[asterisk-users] Digium B410P or Sangoma A502D?

[Patrick]

On Thu, 2008-04-24 at 20:17 -0400, Steve Totaro wrote:
> The Sangoma kernel drivers are different than Zaptel, while running
> the install script you are asked if you would like to generate the
> Zaptel configs but it is not required, you must also run wancfg to
> configure the cards beyond the Zaptel configs.  The Sangoma drivers
> kind of run on top of the Zaptel.

Thanks for clearing that up. That's what I thought too.

> It seems that the newest wanpipe drivers and Zaptel 1.4 work without
> the D chan patch which is very nice IMO, I hate patches.

That's good to hear. The less patches the better.

>   I have run
> the BRIStuff install and it has tons of patches!  Kind of scary but it
> works for it's purpose.

Yesterday I had to update a set of 1.2 Asterisk RPMs with the latest
Junghanns patch. So I downloaded the latest Junghanns patch and had a
look. Wow, that's a serious set of patches to zaptel, libpri and
asterisk. Kind of scary indeed.

> I have only done BRI once but there was absolutely no echo by simply
> setting echocancel=yes, echocancelwhenbridged=no.

Personally I use an Eicon Diva Server card with onboard echo can in my *
box and calls to cellphones can still generate a ton of echo. Same
applies to calls to POTS phones that are hooked up to copper that's in a
rather bad state or use a €5 phone.

> I hear "might as well get the hardware EC board" quite a bit, but on
> all the many dozens of PRIs I have installed, software EC has been
> adequate (if needed at all).  It would have meant quite a bit of
> wasted money that was better spent on a nice 48 port gigabit switch.

Lucky you :) Or your upstream telco has deployed some serious echo can
boxes throughout its network doing echo cancellation already for you.

> I have tested both ways (hardware vs. software), no difference really
> (Sangoma).  Sangoma actually sent me one of each before purchasing
> seven quad cards to test if hardware EC was going to be required for
> one deployment.  I returned the hardware EC card and ordered seven
> quad PRI cards.
> 
> Maybe I am just lucky or have not had enough exposure to BRI but ISDN
> is ISDN, right (it really is a question, I don't know)?

EuroISDN is EuroISDN. Doesn't matter if it's BRI or PRI.

>   Now on
> analog, that is a horse of a different color, also the  phone on
> either side, but especially your side can be the culprit (older
> Grandstream for one) Polycom seems to eliminate much of this.

Point well taken. You get what you pay for.

Regards,
Patrick

> Thanks,
> Steve Totaro
> 
> On Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 7:50 PM, Matt Watson <mwatson at becon.org>
> wrote:
> > I haven;t used any BRI cards but... call me crazy but wouldn;t they
> still be using Zaptel (even your sangoma... the script might just be
> configuring it for you)...
> >
> >  and btw, software echo cancel happens in the zaptel kernel
> driver... it has nothing to do with the hardware (hence why its a
> software echo cancel)....
> >
> >  You also would of had the option of buying HPEC licenses for
> software echo cancel from digium for a rather cheap price.
> >
> >  --
> >  Matt
> >  ________________________________________
> >  From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
> [asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Andres
> [andres at telesip.net]
> >  Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 5:04 PM
> >  To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
> >  Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Digium B410P or Sangoma A502D?
> >
> >
> >
> >  We have tested both and they work fine.  The Sangoma is much easier
> to
> >  install as it does not depend on any other driver, you just run
> >  'setup-sangoma' and follow the instructions.  You don't have to
> fiddle
> >  with the linux kernel or  zaptel or chan_misdn.  It just works.
> Plus
> >  its more modular.  You can chose 2/4/6 ports to buy and if you need
> more
> >  just add remoras up to 24 ports.  The Digium card is fixed to 4
> ports,
> >  period.
> >
> >  Having said that, make sure you stick with the version that has
> hardware
> >  echo cancel and not even try the other one.  We made the mistake of
> >  buying the first time without echo cancel expecting to test the
> >  'software echo cancel'.  But there is no such thing as 'software
> echo
> >  cancel' on this card.  I do not even understand why Sangoma would
> make a
> >  version without the hardware echo cancel.  You get some degree of
> echo
> >  on practically every call.
> >
> >  Andres.
> >
> >
> >
> >  Patrick wrote:
> >
> >  >Hi,
> >  >
> >  >I need to setup an Asterisk box with 4x ISDN BRI links. Looking at
> the
> >  >specs of various cards I favor the Digium B410P and Sangoma A502D
> >  >because of hardware echo cancellation. Does anyone have any
> experience
> >  >with either card, good or bad? Which one would you choose and why?
> >  >
> >  >Thanks for your insight.
> >  >
> >  >Regards,
> >  >Patrick