beroNet

Solutions for All-IP migration and failover

Four situations account for most beroNet installations. Each one has a device behind it — but the situation comes first.

The provider switches off ISDN, the PBX stays

The PBX works, it is paid for, and replacing it is a project nobody has budget for this year. A BRI or PRI gateway puts the SIP trunk in front of it: the PBX keeps speaking ISDN, the provider gets SIP. With a 2 PRI device the old and the new system can run side by side while extensions move over one department at a time.

Signal chain: SIP provider, beroNet BRI or PRI gateway, existing PBX, extensions. The gateway sits between the provider and the PBX and converts SIP to ISDN.SIP providerAll-IP trunkberoNetBRI · PRI gatewayports in NT modeExisting PBXstays in the rackExtensionsunchangedSIPISDNBRI · PRIinternal
The SIP trunk terminates on the gateway; the PBX keeps speaking ISDN.

Analog devices have to survive the move

Fax machines, franking machines, door intercoms, lift emergency phones, alarm diallers, EC card terminals. They do not speak SIP and they never will. An FXS gateway bridges them transparently in hardware instead of re-encoding them, which is what makes fax and modems work at all.

An IP PBX or SIP trunk connects to a beroNet FXS gateway, which feeds four analogue devices: fax machine, door intercom, lift emergency phone and alarm dialler.IP PBXor SIP trunkspeaks SIP onlyberoNetFXS gatewaytransparent bridgingSIPanaloguea/bFax machineDoor intercomLift emergency phoneAlarm dialler
The FXS gateway bridges analogue devices in hardware instead of re-encoding them.

The line must not be the single point of failure

Two ways, often combined. A VoLTE eSBC adds a mobile path that takes over when the SIP provider or the internet connection is gone. A failover switch physically re-routes analog, BRI or PRI lines to a backup when the primary system stops answering.

Two inbound paths reach a beroNet VoLTE eSBC: the SIP provider as the primary path, and the mobile LTE network as a backup drawn as a dashed line. The eSBC connects onward to the PBX.SIP providerprimary pathMobile networkLTE · VoLTEbackup pathberoNetVoLTE eSBCwatches the trunkPBXnotices nothingSIPtakes overon failureSIP
The mobile path is idle until the SIP trunk or the internet connection fails.

Two sites, or two PBX systems that have to talk

The SIP-to-SIP function bridges two IP PBX systems, normalises what they disagree about and terminates both signalling paths. This is the SBC role, and it is the one function that needs an SBC licence.

Two IP PBX systems, one on site and one hosted, are joined by a beroNet SBC in the middle. Both signalling paths terminate on the SBC.Site AIP PBXon premisesberoNet SBCSIP ↔ SIPSite Bhosted PBXin the cloudSIPSIPnormalises headers, codecs and NAT — both sides think they are talking to a peer
The SBC terminates both signalling paths — the one function that needs an SBC licence.

Which device fits depends on port count, concurrent calls and where the demarcation sits. Get in touch with the scenario and we will name the configuration — or go straight to the shop.

Frequently asked questions

Will our PBX and our SIP provider work with a beroNet gateway?

If both speak standard SIP, no problems are to be expected. beroNet devices are vendor-neutral, and neither the PBX nor the provider has to be on an approval list. Configuration guides exist for common PBX systems and tested providers; as with any SIP gateway, check codec and registration once during commissioning.

Why do DECT phones on an ISDN PBX need a high precision clock?

Once the line behind it is SIP, the gateway becomes the clock master of the ISDN side and the PBX takes its timing from the gateway. DECT base stations depend on that timing being precise; with an imprecise clock, DECT call quality drops or calls fail altogether. That is why the four-port BRI module and the PRI modules carry a high precision clock.

Will fax machines, alarm diallers and modems keep working?

Yes, connected to FXS ports. Fax travels as T.38 or as G.711 audio, depending on what the SIP provider supports. Between two ports of a gateway, calls are bridged transparently in hardware, and modem or data calls can be passed to SIP unmodified as a clear channel per RFC 4040 if the far end supports it.

What does an LTE failover path need on site?

One SIM card per LTE port; the devices take physical SIM cards, eSIM is not offered at present. For real redundancy use SIM cards from different mobile networks, and where reception is poor, a magnetic-foot antenna with a 5 m or 10 m cable. The switch to mobile can be made by the beroNet device itself, with SIP call groups that pass a call to the next trunk when the first one fails, or by the PBX, which then uses the LTE device as an additional trunk.

Do calls between ISDN or analog lines and SIP need a licence?

No. The gateway function between BRI, PRI, FXS, FXO or LTE ports and SIP is included in every device. A licence is needed only for SIP-to-SIP calls, where the device connects two SIP sides as a session border controller.

What is the difference between transparent and transcoded sessions?

Both apply only to SIP-to-SIP calls. In a transparent session the media passes through unchanged; in a transcoded session it runs through the hardware DSP because the two sides share no codec. Both types can be mixed on one device and are licensed per session, with a licence file issued for the serial number of the device. Encryption with SIP over TLS 1.2 and SRTP is part of the SIP-to-SIP function and needs no licence of its own. How many sessions of each type a model carries is listed on its product page.