sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems ESI Telephones & Systems ESI-LINK over internet

I'm curious on the above topic, I understand that ESI, like most systems developers, recommend that you have a point 2 point connection (and we've successfully accomplished a number of these).

I'm curious if other resellers are selling ESI validated esi-link installations connected via the internet, which of course is a channel that you have no control over its ability to pass traffic?

Is a low-volume application (sending a few calls, ext to ext and voicemails) over such an esi-link installation a safe sale?

Your thoughts are welcome.....

IMO, its safe. I also run a few P2P's. The safest way to do ESI-Link over the internet would be to go thru a firewall. If both sites have statics, you can only allow those ip's to pass thru. We use Sonic Wall for most installations.

Same thing when dealing with remote phones.

Safe? Yes, IMO it is if done properly. I mean, how much harm can you do to a phone system? Toll fraud would be a possibility but you would have to know a thing or two about the system.

ESI's run on a "proprietary OS" so they say, so hacking it would also be difficult.

my .02 cents

It definitely works but you need to have set the proper expectations with the customer. I have a 3 site install all using the internet to link to each other. One site even has two buildings connected via a wireless bridge. I have made calls from the outbuilding at site 1 - went over the wireless bridge to connect to the system at site 1, used the internect to connect to site #2 and grab dial tone then called my office and used the internet again to connect to a remote phone off my system. Quality was so-so but it all worked. The big key is to make sure the customers knows that any issues are due to the internet and not ESI-Link. If you are going to be using the link so you can answer calls at one location or any mission critical function you would save enough on salaries to justify the Point to Point T.

we have 7 sites plus us on esi-link, we told them no dsl, no cable. we use tpac voice/data bundles. i would sell it again but you have to use QOS routers. we used a DID from a different county and have it come into our office so we have local numbers thur esi-link and it works great

Great feedback, thanks!

What I was looking for when I said safe to sell was from a voice quality standpoint. Like upstate said, you have to have the understanding going in that you are at the mercy of the internet, and if you could elaborate (upstate?) you called the quality so-so. Usable?

Winetech, can you elaborate on the statement... "we told them no dsl, no cable. we use tpac voice/data bundles. i would sell it again but you have to use QOS routers"

I'm not sure I know anything about "tpac"? Also what QOS routers would you recommend?

Thanks again for all of the comments

it was a very remote area and the cable modem speed went up and down so often that even regular internet was terrible, we wanted to be sure that bandwidth was not going to be a problem (it was our first one and we wanted it to go good).i also wanted it to be with the same ISP. i did a remote phone with cheap dsl and had QOS problems, little did i realise they would send autocad files while on the phone. you have to use QOS we use dell 2700 it's not that much plus it is a gig-switch. tpac=telepacific a Clec i work with that provides voice and data channeled off a T1.

i have been having voice quality issues (garbled, one-way conversations at times). It seems to be at times of high voice traffic. All calls answered a Location A and transferred to Location B.
I am using two Adtran Netvanta 3200 using a point to point from Sprint. We are only using this for voice. I thought i read by default,using QOS, 25% is reserved for critical data. I'm kind of at a loss about always getting these poor quality problems. Would setting the QOS tables for 100% voice be a viable option?

Remember to get's QOS enabled switches and turn QOS on on the Netvanta's. We use a lot of Cisco Linksys business class switches. They are cheap, reliable and easily can be setup to prioritize ESI voice traffic before all other traffic. Now we just need ESI to join us in 2006 and power over Ethernet (POE) their IP phones.

I've heard rumblings that POE on the ESI IP phones may be coming in the 2006 rollout next week.

Quality varies greatly depending on their internet usage at any given time. There are times it is crystal clear and other times when there is some degradation of sound quality. You wouldn't want to use it for mission critical sales calls but works great for interoffice calling. Any business scenario where you would utilize ESI-Link to use only one receptionist or some other call handling issues that would require a regular use of the link by the general public would require a private WAN of some sort but should be justified by the cost savings or improved productivity. Anyway I would consider it to be preferable to using a cell phone. Quality is much better between 2 of the sites - the 3rd one is the busiest so that makes sense. Another thing to consider is they are using different ISP's at all locations - if you were able to use the same provider your traffic would never leave their network and quality would improve. The functionality of ESI Link once you have it up and running is great - all sorts of capabilities. The wireless link between buildings works great.