What is better than ISDN?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › What is better than ISDN?

Wadec

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#192311 6-Mar-2016 10:34

We run a call centre and have some ISDN circuits for our main lines. Over the last 6 months, the ISDN lines randomly come up unavailable when people call in. One call in will say unavailable and the next will be ok and then they go off again, we do not seem to see a pattern but it always comes right when we downpower the ISDN unit. Chorus have replaced the unit but the problem still persists. Any idea on what this is? We have had the same looking ISDN boxes on the wall for the last 8 years, is there something new and better we should have?

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#1506798 6-Mar-2016 10:39

30 channels for calls do they all go into out of service or just some?

ISDN is generally rock solid

Wadec

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#1506800 6-Mar-2016 10:45

We only use ISDN for incoming calls. but not all of the calls stop coming in, we might call the same number 5 times and it might work once. repeat the process, similar results. After downpowering, five calls will work in a row.

Yabanize

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#1506802 6-Mar-2016 10:55

The new or better solution would be VoIP

Wadec

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#1506803 6-Mar-2016 10:57

We use VOIP lines for some outgoing calls but worried about the lack of support during outages from 2Talk to rely on them completely.

michaelmurfy

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#1506817 6-Mar-2016 11:24

Yabanize:

The new or better solution would be VoIP

VoIP is not a replacement for the reliability of ISDN based trunks.

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cisconz

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#1506841 6-Mar-2016 12:06

michaelmurfy:

VoIP is not a replacement for the reliability of ISDN based trunks.

I disagree, however not all VoIP is created equal

Hmmmm

michaelmurfy

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#1506843 6-Mar-2016 12:08

cisconz:

michaelmurfy:

VoIP is not a replacement for the reliability of ISDN based trunks.

I disagree, however not all VoIP is created equal

If you've got a reliable business-grade internet connection, hardware and also a competent provider then sure but I know the company I work for still uses good ole ISDN for 800+ phones.

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old3eyes

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#1506849 6-Mar-2016 12:23

Yabanize:

The new or better solution would be VoIP

SIP trunks are only as good as what you pay for. Get cheap expect crap service. Pay lots and you get good reliable service..

Regards,

Old3eyes

sbiddle

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#1506939 6-Mar-2016 15:20

At the end of the day ISDN is ISDN - there is nothing newer. If you have a fault you should raise this with your ISDN provider and your PBX provider to look and see where the fault is, because it could well be the PBX.

As for VoIP I'll simply post what others above have posted - if support for VoIP is an issue then you should really be looking at options for providers remembering that like everything in life the cheapest option isn't always the best.

Wadec

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#1506940 6-Mar-2016 15:22

Thanks for that. Do they provide ISDN over fibre??

kornflake

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#1506960 6-Mar-2016 15:56

No ISDN is not delivered over light, this is where you move to SIP, 2 talk are OK but if you want support, reassurance & quality there are better providers out there i.e. teir one telcos.

quickymart

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#1507047 6-Mar-2016 18:00

Wadec:

Thanks for that. Do they provide ISDN over fibre??

Uh, no, I doubt it. It's kind of like asking if ADSL is provided over dialup.

BarTender

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#1507067 6-Mar-2016 18:42

kornflake: No ISDN is not delivered over light, this is where you move to SIP, 2 talk are OK but if you want support, reassurance & quality there are better providers out there i.e. teir one telcos.

Not quote accurate. There are a number of transition solutions. https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?q=isdn%20over%20ip

But it would be best to go with a Telco that provides SIP Trunking. Which Spark Digital does supply.

jnimmo

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#1509987 9-Mar-2016 16:26

What others have said is good advice. You should look at dedicated fibre if possible and get SIP trunking from the same provider. Spark Digital, 2degrees and the Kordia small business team would all have good packages for this I imagine.

chevrolux

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#1510043 9-Mar-2016 18:03

Yea GVC2 from Spark Digital seems to be the go for replacing isdn.

Have you got lots of little boxes? Or just one big box? If you have lots of little boxes it could be that one of the bearer pairs is faulty. But as JohnR aludes to, if it's just one big box (a primary rate), generally all 30 channels would drop out if there was an issue.

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