AT&T

[craigreilly]

Anybody use an AT&T SIP with 3cx? We are installing 20mb fiber which comes with 23 trunks for phone service. They say it is TRUE SIP. So my understanding is this line would go directly into my LAN... Anyone use AT&T that can confirm or deny this?

 

[leejor]

If it is in fact "true SIP", then they will provide you with the standard SIP parameters for your "device".

Is this the product that they will be supplying you ? http://www.business.att.com/enterprise/Service/voice-services/null/sip-trunking/

Note...since the reincarnation they are a "friendly" corporation and no longer use capital letters.

 

[craigreilly]

The contract reads: "AT&T Fiber Broadband Bundle"
See this link - this is the exact thing:
http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/233220-at-t-10m-fiber-and-voip-bundle-hard-to-beat

and, all over the website they still show "AT&T"

Would I need a Gateway - or would the link from the Cisco plug directly into my LAN and give the Cisco a LAN IP Address for SIP?

 

[leejor]

I would assume that they will provide a fibre to Ethernet conversion, either in the basement of your building (if others in the building also use the service), or, in your office. That would then go to a router/firewall. I assume that they will give you one or two public IP's (maybe more), either static or dynamic, depending on your particular agreement.

 

[craigreilly]

but i am trying to figure out if I will need a gateway for the phone sip to 3cx or just plug something into my network. there are 2 lines from their cisco - 1 for DIA, 1 for Phone.
I have a Firebox in place already for my bonded T1 service that will be used for the Fiber.
(as far as IP's go - I get 10 public)

I am also awaiting a call from the engineer.

 

[leejor]

I suppose it depends on what the service actually entails. A T1 would have to terminate on a gateway, but then it isn't SIP, it's usually PRI, if trunking is being provided. If they offer SIP, and the connection is ultimately Ethernet, then you should not require any sort of "conversion" gateway.

 

[craigreilly]

the engineer came back and said yes, it should work... but since we have not done interopability testing with 3cx, we can not guarantee it and you should use a Patton Gateway or similar.
Just so happens I have a 4940 I am pulling from another install next week.

 

[cobaltit]

I'm surprised this even came up. ATT wouldn't even let me risk SIP when i told them I was using 3CX. As far as I know they support Asterisk, Cisco, and something else with SIP. I'm going to lie to them and say Asterisk on my next install. It's for a smaller customer that is willing to be my guinea pig.

 

[craigreilly]

Would be nice to get rid of the gateway... Cause you lose some features via the gateway.... Yes? ( rebound caller id, ring my mobile simultaneously...)

 

[leejor]

I'm not sure which gateway you plan on trying. If they are providing SIP, then a VoIP to PSTN gateway just leaves you with ...PSTN lines at the site. If it's a PRI to VoIP gateway, then they are providing PRI.

They have to provide you with all of the configuration details, server address , user (phone numbers, password(s), etc., to configure whatever "device" you have at your end. I'm with cobaltit, don't specify the type of PBX you plan on using unless they really press you for it. If the the SIP service that they offer is "standard" (and works with other SIP PBXs), then it should work. It might just take some time to get the options correct if there is no template.

 

[craigreilly]

I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the advice.

 

[netswork]

Reviving an old thread here. I have dozens of customers using the AT&T fiber/sip product but I always choose to get a PRI handoff and use a patton with PRI interface. Craig you said you might lose ring mobile functions with the gateway? It works for us but using a PRI handoff. Did you ever get SIP delivery working? I noticed in the 12.5 RC1 notice they are going to support at&t.

 

[lneblett]

Billy/Craig -

I have an install slated for next week using the AT&T IP Flex plan. I have been trying to get them to allow me to use SIP, but they have refused as the 3CX platform is not on their approved IP PBX system listings. Only the "big iron" boys are listed- Avaya, Mitel, etc.. As a result, the client will be going PRI as well.

They pushed the client pretty hard about going to this plan citing all the benefits of 20M/20M fiber and their QOS/COS abilities and how they will manage the network and remove all the headaches. Of course, they also insisted that a POTS line be installed so that they could communicate directly with their Cisco ISR in case something happened and they could not mange the router via the fiber. It seemed somewhat ironic to me.

 

[netswork]

The product is solid. Its also our only option for high speed data in this area. They will have an AT&T managed router that will have an ethernet interface for the internet service and a T1 interface for your PRI. They do want an analog line for out of band access, but honestly none of my customers have one. You can just say you will use an existing fax line. We never even hook up their modems.

One thing I have found is you can not use a phone number for caller ID that is not on the ipflex circuit. If you do you will be unable to dial most toll free numbers. So the number you want to use for outbound caller ID must be a number on the circuit. We had some instances where we had customers with multiple locations, one 3cx server but separate IP flex circuits/pattons at each location. The customer wanted all outbound calls to come from one number. It works...just not for most toll free calls.

Im sure you could make SIP work. The problem is when you turn up the circuit you have 1 hour to make it work or they cancel the turn up. And of course if your not on their approved list of vendors its unsupported. They also dont support faxing over the ipflex, though I have used a DID at one customer as a 3cx answered fax and it works. For analog fax machines we always ask the customer to keep analog land lines. I have one customer with a patton ATA to a fax machine that is working on an IPflex circuit. But I hate messing with faxing so I always ask the customer to keep faxing analog or go to an IP fax service. AT&T can offer you IP fax with their office at hand product.

Also another thing is you can not forward calls on IPflex numbers. So if the IPflex goes down you cant call AT&T and have them forward the number somewhere else. Though in the last three years I have not had any outages for any ipflex customers that was not related to a backhoe cutting the fiber or something like that.

 

[craigreilly]

AT&T wasn't able to "figure out how to turn up the circuit" so they cancelled the contract for me. I see now that AT&T will be in v12.5 for an approved provider... just not sure if it is for this type of service or not.
The paperwork I got from AT&T on this circuit was ridiculous. I filled it out and they told me to fill in the missing details. I asked them what and they said I don't know. Then to get the IP's, I had to goto ARIN and register for an account, etc. Never had that before.

Comcast is now running us Cable and should be done by end of month. Then I just need to choose my VoIP Provider.

 

[lneblett]

Billy/Craig -

Thanks for the info. I am sure to be amazed in the coming week. I have used PRI before, but this IP Flex plan seems to be fraught with inconsistencies. My client is now working with his third account rep. My client also only wants to keep his same 5 numbers as he was with nexVortex on an unlimited call path plan. He could take all the calls on his primary numbers. AT&T ordered in 25 more DIDs; 2 just for the turn-up.

The fiber is what attracted him to shift as he is an attorney and has an office in Houston and that office is on fiber using Fonality, His reliability with fiber has been exceptional and the speed, while asymmetric, was not bad and at an attractive price point.

I have phones remoted from his S. Texas office to the Houston extensions using a line-key on the Cisco phones that Fonality provided. I will need caller-id control as one office certain type of cases and the other office handles something else. Faxing is all e-fax so no issues there.

I am wondering what difference there is between not being able to use 3CX on the IP Flex and apparently being able to use AT&T for some other SIP plan......since there is now a provisioning template?

 

[cobaltit]

So just a note.... AT&T SIP does work, and I helped 3CX build the template. 3CX is still not certified with AT&T because their are just a huge bundle of red tape, but I just lie to them and say it's Asterisk. Works fine and I have several installs on it.