QUESTION New PBX Suggestions / Advice

[completetech]

So looking to go from PBX In A Flash Purple, Self-hosted (I know, I know) to a newer cloud-based alternative. I'll jump right into the help I am hoping someone can steer me in the right direction of.

I am hoping to accomplish the following.

• VPN on Primary and redundant server, potentially just have a 3rd cloud-based server just for VPN.
• Utilize my current Polycom IP335's (I have quite a few, but would be open to purchasing a few newer phones)
• Automated backups to another cloud server (partially read the articles on this)
• The redundant server automatically start accepting the calls and be notified primary is down
• be able to take a Polycom IP335 or possibly purchase a newer small size phone to bring with me while I am on the road and connect back to the server via VPN, This may be used to connect to my Verizon hotspot or could be situation that while working I have no cell service and need to plug in the phone to an existing network and get back to my PBX via VPN connection.
• Use of cellular phone apps also. Android primarily and the occasional dork that uses Apple

I am looking for someone that could maybe help me with suggestions on if the Polycom IP335 will work for this. and hopefully, be able to shoot me some links from Nerdvittles (in an order that I should follow).

I also have the following services..

Voip.ms - Primary "Office" number
DIDforSale - Primary dispatch number (trying to port to Voip.ms but it failed for some reason, might consider moving to Skytel, looking for opinions)
Skytel - Signed up and haven't used yet

 

[kenn10]

I'm not familiar with the Polycoms but if they support a secondary server location for failover, this solution from Ward addresses part of your requirement: http://nerdvittles.com/?p=28066 I have a Vultr cloud instance and a Hosting73 cloud instance and utilize the Incredible backup from the primary cloud to the secondary cloud. I also use the script to copy voice mail from the primary to the secondary server.

There are numerous other discussions on Nerd Vittles about VPN's and even setting up the VPN on a separate server. I see a view VPN on a third server as a single point of failure.

Keep in mind that going from PIAF Purple to Incredible PBX 13-13-10 is going to require a fair amount of cut and paste unless you can upgrade your existing FreePBX to the same level as the current Incredible instance.

 

[jerrm]

I don't think polycoms have any sort of built-in VPN client (could well be wrong - happy to be corrected). They wouldn't make a good road warrior phone without a router/Pi/etc that could manage the VPN connection. Not terribly difficult, but more to lug around and mess with.

A SIP client on a smartphone could use whatever VPN clients available for the phone - openvpn/neorouter/wireguard/whatever.

I think polycoms support a secondary server, so @wardmundy's failover schemes should work.

Several vendors have phones with OpenVPN clients built in, but that complicates failover setups. Easiest is to have central server, but then the vpn server is the single failure point.