Network 2 Norstars

[NTI620]

Has anyone ever networked two Norstars together? I am having an issue making the system sync with each other.

Particulars:

Both 4.1 software
Both have separate PRI's with 2 way DID service

Want to pass digits from one system to other for internal calls. As an example one system is 50XX and the other is 60XX.

 

[lugerlover]

and what links the 2 norstars together dare i ask

 

[jerryreeve]

Best way is to get two DTI Cards and put one in each MICS (this would be the second in each) then connect the two together with a T1 or a crossover cable if close enough.

follow the networking steps in the installers guide for programming the trunks/target lines etc.

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JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com

 

[dmeche]

It would be like a distant stearing code in an option switch. Try this.

On the point-to-point T1 set up a route with an access code of say 81. Place the lines in the T1 in a pool with that access code. Put a line on every phone to access that line pool. Then tell the customer to dial the other office hit the line pool, which connects them to the other office, then dial the extension.

that should work. let me know if it does not.

 

[jerryreeve]

The setup I did was to create a target line for each extension belonging to that system with the extension assigned as the primeset for the applicable digits. using destination codes and route tables to handle 3/4 digit dialing going out of the MICS


----------------------------
JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com

 

[RikRodgers]

It doesn't sound like they've got a point to point circuit. Jerry's suggestion sounds like a fair workaround, though.

 

[Phonehed]

Any Nortel Guru will tell you that if you're running 4.1 software with PRI on ANY MICS, the first thing you need to do is correct your known software issues before you do anything else.

They'll tell you to upgrade late 6.1 or higher but I'd go ahead and take 'em both up to 7.1 and you'll probably have to replace both NVRAM packs too.

Jerrys' routing method will be the most cost effective way to link them up after you do the upgrade.

I would also recommend that you read the vast history on this well known PRI issue right here in this forum.

Even if everything is working just fine right now with 4.1, it's the kind of thing that will sneak up on you and bite you right in the ass when you least expect it.

I have personally seen it cause a multitude of problems that seem totally unrelated to any PRI issues including voice mail interface problems.

Phonehed in Dallas

 

[DBrewsky]

Also, Point-to-Point PRI services between two Norstar systems was not supported until MICS 5.0, and then only using the SL-1 protocol which is allowed once the Norstar Advanced Networking keycode has been installed. However, it works great. Networking the two systems together and sharing one voicemail was quite simple once the circuit came up. If you don't need CLID or Networking features, you can always use E&M Wink on your channels.

Best of luck.

 

[lugerlover]

noticed he never came back after intial question

 

[NTI620]

Thanks to everyone who responded.

Here is how it I made this work. An in-house PRI between two Norstars requires a T1 Cross-Over cable. You must use the Sl-1 protocol with one side set as a master and the other as a slave, and then you must not have any numbers which overlap if you are going to use the desination code routing for 4 digits. After you change all of this, then when you place a call that is internal to the network the call goes over the PRI and uses the target lines assigned to the phone on the other system.

I did have some success using T-1 instead of PRI, and setting some channels as E&M and others as DID's, but I couldn't consistently make this function.

I don't know about the software level support of certain releases of software which has been suggested, but this setup is using 4.1 on both systems and using the PRI it has worked flawlessly. I didn't want to upgrade as both system have older Application Module Mail systems, and some higher releases of Nortel Norstar software are incompatible with lower releases of mail software.