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What is the difference between your dedicated broadband and DSL?
The Whaleback solution includes broadband access for every customer. The broadband is dedicated for voice communication. There is no shared access between the voice and data on the Whaleback pipe. The broadband access we provide can be: DSL, cable, or an IP T1. Does your product have PRI capabilities?
Yes, the Whaleback solution provides Caller ID, Caller Name (where available), and other ANI/DNIS information. What is your calculation for bandwidth allocated per user for voice?
The Whaleback solution uses the G.711 Codec which requires approximately 88k per call. What are your wiring requirements for the system?
Cat 5 wiring or higher. The system can run on either a dedicated voice connection within the LAN or an integrated voice/data connection where Cat 5 wiring is limited. The Polycom phone has a built in data jack and switch that allows the computer to directly connect to the phone on a single wire run. Does CrystalBlue Voice only work if Whaleback controls (sells) the T1?
Whaleback bundles the network access for our service as part of the total solution. This is done to ensure accurate provisioning for the solution, reliability on the circuit throughput and to enable us to monitor for QoS by working directly with the broadband provider. Additionally, we eliminate the customer’s involvement in vendor negotiations. Is a separate cable needed from the data Cat5 for the Whaleback implementation?
No. The Whaleback Polycom endpoints do not require a separate Cat5 wire run. The phones have a data jack in the base unit for connectivity to a PC. This connection is a pass through switch for data to travel on the same wire run, which eliminates the need for dual Cat5 wire runs. Is T1 or NxT access an option?
Whaleback’s solution requires a broadband connection via DSL, cable, or an Ethernet hand-off from an IP T1 or IP NxT to the SMB 1500. Can several remote locations with up to 50 stations be connected back to the home office in a Wide Area Network configuration?
Yes, the Whaleback solution is very flexible and allows for multiple locations to run both independently and in a configuration that allows for 3-digit dialing between locations and centralized answering. In a situation with remote users, how many seats at a remote location can come back to a single SMB 1500?
There is no limit to the number of remote users that an SMB 1500 can support. However, there are a couple considerations for configuration and design. - Bandwidth to support both the home office and all remote workers.
- Number of remote users in a single location.
If the SMB 1500 is supporting a small remote office, another server may be required to handle network demand if more than three “full-time” users are co-located. What bandwidth is available?
Bandwidth provisioning is determined based on both customer size and usage, i.e. 768K (DSL/cable) to 1.5MB (cable/IP T1) to 2 MB+ (FiOS and multi-pipe connections). If you use one network connection for both voice and data in your LAN switch, how does the voice traffic know to use the dedicated Whaleback broadband?
The Whaleback solution uses a distinct LAN IP address that is assigned by the customer. All internal telephone end-points register with the SMB 1500 via this address, which defines the voice traffic routing over the dedicated Whaleback broadband pipe. In a shared voice/data LAN network configuration, all telephone stations and PCs are recognized as individual end points that are routed based on their IP address. If the PC and telephone share a single Cat 5 wire run, the PC is plugged into the Polycom station via a data jack that acts as a pass-through switch. Again, routing on the WAN is determined by the IP address. Can you address the following scenario? During the day an office in New York answers its own line and a remote office in California answers its own lines. The California office is sometimes not manned and they want to control the forwarding from New York. At 5:00 pm they want to forward the New York lines to California for answering until 8:00pm EST and then change them back to New York for the start of the next day?
New York forwards its calls to California at 5:00 pm EST and California answers all calls that are now forwarded to its main number. At 8:00 pm EST, California forwards to the auto-attendant. The auto-attendant will then route the inbound callers to anyone that is reachable. In the morning New York disables the forwarding and the receptionist answers all calls. I have an application for 1 office in New York with 7 people, and 1 office in Oakland California with 5 people. One of their biggest concerns is communications between New York and California how can we integrate the phone systems as seamlessly as possible?
CrystalBlue Voice is intended to provide a company with an integrated numbering plan so that all the people in multiple sites can call each other with 3 digit extensions. The extensions can be completely interspersed. Anyone can dial anyone else’s three digit extension and everyone appears in each other’s dial by name directory. The numbers are interspersed – e.g., 417 and 419 are in one system and 418 is on the other. Why doesn’t CrystalBlue Voice work with SIP-based Cisco phones?
Polycom phones were selected for use with CrystalBlue Voice because they are the best non-proprietary IP phones. Even though Cisco phones follow some of the open standards, they are really designed to work with Cisco Call Manager. Working with other systems, they have limited functionality and only offer restricted support for the features Whaleback offers. What are the requirements for the Ethernet switches used to connect IP phones to the SMB 1500 server?
All IP phones should be connected to the SMB 1500 via switched layer 2 or better switches. Layer 2 is typically what is installed and is sufficient. Layer 3 is acceptable but could require some additional configuration if multiple subnets are involved. Non-switched hubs should not be used in any of the connection paths which include an IP phone.
Have more questions? We've got the answers. Read our other FAQs or download a PDF of all FAQs, and if you have any questions that we haven't answered than contact Whaleback and we'll answer them for you.
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