I used to be very reluctant to rely on VoIP technology, over the internet or otherwise.
About 1-1/2 years ago, I was forced to install a VoIP link to one of our remote tower sites in Missouri (I'm a radio engineer for the Missouri Highway Patrol). The tower site was too far for a UHF remote control link, and we didn't have the money for multiple microwave hops. In addition, there was no telephone lines there, but we had IP on a local electric company backbone. So, we never really go to the Internet so to speak. We started out using JPS NXU-2A's and they were great, but had too much latency. Close to a second by the time you add in their synchronization and codec latency to our "pipe" latency. So, we switched to the Telex IP-223's and they work equally as well, just much less latency and many more bells and whistles. I have not had a SINGLE outage, unlike our other sites that we lease a 56k digital data circuit from. So much for SLA's! Some sites are down for as much as a week, and that's with me hounding them every so many hours, or literally driving to the phone company's CO in the town closest to my tower site. Since then, we have installed two other VoIP links in other parts of the state. One uses DSL on both ends - never an outage. The other uses a cable modem on one end and a wireless internet provider on the other - never an outage. If you're using an NXU-2A, you could have a static IP at a repeater site, and the user could connect up with free software called PC NXU (also by JPS) and use their laptop or desktop PC as their "console". Only problem is that one person can be connected at a time. Not sure if there's a way around this or not, not that I'm aware of. Though I still have some reservations of totally relying on VoIP over the Internet or other means, I am becoming more of a believer every day. The Internet providers are all about keeping their equipment up, and the phone companies seem to be becoming less and less interested in keeping their circuits up and running. On Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 6:32 PM, WA3GIN <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Don, > > You have pointed out some valid concerns but the world doesn't care...VOIP > is cost effective for day to day operations and everyone is going there as > fast as they can...the fact that everyone is going there will bring the > reliability you indicate is needed, before too long. Just remember the > telcos weren't that reliable for decades...but the world is changing and > there ain't muc we can do about it except trying to bring the best ideas and > concepts to the planning meetings to ensure as best we can that these > networks have adequate redundancy, cyber security, etc. > > > Best, > dave > wa3gin > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Bill Smith <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Monday, January 04, 2010 7:20 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Repeater-Builder] dispatch centers run through the > internet > > > > VoIP is used daily and has been for over five years for mission-critical > applications such major electric and gas utilities and public safety. VoIP > isn't the problem, it's the transport medium. > > Bill > > --- On *Mon, 1/4/10, Don E. Wisdom <[email protected]>* wrote: > > > From: Don E. Wisdom <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] dispatch centers run through the internet > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Date: Monday, January 4, 2010, 6:08 PM > > try again. I am a network engineer and I can tell you all it takes is one > mistake or routing loop extended power failure etc and your down for a > while. Anyone who would even think about doing this over the internet needs > their head checked. Ask yourself this question... If your power goes out > at home & you have comcast digital voice (that goes over the cable modem) > and someone robs your house.. What does your alarm do? Nothing! it cant > call out because the power is out. VoIP is not a technology that anyone > should be relying on for LIFE SAFETY things. > > the standard SLA on a T1 connection is 4 hours. (and it should be since it > costs $4-500/month) realistically they aren't going to fix it until they're > 4 hours are up. Home/business DSL connections typically have no SLA or it > isn't worth the toilet paper it is printed upon. Its been proven multiple > times in the last year (san francisco fiber cut, deep sea fiber cuts, turkey > stealing youtube's ip space etc) that the internet is not 190% reliable. > You have to remember that you may have a competent admin but you are just as > vulnerable if someone else does not have one. > One other thing.. 99.99% of VoIP applications use UDP which is a > connectionless protocol. meaning that the side sending it has no clue if it > got there. Simply put it either gets there or doesn't and you have no idea > which. > > This is a bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad idea. No insurance company > in their right mind will touch this. I'd heard that the NFPA is also > looking at banning VoIP's use for fire alarm systems. > > --Don > > > On Jan 4, 2010, at 4:47 PM, Jed Barton wrote: > > > exactly what i thought. > > People can say relyability, but your internet connection is probably a > hell > > of a lot more relyable than a typical verizon phone line. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: > > [email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > [mailto:[email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>] > On Behalf Of Barry > > Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 6:43 PM > > To: > > [email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] dispatch centers run through the internet > > > > > > > > It's done very day ,a good vpn and intranet and very difficult to > > interfere, with short of a direct physical connection there is little > better > > so I don't understand all the fuss . Some one posted a good remote radio > > controller so the rest is down to the skills of the system admin B ( and > > yes I have had training in the area) > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > To: > > [email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > From: > > [email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 16:24:08 -0700 > > Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] dispatch centers run through the internet > > > > > > > > > > Given the inherit instability of the internet (it was NEVER designed to > do > > what we are doing with it), I would consider any communications system > which > > is reliant upon the internet to be flawed by design and completely > > untrustworthy. > > > > > > > > My two cents worth. > > > > > > > > From: > > [email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > [mailto:[email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>] > On Behalf Of WA3GIN > > Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 6:23 PM > > To: > > [email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] dispatch centers run through the internet > > > > > > > > > > > > Yes, and they are called Intranets. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: Kevin Custer > > <mailto:[email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>> > > > > > To: > > [email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > <mailto:[email protected]<http://us.mc624.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>> > > > > > Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 5:55 PM > > > > Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] dispatch centers run through the > > internet > > > > > > > > > > > > The Internet is a shared medium. A private WAN/LAN commonly utilizes > > > > fiber optic cable or licensed wireless networking to accomplish > > connectivity. While private systems can deliver Internet, it is not > > (necessarily) THE Internet. Privately owned facilities like what > > many > > CATV, Phone, Internet, and combinations of them can have dark fiber > > or > > reserved virtual space that cannot get clogged with Internet > > overhead. > > The bottlenecking you might experience with facilities you cannot > > (do > > not) control can (will) be the downfall of such a system - unless a > > SLA > > can be gotten. A SLA is a service level agreement in which a company > > > > guarantees connectivity - to some degree. The more reliability the > > agreement extends - the higher the cost. > > > > Kevin Custer > > > > > Jed Barton wrote: > > > tell me about this system a little bit. > > > > > > > > > You'll note that the manufacturer is not suggesting that you > > utilize the > > > Internet for this device. It is marketed for use on a private > > LAN/WAN. > > > > > > Chuck > > > WB2EDV > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > Meet singles at ninemsn dating Looking for a great date? > > <http://clk.atdmt.com/NMN/go/150855801/direct/01/> > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > -- James Adkins, KB0NHX Vice-President -- Nixa Amateur Radio Club, Inc. (KC0LUN) www.nixahams.net Southern Missouri Assistant Frequency Coordinator - Missouri Repeater Council www.missourirepeater.org The Nixa Amateur Radio Club - "There is no charge for awesomeness!" (Well, only $1.00 per month)
