Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The following FAQs cover analog and ISDN hardware and associated issues.

Please see our complete list of FAQs here.

Hardware & Phone Service

What type of computer do I need to have in order to use SoftTouch?

What type of hardware is needed for SoftTouch?

Which type of hardware is right for me?

What type of hardware would you suggest for using with SoftTouch with T1s/E1s or ISDN?

How much does T1/E1 or ISDN PRI service cost?

How many callers does a T1/E1 or ISDN PRI line support?

What type of hardware would you suggest for using with SoftTouch for regular analog phone lines?

How much does the Dialogic voice hardware cost?

Miscellaneous

What operating systems are supported?

Do you sell SoftTouch turn-key?

Do you support VoIP (voice over IP)?

Q. What type of computer do I need to have in order to use SoftTouch?

A. Practically any computer with either ISA or PCI motherboard slots will do. Busier systems might require a faster computer and more storage.

Q. What type of hardware is needed for SoftTouch?

A. If you are using regular phone lines, you will need analog hardware. If you are using T1s, E1s, or ISDN PRI service, you will need digital hardware. See our Dialogic sales area.

Q. Which type of hardware is right for me?

A. That depends. If you are going to want more than 16 callers to be able to use your system at the same time, you will want to go with digital hardware. Otherwise, analog is probably right for you.

Q. What type of hardware would you suggest for using with SoftTouch with T1s/E1s or ISDN?

A. The Dialogic D/240SC-T1 (revision 2 or 3) is recommended for systems using T1s (ISDN) lines in the United States and Canada. This card is highly reliable, is available at very reasonable used prices on Ebay, and is easy to setup and configure. This is an ISA board.

The Dialogic D/300SC-2E1 and D/600SC-2E1 models are needed for E1 service in many European and Asian countries. These handle 30 and 60 callers each respectively. These are both ISA boards.

Q. How much does T1/E1 or ISDN PRI service cost?

A. This will vary by your phone company, area and individual circumstances. We can help you obtain quotes if you need assistance.

Q. How many callers does a T1/E1 or ISDN PRI line support?

A. 23 or 24 depending on the type of service for T1s (US and Canada). E1s support 30 callers each (Europe and Asia).

Q. What type of hardware would you suggest for using with SoftTouch for regular analog phone lines?

A. Purchase either the D160SC-LS (16 ports) or D41ESC (4 ports).  These are both ISA cards. 

Q. How much does the Dialogic voice hardware cost?

A. Prices vary but are generally $300-$600 depending on the model.

Q. What operating systems are supported?

A. Windows NT, 2000 and 2003 are generally supported. It may be possible to use XP but it's not recommended.

Q. Do you sell SoftTouch turn-key?

A. Yes. We can provide turn-key solutions. We can ship a ready-to-go system to you pre-configured that includes the computer, all required hardware and configured software. Current computer models include 2.xx+ ghz processors with 3 ISA and 5 PCI slots. It's a fully-loaded server with all the power you will need. Pricing is under $1,000 (as of 08-09-07).

Q. Do you support VoIP (voice over IP)?

A. Yes. Please see our voIP FAQs here.