I'm sick of Voice

I'm having a crap day and I am getting so pathetically sick of Voice work (CUCM, CCX)....I could puke or just get up and walk in and kick the Voice rack.

ATA this, VG that..how can I configure this device out of thin air, how can I make something from nothing bla bla bla bla bla

Ugh! I seriously hate Voice and any of you that chose the Voice path are sickos.

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Comments

dover

Ha! Nice rant.

I've avoided going down the Cisco Voice path probably because of some very bad experiences with supporting and maintaining traditional PBXs with no help or support early in my IT career.

I recently picked up the CCNA Voice book by Jeremy to give myself a break from the Cisco VPN book that I'm losing patience with. So far I'm enjoying it. I know its associate level stuff but so far it has filled in quite a bit of information I think I should have known a long time ago.

Plus its just nice to step back from security, firewalls, VPNs for a while.

Go kick that rack anyway!

RouteMyPacket

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Oh, now I have to sit in a meeting about how the CRM functions within CCX, of course no documentation from the previous tard who implemented it. I can't wait to give them my infamous "deer in headlight" look. FML!

Roguetadhg

We're not sick. We just prefer the kinky side of things.

Actually, I have trouble focusing on Voice as far as after the first section. I just don't find it as interesting.

it_consultant

Voice is awful. There is a reason why Avaya consultants make so darn much money!

pitviper

I dare you to walk in and kick the voice rack...

RouteMyPacket

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I decided to go pee on them instead!

Trifidw

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I think that would hurt my feet if I did that...

I'm still undecided on the voice side of things. I find it more rewarding when something goes right but it's a bigger unknown and can cause some headaches.

ptilsen

I've never understood any genuine interest in voice for voice's sake (I get that there's money to be made). I got into IT because I was interested in computing, not telephones. I don't even like to use telephones.

RouteMyPacket

Trifidw wrote: »

I think that would hurt my feet if I did that...

I'm still undecided on the voice side of things. I find it more rewarding when something goes right but it's a bigger unknown and can cause some headaches.

Here, come take over. You can have all the voice you want right here. Six servers, all just for you ranging from CM to Unity to CCX.

Enjoy! I'm taking the day off, here are your logins

RDP IP: 20v.1oi.4ce.s1ks

Username: voicelover
Password: iheartciscovoice

shodown

I find it to be the hardest which keeps me coming back.

Trifidw

RouteMyPacket wrote: »

Here, come take over. You can have all the voice you want right here. Six servers, all just for you ranging from CM to Unity to CCX.

I look after 11 + 2 arc and by the looks of it 2 rightfax servers are going to be mine too. Also have a separate phone system that uses old analogue wiring and several VG224's not linked to callmanager... (don't ask).

RouteMyPacket

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Oh, I forgot to mention my RightFax and other POTS lines that are tied to something that looks like it's from the Andy Griffith show.

Iristheangel

I'm studying voice as well. Im just as bored with it. Ive given up on the book for a little while and decided to try sims and videos. I hope to have this thing done by 2013 but I will NEVER EVER go after the CCNP voice. Id go insane from boredom

dover

"Sarah. Hi this is Andy, get me the fax line over in Raleigh right away will ya?"

I like learning voice over IP just because it is something cool I can learn to configure. I definitely don't want to be the "VoIP Guy" who has to manage an implementation day-in and day-out. Then I'd be looking for something to kick.

shodown

Iristheangel wrote: »

I'm studying voice as well. Im just as bored with it. Ive given up on the book for a little while and decided to try sims and videos. I hope to have this thing done by 2013 but I will NEVER EVER go after the CCNP voice. Id go insane from boredom

I felt the same way about route/switch and security. I pushed myself through CCNP, but I will never do any hire, and would only get CCNP S if my job depended on it. Voice is more for the artistry types.

RouteMyPacket

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Glad to see you found your calling, I have a friend who has the IE Voice down and has hit the lab several times at this point and time constraints are killing him. He's a voice guy so I refuse to speak to him anymore. lol

Moral of this story is, I know for a fact Voice is NOT my calling!

Oh and FYI

They made me clean up the pee on the Voice rack. So demeaning!

it_consultant

Well...you know...I don't love voice but it isn't as painful IMHO as you guys are making it out to be. I think a lot of things, phones included [I have a Cisco 7942 on my desk] Cisco makes a lot harder than they have to be. If you get your feet wet in Shoretel and Avaya, not only will your expand your knowledge but you will make connections about telephony that you may have missed when you stuck to Cisco. Sort of like learning a Cisco switch and then a HP.

If you can get through some of the most boring stuff, things like call following, presence, IVR phonetree, outbound phonetree, etc can be very fun to get working.

nevanerviss

Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment, because I'm looking to pursue CCNA-Voice... I have had some experience with Unity and CCM 4 years ago at my last I.T. job, and I didn't find it too painful, then again, I've never pursued a certification specialty, nor have I ever done anything put maintain what was already implemented, either...

shodown

I think it depends on what your environment is. If you are a 1 site shop with a few hundred or less phones with 1 gateway its not that big of a deal. If you are a 800 site, with ten's of thousands of phones with hundreds of gateways, gatekeepers and multiple clusters and several applications and video, it can get horrible really fast.

Lizano

I went down the Security path and ended up supporting Voice. My rant would not fit in a single thread.

RouteMyPacket

shodown wrote: »

I think it depends on what your environment is. If you are a 1 site shop with a few hundred or less phones with 1 gateway its not that big of a deal. If you are a 800 site, with ten's of thousands of phones with hundreds of gateways, gatekeepers and multiple clusters and several applications and video, it can get horrible really fast.

Thousands of phones, a half dozen VG's, RightFax FoIP, and some other old stuff and one pee soaked Voice rack here.

Lizano wrote: »

I went down the Security path and ended up supporting Voice. My rant would not fit in a single thread.

My interest lies in the security track, let's hear your rant. lol

I was never a fan of Wireless but handling my WLAN controllers isn't so bad really and I would start down a wireless track before voice any day.

YFZblu

^ Interesting! I plan on taking ccna-sec next Monday, and I'm sort of 'forced' to study for the GSEC because I get a complimentary exam challenge, and I don't want to waste it considering the exam would cost me $1,000 otherwise. But after that, my focus will either be Wireless or Voice, and i'm struggling to find ways to stay motivated doing either. I hear Voice is a huge pain in the arse to lab effectively, and Wireless just sounds boring.

sratakhin

And there are people who have CCIE Voice... Ugh.

pitviper

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Those guys are NUTS! To think that people subject themselves to such boredom and for what!?

(well, besides the grossly high compensation of course)

mguy

wow. I'm about to go to an interview tomorrow for a voice gig as my first Cisco specialty gig. From the job posting and the phone interview, it has something to do with the outsourcing of the PBX systems into the cloud provider(us). I'll be front lines on the phones I imagine, but i'm thinking it would be great experience learning from other engineers on a growing field (??). They were very quick to set me up for a "Support Engineer" position.

Should I be concerned? What should I expect?

I'm CCNA but this opportunity came up and is kinda convenient for me.

Roguetadhg

You should probably still take the job. Experience is experience. Don't let these old men burst your bubble!

I gotta agree based on the content on books, and labs: Security is better than Voice.

However, given the opportunities I see more "Voice" openings. I think it's safe to say: Have your feet wetted in Voice. Just in case!

mguy

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I'm kinda concerned at this. Damn. Is Voice that bad? Am I better working in a NOC in God awful hours? I don't mind the voice specialty if it has a good $$ return after.

You think this business of putting phone systems in the cloud is lucrative? Will I get stuck at voice or will be able to parlay it to a network engineer position after?

Roguetadhg

Money is to be made for whoever puts in the time.

You may go into it and be excited, and lust over the information. I would say something with a Voice position could more easily get into a networking infrastructure designing role. Afterall, you're designing another infrastructure on top of the roads. It's like taking out the cement foundation of the house, and then putting up the wooden skeleton. Atleast, that's how I'd compare it!

Those that don't like X will make X a higher-paying job (or should in theory) as people will hesitate to get into the field. You can command a better pay because there's less of you!

RouteMyPacket

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I agree, NEVER skip an opportunity that is in line with broadening your skill set. You might get into it and say "Wow I guess I am a sicko, cause I love Voice". haha

Managing CUCM isn't that bad at all, it's just everything together coupled with no documentation make me have days like today. It's typical when entering a site.

And FYI Roguetadhg, i'm not old...i'm experienced!

mguy wrote: »

I'm kinda concerned at this. Damn. Is Voice that bad? Am I better working in a NOC in God awful hours? I don't mind the voice specialty if it has a good $$ return after.

You think this business of putting phone systems in the cloud is lucrative? Will I get stuck at voice or will be able to parlay it to a network engineer position after?

No don't be concerned at all, this thread is one Engineer's sarcastic opinion on a bad day of handling Voice requests/projects. I would be absolutely utterly lost in my current Voice environment if I had not taken an opportunity previously that allowed me to manage and be hands on with CUCM. Don't even look at it as $$$$$, look at it as "Wow, I am going to get my hands on some Cisco Voice work. Nice" because having that on your CV is NEVER going to backfire or lose value trust me.

Roguetadhg

Well, going into a job field for the money tends to always backfire. One way or another!