[Asterisk-Users] RE: Answering Machine Function?

[Glenn Powers]

>    Is this possible with asterisk?  Anyone have a sample dialplan?
>
>-other than the problem outlined below I would try something like 
>
>S,1,wait(20)
>S,2,voicemail(uwhatever)
>S,3,hangup
>  
>

One issue I ran into with using * as an answering machine is that it 
can't just share a line with other phones. My first attempt at making an 
"Asterisk Answering Machine" was similiar to your approach above. 
However, * would _always_ answer the phone after 20 seconds, even if 
another phone on the line was picked up. I'd love to see a work-around 
for this other than "get a FXS card." FXO cards are cheap, FXS cards are 
not.

This isn't an issue for business uses. This is an issue for people who 
want to try out asterisk on a POTS line, but share that POTS line with 
other people. Even if someone did get an FXS card AND an FXO card, 
"other people" who share the line are NOT likely to be very tolerant of 
dial plan errors, server problems, etc.

This is an important issue for the asterisk community becuase it 
addresses how new users and new developers can start working with 
asterisk. There is no reason that "Carrier Grade" software can't /also/ 
be easy for a home user to setup and use.

cheers,
glenn