C2610 and VoIP home lab

[news2010a]

I have (3) C2610 running XM image, version 12.3, (1) Cat 3550.

I understand I would need (3) FXS voice cards and (2) IP Phones to setup a basic VoIP lab. Is that correct or am I missing something ?

[jason-calbert_2]

You would need the FXS cards if you were using analog phones. If you have Cisco IP phones you can just use your switch. If you wanted to connect to a POTS line at your house and have your phones ring then you will need an FXO port as well.

You will need an FXS port for each analog phone that you want to use for your lab.

HTH

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[news2010a]

Oh, I didn't realize that! So if I have my Cat 3550 I am all set them because the ports provide support for voice... all I have to do is spend money with IP phones then.

How about the Call Manager software? If I want to keep things cheap, should I install what they call Call Manager Express onto the router and that should work? Is that right ?

[jason-calbert_2 · Accepted solution]

Thats correct you can use the 3550 to connect Ip phones and not have to use an FXS. You would have to invest in IP phones. You can get 7912 phones pretty cheap.

If you also want to keep things cheap then yes callmanager express is the way to go.

HTH

Please rate helpfull posts.

[news2010a]

You guys are rocking.

Tell me, in the production environment I guess you would not use Call Manager Express, right ? I guess it will make sense for me to see whether I can pay for a license of Call manager...

[jason-calbert_2]

People use callmanager express but usually for companies under 50 phones. The problem with callmanager is that you have to load the full blown version on a Cisco MCS it will not load on just any old server.

[ahmednaas]

People have reported success installing 4.1.3 on standard PCs using some registry hacks but that is not supported by cisco and might violate CCM licence terms.

[ahmednaas]

Is your router 2610XM? You need an XM with 256MB RAM/48MB Flash to run the lastest ios images 124.xxT with the latest version of CME.

Also, ideally your switch should support PoE so you can feed the power to the phones using the switch instead of external power supplies.

[news2010a]

My router is a C2610 running XM image c2600-j1s3-mz.123-16.bin (yes, I think the 12.4 is too big for him). The Cat 3550 is 'inline power'.

I am puzzled by your statement;I am running ENTERPRISE BASIC image, not IP Plus. However, using the software feature tool I see that the Enterprise Basic image also supports voice(?) I appreciate if someone can confirm whether I will be OK for voip using my Cat 3550 and this existing router and images. I hope that works because I bought these damn C2610's because I was told I could practice voip!

Thanks for your input.

See output from my router below. Do you think the output below demonstrates the image supports voice?

RouterB(config)#voice ?

call enable to send alert instead of progress.

class Control parameters class

disc-pi-incoming-on disconn with PI from incoming leg is maintained

dnis-map Create or add to a dnis-map

dsp DSP functions

enum-match-table enum match table entry

hpi Host port interface

hunt Dialpeer hunt conditions.

rtp enable to open RTP in both directions.

service Global packet telephony service commands

source-group Source Group configuration commands

translation-profile Translation profile configuration commands

translation-rule Translation Rule configuration commands

vad-time Voice activity detection hangover period

[johnnylingo]

Yes, the Enterprise feature sets includes every single feature you can imagine, so that would include voice. You can switch to IP/H323 PLUS BASIC and should still have all the VoIP features with slightly less memory used.

[ahmednaas]

check this for info on the ios packaging hierarchy:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/iosswrel/ps5460/prod_bulletin09186a00801af451.html

The latest releases of ccme for the XM series need 48 MB of flash for the ios image plus support files and 192 MB of ram.

I checked your image and it is not an XM image, it is listed for 2610 and its memory requirements are 64/16. The max for non-XM.

Also this image doesnot support Callmanager Express, CCME. It supports its predecessor: IOS Telephony Services (ITS).