SBC - Session Border Control (On-Prem) - Needed?

[Rick Fuller]

I am still learning our 3CX system I assumed from previous IT staff and there is a site to site VPN setup, but there is an SBC installed at the two remote offices. The ONLY reason he had server equipment at each remote office is to host the SBC, which seems like overkill for what little it is doing. From what I have read on this forum, the SBC can be run on a Windows machine with as little as an i3. But...

Why is the SBC required or needed if there is a site to site VPN setup where the main PBX system is?

Thank You

 

[Marconi]

Using an SBC is the preferred way of managing VoIP phones at remote sites because it integrates directly with the PBX and allows you to do phone provisioning, updating, etc. You can do the same sort of thing over a VPN connection but I really wouldn't recommend trying it unless you have a lot of experience with VPNs, routing and 3CX because it can be very difficult to get working properly.

The 3CX SBC software does not need to be run on a server but can be run on an entry level computer or, if you only have a few phones at the site, a Raspberry Pi (if you can get one). Another option - which is not supported by 3CX - is to run the 3CX SBC as a VM on a NAS if the sites have a NAS that supports VMs (some do, some don't).

Since you are still learning about 3CX, I would recommend that you do the free 3CX certification courses so that you have a good idea of how and why 3CX does things in a particular way.

 

[Rick Fuller]

Thanks for the info! I will be removing all the server equipment then since that is the only thing there when it can run on a PC. Appreciate it.