My vendor whom I've bought my Zhone channel banks from has finally sold out of them. That places me in the position of finding a new standard piece to offer to my customers.

My requirements are simple:
- 24FXS channels (or multiples of 24)
- Reliable and somewhat easy to program
- RBS T1 RJ48
- Support Bell CID
- Output PROPER POTS lines (no 30v crap)

The application is to obviously take a T1 from my phone dialer, break it out into 24 POTS lines, and then pass it over house wiring to the agent desks to power an SLT. Basically what any channel banks does.

Here's the ones I am currently considering in order of preference but need to learn more about:
- CAC Adit 600
- Adtran TA750
- Adtran 624 (whichever model gets the job done)

Opinions on the above 3 items? Quality of them? Pro's or Con's you have about them? Ease of programming? Do they output correct POTS lines? How hard is it to reset them if they are locked out with a password (buying one of each from e-bay to test)?

I appreciate all feedback and hope to make a decision on one soon. I have ordered one of each from E-Bay to do conformance testing with as well as some hand-on learning. My only fear with the e-bay route is trying to factory default one that's had a password set on it. Once I decide to go with one I'll usually fine a good refurbish supply of them and just run with it till I cant get them anymore.

James -

I used to use CAC channel banks and liked them a lot, but it's been 7 or 8 years since I was in that end of the business. We used the Access Bank I & II units and I found them bulletproof.

Prior to the CACs we used Weco D4s and NEC 28Ds(?). They were literally as well as figuratively bulletproof. But big and clunky.


Sam

I am not sure about price, but I am a big fan of adtran, the total acces 750 should meet your needs.

The CLEC's around here primarly use the Adtran 624. Many use to provide the TA750, but I think it has been discontinued. I don't think you can go wrong by choosing Adtran.

RHINO!

I just bought one CB24-FXO to test for a new customer, and it is completely firmware driven, with an LCD on the front. The only serial control is actually just emulating the front panel and buttons. Out of the box, plug it in, and it auto-detects the T1. Not super-cheap, not over-priced either. And they're all about Asterisk integration solutions. Very personable staff, the engineer who answered my questions by looking at the source code of the firmware was also the guy to write up my order.

The customer is looking to tap onto about 100 analog extensions, and record them programmatically using my software, using Dialogic T1 cards. Rhino is the only one who has a silent monitoring (hi-z) option. Random Adtran sales guy said "Nope" and he didn't ask anyone else.

I went through a bunch of those Zhones... too cheap. The command-line interface was horrible, the digital loggers people kept messing up the orders, sending the wrong units.. sure they were only a couple hundred bucks, but it showed.

For the price of the Rhino I would just assume buy an AudioCodes MP124 and save on the costs of the T1 card.

I am also not sure that a Rhino would survive well in a hot broom closet. The Adtran and CAC's are well ventilated and designed for abusive environments. The Rhino's seem like they would need to sit in a server room to me.

There is also a healthy grey market for the Adtran and CAC which means that availability for other people to support it and find parts for it will be better.

Pass on the 624, they are geared more for Integrated T1 and I've had some firmware problems with them. You can't go wrong with the TA750. You can default them to Factory settings by holding down a key as they boot.

I have used the TA750 - no issues. From what I understand they are EoL and the TA850 has replaced them - so far not impressed. I have bought them from 3 different dealers and had bad main boards. Maybe just a bad batch. I am getting two more to try in the next few weeks if a deal goes through with a new dialer customer - I am hoping I have no problems with them.

Dave C

I was using a couple of old Vina Technologies banks, but they are obsolete to the point that I can't even find the company who made them.

Now I have switched to a couple of used Adtran 750's from Ebay, and they work fine. Plug-n-play...no issues...bulletproof. I am using both FXS and FXO cards.

(I am using them on T1's from an Asterisk PBX as a tandem office to my step-by-step switch.)

(see www.CKTS.info)

Go with the Adtran's.. Either the 624, 750 or 850s.. They all will do what you are looking for. We use all three and have great sucess. The best thing is Adtran's Support and warranty. I don't think you can find too many better.

Vina Technologies was acquired by Larscom, which was acquired by Verilink.

The eLink series of IADs is still available. I'm not sure if the older "pizza box" style IADs (the T1 Integrator and Multiservice Xchange) are still available.

The T1 Integrator was also available from Lucent under the ConnectReach name.

ADTRAN

And I can report that he ended up with the TA750s -- cause I just bought 3/4 of a crapload of them from him -- and they're very nice.

I'm not entirely sure I wanted to trade ethernet accessibility (which the 750 doesn't seem to have even as an option) for line lamps (which the zhones didn't have, but which don't change color on the TA for ringing), but what can you do; they're still reasonably inexpensive... which is important when you're buying 10 of them.