FXO/FXS Interface card

auos

Dears,
Kindly I would like to purchase FXO/FXS interface card, but I see in one of site two different kind of FXO/FXS card with different prices like below :-

Cisco 2-Port FXO Voice Interface Card, VIC-2FXO
The low-density voice/fax network VIC-2FXO modules for the Cisco 2600 and Cisco 3600 series multiservice access routers enable packet voice technologies including VoIP, VoFR and VoATM (AAL5). ($69.95 )

Cisco 2-Port FXO Voice Interface Card, VIC2-2FXO
The VIC2-2FXO card covers a full range of digital voice and WAN connectivity options and provides connectivity to the world's PBXs, PSTNs, and Post, Telephone, and Telegraph (PTT) organizations. ($179.95 )

What is different between them?
And what your suggestion.

mikej412

The VIC2 is the "new one" and is supported by the newer routers.

The VIC is the "old one" and is supported by the older routers -- and maybe supported by some of the newer routers.

Is this for a lab or production network?

What router and/or voice module are you planning to use?

And depending on where you are in the world -- if it's not for a lab -- make sure whichever one you get is supported by your PSTN.

http://www.cisco.com/web/partners/downloads/765/tools/quickreference/routermodxref.pdf

http://www.cisco.com/web/partners/downloads/765/tools/quickreference/isr.pdf

http://www.cisco.com/web/partners/downloads/765/tools/quickreference/voicedensity.pdf

auos

mikej412 wrote: »

Is this for a lab or production network?

Dear mike,
I planning to used in my home lab.

mikej412 wrote: »

What router and/or voice module are you planning to use?

I planning to use with 3640 and 2611XM

mikem2te

auos wrote: »

Dear mike,
I planning to used in my home lab.


I planning to use with 3640 and 2611XM

I have got a VIC-2FXO (cheaper:)) in my 2621XM, not sure about the 3640 but the 2600XM range need a network module to allow use of voice cards as the built in WIC slots do not support Voice modules.

I have a NM-2V installed which provides the necessary DSP resources to convert voice to digital signals.

All the best,
another Mike.

EDIT : As the other Mike suggested, there are variations of the FXO cards depending on where you are in the World / different telcos, most of them are compatible but can have issues such as not hanging up calls properly if you don't get the correct one. I needed a VIC-2FXO-EU for the European standard.

ANOTHER EDIT : Check out-

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps274/products_tech_note09186a00800b53c7.shtml

jeanathan

I have been looking into the fxo fxs cards too. I can't see any reason why I would need the fxs card, which cost more. I know it is used for fax/analogue phones, but mostly the VoIP training will concentrate around SIP and Skinny protocol trunks over my existing ipv4 infrastructure to IP phones. I found a 2621xm on eBay that comes with the Cisco IP communicator soft-phone to use via SIP to my phone system that connects to the PSTN via the FXO card. I also have the NM-2V which is required for the VIC-2fxo to work.

If you are lucky enough to have a 2800 series router from what the CBTNuggets lectures I have watched are saying the Vic2 series is for them.

mikem2te

jeanathan wrote: »

I have been looking into the fxo fxs cards too. I can't see any reason why I would need the fxs card, which cost more. I know it is used for fax/analogue phones, but mostly the VoIP training will concentrate around SIP and Skinny protocol trunks over my existing ipv4 infrastructure to IP phones. I found a 2621xm on eBay that comes with the Cisco IP communicator soft-phone to use via SIP to my phone system that connects to the PSTN via the FXO card. I also have the NM-2V which is required for the VIC-2fxo to work.

I bought an fxs card for a second router as simulate a PSTN cloud. I then connected an fxo port on my main voice router to the fxs on the second router.

It allowed my to mess around with dial plans, number transformations etc without risking calling any "real" people like the police.

jeanathan

mikem2te wrote: »

I bought an fxs card for a second router as simulate a PSTN cloud. I then connected an fxo port on my main voice router to the fxs on the second router.

It allowed my to mess around with dial plans, number transformations etc without risking calling any "real" people like the police.

I hadn't though about that. Now that you mention it I will have to make actual calls just to do testing/debugging. Which minimum IOS feature set (Voice, Enterprise, Advanced Enterprise IVS, ect...) do I need to combine a router and a fxs card to emulate a PSTN?

mikem2te

I think voice will do. There is nothing special about my pstn cloud, just a handful of dial peers. I used one port on my fxs card for a conventional analogue phone and the other going to my main voice router fxo port. I could then dial into my pstn cloud from the analogue phone which would then route the call to the voice router and vice versa.

Costly though equiping a second router for voice (more DSP's, more FX cards).