Need ISDN Call Generator

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Hi

To troubleshoot FreeBSD panics triggered by ISDN load on an asterisk system, we are looking to buy an ISDN call generator/simulator device.

The minimum requirements include:

– Not too expensive
– PRI support (BRI support is a plus)
– CCS+CRC4 farming + HDB3 coding
– EuroISDN (DSS1) support.
– A minimum of 4 ports (120 channels/concurrent calls)
– Compatibility with Digium cards.
– DUT in TE mode.
– Reliable & stable operation.

I would like to hear your recommendations for and experiences about such a device. Recommendations on hand crafted systems using Asterisk, DAHDI and PRI cards on any OS which has worked stably for someone are also welcome

Thanks.

5 thoughts on - Need ISDN Call Generator

  • Hi Hooman,

    What you probably want is a PRI PBX running Asterisk.

    You should either plan to build your own (with the cards you need) or get one of the low cost options:

    – Allo.com has their Mega PBX with 1 PPR port (
    http://allo.com/megapbx-line.html)
    – Pika Tech has the Warp PBX with BRI (
    http://www.pikatech.com/warp-telephony-all-in-one/)

    Both ship world wide. There are other brands and models out there and depending on where you are located they may be better options based on shipping etc.

    Hope this helps, Eric

  • Thanks. But I am not looking for a SOHO PBX, but a product specifically built to generate ISDN load for PBX (asterisk) test purposes (like this: http://www2.vconsole.com/8-Port-T1/E1/PRI-Bulk-Call-Generator-p-28.html) <http://www2.vconsole.com/8-Port-T1/E1/PRI-Bulk-Call-Generator-p-28.html>

    I have done my googling homework and already know of a few options. I asked in this list to benefit from people’s experiences and recommendations, those who have used/worked with such devices or have setup systems for the sole purpose of ISDN call/load generation.

  • Why don’t you start with something simple as:

    channels() {
    lsdahdi | awk ‘/^ /{print $1}’ # | head -n whatever
    }

    for chan in `channels`; do
    asterisk -rx “channel originate DAHDI/$chan/something application Echo”
    done

    Alternatively, if you have a convenient way to control the number of SIP
    calls coming from a certain trunk, redirect the all to DAHDI/g0 .

    Simple load is very simple to generate with Asterisk.

  • Thanks for the tip.

    Which Linux distro do you recommend (or have experience with) as the load generator OS? I am a freebsd-ian and have little experience with various Linux distros, so I need pro advise on one that works very stably under high ISDN load (using Digium ISDN cards and DAHDI 2.6+ drivers).

  • Keep an eye out for older model INET Spectra call generators, with ISDN /
    SS7 stacks. These days the old boxes are being sold off very cheaply on popular auction sites.

    Hammer was the other popular call generator hardware that you might find being sold at a fraction of the original cost.

    HTH

    Darren