Crazy ISP story

[Digital Micro]

Today was the first installation of our ISP's new VoIP service. It was one of my customers, and I had to be present. I was going to be anyway. No way was I missing this **** storm.

This is a small two computer office with one printer. I was told for this install they needed 1 open port on the switch for their Adtran phone box to plug into. Then Cat 5e or 6 cables would run to where the phones would be. Then a patch cable from the phone to the PC. Sounds simple right?

The ISP tech shows up for the install. So he calls the number to let them know he was ready for the setup. They tell him he needs two ISP routers for this. One is for the network and the other is for the phones. He asked why he can't just use the switch and patch cables at the phones and PC's. We're told the phones won't work that way. So the tech get another router, their new AC router by Hitron. Tells them what model it is. Oh you can't use that router. It won't work with the Adtran. He is told to use the ISP's old router which they don't use anymore. We had to wait an hour for someone to get their with one. He says ok I have the other router. They then configure the second router, which is for phones, to be in bridge mode. Then we had to plug a cable from the Adtran phone box into the router that's in bridge mode, then run cables to the phones.

We get that done. Tech ask if we plug the cables into the phones now. He is told no that is scheduled for another day. That's all you do today.

 

[nerd2u]

A two computer office?

I would have sold them a cloud based solution with their choice of hard or soft phones and had everything configured in the hour you guys spent waiting for a modem to show up.

I don't understand why some customers insist on going with the most advanced solutions to solve the simplest problems

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[Mainstay]

On month 2 of waiting for Telus to switch our phones. The tech has been out 5 times.

They seem very confused on how to do a 3 line over line (3 lines, 1 number).

I would like to hire someone so that we can expand into VoIP. Sounds like a profitable sub-division.

 

[Digital Micro]

This was a case of the ISP sales rep knowing the business owner.

On paper the service is not bad and cheaper than others. Then you get the setup process.

The story gets even worse. I got a phone call from the ISP later that day to tell me he was sorry for all of the issues and I was told the wrong thing. He has me confused even more. This is how the setup should be done according to their engineer. You have router #1 which is for the network and wifi. You Adtran phone box will plug into router #1 or a switch if that's what your using. Then from the second port on the Adtran you plug into the second ISP router that is in bridge mode configuration. Then you can use the same first switch to go to phones or use a single cable to go to the phone then to PC from phone. I'm not sure what the second router is doing.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

This was a case of the ISP sales rep knowing the business owner.

On paper the service is not bad and cheaper than others. Then you get the setup process.

The story gets even worse. I got a phone call from the ISP later that day to tell me he was sorry for all of the issues and I was told the wrong thing. He has me confused even more. This is how the setup should be done according to their engineer. You have router #1 which is for the network and wifi. You Adtran phone box will plug into router #1 or a switch if that's what your using. Then from the second port on the Adtran you plug into the second ISP router that is in bridge mode configuration. Then you can use the same first switch to go to phones or use a single cable to go to the phone then to PC from phone. I'm not sure what the second router is doing.

Yeah, that doesn't seem to make any sense.

 

[Markverhyden]

Whose the ISP?

 

[mikeroq]

Hitron modem makes me think Cable One.

 

[fencepost]

I can't imagine all this being needed or worthwhile for what, maybe 3-4 phones max? Just have them go direct, figure an 8-16kbps bidirectional stream for active calls, require a switch that can handle QoS (since you're putting in a new switch for PoE anyway). Worry about the router if it turns out there's a problem. The phones should have some priority/control over the PC traffic anyway since the PCs are piggybacked through the phones.

 

[nerd2u]

Sounds like they want to do some type of separation where data goes out router 1 and voice out router 2.

Why not just grab a USG pro out both modems in bridge mode and use vlans and routing rules to route out over the correct internet trunk?

I've done this many times bring in a large pipe for data and a smaller pipe for voice. Both modems go in bridge mode into a dual wan router then I decided which route traffic flows down. Also offers the option to fail everything over to either trunk in the event of an outage.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[Digital Micro]

Whose the ISP?

Cable One

 

[Markverhyden]

Cable One

Never done anything with them. But several with Comcast. They always have their own router/switch for the phones. They also ask about whether the networks will be converged, meaning everything is all together, or not, with the VoIP totally separate.

 

[Michael Tisdale]

Sounds like another case of sales people being sales people combined with ISP tech's having a competition for the most convoluted client setup...