Dial Peers like static routing?

remerolle

I have not been able to read up on Voice as much as I would like since I have been studying for my BCSI, but I just finished some VoIP with a friend in a lab scenario. We configured it all using CME and setting up Dial Peers and etc. I am somewhat confused, it seems a little inefficient to setup dial peers on each router. It seems a lot similar to static routing in a sense. If this matches this send it to this IP. What happens when you have a large network? Is there some way to setup a central system/device/server to act as a central unit or is there some sort of voice routing protocol. How could I get CMEs and VoIP phones to dynamically learn and advertise dial peers like a router learns about networks using a routing protocol?

Thanks for the help.

networker050184

You can use a callmanager or a pbx to route your voice traffic. Point all the CMEs at the callmanager and then do all the trunks and gateways/gatekeepers from there.

remerolle

Thanks, makes sense. I figured a PBX, but I totally forgot about the callmanager part of the equation. The BCMSN's overview of VoIP is quite limited, I take the netacad final next week after I go for my BCSI on Tuesday.

mikej412

It is like routing. When you first start out in the CCNA you learn about static and default routes and the scalability issues -- then you appreciate the wonder of routing protocols (at least until you study for the BSCI exam ).

With CME you can use the Quick Configuration Tool (and a bar code reader on the phones before you send your A+ Tech or Desktop Support Person off to install them at the desks) -- so the configuration can be almost painless and quick. But CME is usually used for small installations (1 - 240 IP Phones depending on the router used) and competes against the Key Systems, not PBXs.

Just like the dynamic routing protocols deal with the scalability issues of static routes -- CallManager can make the router configurations painless (and trade it in for the pain of CallManager configuration -- centralized or distributed ).