Working from home options

[dsm600rr]

Hello all,

With recent events, this has me questioning what are all the available/best options for remote workers. I have always deployed VPN phones in the past for remote workers however that was not an emergency/rush situation as a lot of are customers are smaller and do not have a firewall currently set up for VPN. Getting with our data vendor and configuring a firewall for phones to VPN into is not exactly something that happens over-night.

So what are all of the options for remote workers?

- Avaya phones that VPN into a Firewall
- Forwarding calls / Mobile Twinning (what I have been mostly doing)
- Avaya Soft Phones (What all in involved with this? What License? VPN Necessary I assume?)
- Avaya One-X Communicator (VPN Necessary?)
- Avaya One-X Agent (VPN Necessary?)

Is there any option aside from forwarding calls / Mobile Twinning that does not require a VPN / SBC?

Thank you.



ACSS

 

[janni78]

You can use both IP phones and softphones (IX/Equinox/Communicator) as Remote Workers without VPN or SBC, although SBC is preferred for SIP endpoints.

"Trying is the first step to failure..." - Homer

 

[dsm600rr]

janni78: Thank you. I am currently messing around with Avaya One-X Communicator. Is there a good document on configuring? Can not really find much.

ACSS

 

[Travis Harper]

If you have the Application Server or One-X Portal server you can use Tele-Worker. Users can log in from home using there home phone.

There is also Mobile Twinning as an option. Keep in mind just because the title says Mobile Twinning, does not limit the twining to mobile. You can twin any phone.

Using these two technologies together, it's business as usual from home with no need for a soft phone.

You do need the trunking to support his however.

 

[janni78]

Avaya One-X Communicator isn't for IP Office, it's for Aura although it works as a SIP endpoint on IP Office.
Unless you mean Avaya Communicator They like to confuse people.

"Trying is the first step to failure..." - Homer

 

[dsm600rr]

janni78: yes, Avaya communicator

I am just testing internally now on our LAN, what shall I put for:

Server Address: Entered in the Avaya IPO
Transport Type:
Domain:
Presence Server Address:

ACSS

 

[dsm600rr]

ACSS

 

[Travis Harper]

I believe in that application you can use the IP for domain as well.

If you are working remotely, you will need a VPN to connect to that address.
If you are using TLS you will need to make sure you have the Cert installed on that computer as well.

It's been a while since I used that application. It's been superseded by IX Workplace.

 

[dsm600rr]

So many options with Avaya, cant keep up. Does IX Workplace basically work the same as Communicator? Should I be researching IX over Communicator for remote workers?

ACSS

 

[derfloh]

Back to start...

Do you want to connect through VPN or without?

With some kind of softphone or just some kind of call forwarding/twinning?



IP Office remote service
Fixed price SIP trunk configuration
CLI based call blocking
SCN fallback over PSTN

 

[janni78]

IX is the software Avaya want everyone to use now.... at least until they change the name again

"Trying is the first step to failure..." - Homer

 

[derfloh]

Oh... What IPO version?

IP Office remote service
Fixed price SIP trunk configuration
CLI based call blocking
SCN fallback over PSTN

 

[dsm600rr]

derfloh: If the customer already has a VPN, than I would obviously use that route. Messing around with Communicator, I find it quite easy to use and get up and running. So I do like that option for now with the rush of everyone needing remote office functionality. What are other options other than a VPN that can be used should my client not already have one in place?

After all this blows over, I will take a look at IX (By that time Avaya will probably have changed the name) - is this the latest soft-phone application release currently?

IPO is R10.1 and R11 that I am messing with right now.

All I had to do in my lab is put the IPO Address under: "Server Address" and "Domain" and changed "Transport" to TCP and I was good to go.

Waiting to hear back from Jenne / Avaya on the 90-day Power User Licenses they are supposed to be sending out. Has anyone received these yet?

ACSS