Cisco 2800 Router And Catalyst 3560 Switch: VoIP setup?

walid97

Hi there,

I have never worked with VoIP yet, but I checked the VoIP setup of a company and I knew that they are only using 1 Cisco 2800 Router and 2 Catalyst 3560 Switches. No CCM were involved, these are the only items used (along the IP phones). The desktops and laptops connect to the IP phones.

The CVOICE course talks about H.323, SIP and MGCP. Very simple dial peers were also explained, mostly with analog phones connected directly to the Router through the FXS port, no switches at all were involved. (Nothing about switches was mentioned... this is why I am a little worried..)

Which protocol is used with this setup?
Which CCVP course explains this setup?
I want to ask how such setup can be made? Can you please explain this configuration?

Thanks a lot.

bighornsheep

My school lab has similar pods configured, the 2800 will run Call Manager Express and IP phones connect to the 3560 which can provide QoS and PoE.

http://www.networkcomputing.com/channels/networkinfrastructure/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=184425831

walid97

bighornsheep wrote:

My school lab has similar pods configured, the 2800 will run Call Manager Express and IP phones connect to the 3560 which can provide QoS and PoE.

http://www.networkcomputing.com/channels/networkinfrastructure/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=184425831

Thank you.
Which CCVP course covers the Cal Manager Express?

mikej412

How many IP Phones? Any analog devices? Is this the only site of a single company? Voice mail?

With only that equipment it would sound like a CallManager Express solution -- but if it's only 2 or 3 phones, someone could have just configured it manually. Check out the Cisco Unified CallManager Express Solution Reference Network Design Guide. That might answer some of your questions, or let you know what questions you need to ask about this site.

The CVOICE course would get you started, but CallManager Express install, setup, and administration isn't covered (that I remember) in the CCVP (though some people try to get by with CME rather than CCM in their home labs for the CIPT exam).

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express Install and Upgrade Guides
Cisco Unity Express

Cisco IOS Voice Configuration Library

walid97

Thanks for your reply Mike.

Well, it's a small company.. not more than 100 users (2x 3560 Catalyst switches), it's 1 site only, no Analog phones, just IP phones and I don't know about Voice mail.

Most of the configuration of 1-site companies here use this CME. Thanks for the document, I will print and read it, I hope it explains the configuration well. Too bad CME is not included in the CCVP track.. I don't know how CCVP missed that!

I checked Cisco certification page and found out about the IP Communications Certifications: 642-144 IPTX

How can I study for these? I couldn't find any book about it..

Thanks a lot.

walid97

Oh.. Sorry I didn't search for it in the forum before.
I looked for IPTX in the forum and found a post by you:

http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19406

Why CME was not included in CCVP?
Do you think IPTX is a good cert?

mikej412

Once you've worked with CME, it really isn't that hard to setup and configure. The Quick Configuration Tool mentioned in the article bighornsheep linked to does make it quick and painless. It's the initial learning and figuring out CME that's hard.

Since CME competes against the small Key System, its something that you usually just buy as a solution. The CCVP is more for the bigger systems where a company has their own PBXs and wants to merge the voice and data networks.

For CallManager Express, Cisco Press has the following books:

Cisco IP Communications Express: CallManager Express with Cisco Unity Express

By reading this book, you will learn how Cisco IPC Express and its applications can become a business solution for your office or enterprise. The experts from Cisco Systems® give you in-depth design guidance, full configurations, and valuable examples to serve as blueprints for your network. The feature operation and deployment discussions demonstrate how to configure and customize the system and how to use different product features to achieve your specific business goals. Once you deploy your solutions, you will be able to maintain your network through the troubleshooting guidance and examples of resolutions to common problems provided in this book.

IP Telephony Using CallManager Express Lab Portfolio

IP Telephony Using CallManager Express Lab Portfolio provides a hands-on approach to learning the basic principles of voice over IP (VoIP) to build a voice-enabled network for the small to medium-sized business.

As you work through the 51 labs in the book, you learn how to deploy a basic phone system using a CallManager Express-capable router. You install, configure, and customize Cisco® IP Phones to work in an IP Telephony environment as well as with traditional analog telephony devices.

Those would be a good starting point to study for the IPTX exam -- but compare the book content to the exam topics, and fill in any gaps with the Cisco Documentation.

I think the IPTX is useful if you need to learn and work with CME. Same for the Unity Specializations (though you need the MCSE:Messaging to get one of them). Those topics do come up in the CCIE Voice -- so I'll probably do those exams after I pass my CCIE R&S and Security Labs.

walid97

mikej412 wrote:

Since CME competes against the small Key System, its something that you usually just buy as a solution. The CCVP is more for the bigger systems where a company has their own PBXs and wants to merge the voice and data networks.

Thanks for your detailed reply. I really appreciate.
One thing, is the CME equivalent to the Key System? I mean, isn't it like a PBX? (dial 9 to get the exterior line.. etc..)

mikej412

CME and Key Systems are just the "baby versions" of CallManager and PBXs. And the line you have to cross to decide which to use in both worlds (VoIP and PSTN) is blurry and depends on the features, functions, and expected system growth.

With CME you can go up to about 240 phones, but I've seen full CallManager Implementations for less than 100 phones.

walid97 wrote:

Well, it's a small company.. not more than 100 users

On the 2800 series routers, you can support up to 24 phones on the 2801, 36 on the 2811, 48 on the 2821, and 96 on the 2851. The numbers are the same whether you use SIP or SCCP for the IP Phones.

The Cisco 3845 is the one that can do 240 IP Phones.