[Asterisk-Users] was FXO cards

[Steven Critchfield]

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 at lists.digium.com
> http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
-- 
Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com>