Objective:

This page is an effort to keep users informed of the changes that have occurred in the VCCS Voice over IP Project. It will attempt to provide the most current answers to issues that have been raised by the colleges.

As a living document, it will be updated daily to reflect the current status of specific questions asked by the colleges, and SHOULD BE CHECKED WHENEVER A QUESTION ARISES ABOUT ANY ASPECT OF THE VOICE OVER IP PROJECT.

If you are unable to find the answer to your question within this document, send an e-mail to rboyd@vccs.edu with your question. It will be addressed as soon as possible, and added to this document.

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is in the process of implementing voice service over the wide-area-network using the Internet Protocol (IP), a component of the TCP/IP protocol suite. The VCCS has provided each college/campus with a CISCO 3640 Multimedia Access Router configure with an OC3 interface and a Digital Channelized T1 Interface Card to connect to a PBX or Centrex Unit. The implementation of the IP voice service will provide reduced in-state long distance charges and provide connectivity to a centralize Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVR) for the new Student Information System (SIS). 

The implementation procedure for each college/campus may involve any or all of the following: 

     Software upgrade to the college PBX for Digital access. 
     Purchase of a Digital T1 Interface trunk card for the PBX. 
     Purchase of a Digital T1 connection from VITA for Centrex customers. 
     Purchase of an ADTRAN CSU/DSU for the conversion of analog signaling to digital.
     Migrate from Centrex services to a LAN-Based PBX service. 

A1. You can migrate to a LAN-Based PBX. You will have to (1) connect your current PBX to the LAN-Based PBX (if you have available trunk slot) or (2) use your 3640 as a Gateway Device to connect to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to provide off-net access to the customers on the LAN-Based PBX. 

You can purchase an ADTRAN DSU/CSU that will connect to your PBX and the 3640. The ADTRAN will convert analog to digital. 

Note: The Advanced Technology Office has not completed a pilot for the LAN-Based PBX option outlined above, but can provide assistance and identify locations deploying this technology. Please note there are several colleges within the VCCS testing the LAN-Based PBX option and several others that have deployed the ADTRAN for voice over ATM.  

A2. Normally you define the type of signaling required for the T1 interface. The signaling is framing ESF, line code is B8ZS, tone is DTMF, E&M Wink Start immediate and clock source is line primary.

Note: There are other programming requirements for the PBX once the T1 trunk card is installed such as defining the access code, how it will interpret the digits it receives, etc.

A3. We are working with VITA and Verizon to verify how and what to request when ordering the digital T1 service from VITA. If you are a Centrex user your request is made to VITA. If you have a PBX, then you need to contact your PBX vendor for the Digital T1 Trunk Interface Card and request the cost for the PBX programming changes that are required.
 

A4. A CISCO Technical representative will telnet into your 3640 and download the IOS software release that supports the Digital T1 Interface card.  Also, you must ensure that the PBX has been configured for the digital trunk line and that an access code has been assigned for the customer to capture the VoIP digital trunk line.

A5. Most of the problems associated with bandwidth and QoS in the technical trade publications and voice over IP seminars relate to wide-area-networks that use lease lines or Frame Relay.  Those transports don't have the Quality of Service mechanism that is inherent with ATM. In addition, we plan to use other QoS tools for the routers to control congestion and guarantee bandwidth at the point of entry onto the wide-area-network

A6. There have been several tests performed over the past year with various colleges to verify the voice over IP concept as it relates to the VCCS. The testing was performed point-to-point using analog phones connected to each end of the CISCO 3640's. Also, there are several colleges that have implemented voice over ATM to eliminate the trunk line cost between PBX's at their campuses. We are now testing the voice over IP requirements for connectivity with a Centrex Unit with VITA and Verizon. 

A7. It's a requirement to access the new Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVR) for the new Student Information System. 

A8. The statewide dial plan will incorporate the local exchange numbers for all colleges/campuses in the VCCS network. This will allow a college/campus to call any area where there is a VCCS College/Campus. For example, the caller could place an on-net or off-net call (on-net = call to another VCCS site, off-net = call to a destination that is local to one of the VCCS sites) by entering "85403232341":

Note:
Only the local exchange numbers for each college/campus are placed in the local 3640 router (Gateway Device). The Multimedia Control Manager (MCM), also referred to as the Gatekeeper Device, contains the local exchange numbers for all locations. The Gateway does a look up to the Gatekeeper to determine the IP address to associate with the destination phone number.

The dial plan of the remote 3640 (Gateway Device) at the receiving end interprets the digits in the following manner.

540323…. = the first six digits are matched to a dial peer. In this example the 
                                 5403232341 are matched to a destination pattern of 540323….
                                 In this example the 323 exchange number is for the local college/
                                 campus. The last four digits will be sent to the PBX or Centrex.
                                  the PBX or Centrex will ring the extension.

                                 If the 323 exchange was not for the college or campus, but was in
                                 the college/campus local calling area. The area code 540 would be
                                 stripped and replaced with a 9. The digits 93232341 would be sent to
                                 the PBX or Centrex. The PBX or Centrex would strip the 9 and then
                                 place an outbound call to the local carrier.

A9. Each college/campus will have a local number that will be able to capture the VoIP trunk. For example, the Richmond area has a local number that captures the VoIP trunk line. You dial the number, listen for the dial tone, and enter the 10 digits destination phone number. Verizon has a one-time charge, for Centrex users, of $384 to associate the local number with your VoIP trunk line. PBX user will have to get their Vendor or Service Provider to make the change in their PBX.

A10. The 3640 Router has a couple of inherent features that we plan to use to stop unauthorized access. Briefly, this is how it works. The caller enters the local number to access the VoIP trunk line. The caller is prompted to enter an account number and pin number. The account number and pin number are verified against a VCCS controlled database. If the account number and pin number are verified the caller is prompted for the 10 digits of the destination phone number. If the account number and pin number are not verified the caller is informed that verification failed and the call is disconnected.   

Q11. How do I access the VCCS Audio Conference Service?

A11. The Audio Conference number, "814225xxxx", should only be entered once the user has gained access to the VCCS VoIP Network. If for example, the user dials "9-1-814225xxxx" before gaining access to the VCCS VoIP Network, they would be connected to a telephone number in Pennsylvania since "814" is one of the area codes for Pennsylvania. If the users dials "9-1-814225xxxx" while on the VCCS VoIP Network using the Off-net to On-net service, they may receive a response ranging from a fast busy signal to a message stating the number is not in service. It is important to emphasis that "91x" is not a valid area code in the state of Virginia. The VCCS VoIP dial plan consists of 10-digit dialing with the first three digits being a valid area code for the state of Virginia. In the case of 814 it was created as a special three-digit number for internal dialing only on the VCCS VoIP Network. In the case of 814225 it denotes callers dialing for access to the VCCS Audio Conference Service.

There are several ways to connect to the VCCS VoIP Network and gain access to the VCCS Audio Conference Bridge. They are referred to as Audio Bridge On-net Services and Audio Bridge Off-net Services. Please refer to the following links for further assistances:

http://www.vccs.edu/its/projects/voip/Audio_Bridge_On_Net_files/slide0014.htm

http://www.vccs.edu/its/projects/voip/Audio%20Bridge%20Off-Net%20Services_files/slide0002.htm

If you do not know the access code used at your college or the "Off-net to On-net" telephone number used to gain access to the VCCS VoIP Network, please contact the local college IT help desk.

A12. You can use the link listed below and scroll to the Voice Over IP section for information concerning VoIP as it relate to the VCCS.

A13. The Information Technology Services Office has published guidelines for Call Manager sites to use for Route Patterns, Translations Pattern, Anonymous Device, Route Filters and Gatekeeper Definitions. The guidelines ensure uniformity for all Call Manager sites when calling across the VCCS VoIP Network. Please refer to the following link for the guidelines.

http://www.vccs.edu/its/guidelines/CMGuideline.htm