This is my first post for a newbie. I have provided basic overview but please answer my question at end of post.
Overview:
Test setup was AsteriskNOW
Final setup is latest freepbx-distro
I have configured TWO Freepbx distro at two locations (NYC, & Queens)
Both IAX between locations by extension dialing
Both systems are setup as:
P4 3GHz MSI boxes 1GB RAM
CISCO RV042 Gateway
CISCO SPA8800 for POTS lines (This way primary and secondary can access POTS)
CISCO SPA301 Phones
4 POTS Lines (Incoming for now)
SIPSTATION Trunk (Currently outbound)
CALLWITHUS (International
Everything is working great! (besides some employees having difficulty with call parking)
Question:
I would prefer a TRI-State area provider/data center.
I am looking for a SIP trunk provider with the following requirements
Similar to services provided by DIDLOGIC (Hong Kong based)
Many (unlimited?) channels but realistically 10-20
Metered rates under .01/min US (competitive INTL)
Failover/forwarding to POTS if connection to box fails (ie:internet down)
Basically we are a seasonal (winter) clothing business and have very little call
volume in the summer (all lines can be idle most of the day with 30 employees at location 1) I never wat an unavailable incoming or outgoing line (channel) for any employee, but I am sure that having several unlimited SIPSTATION trunks is more than we need. I believe that metered is the way to go in our case.
Thanks in advance for your help.
PS: My wife is Polish and i set up a personal callwithus account. Poland DID so her mom can call anytime. Setting up box at home. Sweet.
There are hundreds of sip providers out there, but the important thing is the reliability of your Internet connection. Even though the SIP providers home office might be in your area, you really have no idea where the data center is. Look at the store on this site for one that is that supports FreePBX.
As for failover, that’s easy to do on outgoing, but a little problematic on incoming. Outgoing is simply configuring your box correctly.
To failover incoming sip to pots you’d have to get your sip provider to forward the incomings
DIDS to your POTs.
I have some other options, so if you care to look up my telephone number on the City of Viksburg, MS web page and give me a call, I’ll be delighted to share some of my schemes with you.
Agree, does not matter where the firm is located, you want to make sure they have a POP in your LATA that is on net and that your Internet connection is peered without a ton of hops. As a for instance we provide this service in the Cleveland market and peer with Time Warner. This is a huge advantage for Time Warner customers. In your area if you have a Cablevision connection (say hello to Chuck Dolan, I use to work for his cousin John) your SIP carrier should have a Cablevision peering relationship.
As far as sub .01/rates. That is extremely low for quality service. You are not going to get CNAME dips at that price. Figure you need to do a $1000 + “take or pay” type arrangement to get that low. The best no contract rate you will see is going to be a .01 and that is with providers that are not tier 1 companies.
Sounds like you setup a nice system. Good luck to you.
