CUBE Router and Voice Gateway

[dyep110581]

Hi All,

I would like to know the difference between a CUBE Router and a Voice Gateway. Thanks in advance.

[Roger Kallberg]

There is not difference in the actually router, apart from that a CUBE doesn't need to have any DSP for the conversion from TDM to VoIP, since it's VoIP to VoIP. The CUBE functionality is activated through configuration and is a licensed feature in IOS. The license type is rights to use, ie there are no actual license put on the GW.

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[KY_]

Hi All

Can you please someone  explain why we are use cube and voice gateway if there are no difference between two type of device ?

Why we are use CUBE license. ?

What is the difference  between CUBE and legacy voice gateway ? Roger said that there is no difference but whay we use mode border element on voice services voip ?

Can you please someone explain these questions

Thanks

[Manish Gogna]

Hi Kemal,

CUBE is similar to a voice gateway, except for the replacement of physical voice trunks with an IP connection. CUBE functionality is implemented on devices using a special IOS feature set, which allows CUBE to route a call from one VoIP dial peer to another.

HTH

Manish

[KY_]

Hi Manish,

I understood it but i want to clarfy main difference between two application.

When I look at the following link I give me my answer but i want to  sure  main difference .

CUBE can be also implemented IP and PSTN.

What is the difference normal UC license  and CUBE functionalty?

I have UC licese and  vg do job without any cube license ?

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/voice/cube/configuration/cube-book/voi-cube-overview.pdf

If someone can be explain me what is the main difference CUBE and normal VG.

Thanks ,

[Manish Gogna]

CUBE can handle two legs of a call that are both VoIP , this is configured under "Voice service voip" on the CUBE router.

allow-connections sip to sip

allow-connections sip to h323   etc

Enabling this functionality for external SIP trunks terminating on the CUBE router will require CUBE licenses.

Manish

[KY_]

Hi Manish,

VG and CUBE also can be handle calls with two call legs. Just always need two call legs handle to calls.

This is  not difference cube and VG as I think.

Thanks

[khaledalfakih]

Hello bro , 

Beside all info provided by others , 

CUBE is using SIP trunk to communicate with GSM for passing the PSTN calls while VGW is using E1/T1 to perform this communication . 

[Roger Kallberg]

You’re right in that a VG has two call legs, one of them being POTS and the other is VoIP. Whereas a CUBE (SBC) also has two call legs, but in this case both of them are VoIP. A router can’t normally handle multiple call legs that are VoIP, but when you enable the CUBE functionality it can. This is the difference between the two.

[Ayodeji Okanlawon]

Think of it this way. The CUBE is one of the many features that a cisco voice gateway provides. A cisco voice gatway is like a blank canvass, depending on your requirements you set it up to be what you need it to be. So on a cisco voice gateway you can enable it for CCME, SRST, CUBE, IVR, VXML, Gatekeeper etc...Hence a CUBE is a cisco voice gateway with the CUBE features enabled.

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[KY_]

Hi Deji,

Thanks for explanation,

But I must say that CUBE and VG also do thats your explanation  (SRST, WXMLGW functinality same time)

I did not understool difference betweeenc cube and VG ?

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/voice/cube/configuration/cube-book/voi-cube-overview.pdf

Cube feature explained above link but i want to clarfy   I can  configure SRST, CME, and transcoding and ip to ip gw using extrnal sip trunk.

I want to clarfy what is  the main difference cube and VG.

Those are thing can be handle VG and CUBE same time .

Why I need CUBE license. What can cube do extra ?

When I install CUBE license on my box What wil  I have  more than VG ?

Thanks

[manoj.vijayanarayanan]

Yes, there is a difference between CUBE and a VG. 

Voice gateways routes the call from Cisco UC platforms to the outside network of your client, like to a service provider (PSTN) and any remote sites, or PbX environments.

CUBE is a voice gateway which helps you to interconnect between two voice gateway protocols like H.323, SIP. So, your first call leg from your CUCM terminating on your voice gateway can be H.323 protocol, and the next call leg from the CUBE can be SIP protocol. This is configured under 'Voice Service VoIP' in global configuration mode in your voice gateway.

Let me know if this works for you.

Thanks,

manoj.

[Shalid Kurunnan Chalil]

Hi,

A VoIP Gateway is simply a translation device, which converts analog and digital telco lines to VoIP and vice versa. For example, if you have traditional telco phone lines and you want to use them with a VoIP phone system, you will need a VoIP Gateway.

Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE) is a unified communications border element that bridges voice and video connectivity between two separate VoIP networks. It is similar to a traditional voice gateway, except for the replacement of physical voice trunks with an IP connection.

Traditional gateways connect VoIP networks to telephone companies using a circuit-switched connection, such as PRI.

The CUBE connects VoIP networks to other VoIP networks and is often used to connect enterprise networks to Internet telephony service providers (ITSPs).

CUBE can be deployed virtually on the UCS server.

extract from Cisco doc.

you may find some useful information and answer to query over this link. FAQ - CUBE

Regards,

Shalid 

[Saiyed Anjum Bukhari]

In addition to all the great answers by @Roger Kallberg @Shalid Kurunnan Chalil

I want to highlight the fundamental difference:

CUBE functionality is implemented on devices using a special IOS feature set, which allows CUBE to route a call from one VoIP dial peer to another.

A standard Cisco IOS gateway without CUBE functionality cannot allow VoIP-to-VoIP connections!!

So if you have a VOIP phone system on the LAN and are using SIP Trunks from ITSP on the WAN then you cannot use traditional voice gateway you will need CUBE licenses.

Additionally if you also happen to have a PRI or POTS line connected to the CUBE router as it also a voice gateway it will be able to route from VOIP dial peer to POTS dial peer.

[Ammar Saood]

Its very simple. A Voice Gateway without CUBE license cannot have conversion between 2 VOIP dial-peers (IP to IP) which means if your PSTN provider is SIP based so as your CUCM side, then you need to enable CUBE session licenses.

When both sides of a call legs are IP based, then CUBE helps connect this scenario using SIP/H323 to SIP/H323 protocol.

Hope this helps,

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