Voice and Data across the one line

[ciaranb]

Hi,
My company are implementing a new software package on a hub site and it will be accessed by three other sites.
When deciding what WAN connection (leased line, frame relay or VPN) to use, the question of whether the phone calls between these sites could integrated with the data transmission arose (ie. could we get phone calls between the sites for free). When i refer to calls i don't mean voice over IP.

Can this be done with each of the technologies and if so how is it done. Is much more additonal bandwidth or hardware(special routers?) needed.
Is it a bad idea to put it on the same lines as our 'mission critical' traffic?

There is about 20 users on the hub site and ten users on each of the other sites. Calls between sites are reasonably regular (15% of our phone bill).

Sorry this may be a very basic question but i haven't a clue about any telephony issues.
Thanks.

 

[SuperTanker]

We had similar discussions in house. We went with split T1s for voice & data. as we run a call center we found it to be most beneficial. The costs will varry on the type of service, service provider, location etc.

Rather than get mired in minutae from MCI/Quest/etc. We hired a telecommunications "reseller" for lack of a better word to fight those battles for us.

 

[jke55]

We have a host site and remote sites that have (1) leased T-1 per remote site for data. At the majority of the remote sites we channelized/demuxed the T-1 and used 4 of the channels for voice tie lines into the remote PBX from each of the remote sites back to the host site. That does drop you data bandwith by 256k, but we have not had any complaints from the remote sites as far as slow response on their computers, etc.
Saves on long distance and with you having only 10 users at your remote sites you should not have a problem.
But.....we did have to install Access 60 boxes at the host and remote sites to manipulate the T-1 and those boxes are about 12k per site.