[Asterisk-Users] Systems Admin; Telecom Newbie - What do I need?

[Wiley Siler]

I think one thing you may want to remember is that porting numbers to a
VoIP provider can make them EXTREMELY hard to ever port back to a normal
telco provider.  Also, if there is ever a problem with the VoIP provider
(which has been common lately) then you are in deep trouble.  For a
mission critical install, it is highly recommended that you get land
lines pulled in via whatever means meets your needs and that you use
VoIP providers only as a backup to your hardwired system.  Saving bucks
on long distance is great but betting the farm on a zystem that provides
dial tone from purely VoIP can be highly dangerous.  

My $0.02 would be to get a PRI (or 3 or whatever you need) and use VoIP
for cost savings on LD as applicable and as a backup to PRI failure.  

If you want a purely VoIP solution, you should go to an Avaya or other
hosted VoIP PBX solution because the model for Asterisk doesn't really
support hosted services.  Asterisk IS the host of your services.  You
just need to connect it to all the correct systems.

Again, just my $0.02.

W


-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Sahil
Gupta
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 11:38 AM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] Systems Admin; Telecom Newbie - What do I
need?

Why not look at getting a provider that can port your numbers to their 
network and buying the DID's off them over VoIP?

Regards,


Sahil Gupta
VoiceValley

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005, Ed Pastore wrote:

> Thanks for all the great replies. I guess I over-asked my question
(since so 
> many kept popping up).
>
> For now, what I really need to determine is what I need to budget for
a full 
> implementation. Unfortunately, I don't have time now to do testing and

> analysis... I just need to get my budget submitted. So I'm trying to
figure 
> out what all I'll need to buy and budget for. Obviously this is pretty
hard, 
> since I understand so little about telecom.
>
> So that said... Can anyone help me in determining what all I will
need? The 
> only thing I really need is one ballpark figure for a grand total cash

> outlay. However, it it is too low, I may be hosed. If it is too big,
the 
> project may be cut out of the budget. So I'd like to get within, say
$5K of 
> the actual expected cost.
>
> The items I had identified in my original post were:
> - A server, running Debian Linux or OS X (our preferred operating
systems 
> here)
> - A good network. We're on switched 100 Base-T, but will move to
gigabit next 
> year.
> - A T1 or some dedicated channels of a T1
> - Gateway PCI cards or devices (in the case of OS X, only devices I
guess)
> - VOIP phones or phone software (I'd like to use software and USB
handsets)
>
> Are there more things I need? Or does someone have a rough estimate of
what 
> it costs to implement an Asterisk system in a small business? We have
about 
> 50 users and currently have something like 20 POTS lines coming into
our PBX.
>
> Thanks again.
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