[Asterisk-Users] newbie uk questions...

[Steve Rawlings]

tim panton wrote:
> 
> On 13 Mar 2005, at 11:21, Darrell Berry wrote:
> 
>> hi:
>>
>> Just starting out with *, and I'm planning to heed the advice to start 
>> simple and small, but the goal i'm aiming for eventually is:
>>
>> *-based pbx for 10-20 seat small business, based in the UK. Users will 
>> have PoE SIP hardphones. So far so good, but two questions, both 
>> UK-specific, relating to connection to the outside world (PSTN or VoIP):
>>
> 
>> - failing that, what my options for *-compatible, UK-legal 
>> interconnections between a *-based PBX and UK PSTN? I'm looking for 
>> more channels than I will get from ISDN-2e, but less than ISDN-33 
>> (probably): enough for say 4-8 simultaneous incoming/outgoing calls. I 
>> admit this is the area I'm least clear on!
>>
>> Even better: has anyone actually implemented either of these scenarios 
>> in the UK? Any feeeback/cheatsheets?
>>
> 
> Yep, we are a few months further down the line than you.
> 
> Having had a total failure of our internet connection twice in a year
> (both occasions lasting more than 24 hours) I shied away from the
> pure VOIP route.
> 
> For historical reasons we have gone for an E1 (I happened to have one 
> spare :-) )
> even though we only have 5 users, so don't need the capacity
> It works really well and gives us room to grow services etc.
> 
> We got lucky as when we ordered the line C+W (as was) were doing E1 with
> a minimum of 6 channels, since they sold that business unit to NTL the 
> minimum
> is 8 channels - at ~ £15/month depending on the deal you strike.
> BT offer something similar with free install if you commit for 3 years 
> (or so I'm told).
> 
> Some implementation gotchas though (not really uk specific):
>     1) DONT use WiFi to connect the phones, the quality just isn't there.
> Even after lots of tweaking I still get the odd dropout in any call 
> lasting longer than
> a couple of mins (I suspect that WEP is switching keys....)
>     2) Modem lines are a problem. I have a couple of projects we support 
> by dialup
> and going through asterisk is possible, but you get a slower connection.
>     3) I'm still investigating fax, but it looks like it is also 
> possible with very careful
> setup.
>     4) when ordering the E1 line make sure you specify Q931, otherwise 
> you may
> get something proprietary .
> 
> 
> If you want to have a chat about it drop me an email off list.
> 
> Tim.
> 
> http://www.westhawk.co.uk/
> 
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Out of interest, what make/model of E1 card did you use in your *, I'm 
thinking of doing similar install in UK, thanks.

Steve