Asterisk for small business?

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sfrasernz

227 posts

Master Geek

#195947 13-May-2016 06:34

Hi all,

I'm a small business owner wanting to reduce my overall telecom costs and move our internet services onto VoIP and UFB. Up until now I've had a career in IT so am familiar with most technologies and can find my around an IP network and other infrastructure.

Vodafone have an attractive product they call OfficeNet Unlimited+ offering a couple of SIP trunks along with UFB connection - saving me about $150-200 per month. My current PBX can't handle SIP so requires an upgrade. We are currently using 3 desk phones and another 9 cordless phones (analog).

I'm currently going through the exercise of looking at a Hybrid PBX that can connect to SIP and can reuse our existing phones. I assuming this will be most cost effective.

But in the back of my mind i am wondering if I could get away with building my own Asterisk server and purchasing some new IP-Cordless phones.

My specific questions are:

Is moving to Asterisk cost effective, secure and reliable? (I assume it is if done right)
Is QoS a requirement on such a small LAN? I'd keep the VOIP and LAN on separate VLANs and could configure QoS but it will require the purchase of new switches. Also required if I implement PoE.
What are generally the best IP-Cordless and IP-Desk phones for Asterisk?

Any thoughts from experienced VOIP people would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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1097 posts

Uber Geek

#1551869 13-May-2016 06:45

Hey,

My feelings would be Asterisk might be more hassle than it is worth for a system that small...
Depends a bit too on if you're after any computer integration etc, what the phones are used for

A hosted PBX I suspect would be ideal, but suspect Vodafones option there wouldn't be cost effective, 2talk though,

http://www.3cx.com/ 3cx might be a more flexible option especially if you have any sort of Windows server already..

We've got Asterisk with 80ish Panasonic IP phones, it takes a lot of work to manage..

Is moving to Asterisk cost effective, secure and reliable? (I assume it is if done right)

Yes, but not time effective if you run into any problems

Is QoS a requirement on such a small LAN?

No, QoS is only required for bandwidth constrained links. You would ideally want to make sure the voice is using the high priority tag on the UFB connection, but Vodafone should take care of that if you're getting SIP through them.

What are generally the best IP-Cordless and IP-Desk phones for Asterisk?

I actually find the Panasonic IP phones are nicely built (see Nicegear) and affordable, but depends a bit on the PBX and if it supports auto provisioning. Note, FreeBBX (Asterisk distro) has Endpoint Manager which does Panasonic auto provisioning.. but it takes a good couple of days to get the config files setup correctly!

sbiddle

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#1551876 13-May-2016 07:18

Yes Asterisk is a good solutiion. If you've never configured it before there is a steep learning curve. Just because it's possible to be up and running in a few mins with a FreePBX install doesn't mean it's a good idea to deploy such a system into production. Will Vodafone let you connect Asterisk though?

There is no such thing as the "best phones". Managing large VoIP deployments is part of my day job and despite the fact my phone collection at home now extends to pretty much every brand out there the reality is there is every brand and phone is different with strengths and weaknesses. It really comes down to what your requirements are, and if you don't know much about the technology that's potentially a question you're going to struggle to actually answer.

sfrasernz

227 posts

Master Geek

#1551885 13-May-2016 07:45

Thanks for the feedback. The learning curve and time spent on implementing such a solution is certainly a consideration. As are the security aspects which are forefront in my mind.

I will look into 3CX. I imagine being a commercial product the setup and support might be a little more straight forward. I will also check with Vodafone if they would support such systems as 3CX and Asterisk.

The cordless handsets only need to be able to participate in a hunt group, receive CLID, transfer calls, park calls and have access to a central phone book. I guess what I meant by the 'best' phone would be something that is easy to configure and has good voice quality and range - oh and did I mention not too expensive? Our 10 year old Uniden 2.4Ghz cordless phones work great so I hope most modern phones would be of equivalent quality.

The aim of this project is reduce my overall spend. If it pays for itself within 12 months then that would be great. But it is for a business and reliability is a high priority. Once implemented MACS would be few and far between so I hope once implemented it will run itself with minimal interaction. IF implemented it would be run on reasonably high availability hardware with RAID.

Thanks

rphenix

985 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#1551887 13-May-2016 07:47

sfrasernz: Hi all,

I'm a small business owner wanting to reduce my overall telecom costs and move our internet services onto VoIP and UFB. Up until now I've had a career in IT so am familiar with most technologies and can find my around an IP network and other infrastructure.

If it wasn't for the statement about being in IT - I would have said stay well away from setting up your own PBX. But if you do roll your own solution some pointers: Never have an extension with a weak password not even a test extension use a randomly generated password. Make every extension restricted by IP address to the LAN the phones are connected on. Don't port forward the SIP ports - you can use sip register, and qualify to keep the traffic related so a call can come in from your provider - or if you must open ports then at least IP restrict it to your providers IP range.

sfrasernz:
I'm currently going through the exercise of looking at a Hybrid PBX that can connect to SIP and can reuse our existing phones. I assuming this will be most cost effective.

Remember there is also other costs than just the upfront investment -time and maintenance, debugging, and call quality - personally I would throw the old handsets out and get SIP phones.

sfrasernz:
Is moving to Asterisk cost effective, secure and reliable? (I assume it is if done right)
Is QoS a requirement on such a small LAN? I'd keep the VOIP and LAN on separate VLANs and could configure QoS but it will require the purchase of new switches. Also required if I implement PoE.
What are generally the best IP-Cordless and IP-Desk phones for Asterisk?
Any thoughts from experienced VOIP people would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Definitely go for POE, possibly setup a distinct VOIP network if you can (its not necessary but is good if you can do it) VLAN's are a good idea. Asterisk is only as secure as the person who sets it up and more importantly maintains and audits it. Is it reliable yes it is I use it in a 24/7 call center. Seriously consider hiring someone like sbiddle to either set the system up or at least advise as you do things.

speed

293 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1551888 13-May-2016 07:48

Answers to your specific questions:

1. Certainly, if done right

2. No

3. Cordless - Yealink W52P or Gigaset C610. Deskphones - Yealink SIP-T range, or Snom 300 range.

All IMO of course!

One other tip I'd offer you is to stay well away from analog telephone adapters. Go 100% IP and save yourself a bunch of hassles.

Hope this helps :)

sbiddle

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#1551891 13-May-2016 07:56

sfrasernz: Our 10 year old Uniden 2.4Ghz cordless phones work great so I hope most modern phones would be of equivalent quality.

Considering these are some of the worst cordless phones ever manufactured (and kill your WiFi and everybody around you since they're 2.4GHz) pretty much anything will be better.

I'd recommend Yealink or Panasonic replacements.

cisconz

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#1551901 13-May-2016 08:22

I would go for the Panasonic TGP600's for cordless - the base will take 8 concurrent calls and up to 8 handsets and 8 SIP registrations (Extensions).

The Base is PoE as well, so if you have a UPS etc, it will keep going during powercut.

Hmmmm

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hads

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#1551902 13-May-2016 08:26

I would also recommend Yealink and Panasonic.

You might also want to look at little embedded PBX boxes which run Asterisk inside.

nicegear.co.nz - VoIP, DVB and other Linux compatible hardware

jnimmo

1097 posts

Uber Geek

#1551908 13-May-2016 08:36

hads:

I would also recommend Yealink and Panasonic.

You might also want to look at little embedded PBX boxes which run Asterisk inside.

Hadley do you have anyone who can do a site survey/quote for installing the Multi cell DECT in Chch? Was speaking to one company but they aren't answering phone or email anymore..

hads

392 posts

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#1551910 13-May-2016 08:38

jnimmo:

Hadley do you have anyone who can do a site survey/quote for installing the Multi cell DECT in Chch? Was speaking to one company but they aren't answering phone or email anymore..

Unfortunately not sorry, we're a bit overwhelmed with selling stuff these days and so I'm not currently doing any consultation myself. If you want to flick me an email I can get in touch with the Panasonic people to see if they can help.

nicegear.co.nz - VoIP, DVB and other Linux compatible hardware

speed

293 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1551942 13-May-2016 08:51

jnimmo: personally I would avoid Panasonic IP phones like the plague, however to answer your specific question give these guys a try. If you can convince them to take you on as a customer then they would handle this job no problem. They have very skilful engineers.

www.revit.co.nz

sbiddle

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#1551952 13-May-2016 09:16

speed:

jnimmo: personally I would avoid Panasonic IP phones like the plague, however to answer your specific question give these guys a try. If you can convince them to take you on as a customer then they would handle this job no problem. They have very skilful engineers.

www.revit.co.nz

What's wrong with them? I've only got a Panasonic SIP desk phone at home (never actually deployed them) but the DECT handsets are great. Their multi DECT solution and base stations are a great solution.

I'm not a great fan of the new Panasonic desk phone configuration and limited options, but as a handset they seem fine.

mdf

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#1551993 13-May-2016 09:56

Don't underestimate the value of professional support.

I went through a very similar exercise. Set up everything at home as a trial and all worked well, so thought I was pretty good to go. Pretty pleased with myself that I had thought to do a test before using it in anger. Rolled it out at the office and had no end of problems, and huge stress trying to sort it out when calls = money.

Even if you end up with an Asterisk/FreePBX based system, I'd really recommend getting professional help in setting it up and supporting it on an ongoing basis.

Where are you based? There are a couple of geekzone members that do this for a living and are well worth the investment.

rphenix

985 posts

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#1552010 13-May-2016 10:16

sbiddle:

speed:

jnimmo: personally I would avoid Panasonic IP phones like the plague, however to answer your specific question give these guys a try. If you can convince them to take you on as a customer then they would handle this job no problem. They have very skilful engineers.

www.revit.co.nz

What's wrong with them? I've only got a Panasonic SIP desk phone at home (never actually deployed them) but the DECT handsets are great. Their multi DECT solution and base stations are a great solution.

I'm not a great fan of the new Panasonic desk phone configuration and limited options, but as a handset they seem fine.

Of the Panasonic cordless ones I used late last year:
The handsets are very lightweight and small - I think if they were bigger they would feel more solid and would then have room for a bigger speaker as we had to set the ring volume at 100% and choose a strong ringtone to avoid complaints and the speakerphone could be better.

Its a shame as everything else is good - I like the roaming between between base units/cells while on a call (great for large office spaces) and native bluetooth support on many of the handsets.

hads

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#1552013 13-May-2016 10:18

The volume on the Panasonics I've used is better than on the Gigaset units.

nicegear.co.nz - VoIP, DVB and other Linux compatible hardware

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