Dave, The problem we found with using BRI circuits for trunking was always the fact that Bell would not make them equiv. This meant that you could never have an incoming trunk route with more than two channels in it. Also, I never did get a sense that they could (or would) deliver DIDs across it.
When the Norstar first came out with BRI we installed a few systems using it (this was before they did PRI for the Norstar). We spent a long time trying to get Bell to make the BRI circuits behave as a single equivalency group (the customer had about 4 or 5 loops, as I recall, delivering 8-10 channels). It may be that we just didn't try out all the options, but what we were told was that what we were looking for was a function of Megalink, not Microlink, and they were adamant on that point, no matter how much we pleaded with them. The whole thing pretty much got to a point where they told us to give up; what we wanted was not going to happen. In those days we actually had pretty good relations with Bell. They even had a whole group (the CPEG group) that was dedicated to handling the needs of the PBX providers. These folks were generally very good. It is also important to bear in mind that the Sangoma card is going to be an S/T interface (4-wire), and Bell delivers an U interface (2-wire). You will therefore always need a device in the middle called an NT1. These may be hard to find these days, and they also may not be cheap. This is a link from Cisco about some of this (http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/ito_doc/isdn.htm). The technology works, and it is great, and I really want to see this happen, and I will use it if it can be made to do what is needed. The problem I have is that my experience with this has been less than stellar, and so I would caution anyone who wants to move ahead with this to tread very carefully. Jim > -----Original Message----- > From: Dave Donovan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: August 10, 2007 12:16 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [on-asterisk] FW: [Asterisk-Users-Conference:27] > Sangoma A500 BRI -- North American support > > On 8/9/07, Jim Van Meggelen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I am pretty sure you can still order Microlink from Bell > (BRI), but I > > am not sure if it would be suitable for trunking. > > > Thanks Jim, > > I was involved in a pretty active thread on the > asterisk-users list a few weeks back. There was some > momentum behind extending one of the existing frameworks and > some people were calling their Sangoma reps to get action on > this. They started by stating they would not be supporting > NA-BRI. So, the vote thing is either a change of thought, or > an attempt to pacify us. > > It makes so much sense for small and medium-small offices. > Consider all the posts we see here about echo, audio levels, > caller ID, DID/DNIS etc and all the crazy things we do trying > to get analog lines to just behave like a decent service. > There are so many systems out there with 2-8 lines where this > is a really nice solution. > > Sure, there's going to be a bit of a hassle getting Bell to > install this lesser known service but once there's some > documentation, a "give this to your bell tech" sheet should > come together. I wonder if any CLECs would offer that since > it's tariffed but not common. > > TAUG Members: Mobilize! > > Dave > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > From: Stephen Bosch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Date: Aug 9, 2007 1:04 AM > > > Subject: [Asterisk-Users-Conference:27] Sangoma A500 BRI -- North > > > American support > > > To: Asterisk Users Conference < > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > > > > Hi, folks: > > > > > > I've already posted this to the main Asterisk users list, but > > > thought I would share it here also. I don't know how many > of you are > > > in Europe > > > -- > > > you already have the pleasure of widespread BRI use. Over > in North > > > America we're still on the tin cans and string :) > > > > > > Sangoma has an informal user survey up on their home page (at > > > http://www.sangoma.com) asking if people would use their > A500 card > > > for North American BRI, if it were supported. > > > > > > I encourage anyone with an interest in voice BRI in North > America to > > > vote; this information will be used for deciding whether > to make the > > > investment in developing a National ISDN driver layer for it. > > > Benefits to users of BRI include the vastly better call > quality and > > > call control signalling, without having to pay hundreds > of dollars a > > > month for a fractional T1. (Say goodbye to analog lines left open > > > and the resulting busy signals!) > > > > > > For anyone who is curious: Sangoma is writing their own > driver layer > > > for this card, not using bristuff or woomera. > > > > > > In other words, if they decide to go ahead with it, this > would be a > > > new contribution to the marketplace, with the bonus of having > > > Sangoma's solid drivers and excellent support behind it. > Just having > > > decent, affordable hardware will remove a big roadblock to going > > > digital for sites with fewer than 10 channels. Full disclosure: I > > > would like to see this happen, as I've got plans to move our own > > > offices and some client offices to BRI. > > > > > > I encourage you to vote, as well as offer Sangoma your personal > > > feedback, if you can spare the time. > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > -Stephen- > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ > > > Your participation in the conference is always appreciated! > > > Please try to be there live when it happens. > > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to > the Google > > > Groups "Asterisk Users Conference" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > http://groups.google.com/group/asterisk-users-conference?hl=en > > > <http://groups.google.com/group/asterisk-users-conference?hl=en> > > > -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.8/941 - Release > > > Date: 07/08/2007 4:06 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.8/941 - Release Date: > > 07/08/2007 > > 4:06 PM > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional > > commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.11/944 - Release > Date: 09/08/2007 2:44 PM > > No virus found in this outgoing message. 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