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Cost effective solution?

wdroush
Posts: 1
 Member Since:
2010-01-08
Submitted by wdroush on Fri, 01/08/2010 - 12:36am.

Currently we run with packet8, we're getting a pretty decent deal of nearly $25/month for unlimited minutes per phone....

However, it has issues, we get dropped calls, the queues are garbage... and we want to save some money. So we got Trixbox on a Virtual Server which runs great right now... however we need to get it on the PSTN.

I would LIKE to have it done with a trunk over the internet, I can't put PCI cards in the virtual server. I could use external hardware (other Ethernet to PSTN, PRI preferred) if that even _exists_.

The issue I'm running into with trunking though is that we need to purchase about 25 lines, and we're looking at about $20/line, that seems extremely steep, and these aren't even unlimited calls.

Personally I want to use an IAX trunk being as we can do more than one line a trunk, and it should therefore be cheaper, yes? SIP trunking works good, but they're typically kind of pricey. Our ISP (Telepacific) wants us to get a PRI, but they require expensive hardware that AFAIK is only available in PCI card format.

Can someone suggest a solution being as I'm getting buried by sales sites when trying to find any deals.

Thanks ahead of time guys, this is a big leap for us and I want to make it a killer deal for the company.

‹ Aculab Prosody and trixbox *having trouble compiling the Aculab Channel driver* SIP provider authenticates by IP - configuration help ›

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busster8
Posts: 388
 Member Since:
2006-06-25
Suggestions
Fri, 01/08/2010 - 8:59am

First off I think before you go too far, you should consider a stand alone Trixbox without virtualization.

The virtual server is fine for lab testing, but would be willing to bet you will be happier with a stand alone machine.

Second, you can get usb connections to FXO/FXS/PRI, again not cheap, but can be done, and yes if you want traditional telephone lines, a PRI is most cost effective.

You can purchase a good quality PC for under $800.00 which will support PCI cards (which are less expensive than the USB). Better to bite the bullet and do it.


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b14ck
Posts: 773
 Member Since:
2009-03-03
Like buster said: Be very
Fri, 01/08/2010 - 9:47am

Like buster said: Be very careful with virtualization of PBX systems. Timing is a big issue. If you want to move your business to trixbox, I'd recommend doing the following:

1. Buy a decent physical server to run trixbox on.
2. Buy a Sangoma T1 / PRI card WITH hardware echo cancellation.
3. Get a PRI from a local provider.

PRIs can support 23 audio channels (you said you need 20), and are really stable and solid for business use. If you plan on using purely internet PSTN connections (SIP trunks), you will need:

1. A really good internet connection: estimate it as 15Kb/s per call. 15 * 20 = 300Kb/s upload
2. You will need a really good router with QoS enabled for prioritizing VoIP traffic.
3. You will need several SIP providers (SIP trunks often have issues, so it is best to have backups ready on demand).
4. Have a plan for when your internet goes down (this happens every now and then, and if you are only using SIP your business depends on having it up).

I'd strongly recommend going with my first setup, as it will give you a stable system. Going with option number 2 is a bit cheaper, but very unreliable.

--

Randall Degges
Lead Developer, RCI Telecommunications
projectb14ck - http://projectb14ck.org/ - Weblog


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depster
Posts: 32
 Member Since:
2007-12-04
Dedicated Connection
Tue, 01/12/2010 - 9:25am
b14ck wrote:
Quote:
I'd strongly recommend going with my first setup, as it will give you a stable system. Going with option number 2 is a bit cheaper, but very unreliable.

I would agree with Randell's opinion when you are not using a dedicated T-1 or higher connection.


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