[asterisk-users] Newbie alert: VoIP hardware

[info at tripple-o.nl]

A couple of years ago I started my "Asterisk carrier"  with selling  
x100p cards and I think I sold around 100 of them in total to people  
who could actually contact me and new who I was. Yes, it is "a poor  
man solution" but at least it is a solution. And for "the poor man" it  
is the only thing available. The serious cards are not an option  
because they simply don't have the money to buy Digium, Sangoma or  
other professional stuff. I would never advice to use it in production  
situations but for testing and trying or when you simply don't have  
the money and want to become an Asterisk expert starting with an old  
PC and a X100P card it is good that these card is around. With some  
trying with the gains and the settings an x100p card can work pretty  
well. I have never got a card send back to me because the buyer was  
dissatisfied with the sound quality. I had a couple of dead on  
deliveries that where solved by sending an other card. A couple of  
times I had to assist with the settings to get it right.  People are  
not stupid, they understand that a card priced EUR 20,- can't offer  
the same quaility as a card that cost EUR 100,- or even more.

The same counts for the hfc isdn2 card. It certainly isn't perfect but  
for around ER 15,- you can't expect perfection. But it works, you can  
connect your isdn2 cable ad have inbound and outbound calls. I used  
the card on my own home asterisk for a long time. You can even connect  
2 asterisk servers when setting the cards in different modes. For  
practicing and trying that is perfect because lots of people can not  
effort to spend EUR 1.500,- for two E1 cards and do the same trying  
with an ISDN30 connection between two boxes.

I'm not advertising the use of this cards in production but we all  
should be glad that this cards are around and people who want to learn  
how to use and configure Asterisk can start with an old pc and a x100p  
card or an hfc isdn2 card. Starting with not the best hardware  
available is better then not starting because you have the impression  
that that is only possible after spending serious money on equipment.


Erik de Wild
Tripple-o
Your Asterisk migration partner
the Netherlands