[Asterisk-Users] was FXO cards

[Michael Rowley]

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