|
Upgrade your Lucent Max 6000 to
support V92/VOIP
|
|
The Lucent Max
6000, in both T1 and E1 versions, was a widely deployed V90 dialup
access server through the 1990s and early part of this decade. While
no longer popular, they can be inexpensively refitted to provide
universal V92/V90 dialup as well as H323 VOIP service, typically for
less than half the cost of other equipment. If you own a V90 dialup
Max 6000 and are looking for an economical way to expand your
service capabilities, contact
us today!
|
|
Cisco 7204/7206/VXR Basics |
One
of the most flexible, economical, and powerful entries in the
Cisco modular router lines are the 7206/7204 in both nonVXR and
VXR (gigabit capable) versions. Both are typically configured with
a network processing engine CPU (NPE), an IO card, and optional
port adaptors
(PA). The 7204 and 7206 versions themselves differ only in the
number of PA slots - 4 slots in the 7204 and 6 in the 7206. A large number of PA cards
exist to populate these slots.
An important choice is VXR versus nonVXR,
and NPE, IO, and PA cards. NonVXR units process about .6 gbps of
bandwidth - about half that of the VXR, albeit at a much lower
price. But a number of the PA adaptor cards and the faster NPE
cards only work in the VXR version (for
some PA cards, VXR
compatibility depends on firmware version.)
Choosing an IO card principally involves a
decision about ethernet capabilities. The basic IO card has no
ethernet ports, so a PA ethernet card would be required, while an
IO-FE and IO-2FE have respectively 1 and 2 10/100 ethernet ports.
A gigabit IO card is also available. Choosing an IO card with
onboard ethernet ports frees up PA slots, so your choice of IO
card may depend on how many PA cards
you plan to install.
The most important configuration choice in
provisioning your 7200 router is the network processing engine -
the router's CPU. For nonVXR units the choices are the NPE-150,
200, and 225, with the NPE-225 the clear choice because of its
faster processor. For VXR units, the processing abilities of the
three main boards vary substantially: NPE-300 (240 MBPS), NPE-400
(320 MBPS), and NPE-G1 (800 MBPS). Prices also vary dramatically,
and for most uses the NPE-300 or 400 is sufficient. An extra
feature of the NPE-G1 is that it has 3 10/100/1000 built-in
ethernet ports, so no IO card is needed. For
more technical information on the 7200 line, visit Cisco.
|
|
|
The AS5300 - Still Chugging! |
| When
most service providers think about buying a Cisco gateway, they
typically think of Cisco's AS5350/ AS5400 lines. However, as
dedicated H323 VOIP or V92/V90 dialup units, The Cisco AS5300
functions just as effectively as the 5350/5400s, and at far lower
costs. The AS5300 is typically provisioned with 128MB of DRAM, and
single or dual AC/DC power. It has three expansion slots - the
bottom one is for a four or eight E1/T1 PRI card, while the top
two can be provisioned for voice (up to 120 ports) or data (up to
240 ports). Unlike the 5350/5400, voice and data applications
require different hardware, so AS5300s must be provisioned for one
or the other. The ready availability of parts and current
software versions (through IOS 12.3) suggest the AS5300 will
remain in widespread use as an effective and popular gateway for
at least several more years, even after the end of official Cisco
support. For more
information on available AS5300 configurations, visit ISPTrader. |
|
Inexpensive Alternatives to Cisco
Gateways
|
|
While
Cisco continues to dominate the market for both dialup and VOIP
network equipment, established alternatives do exist for the E1
and T1 environments. On the dialup-only/data side, popular
alternatives include the Lucent
Portmaster 3A - an extremely lightweight and inexpensive
V90 dialup solution supporting 2PRIs, the 3Com
Total Control 1000 with unquestionably the best V92
connectivity of all dialup servers, scalable from 1 to 14 E1/T1
PRIs , and the Lucent Max
6000 and TNT, providing universal VOIP/Dialup connectivity
at less than half of the price of equivalent Cisco servers. Need
SIP? The TNT provides an excellent value. Be careful though, as
earlier hardware/software versions of the TNT will not do
what you want.
|
|
HAVE EXCESS GEAR?
We buy network equipment daily - call 216-702-7840 or email
us for a quote.
|
|
|
