Astribank vs. PCI Cards

There are five main reasons why Astribank XPP Technology is superior to PCI cards:

1. PCI cards are not suitable for high density installations.
2. PCI installation requires PC disassembly.
3. PCI solutions are difficult to maintain: if a port malfunctions, you have to power down the server and change the PCI board
4. If a PC server malfunctions, you have to take 2 computers apart (the old unit, to take out the boards and the new unit, to install the boards). With Astribank – just swap the unit and plug in the USB. No need to shut down the power and dissemble the unit.
5. Astribank is a hot-pluggable reliable USB 2.0 solution.

Refer to the table below for a point-by-point comparison:

Category/Feature	Astribank	PCI Card	Comments
Installation and Maintenance
Easy installation			USB connection vs. card assembly
Hot swappable			Astribank uses external USB connection
Easy front panel access
Unit status indicators
Port status indicators
Communications cabinet compatibility			Industrial grade 19'' 1U rack mountable design
RJ11 and Telco connector			Either RJ11 or Telco. Astribank offers both for high density FXS installs.
Versatility
Commercially-supported high availability			Astribank provides hot failover for complete PBX with TwinStar™
Support for mixed analog/digital  channels
Fits any PC / Server			PCI cards need ½ or full-size vacant slot.
Input and output ports
Simple unlimited growth			Just add more Astribanks. No PCI slot limitation, no need to turn off the PC.
Message Waiting Indicator			MWI for analog telephones. This is a requirement in the lodging industry. We can light the message waiting lamp.
Density
Slim 1U 19'' chassis		N/A
Realistic 1,000 ports support			PCI cards are typically limited to 48 analog ports.

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