[Asterisk-Users] Aterisk and ISDN

[Martin List-Petersen]

On Mon, 2004-11-08 at 06:59, Gianni Veloce wrote:
> Dear * Experts,
> I intend to use a laptop for Asterisk at home (because
> of space problems and as I  already have one spare).
> 
> I would like Asterisk to 'sit between' my ISDN (BRI)
> Line and use my existing ISDN telephone as extension.
> 
> After the hints from this list I learned that in order
> to do this I need a ISDN card capable of 'NT mode' for
> my telephone connection and another one (TE mode is
> enough) for connecting * to the BRI line.
> Needless to say that ISDN4Linux support is needed for
> both.

That actually depends. There are two ways to archieve NT mode ISDN:
chan_mISDN and bristuff (i've only dealt with bristuff).

So no, you don't need ISDN4Linux support, but either mISDN or the
zaphfc driver from bristuff.

ISDN4Linux does not do NT mode, neither does chan_modem_i4l.
chan_capi can't do NT mode either.

Even tough chan_mISDN (and mISDN in the 2.6 kernel, which is a
requirement for chan_mISDN) does support NT mode, it still needs the
hardware to support it, too. The only cards supporting it are the ones
based on Cologne Chip HFC-S chipset.

Those are the same cards used for bristuff (which also utilises them on
2.4, no problems).

> In my case the question is:
> What ISDN cards (NT Mode capable) are existing in
> PCMCIA format (laptop) and where can I buy them?

I haven't come across any PCMCIA HFC-S cards yet, but they exist.

Kind regards,
Martin List-Petersen