DrayTek VigorIPPBX 3510, Ethernet WAN, Fast Ethernet, Black

VPBX3510 Overview

The VigorIPPBX 3510 is a combined IP-PBX (iPBX) and router/firewall. As an IP PBX It offers a complete replacement to the traditional office phone system and analogue or ISDN lines. It also provides integration with legacy systems and lines with optional analogue/ISDN modules, creating a true hybrid system.

An IP-PBX uses your existing network (LAN) and the Internet to provide company-wide telephony, using VoIP technology instead of regular phone lines or a traditional PBX. This can save hugely on line rental, provides vast flexibility, reduces call costs, maintenance and increases efficiency. Phones can be placed anywhere in your office, or around the world to provide one seamless phone network for your business.

As a Firewall/Router, the VigorIPPBX 3510 provides DrayTek's renowned security and flexibility for your network's Internet connectivity, together with dual-WAN ports for load-balancing or Internet failover. You can connect to any Ethernet-based Internet feed. For ADSL connectivity, just add DrayTek's Vigor 120 ADSL Modem. If you are adding the VigorIPPBX 3510 onto existing infrastructure, you can just use the PBX facilities without the router/firewall functionality.

In a pure IP environment, the VigorIPPBX 3510 is installed onto your LAN together with IP telephones, such as the VigorPhone 350. All devices are connected over your LAN using your existing Ethernet network connections. The Vigor 3510 PBX can support up to 100 extensions - local or remote. As it uses your regular network, you don't need special extension wiring - just your existing Ethernet switch with adequate ports (assuming you are using IP phones). A traditional PBX with 50 extensions would take up a whole cabinet and need a lot of wiring!

Once installed, all extensions call call each other of course and calls can be transferred, diverted and all other normal features of a PBX. Extensions do not have to be local (in the same office as the iPBX) - they can be anywhere in the world, and still be seamless so that calls can be made between to transferred to extensions whether they are local or remote. Similarly, incoming calls can be routed to any extensions, whether they are local or distributed in many remote locations - anywhere with an Internet connection.

If you require analogue extensions (regular non-IP telephones or equipment) then the VigorIPPBX 3510 can be expanded with optional modules or if you need even more, 24 analogue phone extensions with the DrayTek VigorTalk ATA-24SH. Analogue extensions are useful for legacy equipment, lower cost extensions or where you don't want the risk of loss or damage to an IP phone. You can also integrate the PBX with existing analogue phone lines with optional plug-in modules. See the section on modules for more information.

Voicemail can be enabled on any extensions to take messages when the phone is not answered or busy and the message can be emailed to the extension owner, or they can pick it up from their phone when they return. Other features include an IVR (Automated Voice Response) attendant so that your incoming calls can be answered by a recorded voice and the caller can choose their department or person by entering the menu items you have set up (e.g. press '2' for sales). You can also ouse it to provide common information such as opening hours or location details. There is no additional licencing for the IVR or voicemail facility (i.e. all extensions can use it as standard).

For the connection to the regular PSTN (calls to and from the PSTN) - the public telephone network, you need an ITSP (Internet Telephone Service Provider) who can provide you with a 'SIP Trunk', such as DrayTEL. Then, when your users need to make an external call, the iPBX can route automatically via the ITSP gateway on the Internet. The ITSP will also provide you with incoming phone numbers to receive calls. Those calls are routed into your VigorIPPBX 2820 which then passes to the appropriate telephones (extensions). For a PBX requiring multiple call capacity, your ITSP should provide enough concurrent voice channels on the SIP Trunk. DrayTEL's own trunk packages are explained here.

Although Email overtook fax as the standard business written communication tool some years ago, a lot of companies still do use fax. For sending something that is a physical printed sheet, it is still useful, however once digitized, it's more useful to stay in electronic form. The DrayTek virtual fax facility lets you dedicate one of your incoming numbers (DDIs), whether it's via the PSTN (ISDN or FXO port) or through your VoIP/ISP provider and that becomes your fax number. Any faxes received are emails directly to your allocated user (set up on the PBX). You can also send faxes, by transferring them to the Vigor IP PBX using the 'Smart Fax Agent' which lets you write a cover note and enter the recipient's fax number. The PBX stores the fax (up to 50 pages) on a USB memory stick/key and then transmits it to the recipient's fax machine.

VPBX3510 Specifications