[asterisk-users] considering purchasing a t1 card, any recommendations?

[Steve Davies]

On 10/20/06, R.R. Libera <astecomm at gmail.com> wrote:
> Wow, this is a completely neutral and very valuable review. Thanks a lot
> Zoa.
>
> I´m an * newbie; my little box will only needs 20 extensions to give
> termination to remote users and I´m about to buy a PRI interface; I
> decide to get Sangoma hardware.. a lot of people recommended it to me.
>
> In you review you said: "The biggest choice you need to make is if you
> want onboard echo cancellation or not". How can I really know if I will
> need echo cancellation? I´m planning to get a single span card (which
> doesn´t include echo cancellation) but  how can I know if I really need
> this feature??

(Hopefully this does not oversimplify)

Fundamentally, since Digium updated the Hardware E/C on their recent
boards, there is little difference between the PRI-side electronics of
the Sangoma or the Digium cards (at least, not which would worry the
end user)

The remaining H/W difference is the PCI interface hardware. Sangoma
have far more hardware development resource, to their PCI and now
their PCI-e interfaces are more compatible with variations in
motherboards.

Digium are a software company, so the software support for their cards
will be easier to get going as it is "built in" - On the other hand,
Sangoma's build environment has come a long way, and their support IS
good.

As far as "do I need echo cancellation" is concerned. I would say that
if you can afford it, and it is available, then buy it. It generally
saves a lot of heartache in the longrun, regardless of the
manufacturer. As you say, the Sangoma single-port cards do not have
EC, so that decides the issue :)

When using software EC, the MG2 echo canceller in the 1.2.x release is
good. We have almost no problems on PRI circuits. I am not as
confident of the 1.4.x version of the EC, but time will tell I
imagine.

Hope that helps.
Steve