Thinking of moving to Vonage...

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 11

Hello everyone,

Well, I've been thinking of changing the Voip provider the company I work uses. Why you my ask? Because they currently pay $700 US for 4 Voip lines, and they don't even get free US/Canada calling.

I've been reading more and more about Vonage and I'm basically convinced of proposing this to the "bosses". I am the current Network Administrator and IT Manager so there's a BIG chance they will listen to me.

This is a small company residing in Mexico right across the San Diego border, we have offices in the US hence we have both, the US Credit Card and the US Shipping adress. Along with changing our Voip provider we're also changing ISPs (surprise surprise, the Voip provider is ALSO our ISP and they are over charging us for a 512kbps line).

Now my main concerns are this which I think you guys can help me with:

1.- Bandwith... I am new to Voip and I trully don't know how much bandwith 4 Voip lines need. I haven't seen all 4 being used at the same time just yet, but just to make sure. We're thinking of going woth a 1Mbit ADSL line (we're a small company, basically the internet is used for web browsing and emails, around 30 users at most browsing and checking emails). I blocked most anything in regards to p2p or anything like that.

2.- Equipment. Since we need 4 lines I dont want to get the Linksys equipment, I was thinking of going with a Multitech Voip gateway, the MVP410, that is the one we're using right now, I don't think it's ours, we might be leasing it, but we can easily get a new one.

We also have a Cisco router (Cisco 800 Series), that is what we use to connect to our ISP. The router is being used as a bridge basically, since the Network is being controlled by the server using Kerio Winroute Firewall.

What I wanted to know is if my hardware compatible with Vonage's services, or is there like any special Router/VoIP gateway we need to get in order to use Vonage?

Also, the way the phones are configured right now, they are connected to the main switch board, because in order to get the Voip line we have to dial "xx" number, I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with the Voip provider, but I'm not an expert on phone lines and switch boards, so I just want to make sure.

Sorry about the long post, but I need to clarify those things before I switch the company to Vonage. Heck, I liked Vonage so much, I want to get the service for my house.

Thanks in advanced,

Gustavo Corona
Network Administrator

Posts: 79 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Dec 28, 2004 Posts: 79

Gustavo-

I looked up the specs on the multitech gateway you have. What type of phone system do you have it connected to? I am not 100 percent sure if the multitech product is "Vonage Certified", but I will find out.

It looks like it has a street price of around 1600 bucks.

If you are looking at something totally different, I would recommend an Epygi quadro 4X. It is a router, firewall, and PBX in one device. It will also allow you to use analog phones, and has POT's failover that will allow you too dial out even with with a complete power-outage.

It also has an unified messaging app and runs for around 1,695. It is Vonage certified and can handle the business plus packages.

I would probably recommend the 8 line 12K minute package for 299 per month. This can register right on the device in minutes and you can literally plug and play to the Vonage SIP servers through the web interface in the Epygi device.

If you want, I can give you a tour of my quadro via a WAN IP address and show you how easy it is too setup.

Hope this helps,

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 11

Veep,

That Epygi Quadro 4X looks exellent. And it makes me feel confortable that: Someone has it working with Vonage, I could go with that.

My main concern is that the server (which I use to share the connection with the rest of my wired and wireless LAN) needs to get the WAN IP, but I'm pretty sure one can configure que Epygi Quadro 4X to work just as a bridge for the server, or am I mistaken?

I dont know much of the phone system, I know that the Multitech has 4 FSX/FXO ports, which connects to 4 analog phones that have access to the switch board for in-building calls, using interntal extentions, dialing "9" to get an outside line and "78" to get the Voip line.

other than that, I know nothing more, unfortunately I didn't set the network up the first time, otherwise I would've done a lot of things differently.

Also, why get the 8 line 12k minute plan? can the QUadro 4X run 8 Voip lines? I thought it only has 4 FSX ports. ANd I think I will be missing on 2 FXO lines.

Hope this helps.

And yeah, I would like to see this baby running and how easy it is to configure.

PS. I think I need some better understanding of Voip in conjunction with internal phonelines..

Posts: 79 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Dec 28, 2004 Posts: 79

Gustavo-

Sorry.. should have said 8 numbers with the plan.. not eight lines.

the Quadro 4X can run 4 analog phones and has the dsp power to also run 4 more IP phones. With your pipe, you will be able to have 4 people on the phone making calls at once!!

Don-

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 14, 2005 Posts: 2

"This is a small company residing in Mexico right across the San Diego border."

"the only operators who to date are authorized for Voip in Mexico , long distance national and international are
Alestra, Avantel, Bestcable, Bestphone, Conexxion XXI, Maxcom, Megacable,
Mexico Network Communications, Protel, Network of Services of
Telecommunications, Stratel, Telmex, Telnor, National Telephone
Union, VPN of Mexico, Axtel, Iusacell, Services of Wireless Access,
Telcel, Telephone Moving bodies, and Unefón. ",

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 11

arbon wrote:

"This is a small company residing in Mexico right across the San Diego border."

"the only operators who to date are authorized for Voip in Mexico , long distance national and international are
Alestra, Avantel, Bestcable, Bestphone, Conexxion XXI, Maxcom, Megacable,
Mexico Network Communications, Protel, Network of Services of
Telecommunications, Stratel, Telmex, Telnor, National Telephone
Union, VPN of Mexico, Axtel, Iusacell, Services of Wireless Access,
Telcel, Telephone Moving bodies, and Unefón. ",

What's your point?

Other than Telnor/Telmex blocking Vonage and other Voip companies I dont understand what you mean.

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 11

veep wrote:

Gustavo-

Sorry.. should have said 8 numbers with the plan.. not eight lines.

the Quadro 4X can run 4 analog phones and has the dsp power to also run 4 more IP phones. With your pipe, you will be able to have 4 people on the phone making calls at once!!

Don-

Ahh. that's just great. They use the same phone for local/internal calls and for Voip.

Posts: 79 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Dec 28, 2004 Posts: 79

yep-

its a pretty nifty box.

Epygi and Vonage have formed quite the little duo.

http://www.vonage-forum.com/article1563.html

It would blow you away to see how small the small the 4X really is..

and the 2X is a road warriors dream machine...

Posts: 79 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Dec 28, 2004 Posts: 79

sorry...

I'll proof read next time... Embarassed

been a long day.. Chainsaw

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 11

Every minute that passes I feel more attracted to Vonage and Epigy, too bad they are sending me a Cisco seminar next month LOL!!!

What is bothering me now is that the Mexican Telco is "blocking" US Voip providers. I will have a meeting with a Telnor representative about this and see if there is a way around it.

I was checking out the "dedicated lines" prices, and they are horrendous.. $7600 US for a 2Mbit line???? that's just idiotic.