An incorrect networking prescription cost an early adopter of Cisco's much-hyped voice-over-IP strategy four months of pain, the user revealed last week.
Kevin Shepherdson, manager of technical services at Western Australian-based CCK Treasury Systems, said he gave up trying to make the company's two Cisco 2610 routers work.
"I tried everything and it didn't work," he said.
Shepherdson said his biggest "gripe" with the network integrator, Anite Networks, is despite viewing the network diagrams at the beginning, it did not point out the difficulties with using IPX.
"If that's the case, why did they install it in the first place?" Shepherdson asked.
Shepherdson reports the routers were exchanged for two Memotec CX900 boxes that worked straight away.
"With Cisco routers you have massive break ups [in voice calls]," Shepherdson continued. "It's totally hopeless, seriously."
Gary Jackson, Cisco Australia's managing director, refuted suggestions Shepherdson's experience damages the company's voice-over-IP plans.
"We have many solutions for him today if he's prepared to consider them," he said. "It's not a valid argument to say this is [damaging[ for our voice-over-IP story."
CCK spent a total of $19,000 on the Cisco routers, while the saga cost the company four months of telephone calls and user frustration.
"I'm telling you from a nightmare point of view," Shepherdson said.