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[BrewVegas]

I'm about to purchase the DVX-2000MS to install in a small office just starting out.  I have a few questions:

• What kind of service do I need to request from my voice/data provider, maybe a bundled package?  We need voice for the phone (maybe 2 lines), and analog for the fax (right?) and data for internet access.  I'm a little confused about analog pots lines, data and VoIP services to choose from for our needs.
• We need a Wireless router, VPN, Firewall (any d-link suggestions?  Maybe the D-Link Xtreme N™ Gigabit Router (DIR-655) )

• We need more than 4-ports from the router, so we need an 8-port switch to hook up to the router. (any d-link suggestions?)
• I'd like to keep it all d-link in hopes that it will work best together.

• We are also going to have a networked copier that will double as the fax.

Also, please offer any suggestions good/bad about what to expect from this system.

THANKS!!!

[lneblett]

Not exactly sure how to reply as you cover a lot of ground. The DVX is simply the base unit for the Response Point Phone (RP) system. You really need to decide how many phone lines you will need. Keep in mind that the fax requires a dedicated analog phone line (POTS) and will not be a part of the RP system and that you need to consider that lines are required for both inbound and outbound calls. You also need to consider if the voice (not fax) lines will need certain features such as caller-id, hunt group, etc. Once you have decided what your requirements are, then you can shop the providers to see if they have what you need and can combine services in order to give you the best price. If you go with the local phone or cable TV company to provide plain old telephone services (POTS), you will need an ATA such as the Dlink-3104MS as well. This device basically converts your standard analog phone line into digital packets for insertion into your network and control by the DVX. You may also be able to go SIP, but again this is simply a decision based upon your needs and $. While some people may make devices that will interface a fax machine to a digital stream, I have not yet seen one work at a reasonable cost that works as well as a dedicated analog connection. Of course, there may well be some folks out there now of which I am unaware.

THe DIR655 is an excellent router, but am not certain how you intend to use and why the need or intent with the wireless as you also mention a switch. Sorry, about being a little vague, but need more info.

[Mlachake]

Please consult our sales department at 1-800-326-1688 ext 5434 for that assistance. They will suggest products that will get you up to speed in your new office.

[mavrrick]

You have a few options

1. You can get a bunch of POTS lines from a local carrier and connect some to your fax machines and then the rest to the phone system.

2. You use a SIP trunk provider or someone that provide digital service(SP2 enabled allot of functionality for digital carriers)(only way to do DID)

If you go option 1 you will get the number of fax lines you have  + how ever many lines you want for simultaneous calling. You will probably want to get a phone system kit with a number of phones close to how many you want. If you end up with more then 4 phone lines for calling you will also need to add additional PSTN Gateway's (DVG-3104MS)(convert from POTS to IP for phone system).

If you go option 2 things get a bit more complicated. This will end up being direct connect to the main phone system and remove the need for the PSTN gateway. You will probably need a fairly bandwith capable data connection (cable/dsl modem is decent for a few phone lines, but if you end up with several you will need something faster). Once You have have you're phone service taken care of then we need to connect your fax machines. PSTN services uses two types of ports, FXS and FXO. At the moment i can't recall which is in and which is out but either way there are only a few devices out there that can do both. Again with SP2 these are available. You would probably need to get the internal gateway device for your fax machines to connect to your phone system.

Once you got the phone system figured out make sure you have a decent switch for connectivity between all of the phones and other devices. A few 8 port gig/e switches from staples won't cut it in decent size setups. Try to find a layer 2 managed switch if you will be running more then 5 phones.

The big thing to recognize with option 2 is that it is really going to work best for larger companies that need several phones and lines (i expect between 10-20). Sip trunking services are also kinda of weird some of the pricing is just odd.

If you need DID where a outside number is routed to a internal extension that is also only available from a SIP Trunked line. SIP Trunking is also something that isn't completely within D-Links offerings it isn't that you can't do it. They just don't provide all of the pieces needed to do it. Most specifically the FXS gateway isn't made by D-Link.

So with all that here is my simple suggestion, and similar to what I did for a friends company.

If you are only connecting a few lines just find the D-Link kit and figure out how many phones you need to start. We got the 10 phone kit. If you already have the phone lines for your faxes and your phones just plan on keeping them. Add them up and then expect to connect them to the system when you get it. If you currently have more then 4 standard phone lines get an extra gateway. The router won't be a big deal when using PSTN gateway the switch is more important. Get a good Layer 2 managed switch with enough ports for what you already have + all the phones you just purchased. I would suggest a 24 or 48 port switch. You will find that they get fast with these phones. Then you should be set. This is also a solution that will keep you completely D-Link.

We followed the above approach almost exactly, and it worked great. We started with the DVG-2000MS-10 kit, added a extra PSTN gateway for redundancy, and then added a 48 port gig/e layer 2 switch. One thing you will notice if your office grows quickly is that it is very easy to add phones. We deployed only 7 of the phone originally in November and now have all 10 deployed. If they add employee's they will need to add phones now.

We toyed with the idea of getting a FXS gateway for the fax machines but decided against it. The problem we has was that right now it just didn't make sense. If they go SIP at some point and then want to better manage their fax lines maybe then but not now.