Table of Contents

Product Overview
Key Features and Benefits
Specifications
Ordering Information

For Part Descriptions and Part Numbers for Cisco IP Telephony Solutions, see

New Product: Cisco VG200 — Telephony Voice Gateway

Product Overview

The Cisco VG200 voice-over-IP (VoIP) gateway is a next-generation voice conversion device, providing powerful interoperability and advanced features in an affordable package. It is used to connect a Cisco IP Telephony Solutions network to traditional telephone trunks or analog devices. These telephone trunks may be connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or existing Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems. Analog devices include legacy telephones, fax machines, and voice conference units. On the data network side, the Cisco VG200 provides an autosensing 10/100 Ethernet port. Internally, the Cisco VG200 is equipped with digital signal processors (DSPs) that convert analog and digital voice into IP packets for transport through the IP network using standard coders/decoders (codecs), including G.711, G.723.1, G.729(a), and others.

Cisco VG200 VoIP gateways are managed, controlled, and administered using the Cisco CallManager, but can also be accessed directly using the same command-line interface (CLI) as other Cisco IOS software-based products. The Cisco VG200 hardened chassis contains open slots for installation of various combinations of voice interface cards. The Cisco VG200 voice gateways provide the following benefits:

• Investment protection—The Cisco VG200 is an integrated Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) component and offers a modular design with support for the same range of interfaces in voice-enabled Cisco 2600 and 3600 routers and gateways.

• Attractive price point—The Cisco VG200 typically costs less than an equivalent VoIP-enabled router and it supports multiple voice codec types, fax relay, and multiple voice signaling types.

• Standards based—The Cisco VG200 VoIP gateways communicate with the Cisco CallManager using the Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) or H.323 Version 2.

• Reliable—The Cisco VG200 uses proven hardware and Cisco IOS software and can be managed with Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Telnet access.

Key Features and Benefits

The Cisco VG200 allows customers to connect Cisco IP telephony solution products such as IP phones to the PSTN or to a PBX. Analog telephones or fax machines can also be connected. This compact unit consists of the Cisco VG200 chassis, a network module (NM) that provides processing and DSP resources, and voice interface cards (VICs), which provide the physical voice interfaces. A typical configuration includes an NM-2V NM and two VIC (foreign exchange station [FXS] or foreign exchange office [FXO]) cards for a total of four analog voice ports. The autosensing 10/100 Ethernet port and console ports and Cisco IOS software are standard.

The Cisco telephony solution is part of Cisco AVVID and provides a full-featured telephony system running on an IP network. Within Cisco AVVID, various IP telephony devices, including IP phones and IP telephony clients and gateways, communicate seamlessly over IP infrastructures under the control of one or more Cisco CallManagers. This solution rewards users with greatly reduced cost of ownership and new IP-based feature capabilities.

As a key component of Cisco AVVID, the Cisco VG200 gateways allow users to make and receive calls outside the IP network by providing the interface to the PSTN and PBX systems via traditional telephony interfaces. The Cisco VG200 VoIP gateways differ from other products because of the modular design, which supports the industry`s broadest selection of telephony interfaces. These interfaces include combinations of FXS and FXO and digital T1/E1 interfaces. Additional interfaces such as Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and E&M connections are scheduled for release soon.

The Cisco VG200 can be equipped with either analog (FXS and FXO) or digital (T1 and E1) interfaces. In typical applications, the Cisco VG200 operates as an H.323 Version 2 VoIP gateway and communicates as an intelligent gateway device with the Cisco CallManager. When using FXS or FXO interfaces, the Cisco VG200 also offers the option of operating as an MGCP gateway under control of the Cisco CallManager. When operating in this mode, the Cisco VG200 becomes a stateless client to the Cisco CallManager, giving it full control for enhanced management and calling features. In either case (H.323 Version 2 or MGCP), the Cisco VG200 communicates directly with the Cisco CallManager, allowing for the implementation of supplementary services such as hold, transfer, and forward for outside calls.

When deployed in a network, the Cisco VG200 VoIP gateway can be placed in a standard equipment rack used for routers and other network equipment. When multiple Cisco VG200 gateways are needed, they can be treated as separate gateways or aggregated together as a common channel pool.

• Simple installation, configuration, and management:

  Installs in any standard equipment rack—only 1.69 inches high, less than one rack unit (RU).

• Modular design:

  Mix-and-match analog interface types

  Supports the same voice interfaces as the Cisco 2600 and 3600 router families

  Field upgradable from analog to digital voice interfaces as system size grows

• Broad interface support:

  FXO and FXS supports both loop-start and ground-start trunk types

  Digital: T1-CAS

  Future interface types include E&M, ISDN BRI, E1-CAS, Primary Rate Interface (PRI), and more.

  Autosensing 10/100-Mbps Ethernet interface

  Highly reliable—Hardened, proven router-based hardware

• Advanced management capability:

  Standard setup and configuration using familiar Cisco IOS commands

  Direct serial connection or remote Telnet access to the CLI

  Configuration stored in nonvolatile memory

  Direct SNMP support

• Standards-based software supports dual voice signaling modes: MGCP or H.323 (provisionable)

• Supports enterprise-wide common architecture: the VG200 can be part of an enterprise wide strategy for standard components in a VoIP network

  Homologated for use in most countries around the world

  Interchangeable NM and VIC with Cisco 1750, 2600, and 3600 routers

  Common CLI with Cisco IOS routers.

Specifications

Ordering Information

For Part Descriptions and Part Numbers for Cisco IP Telephony Solutions, see

Part Descriptions and Part Numbers for Cisco IP Telephony Solutions

Posted: Wed Sep 27 05:15:35 PDT 2000
Copyright 1989-2000©Cisco Systems Inc.