[asterisk-users] Newbie h/w Q, and confirming basic concepts

[Dovid B]

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mike Morris 
  To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion 
  Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 4:22 AM
  Subject: [asterisk-users] Newbie h/w Q, and confirming basic concepts


  I'm preparing for my first asterisk install, and would like to ask a hardware question & confirm my understanding of some basics:

    a.. The Q: I'm looking for 2 FXO ports to have asterisk answer 2 incoming lines. There are single FXO port cards for about $30...  but dual cards, or the Digium "400" cards, are all several hundred dollars. Why is this? Are the chipsets so different, or am I missing something? 
    The singles ones out there today are mostly clones. Never used one but people seem to have problems with them and there is limited support. If you get one from Digium or Sangoma you have support.

  And here's my plan to teach myself using increasing complexity:

    a.. Starting point is standard PC, standard phone line
    b.. do trixbox install on PC & connect to LAN (no special hardware yet) 
  Trixbox will work however I would not recomend it. You are limited by what they put in the GUI as well as if there is problem it can take for ever to trouble shoot it. It pays to learn asterisk the "right way".

    a.. then I should be able to setup IVR and voice mail boxes, and access them using a "soft phone" from any PC on the network, but only"locally", using extension numbers, right?
  You can localy or remote. Just make sure to set up NAT if you are remote and using NAT.
    a.. I could also plug IP phones directly into the network and access the asterisk box "locally", using extension numbers, right? 
  Correct !

    a.. add FXO card(s), and connect incoming lines. Now I can also:
  I would recomend inserting the card in the begining. For if you dont you will need to use Ztdummy for testing and then recompile once the card is there.    
      dialup the voice mailboxes from any standard phone worldwide
          Use any of the IP and/or softphones to send and receive calls via PSTN, right? 
  Yes 
    a.. add FXS card(s) and I can plug standard phones into the asterisk box and I can use them as extensions, to either access voicemail locally, or send/receive calls via PSTN ... right ???
    b.. Now for VoIP I just have to order the service from a vendor like vonage, and I can use any of the soft phones, IP phones or standard handsets for VoIP... right ?? 
  Some VOIP providers (like vonage for a basic line) only let you use thier ATA's. You would need a provider to allow you to connect your asterisk box directly to them.

  Do I have any major misconceptions about the above?

  Pretty much. You have a little playing around to do. And remember practice makes perfect.

  Thanks a lot for your patience !!!



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