SIP trunks

[VJ]

We have installed a single site location that is using only SIP trunking.

This has to be the biggest mess I have encountered in my 22 years of telecom. After 3 1/2 hours with TAC we find that call record is not supported on SIP calls.

We were trying to record calls to show the terrible call quality the customer is getting. So after the suggestion from TAC and SureTrunk to record the calls, we find it is not supported. We got a copy of the tech bulletin today. I just shake my head at the run around on this.

The basic problem we have been having is the customer is now having to use cell phones to make calls out because the voice quality will pick up about every 3rdor 4th word.

TAC dealt with this last week and we saw (temporarily) some improvement. Now it turns out that SureTrunk does not have QOS on outbound, but does on inbound. TAC in our 2 hour 45 minute call today suggested to SureTrunk to make certain changes. We are waiting.

After all of this has come down, I hear from ST sales "we don't encourage using SIP trunks."

If you ain't using it - be wary!

COMMENTS PLEASE.

[Forum]

The is a section in the PIG that outlines the "issues" with SIP trunks. Call recording is one, Office anywhere is another. It's Appendix F (8.1). I highly reccomend you prepare the customer before suggesting SIP. We've looked into it seriously several times, only to back out at the last minute.

PRI is a safer bet for now. Sorry you had to learn the hard way.

Charles

[jasonepowell]

We've been using SIP trunking for a while now, and we're pretty happy. We have great internet access here, so QOS has never been a problem. We did have a compatibility issue with our Ingate Siperator and our backend SIP trunk provider but that was fixed with a patch from Ingate.

Shoretel isn't gung-ho on SIP Trunks because they are a support nightmare. I can understand that, of course, but they have to realize that SIP trunks offer such cost advantages that you can't discourage their use and keep growing (particularly in this economy).

[Palitto Consulting]

We also use SIP, both through an InGate and directly via SureTrunk. It works decently most of the time, but we do have occasional issues.

[JMozee]

This is all good info to know I have many customers poking around with the Idea of SIP trunking since the price is so attractive right now.

[darkmatter15]

I also have a customer using SIP trunks exclusively routing through in InGate SIParator. For the most part it has been working out OK. I have been getting the occasional complaint of echo on outside calls but it is so intermittent that it has been very difficult to troubleshoot.
The SIParators do seem to make the implementation go a bit easier however their startup tool does not cover all bases needed and some tweaking was necessary in each SIParator to get all sites functioning properly for transferring calls between sites. I must say that the InGate support team was very knowledgable and helpful and after the pain of the getting the 1st site working on the SIP trunks, the other 4 sites seemed to rollout rather easily.

The big issue I am now dealing with is 911 on the SIP trunks. 911 calls work fine at all my remote sites (each has only 1 SG90 so SIP trunks and ip phones and all on the same SG90). At the HQ site however 911 is hit or miss. I have at this site 2 SG90s, 1 of which has SIP trunks and IP phones configured to it and the other has only IP phones and some conference ports. If 911 is called from an IP phone on the SG90 that also has the SIP trunks on it, the call is successful. If 911 is called for an IP phone that in on the other it fails. It was easily proven by just moving an ip phone that fails to the other SG90 and then the call goes.
I have a TAC case open and they checked and approved the config and then suggested that I reboot the suspect switch. I did that and no change. Support then asked that I flash the SG90. I have now done the burnflash to that SG90 and am awaiting test results from the client.

If anyone else has run into this already I would greatly appreciate the feedback.

FYI it 8.1 build 13.23.2606.0

Thanks

[Kevin]

SIP Trunks with Asterisk

Has anyone used an Asterisk box to convert the SIP trunks to a PRI handoff? I have heard second hand this works pretty well. Also it preserves all of the features you can't use with SIP trunking (call monitor, recording, conferencing at the telephone level, etc.). I have got an Asterisk box and was thinking of ordering a T1 card from Digium. Any thoughts?

[jstewart]

What device are you terminating the internet connection and SureTrunk VPN on?

[taPhil]

A lot of mention of no recording with SIP trunks. What about SIP Print?

[darkmatter15]

The big issue I am now dealing with is 911 on the SIP trunks. 911 calls work fine at all my remote sites (each has only 1 SG90 so SIP trunks and ip phones and all on the same SG90). At the HQ site however 911 is hit or miss. I have at this site 2 SG90s, 1 of which has SIP trunks and IP phones configured to it and the other has only IP phones and some conference ports. If 911 is called from an IP phone on the SG90 that also has the SIP trunks on it, the call is successful. If 911 is called for an IP phone that in on the other it fails. It was easily proven by just moving an ip phone that fails to the other SG90 and then the call goes.
I have a TAC case open and they checked and approved the config and then suggested that I reboot the suspect switch. I did that and no change. Support then asked that I flash the SG90. I have now done the burnflash to that SG90 and am awaiting test results from the client.

If anyone else has run into this already I would greatly appreciate the feedback.

FYI it 8.1 build 13.23.2606.0

Thanks

FYI. This was finally resolved by unchecking the 'teleworkers' box on the trunk group form. The Ingate config notes have it set on but it is not necessary for the SIP trunks to function.