IP/VoIP phone system installations

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bandicoot

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Geek

#43021 15-Oct-2009 17:53

Hi all

I have a background in electronic security installations but am currently looking at installing IP phone systems. having not ever installed a phone system before, are there any places I can get some basic training on the basics of IP phone systems?

What are the better ones to install for the small business areas?

I would be looking at new installations as aposed to existing system upgrades etc.......within reason.

Have a basic working knowlegde off IP, enough to setup a small network, remote connections, linking hardware sites together over IP etc etc.

....Just green on the old phone system side of things such as what is the norm etc. I keep getting told they are easy enough to pick up.......but will beleive it once im doing it!

I'm not asking for a step by step how too, just a bit of direction in which I should take..

Thanks for your time.

sbiddle

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#264140 15-Oct-2009 20:13

Anybody who says it's "easy" to be honest is full of spin. They're the sorts of people who give VoIP a bad name by going around installing systems that simply don't work well - something there are plenty of. Like the web design business 10 years ago people think VoIP is easy. It's not.

I'd start by understanding the basics of how an analogue PBX works before you even start thinking about VoIP. With no knowledge of the basic requirements you'll simply fall over before you're walking. Understand exactly what PBX features are required by businesses and what aren't. No two are the same.

Be prepared to spend hours and hours playing with things and leaning how things work. Develop a good understanding of SIP and try and play with as many VoIP devices as you can. All are different. After you've learnt about SIP you'll have to learn about some security issues of SIP and how to overcome them. If you don't your system can and will be compromised. Learn a bit more about networking in general including QoS, VPN's, VLAN's and traffic shaping. Learn about the pros and cons of all the different IP PBX solutions out there. No single solution is perfect for everything.

I've been playing with VoIP stuff now for well over 5 years and learn something new every day.

bandicoot

13 posts

Geek

#264142 15-Oct-2009 20:50

Excatly, short of working for someone and learning it, whats the best way....just buy and play? Are there any courses out there that cover the basics etc?

I've been installing security systems for nearly 14 - 15 yrs and always learning something new too, would the Panasonic systems be a good start? They are common as a common thing out there.

Appreciate your reply sbiddle, cheers

Regs

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Snowflake

#264149 15-Oct-2009 21:54

as sbiddle suggested, learn an analog system first. you still need the basic grounding in telephony. even analog systems have a lot of features, routing and programming which are all skills that build towards VoIP skills. if you watch trademe or graysonline.co.nz you could probably pick up a 2nd hand PBX for dirt cheap.

the cheapest way to start learning VoIP technologies at home would be to download a computer-based VoIP solution like Asterisk (linux) or 3CX (windows). no skills in lnux or windows? perhaps VoIP isnt for you... there arent too many phone systems that dont have a compuer based component any more so you really need to have some skills there too.

a progression from here might be to buy some physical devices - maybe an analog phone gateway and a SIP phone.

after mastering that, perhaps now you start looking at advanced gateways (ISDN Primary Rate), VoIP services available through the internet SIP Line, SIP Trunk etc.

Sales Engineer
Snowflake
www.snowflake.com

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Twitter: @nzregs

bandicoot

13 posts

Geek

#264157 15-Oct-2009 22:21

Cheers, as I thought, buy, play and learn, the wife will love that! She always says...."I wish I had buttons so you would play with me!"

Thanks