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How many telephones can I connect to a SuperStack 3 NBX solution? That depends on the capacity of the Call Processor you purchase and what other line terminating devices, such as telephone company Central Office lines, are connected to the network. Three models accommodate 250, 500, and 750 devices respectively. A system with a single incoming line could support up to 749 telephones. A system with 10 incoming lines could support up to 740 telephones. How many CO lines can I connect to a SuperStack 3 NBX solution? Up to 360 maximum. Does the system really have 750 ports available in the software or do you have to purchase increments of ports either through hardware, software or both? The base model Call Processor supports 250 devices but may be upgraded via key codes and system memory. Systems can be expanded incrementally to 500 devices, or 750 devices. What hardware is reusable from the NBX 100? Everything but the NBX 100 Call Processor! How many parties can I conference together on the SuperStack 3 NBX solution? Up to four parties, including the originator. It may include any combination of internal and external parties. Can I increase the number of parties on a conference call by dialing into another conference call already under way on the SuperStack 3 NBX? Yes. You might find that 6, 7, 8, or more telephones could be conferenced in this way, but it is not recommended since you might notice a perceptible loss of voice transmission quality. This is not a supported feature. What will the new Conference Drop feature do? This feature allows the originator of the conference to drop the last party added. If four telephones were conferenced, this feature enables you drop only the last party added so that you can add a new fourth party. This enables a group to interrogate a succession of fourth parties. What features are field upgradeable?
Is redundant Power Available on the NBX V5000 Call Processor? Yes, the NBX V5000 Call Processor can be purchased from the factory with dual load-sharing power supplies with dual AC inputs. It is an auto sensing power supply, 120/240 VAC 50/60 Hz. Is redundant Power Available on the NBX V5000 Chassis? We offer an RPS connector on the NBX V5000 Chassis, enabling it to be linked to a 3Com RPS system. This is an ideal solution, especially where multiple chassis may be in use or where additional SuperStack products are part of the configuration. The chassis itself is auto-sensing, working from either 120 or 240 VAC and 50 or 60 Hz. How do the new redundancy and resiliency offers impact reliability? If your goal is "to make assurance doubly sure," these features add to your system's reliability. However, system availability is in large measure a function software reliability. 3Com's Networked Telephony Solutions all use Wind River 's real-time embedded operating system, VxWorks. It is the proven reliability of this UNIX-based software more so than hardware that impacts system availability. (Incidentally, VxWorks is the same embedded operating system used in cardiac pacemakers, another application where rebooting is not an option.) Can you install a redundant processor? Not currently, this is a future enhancement open for consideration. What are the new hardware limits with SuperStack 3 NBX ?
What hardware is reusable from the NBX 100? Everything but the NBX 100 Call Processor! What is the migration plan for current NBX customers? See the attached addendum. If the remaining NBX 100 hardware is reusable, how long is this hardware going to be supported? The current cards and chassis are forward compatible with the Super Stack 3 NBX solution and therefore, completely investment protected. NO traditional PBX manufacturer ever offers this! Cards included in this unprecedented investment assurance:
Will the existing analog adapter module be supported as well? Yes Can the SuperStack 3 NBX V5000 Call Processor be installed in an NBX 100 Chassis? No, the NBX V5000 Call Processor is a stand-alone module, NOT a card as offered on the NBX 100. Existing NBX 100 customers may reuse their NBX 100 chassis and its cards. They only need remove the existing NCP card and add a V5000 Call Processor to their network. Is there now a Sort feature built into the SuperStack 3 NBX NetSet browser? Yes. By clicking on the column heading of any NetSet screen that contains columns, you can instantly sort all the entries in that column alphabetically or numerically, as applicable for that column type. This can be a useful time saver when doing Adds and Changes, especially for an administrator working from a remote location with limited familiarity with the names of the individuals involved. If I have a bad trunk or CO line coming into my SuperStack 3 NBX solution, can I find it without individually testing each line? Yes. NBX NetSet shows the administrator the status of all the lines coming into the system. How can I obtain memory upgrades when I want to increase the capacity of my SuperStack 3 NBX solution from 250 devices to 500, or from 500 to 750? The upgrade from a capacity of 250 devices to 500 requires you to purchase a physical memory upgrade kit that includes a license key and a 128 MB memory SIMM. The upgrade in capacity from 500 to 750 devices can be done with just a key-code license upgrade. Can I field upgrade my NBX V5000 Call Processor to include redundant disk drives? Yes. This field upgrade to include an additional disk drive requires adding a drive to the disk-drive tray on the NBX V5000 Call Processor and allowing the system to update the new drive. Can I field upgrade my NBX V5000 Call Processor to include redundant power supplies? No. This additional feature is installed at the factory. At the time of purchase you must select either a single power supply or dual, load sharing power supplies. If the nature of your operation suggests that you may require this additional peace of mind, we recommend that you purchase it on day one. We also always recommend battery back-up with an Uninterruptible Power Supply. When the power from my electric utility fails, will my phone service be interrupted? Yes. 3Com Corporation strongly recommends battery back-up via an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). This is no different from any typical modern PBX. Remember that these are not "home phones" that are powered by the Central Office in your area. Also keep in mind that Ethernet phones are intelligent devices; each one contains a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). These intelligent devices require an independent source of power. Are bridged station appearances supported in R3.0? No, Release 3.0 of the SuperStack 3 NBX solution does not support bridged station appearances. This is an enhancement under consideration for inclusion in a future software release. Does this release support the ability to directly dial or directly transfer to a phantom mailbox, or allow Call Forwarding to that mailbox? Same services and configuration as for the NBX 100 R2.8. These changes are under consideration as an enhancement in a future software release. Has the dial plan interface changed in SuperStack 3 NBX? Same services are provided as for the NBX 100 R2.8. This is an enhancement under consideration in a future software release. Can I install either system or remote IP phones running NAT? No, Network Address Translation is NOT supported today. This is an enhancement under consideration in a future software release. Does the SuperStack 3 NBX solution support Windows Millennium Edition? The SuperStack 3 NBX can communicate with PCs running applications on Microsoft Windows 95, 98, 2000, and Windows ME. NBX pcXset, NBX Call Detail Reports, NBX Complement Attendant Software and a host of TAPI, H.323 and IMAP 4 applications are all compatible with these Windows operating systems. NBX ConneXtions uses only Windows NT or Windows 2000, If I need to add license keys to my NBX V5000 Call Processor, where would I find the appropriate Serial number? The system serial number for your V5000 Call Processor is printed on a label attached to the back of the disk tray on the NBX V5000 Call Processor. I currently own an NBX 100 Communications System with a 12-port voice mail license. Can I upgrade my system to the new SuperStack 3 NBX solution? If you purchase a new NBX V5000 Call Processor, you can transfer your existing database to the new call processor's disk drive and have 3Com Corporation transfer your existing voice mail license to the new system. All the rest of your existing phone system infrastructure-line cards, business telephone sets, and even the old NBX 100 chassis (with the old Network Call Processor removed) will continue to work as before. How can I tell if the Primary Disk Drive on the NBX V5000 Call Processor has failed over to the back-up drive? Check the LEDs on the front of the disk tray on the NBX V5000 Call Processor from time to time. Failure of a disk drive is a rare occurrence. If the primary drive (Drive 0) should fail, Drive 1 will kick in without missing a beat. The only data that will be lost is any voice mail message that is in the process of being written to the disk drive at the time the failure occurs. How can I be sure that voice packets on my SuperStack 3 NBX solution are getting priority over data packets so that I take advantage of the IEEE 802.1p/1Q standard for IP type of service? Be sure that the VLAN box is checked on the NBX NetSet System Settings screen at configuration. How many NBX V5000 Chassis can I connect to the SuperStack 3 NBX solution? Up to 25. Can I connect my existing NBX 100 chassis to the SuperStack 3 NBX solution? Yes. Just remove the NBX 100 Network Call Processor first. I've attended R.2.8 training. What kind of additional training is now necessary to upgrade my skill set from the R.2.8 to SuperStack 3 NBX? From a system software perspective, the delta between the NBX 100 R2.8 and the V5000 R3.0 is minimal. The only significant differences are that the NBX V5000 hardware is in the SuperStack 3 form-factor, offers 10/100 uplinks, the NBX 2102 Business Phone offers 10/100 connectivity, the SDK, and scalability to 750 devices. Phones What new phone types are available? R3 .0 delivers two flavors of 10/100 business telephones:
Available in Charcoal Gray and Warm White, just like the existing NBX 1102 Business Phone. What is different about these phones? There are a number of differences:
Will the new NBX 2102 Business Phones work on the NBX 100? Initially, the existing NBX 100 software will not support the new NBX 2102 and NBX 2102-IR. Support for the NBX 2102s will be included as part of a R3.0 software upgrade for the NBX 100. Current plans suggest that this release will be available in June/July. We expect to provide a definitive date shortly. Are shared network configurations still supported using the NBX 2102 phone? They are not recommended. We strongly recommend providing each NBX 2102 business phone with its own dedicated port on an 802.1p capable Ethernet switch. Can you still daisy chain an Attendant Console (DSS/BLF)? Yes, you can attach an Attendant Console to the NBX 2102 phones. How many NBX 1105 Attendant Consoles can I attach to a SuperStack 3 NBX ? Up to total of five NBX 1105 Attendant Consoles can be attached to an individual telephone. A total of 100 1105s may be supported on a single NBX V5000 Call Processor. What is Complement Attendant Software? Complement Attendant Software is a new software application for busy phone users. The Complement Attendant Software loads on a standard Windows PC and queries the call processor for a complete list of system users. The end user can then sort, add or hide the list of system users, allowing rapid look-ups and transfers of callers. Complement Attendant Software enables the end user to sort rapidly all the names in a directory by first name, last name, department, or extension. A series of shortcut keys can also be created, speeding the entire call transfer process. Since the directory is based on the system's directory, it is easily updated with the touch of a button. Can more than one computer use the Complement Attendant Software application? Yes, any user can have Complement Attendant Software loaded on his or her desktop. Can more than one computer, running the Complement Attendant Software application, work in association with a single telephone? No. Since the computer on which the application runs is LOGICALLY connected to a single telephone, this is necessarily a one-to-one relationship. I have heard that even with an Uninterruptible Power Supply on the system, the individual phones attached to the LAN would still be interrupted if commercial power were lost? This is true. Ethernet phones are intelligent devices that contain a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Each one requires power from either an individual transformer (power brick) or from a central source, attached to the Ethernet network. 3Com Corporation suggests that customers consider backing up some or all of their phones. This can be accomplished with desktop UPS units or centrally for multiple users via a 3Com Ethernet Power Source (EPS). EPS is an intelligent device that provides power and also protects legacy devices that can not accept power. Will the new phones work with the 3Com Ethernet Power Source? Yes, They are fully supported. An NBX power splitter (3C10223) is required for each phone. Do the new phones support 802.1p? QoS is a fundamental element of the NBX family. The 802.1p standard is a fully supported service. Will the new phone's display support multiple languages/character sets? Not currently, plans will be forthcoming to expand support for multiple languages. Expect these announcements as part of a strategy roadmap in 2Q CY 2001. Will the existing NBX 1102 Business Phones (10MB) ever support different languages? Is it because the smaller LCD does not support foreign characters? The NBX system software supports 8 foreign languages today however a timeline for localizing LCD messages and services is still being developed. Full localization requires careful enhancements to software as well as hardware to accommodate local variations in system operation. Do you have a trade-in policy that will allow me to turn in my old NBX phones in order to buy new 10/100 phones at a lower price? No, there is no trade-in policy. However, you can continue to use your old phones on the new system. If you have users that need 10/100 connectivity, you may want to move existing NBX 1102 phones to lower usage locations (cafeteria, lobby, visitor's cubicle) and place new NBX 2102 phones on the desks of the individuals who most need the new telephone.
Digital Line Cards Will the total number of digital line cards available on SuperStack 3 NBX increase from the current three supported on the NBX 100? SuperStack 3 NBX will support up to 12 Digital Line Cards (T1 or E1). Digital and analog cards can be combined as required to support a total of up to 360 CO lines. See the feature comparison grid for more details. Does the SuperStack 3 NBX solution support QSIG? Yes. QSIG support is an option that many customers outside the United States (and domestic businesses with international branches) will find attractive because of the potential for cost savings it affords. QSIG enables multiple Private Integrated Network eXchanges (PINX) to link to one another over ISDN trunk lines. If you need more detail on QSIG, consider using the QSIG handbook at http://www.qsig.ie/ as a resource Any plans to support QSIG(ISDN PRI) networking for dissimilar PBXs? Basic QSIG Slave services are included in R3.0 system software to enable the SuperStack 3 NBX to be "nested" behind a PBX via QSIG or to allow multiple SuperStack 3 NBX solutions to be networked across a service provider's infrastructure. ISDN BRI Is BRI support included? The ISDN BRI-ST capabilities provided in the NBX 100 with R2.8 software will carry forward into the SuperStack 3 NBX. Note- BRI-U ( North America ) is not supported at this time. Are standard ISDN BRI telephones supported? No, they are not supported endpoint devices. What ISDN-BRI features are supported? Example: Call by Call (CO and DID), Min/Max, CO types (ATT, Northern, etc.) National or Custom? See the system documentation. Voice Messaging What is the APX Voice Messaging System's capacity? The V5000 Call Processor ships with built-in capacity for 4 Port, 400 Hour messaging system. It may be expanded to support 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 or 100 VM/AA ports. Hours of message storage are no longer gated, but port upgrades will continue to be generated via a license key. How many individual mailboxes are available? 1000 mailboxes, (regular plus phantom) regardless of port capacity. What does 400 hours ( ungated ) voice mail storage mean? The NBX 100 voice mail storage is gated along with its port capacity-e.g., 4 APX ports and 30 Minutes of storage, or 6 Ports/ 20 Hours of storage. With the SuperStack 3 NBX platform, all 400 hours of storage are available, regardless of port capacity. Only the APX ports are "unlocked" when you upgrade the voice mail system. Will there be any capability to back up the message base? Yes, purchasing the Disk Mirroring Kit allows the system to create a duplicate copy of the system files and all voice mail messages, nearly in real-time. In the event of a primary disk failure, the second disk will automatically take over for the primary disk. Only a message being left at the time of the actual failure would be disrupted. Does SuperStack 3 NBX support the ability to customize individually the zero-out option for a specific extension. Same services and configuration as NBX 100 R2.8. This is an enhancement under consideration to be included in a future software release. Does SuperStack 3 NBX support the ability to disable voice mail for a user (allow ring-no answer) Same services and configuration as NBX 100 R2.8. This is an enhancement under consideration to be included in a future software release. Does SuperStack 3 NBX provide enhanced APX Voice Messaging system reports? Same services and configuration as NBX 100 R2.8. This is an enhancement under consideration to be included in a future software release. Call Center Applications What Call Center features are supported in SuperStack 3 NBX? The new NBX Call Center supports features such as: - Automatic Call Distribution group and agent statistics for hunt group members? Same services and configuration as NBX 100 R2.8, you can achieve this service via ContactAdvantage or via NBX Call Center application. - Calls In Queue lights / display feature alerting? Same services and configuration as NBX 100 R2.8, you can achieve this service via ContactAdvantage or via NBX Call Center . - Printable reports for daily Automatic Call Distribution agent statistics? Same services and configuration as NBX 100 R2.8, you can achieve this service via ContactAdvantage or via NBX Call Center . Connectivity Issues Can you connect BOTH the 10/100 port(s) AND the 10MB ports on the V5000 chassis to a switch? You can connect the (A) and (B) 10/100 uplink ports simultaneously, with (A) being the primary I/O port and (B) on standby in case (A) were to lose Link pulse. You cannot connect the 10MB shared connector concurrent with the (A) and (B) 10/100 ports. Will Phones/PCs on one segment be able to talk to Phones/PCs on the other segment? Yes, this is a supported service today on the NBX 100 and is fully supported in the SuperStack 3 NBX. Is the NBX V5000 Chassis based on an existing 3Com product? No. This is a completely new member of the SuperStack 3 family. When you say "switched backplane", does that mean that each module is on a separate switch port within the NBX V5000 Chassis? The uplink ports are switched Ethernet. The chassis backplane has been designed to be large enough to accommodate all of the potential traffic generated by the chassis' cards. The backplane was designed to provide surplus capacity even if (4) Digital E1 Line Cards' ports were in-use concurrently. Why do you say that the uplink is 10/100 "Switched"? The 10/100 uplink ports should be plugged into a switch in order to get full functionality. Isn't it a single uplink? You can connect the NBX V5000 chassis' (A) and (B) 10/100 uplink ports simultaneously, with (A) being the primary I/O port and (B) on standby if (A) were to lose Link pulse. You cannot connect the 10MB shared connector concurrent with the (A) and (B) 10/100 ports. Does the switched backplane on the NBX V5000 chassis mean we no longer need to use the 10MB uplink port on the T1/E1 card? Yes. Is it recommended that the Ethernet switch support be configured for 802.1p? Yes. Will the new phones work with the 3Com Ethernet Power Source? Yes, They are fully supported. An NBX phone/power splitter (3C10223) is still required for each phone. NBX pcXset and NBX ConneXtions What are the NBX pcXset services available with R3.0? Same services and configuration as NBX 100, with licenses for 3, 10, 25, unlimited (really 750) users. Will my old version of NBX pcXset continue to work on the new system? No. Initially, you will receive one free user license for NBX pcXset for use on the SuperStack 3 NBX. You will have to coordinate with your account team to upgrade your licenses. Be assured that an updated version of the pcXset application software is always included on the Resource Pack that ships with your new system. Will my Version 2.6 of the ConneXtions H.323 Gateway run on the SuperStack 3 NBX running R3.0 system software? No. You will receive one free user license of NBX ConneXtions for use on the SuperStack 3 NBX. You will have to coordinate with your account team to upgrade your licenses. Be assured that an updated version of the ConneXtions application software is always included on the Resource Pack that ships with your new system. Miscellaneous What are the UPS requirements for a V5000 Call Processor? What are the UPS requirements for a V5000 Chassis? Future Releases and Roadmaps When will a more basic telephone set be released? This is an enhancement under consideration for inclusion in a future product release. Any plans for adding Text to Speech? This is an enhancement under consideration for inclusion in a future product release. Any plans to support 3rd party v-mail/auto-attendant/IVR/Fax with digital or analog ports? This is an enhancement under consideration for inclusion in a future product release. Any plans for NBX to NBX networking besides H.323 gateways Per our January 2000 strategy release, a 3Com solution called "Virtual Tie Lines" (VTLs) is planned in the not too distant future. Look for a new strategy roadmap announcement in 2Q CY 2001 timeframe. When will the SuperStack 3 NBX scale beyond 750 devices? This is an enhancement under consideration for inclusion in a future product release. Any plans for a denser Analog Terminal Card (more than 4 ports)? This is an enhancement under consideration for inclusion in a future product release. What features can we expect to add in the next six months to both the NBX 100 and SuperStack 3 NBX? Look for a new strategy roadmap announcement in 2Q CY 2001 timeframe. |
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Network Systems 