CISCO VoIP Solutions

Cisco access products are a family of IP-to-circuit-switched gateways. Their arrangement within a voice-over-IP (VoIP) network is depicted in the figure below. These gateways are efficiently designed to a single urpose---Voice-over-IP gateway functionality, with one of the cost per gateway port. All have a common interface to the data network---IEEE 802.3 10BaseT Ethernet in the form of an RJ-45 female connector. They operate as the trunk interface to circuit-switched components such as PBXs and Class 5 office switches. Each model is managed and maintained by the Cisco CallManager. A variety of models are available to accommodate a range of circuit-switched interfaces.

Cisco access gateways have two categories---digital and analog. These categories are related to the type of circuit-switched interface presented. The Cisco access digital gateway is a complete solution composed chassis that houses Ethernet access and integrated digital signal processor (DSP) functions. The product is delivered completely preconfigured. The DSP interface contains an RJ-48C connector designed to connect to digital time-division multiplexed (TDM) devices. The Cisco access model DT-24 is a product within the Cisco access digital gateway category. It is more fully described in separate links.

The Cisco Access analog gateway is an embedded systems VoIP gateway. The base gateway consists of a fixed function chassis with integrated DSPs and modular analog circuit-switched interfaces. Each gateway has an external power source. Cisco access analog gateways include six models. Each connects to analog circuit-switched interfaces through either two, four or eight female two-wire RJ-11 connectors. Three models, the AT-2, AT-4, and AT-8, accommodate connections to analog loop start foreign exchange station (FXO) trunk devices. Three models, the AS-2, AS-4, and AS-8, provide a connection interface to POTS (FXS) devices. These models are more fully described in separate data sheets.