atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums VOIP Phones & IP PBX VoIP & Cloud Phones, Hosted PBX, General IP Phones VoIP Phone System Questions

Hello,

I am new to the forums. I need some non biased information though…

The company I work for has 10 employees spread out across the US. The base office will have a dedicated T1 line for a VoIP small business communications server/gateway. We had a few companies come out and look at and give us estimates and all of them tell us different things.

Company 1 offers a NEC Aspire S hybrid system and is who installed our first phone system. They insist that we must have a 300 dollar router with QoS and 30 VPN channels on the offsite employee’s side in order to share their internet connection. Most of our employees only use the internet to check emails and look up information on the internet.

Company 2 said that we would not need routers with their 3com system but the price was almost 3 times as much as company 1. I don’t think he wanted to do the job so he inflated the price. He said he was reluctant to install a phone system with no control on the other end.

Company 3 offers a Samsung iDCS 100 phone system that would not need routers. He also stated that the phones could be plugged in before the router. He seemed confident the system would work without any major problems. He said you could put QoS routers on there but there shouldn’t really be a need just tell them that they shouldn’t be downloading bit torrents or movies over the internet. I laughed…

Company 4 offers a Nortel system and we are waiting to get back with him but it was in the ball park of the Samsung system.

Which system would be the best? Are VPN routers needed? How much of a security threat is VoIP?

If you have any helpful comments please leave them. Thanks

Leaving the rest of the questions for when I have more time....

Run far away from Company 3. Anyone that says you do not need QOS routers on IP for voice has not done it before and does not know that you WILL have issues with it.

Steve

Well is it true we need a VPN for each VoIP?

Steve,
I may be missing something but, I don't think they'll need a QOS router. If they have a T-1 just for the phone system, there want be a need for QOS. Right? Since there is no QOS on the internet, and they have no data traffic on the T what would you use it for?

VPN routers? I wouldn't think so, if you have a static internet IP for the phone system. A VPN would be more useful if the employees are connecting to a server for PC applications.

For most VOIP system you need VPN for it to work. However, Tadiran makes a device called a sentinel that gets you around this of course you have to use a tadiran system to make use of it. BTW, run away from company 3 they haven't a clue. The VPN gets you by the NAT tranversal problem with remote users and provides security.

there are several scenarios depending on how you want to implement the voip portion... seems like you have have a simple router then switch network. my recommendation: you can do without QOS and VLAN if the NIC in the PBX has a public IP(before the switch comin off the router).

I hate to say it but I need to pipe up. Company 3 is giving there respective product a bad wrap because they don't know any different. The system can work and will work without QOS or a VPN. That really is not the point.

QOS=Quality Of Service should always be in place period. But like NFC said you don't need the QOS if the T1 is not used for anything but the phones.

Since we are making suggestions. I would not look at the product as much as I would look at the vendor. If the vendor is and has been a good one for you I would stick with them, They know your needs and you know there work. There are too many "vendors" that cant stay the course and when you do find a good one they will be like an old friend (always there for you).

As for product for the most part they are all the same with the exception of a few features that you probably wont be using. My pref is in this order Samsung, Nec, Nortel, 3com. There are others but since those are what you listed I will assume that those are the only systems in your area with Dealers that are local to you.

Interesting. We have lots of Vodavi systems that are either networked or at least have remote phones via IP with no router at all. We just put a small switch in ahead of the router, connect our card there and assign our VOIP cards a static IP address. It's been working fine this way for us for two years.

Our local service provider told us that their network doesn't even have QoS, so it wouldn't make sense for us to invest in equipment to provide it. I guess it's the weakest link in the chain thing.

I've done what Ed reported also when the router didn't support QOS. Little Linksys switch in front of their router. Not the correct way but it will work. Of course many manufacturers will not support your install if it's not done per their specs.