sundance-communications.com/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems NEC Telephones & Systems Aspire VOIP question

We are evaluating a new Aspire system and I can't seem to get a straight answer on the capabilities of the 4 channel VOIP Media Gateway card. My question is does this card only support 4 fixed IP phones/softphones or can it support more but only allows 4 to be "off hook" at one time.

We would like to have more than 4 people setup with the ability to use a softphone but we would not need to have more than 4 using them at one time.

While looking at the IPK system the salesman stated that the IPK VOIP gateway card had to have a fixed IP phone or softphone assigned to each port. The Aspire salesman has stated the the Aspire VOIP gateway card will allow more than 4 to be configured but only 4 "off hook" at one time.

Any clarification would be helpful.

Gary

You can have more than 4 IP phones on a 4 port card. Only 4 can use it at a time.

Also, I have to mention the peer-to-peer option. The Aspire system has a great bonus-- When the IP phones talk to each other, they go direct, and do not take up a "line" on the IP card. This has a downside. To get the phones to talk to each other, there must be a clear shot between them. Either they are on the same physical network, or you must install VPNs between the two phones. What I had to do is disable the Peer-to-Peer option and now all calls are routed through the switch. But, now when two IP phones call each other, it takes two "lines" up on the card.

You don't a VoIP-card at all to support VoIP-phones ore IP-clients. You need a voip-card to make it possible for the voip clients to communicate with traditionale phones or outside lines.