Tom, Thank you! This was all hypothetical, because I'm trying to wrap my mind around the concept. But you've made it much clearer for me. I still have a few follow-up questions... 1a) Forget the hypothetical company now. Let's say 6 outside lines were deemed sufficient, and there were 12 employee (i.e. inside lines). Could I have the same Digium T1 card to service out and inside the company? 1b) I'm fairly certain of this, but anything going outside, I could use the same T1 for receiving calls as for sending them, right? (not with the same channel at the same time, obviously, but I could use 2 lines incoming and 4 outgoing, or 3 incoming and 3 outgoing, depending on the current situation, without reconfigurin the PBX?) 2) When you say a PRI is necessary for a Caller-ID name (as opposed to just number), I've looked around and I understand a PRI uses a T1 tunnel (24 channels) but a bit more expensive. Is this a fact, or is it something completely separate that I couldn't use with Asterisk? Or am I completely out in left field?> Yes, this will easily work via the T1. Your Provider will send the > DNIS information when the call comes in. Normally they provide the > last 4 or last 7 digits of the dialed number (Choose seven. We usedExactly what I wanted to know, thank you.> Yes, but you could use a Sangoma card, too.Will definitely take a look and compare. Any pros and cons I should know that isn't obvious from their documentation?>> - Something (not sure what) on the outside to connect to those 72 >> phones (3 T1 cards internally connecting to a wire panel, in turn >> connected to 60 phones? > 3.) Analog phones connected to a Channel bank, connected to a T1 card.Thanks. I already knew about SIP and IAX, since I'm more of a computer geek than a telecom one that part means more to me :-) Channel bank is what I meant.> Well, experience, patience, and a working dialplan will all be > important! I would personally recommend a GUI configuration tool, > such as AMP, IPManager, or something of the like. This, of course, > depends on your preferences, though, so feel free to hand-code if you > so desire.I'm handcoding right now (I like learning the hard way so I can appreciate the GUIs after) but I'll definitely look into those.> For something like this as your first serious production install, you > might want to consider hiring a consultant.I'll certainly consider that when (I should say if) a real project does require me to do so.> No, but again, you might want to consider hiring a consultant before > you tackle something like this. At the very least, take it slowly as > I suggested above. > > Tom > > ------------------------------------ > Tom Rymes > Cascade Link Systems > www.cascadelinksystems.com > (603) 375-1414Thanks alot Tom, it makes me feel more secure in considering Asterisk for jobs like this when there are helpful people like you around. Mike
> Tom, Thank you! This was all hypothetical, because I'm trying to wrap my > mind around the concept. But you've made it much clearer for me. I still > have a few follow-up questions... > > 1a) Forget the hypothetical company now. Let's say 6 outside lines were > deemed sufficient, and there were 12 employee (i.e. inside lines). Could > I > have the same Digium T1 card to service out and inside the company?yes, its irrelavent what the channels within a channelized T1 do, but with a pri is more complicated FWIW forget about PRI in Canada, no one seems to want to offer it. With channelized you need a drop and insert channelbank, fxs ports on the channels for extensions, and another T1 out from it with just the 6 channels left you want for the outside lines. Caveat - at least in Canada, 6 channels in a T1 is not worth it, go with 6 analog lines of whatever type you need fed to the appropriate channel bank ports - DID and/or regular trunks, last time I dealt with it which has been a while now you could only get inbound DID, so you need regular lines to call out in addition. If you do find a cheap provider for sparse populated T1's let me know, but a couple years ago you were paying $700 for the loop from Bell, and then whatever you actually wanted in it (dsx's, FR, etc) on top of that. I have a single t1 card and a 8x16 channel bank attached with 8 line ports and 16 extensions at least in Canada, ordering anything beyond a loop start trunk is not for the weak of heart, you have to be sure of what you want, and don't take no for an answer from anyone at the telco. You will probably have to go through about 3 layers of call jockies before you get anyone who remotely understands what you want. Then expect it to get done wrong the first time they attempt it so allow lots of extra time. My personal tip - wear a headset phone, take a washroom break and have a snack near you, then take a deep breath and call, its going to take a while. my all time record for repeated screwups and delays is provisioning frame relay on a t1 took from an august order till march the following year till everything was actually working correctly. Another hint - don't even mention you know anything asterisk, or channelbanks or linux, or anything, just say "my pbx" and play dumb, if they can't look something up on their little scripts they just get all confused, and trust me you know more than the people at the callcenter do.> > 1b) I'm fairly certain of this, but anything going outside, I could use > the > same T1 for receiving calls as for sending them, right? (not with the same > channel at the same time, obviously, but I could use 2 lines incoming and > 4 > outgoing, or 3 incoming and 3 outgoing, depending on the current > situation, > without reconfigurin the PBX?) > > 2) When you say a PRI is necessary for a Caller-ID name (as opposed to > just > number), I've looked around and I understand a PRI uses a T1 tunnel (24 > channels) but a bit more expensive. Is this a fact, or is it something > completely separate that I couldn't use with Asterisk? Or am I completely > out in left field?whether it sends name or number is a provider specific thing, it has nothing to do with the capabilities of t1 channels, I use them to send name and number all the time.> >> Yes, this will easily work via the T1. Your Provider will send the >> DNIS information when the call comes in. Normally they provide the >> last 4 or last 7 digits of the dialed number (Choose seven. We used > > Exactly what I wanted to know, thank you. > >> Yes, but you could use a Sangoma card, too. > > Will definitely take a look and compare. Any pros and cons I should know > that isn't obvious from their documentation? > > >>> - Something (not sure what) on the outside to connect to those 72 >>> phones (3 T1 cards internally connecting to a wire panel, in turn >>> connected to 60 phones? >> 3.) Analog phones connected to a Channel bank, connected to a T1 card. > > Thanks. I already knew about SIP and IAX, since I'm more of a computer > geek > than a telecom one that part means more to me :-) Channel bank is what I > meant. > > >> Well, experience, patience, and a working dialplan will all be >> important! I would personally recommend a GUI configuration tool, >> such as AMP, IPManager, or something of the like. This, of course, >> depends on your preferences, though, so feel free to hand-code if you >> so desire. > > I'm handcoding right now (I like learning the hard way so I can appreciate > the GUIs after) but I'll definitely look into those. > >> For something like this as your first serious production install, you >> might want to consider hiring a consultant. > > I'll certainly consider that when (I should say if) a real project does > require me to do so. > >> No, but again, you might want to consider hiring a consultant before >> you tackle something like this. At the very least, take it slowly as >> I suggested above. >> >> Tom >> >> ------------------------------------ >> Tom Rymes >> Cascade Link Systems >> www.cascadelinksystems.com >> (603) 375-1414 > > Thanks alot Tom, it makes me feel more secure in considering Asterisk for > jobs like this when there are helpful people like you around. > > Mike > > _______________________________________________ > --Bandwidth and Colocation sponsored by Easynews.com -- > > 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 >Jon Pounder _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ Inline Internet Systems Inc. Thorold, Ontario, Canada Tools to Power Your e-Business Solutions www.inline.net www.ihtml.com www.ihtmlmerchant.com www.opayc.com
On Oct 20, 2005, at 2:36 PM, Micha?l Gaudette wrote:> Tom, Thank you! This was all hypothetical, because I'm trying to > wrap my mind around the concept. But you've made it much clearer > for me. I still have a few follow-up questions... > > 1a) Forget the hypothetical company now. Let's say 6 outside lines > were deemed sufficient, and there were 12 employee (i.e. inside > lines). Could I have the same Digium T1 card to service out and > inside the company?Yes, you could, but you will have to compare the costs of a fractional PRI or T1 with the costs of 6 regular copper POTS lines and the equipment needed to interface them with Asterisk. POTS lines might be cheaper, but you will need: 1.) 2 Digium TDM400p cards with FXO modules. These cards seem to be finicky, especially more than one, so you might want to stay away. 2.) Multi-port FXO gateway. VOIPSupply might be able to point you to some decent models 3.) T1 Card and a Channel bank with FXO Modules. You could even buy a channel bank that has 12+ FXS modules for the analog extensions and 6 + FXO ports for the incoming lines.> 1b) I'm fairly certain of this, but anything going outside, I could > use the same T1 for receiving calls as for sending them, right? > (not with the same channel at the same time, obviously, but I could > use 2 lines incoming and 4 outgoing, or 3 incoming and 3 outgoing, > depending on the current situation, without reconfigurin the PBX?)Yes. As mentioned by someone else, use the group functionality of Zaptel to let Asterisk select the next available channel> 2) When you say a PRI is necessary for a Caller-ID name (as opposed > to just number), I've looked around and I understand a PRI uses a > T1 tunnel (24 channels) but a bit more expensive. Is this a fact, > or is it something completely separate that I couldn't use with > Asterisk? Or am I completely out in left field?A PRI uses a T1 loop, but you can only send voice or data using 23 channels because the 24th channel is the D channel and is used for signalling. Our PRI was actually cheaper than what we were paying for our T1, but that might simply be due to the volume we sent over the line. Check with your provider. [snip]>> Yes, but you could use a Sangoma card, too. > > Will definitely take a look and compare. Any pros and cons I > should know that isn't obvious from their documentation?Well, Digium's latest firmware release seems to have made major improvements to their cards. However, the Sangomas are great cards as well, but they do require an additional driver, whereas Digium cards work without anything other than Zaptel. Digium's may do this as well, but I know that the Sangomas are capable of handling the D- channel signalling of a PRI directly on the card so that Zaptel doesn't have to do that.>>> - Something (not sure what) on the outside to connect to those 72 >>> phones (3 T1 cards internally connecting to a wire panel, in turn >>> connected to 60 phones? >>> >> 3.) Analog phones connected to a Channel bank, connected to a T1 >> card. > > Thanks. I already knew about SIP and IAX, since I'm more of a > computer geek than a telecom one that part means more to me :-) > Channel bank is what I meant.Keep in mind that you will not need a channel bank if you are using SIP or IAX.>> For something like this as your first serious production install, you >> might want to consider hiring a consultant. > > I'll certainly consider that when (I should say if) a real project > does require me to do so.Give me a call at that time, then!> Thanks alot Tom, it makes me feel more secure in considering > Asterisk for jobs like this when there are helpful people like you > around.It's who I am; it's what I do! Tom ------------------------------------ Tom Rymes Cascade Link Systems www.cascadelinksystems.com (603) 375-1414