[Asterisk-Users] New T100P Pri install suggestions?

[Rich Adamson]

In the next week or so, we'll be turning up a new T1 Pri from Cox Cable
in Omaha using a T100P (installed but not yet configured). While discussing
the interface parameters with a very knowledgable Cox engineer, we decided
on some of the basics including b8zs, esf, dchan=24, callerid, 5 digits
of called number forwarded to *, and switchtype=national (NI2). They
indicated their CO switch is a DMS500 that is compatible with several
different switchtypes including 5ess, dms100, etc. * will clock sync
from this pri.

This system also has a tdm04b (4-port fxo) installed and working, and is 
expected to remain after the t100p is implemented. Zttool can see both cards
at the moment.

Questions:
1. Is a switchtype=national (NI2) a reasonable choice, or are there other
types that others have found to be more usable/stable with * in the US?

2. Since the current system has a working tdm04b defined as fxsks=1-4 in
/etc/zaptel.conf, how will I know when implementing the t100p whether
those b-channels should be 5-28 or 1-23? (eg, which card has channel 1?
It almost appears that defining the span= first with bchan=1-23 and
follow it with fxsks=25-28 (for the tdm04b), is about the only way to
do that without creating ambiguity for the reader.) Is that a reasonable
approach or assumption?

3. Other then zttool, what other methods have others found useful for
diagnosing layer 1 & 2 type issues remotely during an initial pri install?
(After ensuring layer 1/2 functionality, I'm assuming 'pri debug', etc,
is most appropriate for diagnosing higher layer and dialplan issues.)

4. In very general terms, when passing incoming pri calls to a specific
extensions.conf context, is using 'exten => s,1...' a reasonable way
to handle inbound calls initially? (Is the 'called number' passed in 
EXTEN like it is with sip calls?)

Any other tips/tricks for handling an initial pri installation?

Rich