[asterisk-users] Bridging two PSTN calls

[Jared Smith]

On 6/26/07, Doug Zingel <doug.zingel at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I'm wondering if its possible to receive a call from
> an external number (PSTN) say A. Then make a call to
> another external number (PSTN) say B - and then bridge
> the two calls so that A is talking to B? What hardware
> will I need to be able to do this.

Yes, that's one of the many things Asterisk can do.  Obviously, you'd
need a hardware card to connect Asterisk to the phone lines.  You'd
need FXO ports to connect Asterisk to analog phone *lines*, and FXS
ports to connect Asterisk to analog *phones*.  You could also use IP
phones, and/or a VoIP provider.

> Secondly, if I had x number of simultaneous calls (A
> talking to B) - how many PSTN lines would I need? I
> think 2x.
>
> I know this sounds ridiculously inefficient - but I
> think the experiment might open some avenues.

Yes, you would need 2x the number of calls for a straight analog
setup, unless you try to get fancy and setup flash transfers with your
telco.  Again, you could use a VoIP provider to get around the
hardware costs of analog ports if port cost is a concern to you.

-Jared