Voice Over Ip

[sotal]

Anyone know much about decent voip systems?

I'm just trying to find out some info for a system I'll need. Don't want to spend too much (as per usual ) but if it needs to be a bit then it can be. I need a system with multiple lines coming into one system which then identifies who is calling etc so that a different greeting can be given.

It could also do with having a seperate handset so that if somebody is on the main system, the additional handset will ring and show which line it is - so that can be answered.

I've found a system which does most of this but isn't quite all there any ideas on what I should look at? Just somewhere on the net to have a read would be appreciated.

Not sure if I'm searching for the wrong thing on google but all I'm getting is companies selling the service rather than the handset or crappy usb handsets which plug into your usb port.

This is the kind of thing I was looking at - but not sure if it can forward to other phones etc?

http://www.voiptalk.org/products/Aastra+480i+IP+Phone

After a bit of further reading it appears it will do what I want (I think) any further advice from anyone?

[PaulT]

Anyone know much about decent voip systems?

This is a free telephony solution: Asterisk

I haven't tried it, but it seems to be popular. Not sure which hardware it works with.

Paul.

[sotal]

Cheers Paul,

There's so much info out there! At this point I'm just trying to find out if the hardware is available to do what I want - which hopefully it looks like there is.

Thanks again

[Johndcfc]

The Aastra is a good phone but it looks and feels like something from the 80's - I think the best phone out now is the Snom 320 - costs a bit tho.

The Linksys/Cisco phones (listed as Sipura SPA 941) are really good too plus they have the ringtone from 24!

Asterisk is in my opinion the best open source app out - the things you can do with it are limitless. For example I've got a bluetooth mobile phone which it can detect (using a usb dongle) so when it see's my phone it diverts calls to my deskphone and when it doesn't it diverts to my mobile.

Easiest way of setting up an asterisk system is to download asterisk@home - it sets everything up for you all you have to do is setup trunks/extensions.

What sort of phone lines do you have? Analog/ISDN

Good site for tutorials etc here

[sotal]

Thanks for that John - I'll have a read of those tutorials.

I'm moving office and just looking into to the systems available. I'm not entirely sure on what lines etc are going to be there. It's a purpose built office suite and so the info we've got is that there is going to be microwave broadband which will go to each room and the phones will work off a voip system. We have the choice of them setting everything up and we just rent a handset for £20/month or we can buy our own system and install it.

[Fidgits]

*bangs head on desk*

I've been talking VoIP all last week...

in a nutshell, there are a lot of different technologies out there...

Cisco is good, but they use Skinny, a propriety protocol, so dont expect it to interoperate with other non-cisco VoIP equipment.

The same goes for some of the software, like Skype.

Security will be an issue too, most equipment nowadays will secure with IPSec, which while secure, loses the real time header, and thus loses any QoS or advantage of RTP.

SRTP will solve this, but its not really deployed yet - i expect Avaya to release their SOHO routers with it this year though, and they also use H323 (H245) VoIP, so compatible too... i'm not saying buy from Avaya though, as you say, theres a lot out there...

[sotal]

The Snom 360 looks good but I can't find howmany lines it supports.

I also can't work out how you transfer calls etc! Do you need to of the main unit's or do you buy cheap handsets as aux handsets?

It also said something about needing macromedia flash on your browser so you could see caller id images come up. So do you need you PC on all the time? Or is that for extra benefits??

I'm getting more confused now than when I started

[Johndcfc]

Its not the phone that handles the lines its the asterisk box so for example you could direct line 1, and 3 to extension x. The phone's also do transfers etc.

I think the snom's can be assigned 4 extensions (sip accounts)

Cisco's kit is typical cisco, overpriced, everything's an optional extra but reliable.

The flash thing is probably the FOP (Flash Operator Panel) it shows you the status of everyones phone and the lines being used and queues in realtime - its designed for receptionists so they know who's on the phone etc.

We just use VPN tunnels for multiple sites and remote users so the internet never sees the actual phones.

[sotal]

I've just downloaded the software version of the snom 360. It appears that you can have 12 lines coming in which would be perfect.

What I basically want (after a bit of thought) is the option to have either of the following setups:

5 telephone numbers, 3 handsets. If any of the 5 numbers are dialled all 3 handsets will ring and say which line it is. Each of the handsets should be assigned 1 outgoing number. If 1 person took a call and it was for another person they could transfer the call. If you take a call for someone who is out of the office you can answer then transfer to their mobile if they don't answer then you take the call back and take a message.

Am I going down the right route? Would I need 3 of the expensive phones? Do I need an Asterisk Box as well?

[Fidgits]

Its not the phone that handles the lines its the asterisk box so for example you could direct line 1, and 3 to extension x. The phone's also do transfers etc.

I think the snom's can be assigned 4 extensions (sip accounts)

Cisco's kit is typical cisco, overpriced, everything's an optional extra but reliable.

The flash thing is probably the FOP (Flash Operator Panel) it shows you the status of everyones phone and the lines being used and queues in realtime - its designed for receptionists so they know who's on the phone etc.

We just use VPN tunnels for multiple sites and remote users so the internet never sees the actual phones.

what sort of latencies are you seeing with the VPN tunnels?

any issues with re-transmissions (I assume your using ESP CBC)

[Johndcfc]

I've just downloaded the software version of the snom 360. It appears that you can have 12 lines coming in which would be perfect.

What I basically want (after a bit of thought) is the option to have either of the following setups:

5 telephone numbers, 3 handsets. If any of the 5 numbers are dialled all 3 handsets will ring and say which line it is. Each of the handsets should be assigned 1 outgoing number. If 1 person took a call and it was for another person they could transfer the call. If you take a call for someone who is out of the office you can answer then transfer to their mobile if they don't answer then you take the call back and take a message.

Am I going down the right route? Would I need 3 of the expensive phones? Do I need an Asterisk Box as well?

The actual snom phones connect to the asterisk box so yes you need an asterisk box - otherwise the phones wont know where or who they are, IP Phones only have an ethernet connection and the ability to connect to a sip server (asterisk).

You only need a cheapo box (P3 +) to run asterisk and then the cards that interface to the phoneline anyway.

Its not the phone that handles the lines its the asterisk box so for example you could direct line 1, and 3 to extension x. The phone's also do transfers etc.

I think the snom's can be assigned 4 extensions (sip accounts)

Cisco's kit is typical cisco, overpriced, everything's an optional extra but reliable.

The flash thing is probably the FOP (Flash Operator Panel) it shows you the status of everyones phone and the lines being used and queues in realtime - its designed for receptionists so they know who's on the phone etc.

We just use VPN tunnels for multiple sites and remote users so the internet never sees the actual phones.

what sort of latencies are you seeing with the VPN tunnels?

any issues with re-transmissions (I assume your using ESP CBC)

ermm, I'm not sure about the ESP CBC business but we use a Cisco VPN Concentrator for the main site which is connected to a fat pipe from ntl.

For remote sites we are using standard dlink/netgear vpn routers (which ping the asterisk box every minute so they dont timeout) and the cisco vpn client for laptops who use a softphone.

I get a 18ms ping to the asterisk server from home - this is using ntl broadband so I guess theres not many hops - people on ADSL tend to get around 50-80ms.

[JustJJ]

think we use Avaya at work....

we have swissvoice phones... setup is ok.. so long as you got the bandwidth....

dunno much about the nitty gritty tbh

[Fidgits]

Its not the phone that handles the lines its the asterisk box so for example you could direct line 1, and 3 to extension x. The phone's also do transfers etc.

I think the snom's can be assigned 4 extensions (sip accounts)

Cisco's kit is typical cisco, overpriced, everything's an optional extra but reliable.

The flash thing is probably the FOP (Flash Operator Panel) it shows you the status of everyones phone and the lines being used and queues in realtime - its designed for receptionists so they know who's on the phone etc.

We just use VPN tunnels for multiple sites and remote users so the internet never sees the actual phones.

what sort of latencies are you seeing with the VPN tunnels?

any issues with re-transmissions (I assume your using ESP CBC)

ermm, I'm not sure about the ESP CBC business but we use a Cisco VPN Concentrator for the main site which is connected to a fat pipe from ntl.

For remote sites we are using standard dlink/netgear vpn routers (which ping the asterisk box every minute so they dont timeout) and the cisco vpn client for laptops who use a softphone.

I get a 18ms ping to the asterisk server from home - this is using ntl broadband so I guess theres not many hops - people on ADSL tend to get around 50-80ms.

ahh okay, if your using Cisco for your VPN then your config is pretty standard... as for hte 50mS ping, well 20ms delay seems a bit high, ideally you want a maximum of 10mS, but then if your shoving through a ESP VPN tunnel, its not surprising...

[Johndcfc]

ahh okay, if your using Cisco for your VPN then your config is pretty standard... as for hte 50mS ping, well 20ms delay seems a bit high, ideally you want a maximum of 10mS, but then if your shoving through a ESP VPN tunnel, its not surprising...

I think 20ms is pretty good considering its using a residential broadband service, besides for phone calls there's alway a delay anyway - US calls get routed through to a server in the states (for free calls!) which is like 100-150ms away and the calls are still fine.