Recommended VPN routers for VOIP trunking

[frecomm]

Hey all,
I have a customer with multiple business locations in which I have installed 2 BCM 400 and 1 BCM 50. I am going to link all 3 systems with VOIP trunks. I have done this before for a customer with a WAN. This customer does not have a WAN so I will be doing this with VPN. I have not done this before so I am looking for recommendations for VPN routers. Thanks in advance.
Doug

 

[Khosher]

I like the Zyxel range. Easy setup and haven't had any failures at all.

 

[frecomm]

I had been considering the Cisco RVS4000 which seems to be a pretty good router. However I have also heard that the VPN functionality is not very reliable. And since that is my main purpose I have decided to look elsewhere. Thanks again.

 

[telcodog]

Why don't you just use Nortel BSR222 routers? If you[ve neverprogrammed them before, they can be a bit trying to get working but once you get on to them, they seem to work pretty good.

Not sure about the WAN comment though. Are you saying that the customer doesn't have an internet connection?

 

[BombOne]

I use cisco 1841's at 32 sites runing VPN between all of them. I have good success runing VOIP between my bcm's at all of the locations.

 

[frecomm]

Thanks. The customer has internet, but the previous customer had all 3 locations on one network. This customer has 3 separate networks with no connectivity. Therefore VPN connection over the internet is my best option. That is why I'm trying to find a router with good VPN features.
Doug

 

[VoiceOfJoe]

BombOne,

We also use Cisco 1841's for site to site VPN connections back to our corporate netwok. I have BCM400 at corp and remote BCM50's. I'm looking to do SIP trunking between site too... what do I need from a licensing standpoint to accomplish this. Sorry - maybe I should just make a new thread?

VOJ

 

[frecomm]

You need keycodes for SIP Gateway in each of the systems that you want to connect. I think they come in 1,2,4, and 8 trunk options depending on your level of traffic.
Doug

 

[spmcevoy]

We have used many Cisco RVS4000 routers, and they work reliably for us w.r.t. VPN functions. The vulnerability will be the quality of the Internet connections and QoS limitations through an Internet based VPN. The RVS4000 has QoS, but you can only control the traffic to the point it dumps out to the Internet, then you are at the Internet's mercy. Crappy Internet link, crappy voice quality.

With the RVS4000 routers, be sure to track down the latest 1.30 or later firmware, much improved over the previous stuff. Most retail boxed units are still on old firmware.

 

[frecomm]

Update... I have installed the routers at 2 of the locations. I have a good vpn tunnel. I can access both systems with Element Manager from either location. I am able to ping both systems(the bcm50 and a bcm400) from both sides. However I have no voip traffic. Calls just drop to a fast busy. I had the nortel engineers check my config and they said it looks fine and the problem is the vpn. I totally disabled the firewalls on both routers and made sure passthrough was enabled. Still no joy. Anyone run into this before? What was your resolution? Thanks in advance.
Doug

 

[frecomm]

By the way, I'm using h323 protocol. Is sip even an option considering they have no domain? thanks again
Doug

 

[telcodog]

What kind of router did you decide on?

 

[DBrewsky]

Use BCM Monitor and monitor both locations (yes, you can run multiple instances of the BCM monitor program) and check to see if the VoIP call is at least leaving one system and hitting the other. I recommend using the UIP Data tab so you can see the call setup, etc.

--DB

http://support.csctech.us

 

[frecomm]

I went with the Cisco RVS4000. I have run BCM monitor on both systems. I have not used the UIP tab only the line monitor. I can see the digit string on the outgoing call but it does not get to the other system. I also enabled disconnect notification and when the outgoing call drops to a fast busy, the display reads "net out of ord". Thanks again.
Doug