Tie in Remote Warehouse Paging Overhead System to Freepbx

We have dual Freepbx 100s at our corporate location, connected to a remote warehouse via VPN.

We used to have an Avaya phone system, with a remote gateway at the warehouse. The current overhead paging system at the warehouse is
a Valcom V-2006a (six zone integrated page control), and to page, they dial 61, then the line beeps, and they press 1 again to page (using the old phone system).

Currently, most people in the warehouse have two phones - one to page (the old system) and a VOIP phone.

Can someone please advise what equipment is required in order to connect the paging to the new system? The equipment would plug into the existing POE switch.

Thank You,

Karen

One quick Google search of “Valcom V-2006a” brought up the company site and manuals as a top result.

http://www.telecomuserguides.com/manuals/filesupload/Valcom/PageControls/Valcom-One-Way-Paging-System-Design-Information.pdf

VoIP (Voice-over-Internet-Protocol) Adapters
Valcom’s VoIP adapters provide loudspeaker
paging through the client’s LAN/WAN.
ď‚·

  • VIP-801, Networked Page Zone Extender, enables voice access over an IP-based LAN/WAN. Other VIP-801(s) will allow page zone extensions anywhere else on the network. Up to 1024 zones are possible using a VIP-801 unit per zone for audio output

  • VIP-811, Enhanced Networked Station Port, connects to an FXO port, loop start trunk port, or dedicated analog telephone terminal device, and is connected to an IP-based LAN/WAN.

  • VIP-821, Enhanced Networked Trunk Port, allows a PBX system device or IP telephone adapter to be connected to a managed IP-based LAN/WAN. The PBX system device or IP telephone adapter must provide an open loop disconnect signal.

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With your Valcom system, looks like you should be able to tie that into a FXS port.

You would just set up an extension on that FXS port, dial it, then 1-6 for the zone to page.

I found the user guide for it… the 2006A isn’t a VOIP adapter, but a station adapter. Tie it into an FXS port. Easy peasey.

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Hers is the manual for the paging unit.

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Thank you both. Comtech - I should have thought of reaching out to the MFR directly. I assumed the equipment was too old…

gbaughma - Glad to hear there is an easy solution. I have questions about the FXS port - would I install something like a Cisco SPA122 ATA to create the port on the warehouse switch?

Something like this, Yes. This avoids a long phone line running to your warehouse and keeps the connection digital to the last second. Install it as a SIP extension and connect the “phone” in the warehouse and dial it directly. Once connected, use your codes to manage the device.

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According to the manual, the Valcom emulates an analog phone line, not an analog phone.
A device such as SPA122 won’t work – you need one with an FXO interface, such as:
Linksys SPA3102 or SPA3000
Grandstream HT503
Obihai OBi110 or OBi212

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@Stewart1 By golly, you’re right. It would need to be FXO.
How bizarre.
So, you would use an FXO port, tie it to the valcom… then set up an outbound ROUTE through the FXO.
The Valcom is going to go “offhook”, and then take a number to determine the paging group.

(Side note… wow… if I were designing this, I would have made it an auto-answer analog station, not a voltage-generating line emulator… )

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I use the Snom PA1 for this.

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