RECOMMENDATIONS Please recommend best connection card or gateway to analogue Comcast box

[otter]

I have a Comcast Arris router that I have to keep in service for more than a year due to contract obligations, but I need to replace an aging PBX now. I am building a computer with an Asus Z87-A motherboard that has both PCI and PCIe slots and I intend to put the latest PIAF on it and Incredible PBX over that. I am looking for the best way to connect the four twisted pair lines that come off the back of the Comcast Arris box to my new PIAF machine. (No SIP on this, just 4 twisted pair lines.)

For me, best means the device will be as close to plug and play as possible with the least amount of configuration time and a device that produces reliable, high quality sound for picky users. I have researched the forums and I thought the Sangoma A20002E or the Rhino R4FXO- EC might be a good fit. It was also suggested that I might consider a 4 port FXO gateway, but I don't know enough about these to pick a good one.

I would appreciate recommendations for my setup.

Which card is the best fit? Would a FXO gateway be better?

 

[rossiv]

I personally would go for the Sangoma, or four Obi gateways. If you are really picky, I'd go with the Sangoma. I haven't been able to perfect the Obi's EC, but the Sangoma that I have works great. It should be fairly straightforward to install and configure. DAHDI cards are well-documented here on the forums.

 

[atsak]

Yes, if you need plug and play and can follow instructions, then Sangoma is the way to go - but is more expensive than four Obi's.

 

[otter]

I looked at the OBi110 briefly. I take it I would purchase four of these and route one POTS line to each OBi. Now I have four Ethernet ports that I need connected to my PIAF box, through a hub or switch I would imagine. Would that complete the physical installation? Then I would need to configure the PIAF box to see the OBi's on the network, correct? Before I look into the OBi's to much more, how is the reliability and quality of the sound on these when using them as FXO's? It looks like I would pay around $190 for four OBi110's and about $370 for the Sangoma card. If the reliability and quality is equal it might be an option, but I can't have a setup where the system stops communicating while I am offsite, which I am most of the time. Do I have the setup pictured correctly and is reliability/sound quality equal?

 

[atsak]

The Sangoma sound will be much better. I can't see reliability being different. You have correctly assessed the hardware layout.

 

[Mark D. Montgomery II]

From a quick look I think the Sangoma A20002E doesn't have the echo cancellation module, the A20002DE does.

 

[AndyInNYC]

I have a Digium card with EC. I had clones and OpenVox prior which didn't have hardware EC. I would never go back to a system that used software EC.

Just my 2 cents.

Andrew

 

[otter]

2 cents is good... which have software EC, or, more to the point, which have hardware EC? The A20002DE? At $653 that is hitting above my expected price point, but I could swing that if I absolutely had to. Does the Rhino R4FXO- EC do EC in hardware? How is it for setup and quality? It is under $400.

 

[randy7376]

Same here. When I still had a land-line, I had problems with software echo-cancellation, too. I finally spent the money for hardware EC and never looked back. Go for HWEC - you won't regret it.

Today, I'm all-out VoIP at home and will hopefully never have to deal with AT&T ever again!

 

[otter]

So the Sangoma A20002DE is the best card for my purposes then? I don't want to save on hardware only to spend more of my time (that's the same as money) trying to make something work, or worse, having to go out a get the card I should have gotten in the first place after I bought the wrong one.

 

[Mark D. Montgomery II]

I'm considering something similar as well. I'd like to replace my Obis with a proper card in the server once I get rid of the analog phones. I'm thinking that Sangoma B600D/B600DE looks promising.

 

[otter]

Both the Sangoma B600DE and the A20002DE sound promising. Any difference in implementing one vs the other or in the EC quality? I'm planning to order one or the other very soon.

 

[Chris Sweeney]

FWIW, I'm using the B600DE for a couple of POTS lines that run a weather service and its the only way to go. I tried other cards and "options" and since I got the B600DE never had any trouble and setup was cake.

 

[otter]

Unless someone chimes in with something else, I am going with the B600DE. Any reason to use a particular supplier? I'll be buying this morning.

 

[GomezAddams]

Just out of curiosity, why not port your numbers over to a voip provider? No extra hardware to buy, no echo worries, more flexibility.

 

[Chris Sweeney]

Just out of curiosity, why not port your numbers over to a voip provider? No extra hardware to buy, no echo worries, more flexibility.

Very first sentence he wrote he is under contract that is why.

 

[GomezAddams]

Very first sentence he wrote he is under contract that is why.

But a year of a SIP provider might very well be cheaper than a $500 Sangoma card.

 

[Chris Sweeney]

But a year of a SIP provider might very well be cheaper than a $500 Sangoma card.

When you are under contract with the cable companies if you cancel service you still have to pay out the rest of your term. Wouldn't save any money to pay for phone service twice!

 

[GomezAddams]

When you are under contract with the cable companies if you cancel service you still have to pay out the rest of your term. Wouldn't save any money to pay for phone service twice!

If his voip bill during the contract time is less than $500, then he will save money by just "abandoning" his current voice provider and using voip. He's going to get great voice quality, no echo worries, no additional hardware to fail, and he can virtualize his new pbx if he likes (which he can't do with the Sangoma card).

 

[magna.vis]

If his voip bill during the contract time is less than $500, then he will save money by just "abandoning" his current voice provider and using voip. He's going to get great voice quality, no echo worries, no additional hardware to fail, and he can virtualize his new pbx if he likes (which he can't do with the Sangoma card).

Not to mention he could then use the other hardware he bought for something else, like a desktop, or possibly return it (depending on when he got it). If he wanted dedicated hardware he could get a BeagleBone or an Atom PC. Cost savings in hardware and power alone would be significant, on top of the $500 card.