05-31-2011 01:09 PM - edited 03-21-2019 04:10 AM
I'm new to
this market and have asked a lot of question of other partners from different areas and have heard that the biggest problem that they have run in to is no so much in the selling but in the installation. More specifically, the wiring at the clients site. My question is what can I do prior to the install to verify the wiring is good at a client and what specifically will I be testing for? Any help would be appreciated.
Rich
05-31-2011 01:15 PM
Buzz out all the ethernet runs (all wires) so you are sure you ahve true CAT5 or CAT6 ethernet connectivity would be my recommendation.
Sometimes our phones will actually display BAD ETHERNET if the POE pairs are good but others not. Of course, if its totally wrong, the phone wont come up at all.
You do not have to worry about a particular phone going in a particular spot either. If you preconfigured your system, you want to make sure John Smiths phone goes on John Smiths desck, but the ethernet run it takes back to the switch isnt unique and doesnt have to be.
Hope that makes sense.
05-31-2011 03:41 PM
Hi Rich,
I would say that the biggest problem is integrating it into an existing network, the cabling has never really been an issue for me if there are computers operating/functioning correctly on the network, then the phones shouldn't have any problems (Maybe with the exception of the occasional rogue cable).
One of the most important things that is forgotten at times is just exactly how powerful the UC's are, in a Greenfield site you can set the Cisco up to do everything.. Switching, Routing, DHCP, DNS, Default Gateway, Telephony inclusive of analogue, digital & SIP trunks...
The best advise to give with any Cisco based installations are:
This is the basic setup/guide I follow and it has been a good formula and has worked quite well for a long time... There are more steps that I follow but they are somewhat custom to me and my style, you will develop your own and also fill in the blanks.
I have attached the site survey document that I use, and it has been customized from the original one that Cisco provided, you should consider using it yourself and even maybe customize it for the way you do business.
Hope this helps you out
Cheers,
David.
06-01-2011 07:40 AM
David,
Thank you so much for the detailed answer. I'm printing this out to keep it like a check list along with the site survey doc. I'm hopping to really get into VOIP as there is nobody (to my knowledge) in town that does this. If someone wants it, they need to go 2 - 4 towns over to get the help. So I'm in a unique position and really can't afford to blow it. Need to do it right the first time and being a single person operation makes it even more important. Thanks again for your help.
Rich
05-31-2011 05:21 PM
Try this and see if it helps you out
Developed by the TEE team
https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-16634
Best of luck on the new practice
06-01-2011 07:49 AM
Aruthur,
Thanks for the link. Just pulled it down and will go through it a bit latter.
It's so great that there are other partners out there which are willing to help others.
Rich.
06-01-2011 02:52 PM
Rich,
It's so great that there are other partners out there which are willing to help others.
You are certainly amongst friends here, Cisco Reps, Partners and even End Users... All willing to help and participate in the active (Pro-Active) support for all things UC
You should never ever find yourself left stranded and without support, the SBS team are also helpful and you should never ever hesitate to log a case, after all this is what you pay for when you purchase the maintenance/support agreement, they are there to make your life easier so USE them
Cheers,
David.
06-01-2011 07:27 AM
Thank you all for the tips. This will really help as I
believe there is nobody in my town that does all
digital phones. So I'm very hopeful.
Discover and save your favorite ideas. Come back to expert answers, step-by-step guides, recent topics, and more.
New here? Get started with these tips. How to use Community New member guide