropriate uptime, why shouldn't you.> DIalogic 4 and 12 port cards are expensive. The 12 port prohibitively > so, so I think I would be better off getting 2 of the 4 port cards. I > have found them for <900$ apiece on ebay. > > That compairs as: > > Case 1 Channel bank > > Asterisk box: 500$ (provably less than this, as it is a minimal machine) > T100P card: 500$ > Channel Bank 600$ (actually, from what I can find, provably more like > 1000$ before I am done) > Phones: I am going to go with the Mitel Networks 5055, they are about > 400$ apiece. > Total: 1600$ for the setup (to 2000$) + 2000K for 5 phones. > > Case 2: FXO cards > > Asterisk box 500$ > Dialogic 4 port card 900$ > Phones: same as the above > Total 1400$ plus phones, 2K$ for 5 phones.Don't forget that you will then have to purchase the DS0 licenses too.> Case 3 proprietary system > > Mitel 3100 server: 3K > Phones: 250$ apiece, 1250$ total. > 4250$ total. > > Case 1 and 2 are ties in my eyes, except the channel bank would > provably be cheaper to upgrade to 8 lines. I am just afraid of the > channel bank. I just don't know anything about them. If I buy the > wrong crap, it gets really expensive fast, plus adds another layer of > complexity. > > > Michael Rowley MD > FP > > _______________________________________________ > Asterisk-Users mailing list > Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users-- Steven Critchfield <critch@basesys.com>
I have a strange but do-able Idea. There is a box Called MediaTrix that gives you 4 FXO ports. It's called the 1204. Your set this unit up to forward the incoming number to your asterisk system. Then on the Asterisk box you put 2 X100P cards. The Mediatrix is under $ 700.00 and it works. I am using one of them and configured it with SIP Sean help me out with this unit from NetXusa. In fact I think he has other FXO box's that can work lowering your cost and not having to put so many boards into your Asterisk box. Sean help us out here with a good box Idea. I have lots of Dialogic boards I there not good for Asterisk. Hopefully by the beginning of the year Digium will have there 4 port FXO board done! It would really be nice to be able to mix and match it like 2 FXS, and 2 FXO ports on it! I have also found and am working on getting a small blue box about 3X8X8 800mhz VIA chip set system running. It has one PCI slot. This will make a great Asterisk server! Better then the Xbox setup. Smaller and not branded! Good luck. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Rowley" <os2doc@bellsouth.net> To: <asterisk-users@lists.digium.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 9:48 PM Subject: [Asterisk-Users] was FXO cards> Hey guys, > > appreciate the input. Here are some thoughts. > > ADSI phones are out of the question. This is a business environment, I > can't worry about my employees not knowing how to forward calls, answer > calls when away from the multiline phone, and no ADSI phone will handle > multiple lines that I have found. > > I would love to put 6 X100P cards in a case and run asterisk on it. > but... > > I hate the idea of running a channel bank. It just seems unecessary, > and more crap to break, set up, and buy. > > DIalogic 4 and 12 port cards are expensive. The 12 port prohibitively > so, so I think I would be better off getting 2 of the 4 port cards. I > have found them for <900$ apiece on ebay. > > That compairs as: > > Case 1 Channel bank > > Asterisk box: 500$ (provably less than this, as it is a minimal machine) > T100P card: 500$ > Channel Bank 600$ (actually, from what I can find, provably more like > 1000$ before I am done) > Phones: I am going to go with the Mitel Networks 5055, they are about > 400$ apiece. > Total: 1600$ for the setup (to 2000$) + 2000K for 5 phones. > > Case 2: FXO cards > > Asterisk box 500$ > Dialogic 4 port card 900$ > Phones: same as the above > Total 1400$ plus phones, 2K$ for 5 phones. > > Case 3 proprietary system > > Mitel 3100 server: 3K > Phones: 250$ apiece, 1250$ total. > 4250$ total. > > Case 1 and 2 are ties in my eyes, except the channel bank would > provably be cheaper to upgrade to 8 lines. I am just afraid of the > channel bank. I just don't know anything about them. If I buy the > wrong crap, it gets really expensive fast, plus adds another layer of > complexity. > > > Michael Rowley MD > FP > > _______________________________________________ > Asterisk-Users mailing list > Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users >
> I am just afraid of the channel > bank. I just don't know anything about them. If I buy the wrong crap, > it gets really expensive fast, plus adds another layer of complexity.Michael, Don't be afraid of the channel bank. I got one (Adtran) on e-bay for $99.00 and was a complete neophyte at the time. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to set up, providing that you read the documentation carefully, and there are lots of surplus cards (FXO and FXS) floating around in the $100 - $200 price range. The 600 and the 750 are both completely compatible with asterisk. For the 600, just make sure that you get the "L2" series FXO cards if you want caller ID. I don't know about the 750. Stephen R. Besch
Michael, Digium is working on a 4 port FXO card and hopefully it'll be ready soon. However, if you have to install a system now, your best bet is a multi-port fxo sip gateway; they come in 1,2,4... ports per box. i havn't been following prices lately but you should be able to pick one up for about US$100 / port which works out to be most economical solution for a 6 Co lines situation. cheers, patrick Michael Rowley wrote:> Hey guys, > > appreciate the input. Here are some thoughts. > > ADSI phones are out of the question. This is a business environment, I > can't worry about my employees not knowing how to forward calls, answer > calls when away from the multiline phone, and no ADSI phone will handle > multiple lines that I have found. > > I would love to put 6 X100P cards in a case and run asterisk on it. but... > > I hate the idea of running a channel bank. It just seems unecessary, > and more crap to break, set up, and buy. > > DIalogic 4 and 12 port cards are expensive. The 12 port prohibitively > so, so I think I would be better off getting 2 of the 4 port cards. I > have found them for <900$ apiece on ebay. > > That compairs as: > > Case 1 Channel bank > > Asterisk box: 500$ (provably less than this, as it is a minimal machine) > T100P card: 500$ > Channel Bank 600$ (actually, from what I can find, provably more like > 1000$ before I am done) > Phones: I am going to go with the Mitel Networks 5055, they are about > 400$ apiece. > Total: 1600$ for the setup (to 2000$) + 2000K for 5 phones. > > Case 2: FXO cards > > Asterisk box 500$ > Dialogic 4 port card 900$ > Phones: same as the above > Total 1400$ plus phones, 2K$ for 5 phones. > > Case 3 proprietary system > > Mitel 3100 server: 3K > Phones: 250$ apiece, 1250$ total. > 4250$ total. > > Case 1 and 2 are ties in my eyes, except the channel bank would provably > be cheaper to upgrade to 8 lines. I am just afraid of the channel > bank. I just don't know anything about them. If I buy the wrong crap, > it gets really expensive fast, plus adds another layer of complexity. > > > Michael Rowley MD > FP > > _______________________________________________ > Asterisk-Users mailing list > Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users > >