The Telephonyware Blog » Opinion http://www.telephonyware.com/blog A look at what's new in VoIP & Telephony Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:17:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Choosing the Right UC500 System http://www.telephonyware.com/blog/2010/11/15/choosing-the-right-uc500-system/ http://www.telephonyware.com/blog/2010/11/15/choosing-the-right-uc500-system/#comments Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:15:26 +0000 Kevin Sexton http://www.telephonyware.com/blog/?p=316 In the previous installment of our Cisco Small Business Communication System (SBCS) blog article series, we looked at the components that make up a complete SBCS deployment.  In this post we will cover the “heart” of a SBCS installation, the Cisco UC500.  We will highlight the various model features, differences, offer suggestions on selecting the right model and how to assemble a complete system from part numbers.

Difference in Models – UC520, UC540 & UC560

The Cisco UC500 series comes in three different models, the UC520, UC540 and UC560. Inside, each of them is basically a Cisco router with voice modules running Cisco’s IOS software and Cisco CallManager Express (CME).

We’ll examine the main differences between the three different models:

Series Cisco Product Cisco Small Business Pro Series Cisco Small Business Pro Series
Model

Cisco Unified Communications 520

Cisco Unified Communications 540

Cisco Unified Communications 560
Feature Highlights
  • Eight to 64 IP phone station support
  • Four to 8 analog trunks or two to 4 BRI digital trunks
  • Optional single T1/E1 voice interface (PRI and CAS)
  • Integrated voicemail
  • 16 hours voicemail storage
  • Automated attendant
  • Integrated business productivity applications
  • Integrated security
  • Music on hold
  • Optional on board wireless access
  • Simple system configuration and management
  • Eight to 32 phone station support
  • Four to 8 analog trunks or two to 4 BRI digital trunks
  • Optional single T1/E1 voice interface (PRI and CAS)
  • Integrated voicemail
  • 32 hours voicemail storage
  • Automated attendant
  • Integrated business productivity applications
  • Integrated security
  • Music on hold
  • On board wireless included
  • Simple system configuration and management
  • 16 to 104 phone station support
  • Four to 12 analog trunks or two to 6 BRI digital trunks
  • Optional one or two T1/E1 voice interface (PRI and CAS)
  • Integrated voicemail
  • 32 or 64 hours voicemail storage
  • Automated attendant
  • Integrated business productivity applications
  • Integrated security
  • Music on hold
  • Wireless support with the Cisco AP 500 Series Wireless Access Point
  • Simple system configuration and management
Service and Support Cisco SMARTnet Service Cisco Small Business Pro Service Cisco Small Business Pro Service

As you can see from the table above, the UC520 and UC540 are actually very similar in capacity, whereas the UC560 is designed for larger installations or sites that need the capacity for future growth.

The UC520 is the original UC500 series system, and is supported via the more conventional Cisco SMARTnet service agreement rather than Cisco’s new 3-year Small Business Pro Support and has slightly less “horsepower” than the newer UC540.  For these reasons, we recommend the UC540 for new installations.

Each of the UC500 series systems come in a variety of models based on the type of PSTN connectivity you require.

Cisco UC520 Models

FXO Port Models:

Basic Rate ISDN (BRI) Models

T1/E1 Primary Rate ISDN (PRI) Models:

  • Cisco UC520-48U-T/E/B-K9 — 1 T1/E1/PRI Port, 2 BRI Ports, 4 FXS Ports, 48 User Licenses, 1 Free Slot, 8 Port PoE Switch
  • Cisco UC520-48U-T/E/F-K9 — 1 T1/E1/PRI Port, 4 FXO Ports, 4 FXS Ports, 48 User Licenses, 1 Free Slot, 8 Port PoE Switch

Cisco UC540 Models

All models of the UC540 come with integrated 802.11b/g wireless access point, a single 10/100Mbps Etherent WAN uplink port, 8 port 10/100 Ethernet switch with 802.3af Power over Ethernet to provide power and network connectivity to your phones and support for up to 32 users (with 8 user licenses included). Each model has one free slot for additional PSTN connectivity. The UC540 supports up to 10 concurrent VPN sessions for remote teleworkers.

  • Cisco UC540W-BRI-K9 — 2 BRI Ports, 4 FXS Ports, 8 User Licenses, 1 Free Slot, 8 Port PoE Switch, Integrated Wireless
  • Cisco UC540W-FXO-K9 — 4 FXO Ports, 4 FXS Ports, 8 User Licenses, 1 Free Slot, 8 Port PoE Switch, Integrated Wireless

Cisco UC560 Models

The UC560 forgoes the Power over Ethernet switch and integrated wireless access point found in the UC520 and UC540 range, but adds an additional VIC slot for installation of additional PSTN connectivity modules as well as support for expanded voicemail storage via an upgradable Compact Flash card and support for up to 104 users (16 users included).  Network connectivity is provided by 4x 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet ports (3x LAN, 1x WAN). The UC560 supports up to 20 concurrent VPN sessions for remote teleworkers.

  • Cisco UC560-T1E1-K9 — 1 T1/E1/PRI Port, 4 FXO Ports, 4 FXS Ports, 16 User Licenses, 1 Free Slot, 4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports
  • Cisco UC560-BRI-K9 — 2 BRI Ports, 4 FXS Ports, 2 Free Slots, 16 User Licenses, 4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports
  • Cisco UC560-FXO-K9 — 4 FXO Ports, 4 FXS Ports, 2 Free Slot, 16 User Licenses, 4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports

Expansion Slot Options

Each model of the UC500 series has at least one free “VIC” slot, allowing you to install an additional module for connecting more analog lines (FXO), analog telephones and fax machines (FXS) or even up to two T1/E1/PRI circuits.

We stock a full range of Cisco VIC modules suitable for the UC500 series.

Choosing A System

So which system is right for you?  In spite of the myriad of different models of the UC500 platform, the choice comes down to three simple questions:

  • What PSTN connectivity do I need?
  • How many users do I need to support?
  • What room for future growth do I need?

If you have less than 32 employees and don’t plan on expanding beyond that number, the UC540 is the ideal choice.  If you currently have more than 32 employees or plan on breaking this number, the UC560 is for you.

In our next installment in this series, we’ll examine some example configurations for common types of business, including full parts lists and recommendations.

Telephonyware offers the full range of Cisco Small Business Communications System products and can help you to customize a Cisco voice and data solution to your exact requirements and budget. Contact Telephonyware today for advice.

]]> http://www.telephonyware.com/blog/2010/11/15/choosing-the-right-uc500-system/feed/ 0 The Way it Should Have Been. Free Four Line Upgrades for Linksys SPA94x Series http://www.telephonyware.com/blog/2007/06/25/the-way-it-should-have-been-four-line-linksys-phones-from-the-start/ http://www.telephonyware.com/blog/2007/06/25/the-way-it-should-have-been-four-line-linksys-phones-from-the-start/#comments Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:34:58 +0000 Kevin Sexton http://www.telephonyware.com/blog/?p=26 In a hard won effort by the Senior Sales Manager of Linksys, the SPA94x series phones are now upgradable to 4-lines without the need for paying for an upgrade license key.

Now available for download on Linksys.com is the version 5.1.10 firmware for the SPA942 and the version 5.1.8 firmware for the SPA941. Both firmware upgrades feature the update to use all four lines available on the phone at no cost. To download the new firmware, from the Linksys.com homepage, go to “Support”, “Technical Support” and then “Choose a Product”. Find the “Voice over IP (VoIP)” category and select the model of phone you wish to upgrade from the drop-down menu. As always, read the directions first before attempting installation.

In this blogger’s humble opinion, this should have happened from the start.

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