What to use instead of a TDM card??

[edisoninfo]

I keep seeing posts around the 'net that TDM card are on the way out. What is the recommended way to connect in standard pots lines today? Most smb's only have 2 to 4 lines max so what would be the best thing? Yeah I know, go with a sip ISP but aside from that....

 

[cosmicwombat]

Where did you hear that?

I'd say that PTSN is going to be with us for a while. So are the cards.

 

[vespaman]

Ditto. If you've been told different, your dreaming.

 

[mat.phillips]

Most small to medium sized business have 2 to 4 pstn lines??

Well, regardless of that; you can get external FXO boxes to connect a few lines. It's likely cheaper for one or two lines as well.

 

[edisoninfo]

Most small to medium sized business have 2 to 4 pstn lines??

OK, I was not trying to be scientific or anything, I just meant that most if not all of my clients do not need T1 or PRI, etc. Nothing magical about 2 or 4.

What type of external FXO boxes are recommended? Something like the Linksys SPA30xx ? Better to keep using the TDMxxx cards that I am accustomed to using? With the VoIP industry changing so fast I was just curious what others are using.

 

[Alex728]

started out with SPA3102 but found they had a few issues with echo (at least in Britain) - got an Atcom AX400P ( a slightly cheaper clone of a TDM400) just as a test and its worked perfectly

Although the TDM400-type card has had a bad reputation the past when it works and is set up properly (paying attention to IRQ issues) it works well - you get a choice of echo cancellers to use (MG2 or OSLEC)

and putting the politics aside the competition from China has brought down the price of this sort of card (and to be fair the Chinese seem very active on the community particularly with the development of OSLEC and using Asterisk in Asia)

If there are 4 lines it seem the Rhino card is sometimes offered at a fairly competitive price in the USA (unfortunately in other countries its a big price premium)

Also get or make some analogue line testing equipment you could do anything from building or assembling your own kit from Radio Shack (do you chaps still have this place?) to buying an actual test telephone set like what Verizon etc use.. (they are sold on fleabay every so often)

for one thing you may find you need to extend wiring runs etc and test them,

and also end users may blame echos, noise etc on the "new fangled phone system" when it was the telco providing a ropey circuit

and learn as much as you can about analogue telephone circuits - although there are "standards" telcos tend to diverge from them in some areas particularly out in the sticks

 

[jmullinix]

I like Sangoma TDM cards with Hardware Echo Cancellation. They just work.