Which PBX

Need_Drugs_Now · 08-05-2007 10:04AM #1

Dear All

I hope I have got the correct group to pose my question to. I am working for a company that needs to get a new PBX. It will be a VOIP system (Hence this group) and i have listed some of the key features below. If anyone has any suggestions, Recommendations or comments please. When I go out searching there is a myriad of companies and options.

Features/Aspects

1) Will have to cater for 200 Users, initially 100 but this will expand
2) Will need Voice Mail.
3) has to support pickup groups (where one person can pickup someone else’s phone)

Has anyone used the 3Com NBX Enterprise LAN Telephony solution?

The most important aspect is that that we can get support and buy equipment from more than one supplier. i don’t work for a call center so this is just a very basic system that the users will require.

I will look at the free version but due to time and knowledge limitations, it does not look like a viable option.

Again any commnets suggestions or if this has already been covered in a recent post can you let me know.

Regards Niall

Jaden · 08-05-2007 04:05PM

Trixbox.

Use it here for the same setup you're describing. Voicemail, pickups, ring groups, remote extensions, blah blah blah.

Oh, and it's free. (as in beer).

RangeR · 10-05-2007 11:41AM

What is your budget?

We [not the company in my sig] sell two main systems. One cheap for small SME's and one big that can scale to about 700 users.

No advertisements here, but if you're budget is in our ball park, I'll pm you some contact details.

joePC · 11-05-2007 06:55PM

I would go with Trixbox or Fonality PBXtra or Soft-Telecom VOX product

Depending on buget, I would stay away from 3com, Avaya etc...

Need_Drugs_Now · 18-05-2007 03:15PM

Hi

thanks for comming back to me on this, i will check out Trixbox.

has anyone used it with 200 extensions?
What is the best hardware to use with it?
Has anyone used it with a primary rate ISDN line?

here is my email address if you want to get in contract with me.

niall.maguire@oriflame.ie

Regards Niall

Sponge Bob · 18-05-2007 05:00PM

use digium cards with it

make sure the card is installed in the server before you boot off and install the trixbox cd as it needs to compile specific CODE based on hardware detection.

trixbox was called asterisk until a year ago but asterisk wiki instructions still stand , trixbox 1.0 was basically aaterisk 1.3

joePC · 19-05-2007 11:40AM

Trixbox was called asterisk@home and has no affiliation with Digium the makers of Asterisk.

200 Extensions --> can handle without issue
Best Hardware --> This is where you need to be very careful, Go for a standard single core P4 with an Intel 7230 chipset motherboard has worked best in my experience.
Has anyone used it with a primary rate ISDN line? --> Yes as many as 4 in one server but my recommendation is to use 2x 1u servers using HA and DRBD for failover and for your PRA go with the foneBRIDGE2 from Red-Fone http://www.red-fone.com/Products/ works perfect for failover situations. Digium cards have some serious dependency issues with IRQ's so just keep that in mind if you go down that route.

Another warning --> TEST, TEST, TEST and TEST again, The phone system is the heart of most companies if its down your fooked.

Good luck.

sirlinux · 20-05-2007 10:25AM

It can easily cope 200 extensions, works very well with primary rate, a dual core cpu is a good idea (one core to deal with interrupts from the primary rate card and one to deal with any transcoding/db stuff) Use a sangoma card rather then digium as the digium cards are troublesome at best with interrupts, sangoma just works. Your goingto need a seperate vlan for vocie if it all possible, poe switches to power the phones, and yes test test test. if you do go for two machines for HA the redfone box works pretty well

tech · 20-05-2007 11:56AM

There are a few Good Ayaya Phone systems out there

Calyx in Dublin do a good VOIP solution.

Sponge Bob · 20-05-2007 11:42PM

joePC wrote:

Trixbox was called asterisk@home

twas called @home yes , sorry. Still scalable with PRI cards and the like though so @home was an implication that it was small scale when that was not the case.

and do test like the clappers.

Need_Drugs_Now · 21-05-2007 12:19PM

Dear all

thanks for comming back again, yes i think i can get the jist now, it has something to do with testing. i will price up the system now and see what a test system would cost and see if i can setup a demo system to sell it to the boss. thanks for all the feedback. i am sure this is the start of a great adventure or a big headache, i am not sure yet!

Cheers Niall

joePC · 21-05-2007 04:19PM

Go with Soft-telecom.com if you want a solid Asterisk system with excellent support.
I dont work for them but have met the creators and used the software.

Need_Drugs_Now · 06-06-2007 11:29AM

Dear all

What do people think of the 3Com NBX systems? I checked the asteisk providers and they are all coming in more expensive than the 3com or staying with our existing supplier and I don’t think I will be able to go with them, I know they do lots but we don’t need it.

Regards Niall

RangeR · 06-06-2007 11:40AM

Need_Drugs_Now wrote:

Dear all

What do people think of the 3Com NBX systems?

Regards Niall

OT but what sort of price where you getting for the 3com systems?

Dylan Murphy · 19-08-2008 02:22PM

does anyone now where I can get a simple panasonic PBX system?

Regards

RangeR · 19-08-2008 02:31PM

Dylan Murphy wrote: »

does anyone now where I can get a simple panasonic PBX system?

Regards

You really should have created a different topic for your question as it doesn't relate to this thread at all.

But seeing as you're here.... I don't know about Panasonic PBX's. I do know providers of other simple PBX's. What are you're requirements?

Dylan Murphy · 19-08-2008 02:37PM

Hi, ill try and movie it to another section...

I need 8 extensions + 1 outside line, If possible caller id on all lines

regards

Dylan

RangeR · 19-08-2008 02:47PM

Dylan Murphy wrote: »

Hi, ill try and movie it to another section...

I need 8 extensions + 1 outside line, If possible caller id on all lines

regards

Dylan

Then probably what we sell might be over kill, but we have done smaller systems in the past. If you want to talk about it, feel free to ring me. My details are in my signature [CT3]. We are not the cheapest but not overely expensive.

Keith.

jasontallon · 20-08-2008 04:48PM

Hi

Have a look at this one

http://www.jmcsoft.ie/product_info.php/cPath/21_33/products_id/43

Available from JmcSoft.ie

ADSL Modem
1 x FXS for analogue phone
1 x FXO for PSTN line
SIP based VOIP PBX
WiFI router
Voice Mail to Email
Firewall
IVR
& More

All in One

Jason

RangeR · 20-08-2008 05:08PM

jasontallon wrote: »

http://www.jmcsoft.ie/product_info.php/cPath/21_33/products_id/43

That's a damn fine box. Obviously I can't recommend it, coming from a competitor

bhickey · 20-08-2008 11:21PM

IrishTLR wrote: »

That's a damn fine box. Obviously I can't recommend it, coming from a competitor

Is there a moderator on this forum? It's fast becoming an advert for a few vested interests who do little more than promote themselves.

RangeR · 21-08-2008 11:02AM

bhickey wrote: »

Is there a moderator on this forum? It's fast becoming an advert for a few vested interests who do little more than promote themselves.

I fear that you have lost the humour in my above post.

I have never advertised on boards for ANY company I work for and I take offense. I am in the VoIP forum to gain knowledge and give some back. If you feel that I am selling services then that is your problem.

If others feel the same way, I would rather stop visiting the VoIP forum.

mackerooney · 22-08-2008 02:57PM

I had a look at this - interesting and very cheap.

To doesnt seem to take ISDN or analogue lines? Can anyone tell what SIP is and do I need to change anything to get it?

RangeR · 22-08-2008 03:05PM

mackerooney wrote: »

I had a look at this - interesting and very cheap.

To doesnt seem to take ISDN or analogue lines? Can anyone tell what SIP is and do I need to change anything to get it?

SIP is a Voice over IP technology [VoIP]. In a nutshell, the telephone calls come in over your internet connection. You don't technically need a phone line if you get your internet wirelessly from the likes of Digiweb/Irish Broadband or through cable from the likes of NTL/Chorus/UPC.

If you want to go down this avenue, I'd suggest that you have at least 30K upload speed per simultaneous call [low call quality] or about 100K upload speed for high unconmpressed call quality. I'm over estimating the upload speeds there just to be safe.

SIP providers are from the likes of Blueface etc.

jasontallon · 22-08-2008 03:44PM

Hi

This unit has an FXO port for a PSTN line and an FXS port for an analogue phone.

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signalling protocol used for establishing sessions in an IP network. A session could be a simple two-way telephone call or it could be a collaborative multi-media conference session. The ability to establish these sessions means that a host of innovative services become possible, such as voice-enriched e-commerce, web page click-to-dial, Instant Messaging with buddy lists, and IP Centrex services.

You can get more info here http://www.jmcsoft.ie/whatis_sip.php

Jason

mackerooney · 22-08-2008 05:06PM

Thanks for that.

Not sure that I want to be reliant on broadband for my business calls. Eircom ISDN is bad but still streets ahead of broadband - unless its down you dont have any bandwidth problems.

Does SIP give voice priority?

RangeR · 22-08-2008 05:12PM

mackerooney wrote: »

Does SIP give voice priority?

If you go for a third party SIP service like Blueface, then no. Not unless your router has QOS [Qualty of Service]

If you go for the likes of Digiweb Metro VoIP, then yes. Voice priority on their network.

jasontallon · 22-08-2008 05:17PM

Hi

you could also go for a custom build option with ISDN BRI or PRI integration. This would allow you to have your VOIP channel as the default with the ISDN as the fallback, if your broadband is down the PBX would use the ISDN to make outbound calls. All incoming calls would work as normal, irrespective of broadband availability.

Jason

mackerooney · 27-08-2008 10:05PM

jasontallon wrote: »

Hi

you could also go for a custom build option with ISDN BRI or PRI integration. This would allow you to have your VOIP channel as the default with the ISDN as the fallback, if your broadband is down the PBX would use the ISDN to make outbound calls. All incoming calls would work as normal, irrespective of broadband availability.

Jason

Thanks.

I have decided to go with an Alcatel Office Compact. Seems to fit the bill and whereas its a little dearer than I wanted, its features high on reliability which the soft switches dont seem to have.

Thanks for all the advice above.

Which PBX

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