Topic: External VOIP: Server or Gateway+Server?

[judgej]

I am setting up an office with VOIP phones linked to an external VOIP PBX provider, and was wondering the best way to set up the SME Server.

I have the option of either:

1) setting it up as a server+gateway, passing all VOIP calls through the server; or

Internet <--> SME Server <--> QOS Switch (internal network) <--> VOIP Phones

2) using a hardware firewall router with built-in QOS, running the SME Server in server mode only, and linking the e-mail and web services to the SME server through port forwarding from the router.

Internet <--> QOS Router/Firewall (internal network) <--> SME Server + VOIP Phones

So, which would be best, or is there nothing in it? Would passing my VOIP calls through the SME Server as a gateway introduce additional delays that are best avoided? How does QOS come into this when SME Server is used as a gateway - if a large e-mail is going out, would that squeeze the VOIP bandwidth?

A hunch says run it in server mode only, then the phones don't go down when the server is rebooted or having problems, but is this over-cautious?

-- Jason

[SARK devs]

I wouldn't worry too much about where SME server sits (i.e. whether it is sever-only or server-gateway); it uses very little resource to route packets, not enough to be an issue. 

S