BCM50 is nearing capacity - help me install a new Media Bay Module

[smalltownguy]

Hello folks, need some guidance again.

I've got a Nortel BCM 50 set up with 2 expansions. I have a total of 12 digital stations on the base unit, and 2 expansion modules:

[ul]
[li]Expansion 1: A G8x16, with 8 analog lines (all used) and 16 digital stations (all used)[/li]
[li]Expansion 2: A G4x16, with 4 analog lines (2 of 4 used) and 16 digital stations (all used)[/li]
[/ul]

I need to add another 6 digital stations to the system. What are my options? Ideally, I'd like to swap out Expansion unit 2 to something that will handle at least 2 analog lines and 32 digital stations. Is there something that will do that? I see there's a MBM module, the DSM 32+ which will change me from 16 digital stations to 32, but it doesn't have the 4 analog trunks I need. Is there a combo module that has 4 analog trunks and 32 digital stations?

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[snowman50]

No

 

[curlycord]

Buy IP Clinet seats (1 per user) and an IP set per user.

Get all the exects onto the new IP sets and that will free up some digital ports.
You add up to 32 IP sets.

http://www.avayabcm.com/bcmmodelcomparisons.php

________________________________________
We take the time to try to answer your questions for free, please return the favor and take the time to answer back and include any resolution you found elsewhere, thanks.

=----(((((((((()----=

http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto Canada

http://www.telcopc.ca

 

[smalltownguy]

I thought about the IP set route - I may still do that.

I noticed that I have 4 analog trunks on my BCM base unit, and only 1 is licensed. I have the ability to use up to 3 more.

The 2nd expansion 4x16 is only using 2 of the 4 available analog trunks, so I'm going to purchase and activate 2 more internal trunks on my main unit, transfer the 2 analog lines over there, and that frees up the 2nd expansion unit to accept a DSM32+ MBM. That will add 16 digital stations to my setup, and keep my analog lines.

Along the lines of IP telephony, what handsets do you folks recommend? I'd like to get one or two for testing.

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[allworxguy]

Even though you can have as many as 76 digital ports connected, the max usable is 44 digital sets on the BCM 50. and up to 32 IP.

Marv ccna

http://www.telemarv.ca

Sales, Installation & Service for Norstar, BCM, Samsung & Allworx Serving Ottawa and Eastern Ontario since 1990

 

[chrisag]

For 6 phones I would go with ip phones it's a lot cheaper.
Try the 11xx series for ip phones

 

[smalltownguy]

Are you serious? I can't have more than 44 usable digital sets? That would be a problem, since I already made some purchases to start swapping media bay modules. Can someone else confirm that you cannot have more than 44 usable digital sets at once on a BCM-50?

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[ucxguy]

I think the "limit" of 44 digital sets is based on the assumption that without a PRI, the user to trunk ratio would be too high. For smaller systems like BCM50, the acceptable ratio is usually around 2:1 or 3:1. With DTM, you'd have only one expansion available for digital sets - so DSM32 and 12 sets on the main unit gives you 44 "usable" digital phones.

In your case, you'd have 50 digital sets and 11 analog trunks - your user/trunk ratio would be getting close to 5:1. It really depends on the phone system usage, but for many deployments this would be an insufficient number of trunks. You could add up to 12 SIP trunks to reduce the ratio to a more reasonable level if needed.

 

[curlycord]

You should be calling your vendor and telling them what you have and asking what you can do.
They could have provided the link I gave you above and with more info.

________________________________________
We take the time to try to answer your questions for free, please return the favor and take the time to answer back and include any resolution you found elsewhere, thanks.

=----(((((((((()----=

http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto Canada

http://www.telcopc.ca

 

[smalltownguy]

I apologize for not being more clear: we have no more vendor to support this system. Centurylink installed the system for us in 2010, and as soon as their 3 year service contract expired on it, they stopped supporting us. Other Avaya partners will not touch our system until it gets upgraded to R 6.0, which is an expense that does not make sense for our 3 locations. The system was installed with a 7 year cost/benefit analysis, and we're 5 years in. I only need to get two more years out of it before it's paid for itself.

My only options at this point (since we're not willing to upgrade to release 6.0) is to work on the system myself, and reivew the information here on Tek Tips to guide me. I do have a few in-person partners that I can call for opinions and some light tech support, but that's it. Centurylink will send me a technician on a time and materials basis, but they will no longer quote me any more parts and/or upgrades.

Some more details on my system here:

[ul]
[li]Although we have 44 digital stations deployed at this time, only 20 of them see any regular use.[/li]
[li]Of those 20 stations, only 10 of them make use of my analog or SIP trunks at any 1 time. I have a total of 4 SIP trunks to go along with my 8 analog trunks.[/li]
[li]The additional 6 digital sets I plan to deploy will go to desks that are being built, but not yet populated with any employees. They are backfill handsets that will reside in areas that are being vacated due to a renovation. We are bringing 6 employees into an office that was recently expanded to add 6 more offices. They will take their DN numbers with them to their new desks. I just need to create 6 more DN's to backfill the areas they are vacating. The unused DN's will be in 2 small alcoves and a meeting room with two training stations that will only be used twice a month.[/li]
[/ul]

I'm not concerned about the user:trunk ratio yet, as we've been running with our current configuration for a little over a year now with no problems. This addition will not add any more bodies to our headcount, just more extensions.

Since I've already paid for the parts needed to activate 2 additional internal trunks on the BCM50 main unit and a DSM32 unit to swap in for the 4x16 in expansion 2, I might as well give it a go before trying to return the parts. I'm only out a couple of hours of time. If it doesn't work properly, then I'll put the system back the way it was and deploy a couple of IP sets on the system.

I'm reading conflicting reports on the 44 digital handset limitation. I guess this will be my 'hard test' of the theory.

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[koulioumbis]

Hello
there is no conficting reports from what i read.
the system you have a BCM50 has 12 digital ports on board , 4 analog ports on oboard and 4 PSTN trunks on board.
also the system can accept 2 modules. There you can install DSM32+ in both modules so you will have a system with 32+32+12+4 = 80 users in total, but your trunks will be only the 4 PSTN lines, so the ratio will be not good. Also you can have up to 32 IP users and 12 SIP trunks but all of them are keycoded. Keycodes are also needed to enable the onboard ports. If you have a second system that has ISDN trunks or PSTN trunks you can link together the systems via IP trunks and have a maxed system with 80 digital- analog users getting trunks from another system.
So it is up to you, you decide what to do.



Nikos

 

[smalltownguy]

Nikos, your info may be correct, but I cannot swap out the 8x16 combo MBM that I have installed in my 1st expansion - I need the 8 PSTN lines in that combo card, as well as 2 of the 4 in my base unit. I can swap out the 4x16 in EXP2, but I cannot remove the other one.

Base Unit:
[ul]
[li]2 PSTN lines (with 2 left to activate if needed)[/li]
[li]12 digital handsets[/li]
[/ul]

EXP1: 8x16 combo
[ul]
[li]8 PSTN lines (all used)[/li]
[li]16 digital handsets[/li]
[/ul]

EXP2: DSM32+
[ul]
[li]32 digital handsets[/li]
[/ul]

Totals: 10 PSTN lines, and 60 digital extensions. Remember above I stated that only about 20 of those digital extensions see regular use, that puts my ratio at 3:1. I can live with that, provided the system will actually accept the card and enable the 32 digital stations. Time will tell.

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[koulioumbis]

OK then what about finding a router that will accept 8 pstn ports and transform them to SIP trunks?
maybe your provider can give you SIP trunks. Keep in mind SIP trunks keycodes are not cheap these days...
final option is to find a BCM400 and fit everything in. Very cheap option now.

Nikos

 

[allworxguy]

You people seem to be trying to rewrite the spec.

The manual says max 44 digital/32 IP sets. It does not say recommendation "because of POTS to set ratio". It says MAX. Although you plug a DSM32 in each expansion module, the architecture does not provide enough busses to run 2 DSM32's. You can use 1 DSM32 or two DSM16's.

Marv ccna

http://www.telemarv.ca

Sales, Installation & Service for Norstar, BCM, Samsung & Allworx Serving Ottawa and Eastern Ontario since 1990

 

[exsmogger]

BCM400's can be had pretty cheap these days. All your current MBM's can be used. Look for one with a license for enough mailboxes.



Brian Cox
Georgia Telephone

http://Georgia-Telephone.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/briancox1952

 

[smalltownguy]

Brian, I've thought about a BCM400 as well. The only issue with that is that I would need to reprogram all my settings to use it. And transfer all of my license codes to it - I have SIP trunks, analog licenses, and more. Not necessarily my cup of tea.

http://www.johnsonmotorsales.com

 

[number1telecom]

Go with a BCM 450.. You can find them loaded up pretty nicely for a reasonable price on eBay. Then keep your BCM 50 for a spare.

For instance there is an R6 up there with 1000 mailboxes, 52 IP, and 1 exp for $2k .. Then just add some SIP trunks, transfer your modules and away you go. Will never need to buy mailboxes again, and already have IP licenses ready to go.