Need advice for retirement home voip system

ViciousClone

ViciousClone

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Hi all

Oky so the scenario:
There are +- 100 houses , currently using telkom as there as their service provider. All these houses are connected for the intercom system which has a dial pad to contact the house you want to visit or speak to from outside. Now the board has decided that this isn't doing it's job anymore, every 5 to 8 years there's a massive issue with cables and telkom then needs to loft all the paving to re-do the cabling etc etc. All they use this for is to contact the person they wish to visit inside the retirement estate, once picked up, the person then opens the gate on the phone in the house. There is no calling outside the estate.

So VoIP route because the want to go wireless between the houses and the intercom system. Found this https://www.nology.co.za/products/voip/cordless-phones/netogy-wit300-detail , which seems will work. Then we'll create a wifi to access point around the area so that these phones can connect to the server/switch.

What would we need further? do we need a VoIP service provider or not? Cause they wont be phoning their friends or family outside the estate, just from the intercom to the house/VoIP phone.

Thanks
 
I am not a networking, but wouldn't a Fiber solution be a better option for this? Each home will be able to have it's own IC and land line.
 
Hi @djbrendan,

If you want the residents to be able to open the date from an IP phone (wireless or otherwise), the Intercom needs to be IP as well.

You indicated that all calls will in on-net (residents will not need to be able to call out of the estate or receive calls from outside networks), then a small IP PBX, even Asterisk-based solution would do. The role of the PBX would be for call routing and to send DTMF tone to the gate unit.

If you need further assistance let me know.
 
mycircls said:
Hi @djbrendan,

If you want the residents to be able to open the date from an IP phone (wireless or otherwise), the Intercom needs to be IP as well.

You indicated that all calls will in on-net (residents will not need to be able to call out of the estate or receive calls from outside networks), then a small IP PBX, even Asterisk-based solution would do. The role of the PBX would be for call routing and to send DTMF tone to the gate unit.

If you need further assistance let me know.
Click to expand...
Thanks bud, great info. Will contact you as soon as i have more information
 
Hi. Depending on how far apart the houses are, a mesh potato might work fine.
If you need help with call termination or advice, just drop me an email.
 
Oky,

So we have a point to point network at the main gate where the IP intercom should be installed.

Can anyone help what would be needed to get this going? Which intercom, switches et c.

The whole thing like i said is so that the visitors can contact the house they want to visit from the intercom, no calling outside the estate with the voip phones inside the homes. Internal usage only.

Please. Links to where one could buy as well would help a lot, thanks all !!
 
VOIP can definitely work in this case but going the Wifi route will be costly.

1. For 100 homes, it would be best to have a wireless receiver at each home and then have the cheapest possible VOIP phones you can lay your hands on. The one you linked on the Nology site can work, one instead each home. But I can't find it on our recent price list so it's probably discontinued. An entry level cordless VOIP phone will cost about R1700. If they all already have handsets, a cheaper route might be to use FXS adapter to connect all the existing analogue phones to a VOIP PBX. The cost is about R800. Then for Wifi, if you setup a single base with 360degrees "view", and have a small "CPE" at each house, pointing to the base station, you don't need to run wires. Cost could be about R1000-R2000 per house.
Then you can use a Asterisk server and give each house an extension, probably the house number or so, and they'll be able to get calls from the gate and open the gate. There are some VOIP activated access control units for this purpose.
Once you have all of this in place, with a Fiber line you could also offer inbound/outbound calls and even have them all sign up for a SIP number for this purpose.

But without seeing the place, the layout, obstructions, etc, it's difficult to say exactly what you need.

I am in the Gauteng area, and willing to travel if you need more help or a hand.
 
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