Hi there,
I’m the head of IT for a media company in kampala-Uganda. I’m seriously considering moving over completely to asterix from alcatel hardware. I need to clarify a few things though; how robust is it for 400 users, what kind of network bottlenecks will I encounter and therefore need to work on. What kind of infrastructure should I look at.
Paul.
Pikanza,
I would definitively do the movement…
We did a installation for a customer with more than 600 users with no problem. There is no problem using Asterisk, but if this platform if new to you, I seriously advise to get some help from a Digium Certified professional (dCAP).
For so many users, I would suggest a clustered installation. Also be sure about using separe network for data & voice, VLANs or both. Very important… choose quality materials… and pay special attention to phones quaility (it is better to spent a few dolars more there and got a good phone).
About network bottleneck, you should not be afraid of them as far as you setup correctly VLANs… If you want to use VoIP also for external calls, problems may arise if you do not choose the right WAN links (sDSL / Qos),
Do not heasitate to contact me if you need further info, and good luck !!!
Dear agorosti,
Thanks for the feedback. How do I contact a dCAP for assistance-i’m located in Kampala-Uganda.
Also, please clarify on the separation of voice/data networks; do I neccessarily have to separate them-I’m using a gig backbone-perhaps I should consider proper quality of service.
finally, give me some suggestions of IP phones to use and sites I can look at them at if you can. Can I convert my analog phones to be useable?
Paul
With that many extensions a VLAN’s with QoS is a must. You do not need to have a seperate network for your phones unless you are already running into bandwith issues.
For phones I use the Polycom IP430’s and 501’s. I really like the Polycom’s - they have a very good feel to them, look good and have excellent audio quality.
Yes you can use your analog phones. You will need a channel bank that will connect to the server(s) via a T1. 24 analog phones can connect per T1. I am using a Rhino CB24 and it works perfectly. There tech support is excellent should you need any help with it. How many analog lines are you going to try connecting?