Andrew Kohlsmith wrote: > On Monday 05 September 2005 13:18, Ray Payne wrote: >> I need to start with the analog cards in the first location >> since it's a two line office, one coming from Bell, one >> coming from Vonage. T1 won't be optional until the first >> small office has a proven track record with the Asterisk >> server. If I need to go with the 2 FXO / 2 FXS configuration >> is Digium the best hardware to run with?
Wait a month or two. > I find Asterisk works MUCH better with digital PSTN > interfaces than analog; > there's just far less to go wrong. Ya, but cha-CHING! > I certainly don't forsee > anything blindingly wrong with the TDM22B you'll need for two > FXS, two > FXO but don't > expect ot be able to interface with the telco call > waiting/answer/3way at > all. Don't forget to reboot once per week, not to mention "give up on expanding beyond 4 FX ports" . . . > (I'm not sure if you're planning on doing that, but a > lot of people > think * can, and it can't do it very well at all.) Asterisk > is a PBX, not an > answering machine; it expects to be providing those services. Some of this is possible, because you can send a flash() down the line. I do this all the time on my incoming line. My autoattendant transfers calls externally using a hookswitch flash. This frees up the line after the transfer is complete (although it removes Asterisk from the call so voicemail treatment is no longer possible). I wonder if it would be possible to barge into a line and flash it . . . transfer the call to a local channel that has some fancy mojo . . . >> The other thing I'm doing is running this as a voicemail >> system for a Nortel 3x8 KSU. My planning has been on using >> services on the system through an ATA adapter since I only >> had an analog modem on the PC for testing. I can't find a >> digital adapter that would allow more complete integration. >> Has anyone found a better way to integrate Asterisk for >> voicemail since it won't be replacing the Meridian system at >> least in the short term? > > Jim might have a quicker/better answer but I wasn't aware > that the old 3x8 had > a voicemail interface at all. (i.e. no real way to pass off > a call or > indicate message waiting). You can do MWI with a MICS and an > ATA bu tit's > not real great. The real trick is going to be identifying which mailbox the call should go to. The Norstar ATA doesn't provide Caller ID (or any other kind of signalling), so Asterisk will not have a way of knowing what treatment to give the call. Also, disconnect supervision may be a hassle, although kewlstart is pretty cool . . . er kewl. I'd say sell the 3x8 and sets and use the money towards some Polycom IP sets (301 and 501). That old Norstar is going to drive you bonkers. If you really want it to work, and cost is no object, it can be done. But you'll suffer, oh yes, and when you're done you won't feel as if you've birthed anything of use to the world. >> <snip> >> What's wrong with whiteboxes? Seriously? >> <snip> > >> As for why not white boxes, just not the one I bought for >> testing. I don't mind branded servers or just branded >> components. I won't run a $250 (complete minus monitor) >> bargain basement test system as a production machine though. >> Call me paranoid. :) > > So have a second $250 bargain basement system on the shelf > ready to replace it > when something goes wrong. Seriously. :-) If * works well > with the bargain-basement system it means that the > bargain-basement > system's PCI > interface and general design work well with what the Asterisk > hardware is expecting. That's a lot easier said than done, so > generally speaking if you find a motherboard that works well > with *, stick with it. Not only that, but if it's quality you're after, custom-built is still the way to go. Tyan motherboards; Seasonic or FSP power supplies; Kingston or better RAM; Zalman cooling; Seagate hard drives; a decent chassis and you'll be into a system that'll deliver far more robustness than a branded server could deliver at twice the price. A little engineering pain can deliver outstanding quality, at a price that make sense. Jim. -- Jim Van Meggelen [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/2177 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.18/89 - Release Date: 02/09/2005
