Comments for Selkowitz Technology | Seattle's small business network and telecom consultant http://selkowitz.org The Life and Times of Seattle's Small Business Systems Consultant. Articles and advice on small business phone systems, phone and internet services, VoIP, and all things technology related. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:54:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 Comment on AastraLink Pro 160 Phone System Review by jydurocher http://selkowitz.org/2009/06/04/aastralink-pro-160-phone-system-reviewed/#comment-20776 jydurocher Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:55:19 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=231#comment-20776 Have had the 160 for more than a year and half. EXCELLENT bang for the buck. Installed it myself, I may know my way around computer but I don't make my main living in this business. Obviously a killer in the intended market... If they had arrows to shoot that is. Worst marketing that I've ever seen! Have had the 160 for more than a year and half.
EXCELLENT bang for the buck. Installed it myself, I may know my way around computer but I don’t make my main living in this business. Obviously a killer in the intended market… If they had arrows to shoot that is. Worst marketing that I’ve ever seen!

]]> Comment on Why You Shouldn’t Hire ADR Data Recovery for Reiser Recovery by Kelly http://selkowitz.org/2007/08/23/why-you-shouldnt-hire-adr-data-recovery/#comment-19629 Kelly Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:36:23 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/2007/08/23/why-you-shouldnt-hire-adr-data-recovery/#comment-19629 Would love to discuss this with you Rusty! We are going through similar situation and would like feedback... Would love to discuss this with you Rusty! We are going through similar situation and would like feedback…

]]> Comment on AastraLink Pro 160 Phone System Review by Kevin Selkowitz http://selkowitz.org/2009/06/04/aastralink-pro-160-phone-system-reviewed/#comment-19480 Kevin Selkowitz Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:07:27 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=231#comment-19480 1.2.2 is a nice improvement but doesn't change my overall opinion: -Definitely agree there's a lot of bang for the buck. -Tech support is still slow -They've fixed some bugs and introduced new configuration options, but documentation is lagging. For example I couldn't find any documentation on what "UPnP Master Enabled" actually does. -Remote IP phone setup is still excessively complex if not using the approved, out of production, routers. Anything in this price range will have a few compromises - its certainly a product worth a look. 1.2.2 is a nice improvement but doesn’t change my overall opinion:

-Definitely agree there’s a lot of bang for the buck.
-Tech support is still slow
-They’ve fixed some bugs and introduced new configuration options, but documentation is lagging. For example I couldn’t find any documentation on what “UPnP Master Enabled” actually does.
-Remote IP phone setup is still excessively complex if not using the approved, out of production, routers.

Anything in this price range will have a few compromises - its certainly a product worth a look.

]]> Comment on AastraLink Pro 160 Phone System Review by GC http://selkowitz.org/2009/06/04/aastralink-pro-160-phone-system-reviewed/#comment-19423 GC Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:00:12 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=231#comment-19423 Now that these things have dropped to $750 and they're up to s/w ver.1.2.2, what's the current opinion on 'em? My experience so far: -Seems lots of bang for the buck at this price. -The aastra phone requirement is a bit cheeky, IMO, but the autoconfig that goes along with it is nice. -Not being able to access logs directly is a drag for troubleshooting while waiting for support to call back. -Can't configure SMTP relay port beyond presets. Now that these things have dropped to $750 and they’re up to s/w ver.1.2.2, what’s the current opinion on ‘em?

My experience so far:
-Seems lots of bang for the buck at this price.

-The aastra phone requirement is a bit cheeky, IMO, but the autoconfig that goes along with it is nice.

-Not being able to access logs directly is a drag for troubleshooting while waiting for support to call back.

-Can’t configure SMTP relay port beyond presets.

]]> Comment on Why You Shouldn’t Hire ADR Data Recovery for Reiser Recovery by Rusty http://selkowitz.org/2007/08/23/why-you-shouldnt-hire-adr-data-recovery/#comment-18748 Rusty Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:10:58 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/2007/08/23/why-you-shouldnt-hire-adr-data-recovery/#comment-18748 Avoid ADR. They have some shady business practices, if not outright illegal. Thank God my credit card company could see just how incompetent and deceptive they were and reversed the charges. Avoid ADR. They have some shady business practices, if not outright illegal. Thank God my credit card company could see just how incompetent and deceptive they were and reversed the charges.

]]> Comment on Is Comcast Business Phone VoIP? by Kevin Selkowitz http://selkowitz.org/2009/01/17/is-comcast-business-phone-voip/#comment-18374 Kevin Selkowitz Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:22:12 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=213#comment-18374 That's a fair point, the quality of carrier networks do vary by region. I see good results in the Seattle/Metro area. That’s a fair point, the quality of carrier networks do vary by region. I see good results in the Seattle/Metro area.

]]> Comment on 7 New Things to Love About Allworx 7.1 by Kevin Selkowitz http://selkowitz.org/2010/02/05/7-new-things-to-love-about-allworx-71/#comment-18373 Kevin Selkowitz Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:15:47 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=245#comment-18373 Not sure of the specifics, my experience is straight from the box Jabra GN9120/GN9125 and Polycom CS50/CS55 work well. Not sure of the specifics, my experience is straight from the box Jabra GN9120/GN9125 and Polycom CS50/CS55 work well.

]]> Comment on 7 New Things to Love About Allworx 7.1 by Jason Luros http://selkowitz.org/2010/02/05/7-new-things-to-love-about-allworx-71/#comment-18362 Jason Luros Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:39:32 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=245#comment-18362 Do you know which EHS protocol Allworx implements in System 7.1? Do you know which EHS protocol Allworx implements in System 7.1?

]]> Comment on Is Comcast Business Phone VoIP? by jonathan morris http://selkowitz.org/2009/01/17/is-comcast-business-phone-voip/#comment-18274 jonathan morris Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:48:37 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=213#comment-18274 Jonathan I disagree. Although Comcast owns its network unlike Vonage, the technology of a loop based cable modem service simply doesn't guarantee you enough bandwidth. We have plenty of dental offices that signed up for the comcast / optimum phone service only to cancel a month or two later. In mostly residential area's in Norhter NJ, cable modem service for phone just isn't strong enough. Jonathan Jonathan
I disagree.
Although Comcast owns its network unlike Vonage, the technology of a loop based cable modem service simply doesn’t guarantee you enough bandwidth.

We have plenty of dental offices that signed up for the comcast / optimum phone service only to cancel a month or two later. In mostly residential area’s in Norhter NJ, cable modem service for phone just isn’t strong enough.

Jonathan

]]> Comment on AastraLink Pro 160 Phone System Review by Kevin Selkowitz http://selkowitz.org/2009/06/04/aastralink-pro-160-phone-system-reviewed/#comment-17524 Kevin Selkowitz Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:04:51 +0000 http://selkowitz.org/?p=231#comment-17524 I’m not familiar with the Arris modems, I’m accustomed to the SMC gateways from Comcast Business. Most commonly we use the Netgear Prosafe FVS338 with the 3.0.4 firmware (the newest release adds a SIP ALG so we don’t use it). To work with the ALP 160 this unit requires a static LAN IP and can be setup for manual port forwarding or IPSec. For remote sites the Netgear WNR3500 with firmware version 1.0.22_6.0.22NA is your best bet for an Aastra tested uPNP router which is still in production. I’m not familiar with the Arris modems, I’m accustomed to the SMC gateways from Comcast Business.

Most commonly we use the Netgear Prosafe FVS338 with the 3.0.4 firmware (the newest release adds a SIP ALG so we don’t use it). To work with the ALP 160 this unit requires a static LAN IP and can be setup for manual port forwarding or IPSec.

For remote sites the Netgear WNR3500 with firmware version 1.0.22_6.0.22NA is your best bet for an Aastra tested uPNP router which is still in production.

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