[Asterisk-Users] How can i test a modem with Asterisk?

[Christopher L. Wade]

Steven Kalcevich (Lists) wrote:
> Question,
> 
> What makes them useless? What does the xp100 have that others are
> missing, just wondering. thanks

Simple its a winmodem.  This means that absolutely raw data is handed 
over to the CPU, not pre-processed data like you would get from any 
other type of modem.  * was developed to use 'off-the-shelf' components, 
  which doesn't necessarily mean ots cards.

The * dev team spends an incredible amount of time trying to create more 
apps and hammer more functionality and stability into the code.  They 
work their buts off to make * happen.  In return, they have only 
developed drivers for ONE particular chipset, which happens to be a 
winmodem chipset, typically built into a cheap piece of hardware, making 
* compatible hardware easy - relatively speaking - to come by.  They do 
this for several reasons as I will attempt to explain in - vain - hopes 
this question won't get asked again for at least another week.

First, Digium is a hardware business.  Having only developed drivers for 
the type of hardware they make is perfectly sensible.  If you were the 
richest man on earth and you decided to buy Intel and Microsoft, would 
you then tell your Microsoft geeks to make sure Windows ran better on 
AMD processors, or Intel processors?  Digium makes a living off selling 
* compatible hardware.  In return they develop the most amazing piece of 
open source software to come along since Linux itself.

Second, since most people pursuing the idea of an open source software 
based PBX are the typically the same people who have to fight budget 
wars with their PHB's, Digium wanted to be able make the hardware and 
keep the price low.  If Digium had produced expensive hardware, that did 
not have an even cheaper 'clone' available, would you be considering 
running *?  Even if the software is free, if it costs you $1,200 just 
for the card to interface with one single POTS line, would you use it?

Third, there is NOTHING stopping YOU from developing the drivers for * 
to use your nice voice modem.  In fact, please do!  * is open source, 
meaning you can pretty much do anything with it you want to - barring 
whatever its license says you can't.  Make improvements yourself instead 
of screaming at some of the coolest people in the world that they are 
idiots for not supporting your hardware.  At least one company besides 
Digium has developed * compatible drivers for their equipment and 
contributed this code back to the community/Digium - why can't you do 
the same?

Finally, read the archives as everything I've just said has been said 
before, several times.

Please don't flame me for all this.  I just wanted to contribute my 
$0.02 to Digium. :)

-Chris

PS.  Kudos to Digium and the rest of the * dev team for such an awesome 
product - the hardware and the software :)

-- 
Christopher L. Wade                     Unistar-Sparco Computers, Inc.
Senior Systems Administrator                            dba Sparco.com
Email: clwade at sparco.com                             7089 Ryburn Drive
Phone: (901) 872 2272 / (800) 840 8400            Millington, TN 38053
Fax:   (901) 872 8482                                              USA