[Asterisk-Users] UK install

[Stuart Mackintosh]

Hi Tim,

I have done a very similar migration to the one you are suggesting. To
start off with, you could buy a TDM card with 4 modules to allow you to
pick 4 analogue channels from the Argent system or one or two x100 cards
and pass them to Asterisk. As the Argent kit is very configurable, you
can configure the POTS lines to the US standard and have callerID and
other features not supported on standard UK lines. This will allow you
to start using the system in a production environment without the
business suffering as you learn the system. Once you are happy the
system operates as you expect, you can connect it directly with the PRI
card and bypass the Argent system. 

You will find that Asterisk does work differently to the Argent kit and 
trying to emulate the behaviour may not be as easy as you expect.

It would be interesting to find out if anyone has tried using the Argent
POTS units on Asterisk or if this is possible.

You could always use the Grandstream ATA 286 and use your handsets on
these. The cheap SIP phones (in my experience) dont play well with
standard headsets.

Stuart.

On Fri, 2004-06-18 at 16:36, Tim Guy wrote:
> Well I'm slowly learning my way around asterisk although as yet I
> haven't had the chance to actually hook the system up to an ISDN line.
> 
> I am going to migrate from an Argent Office setup. My only problem is
> keeping costs down on the phones.
> 
> The Argent system is running about 30 POTS phones. Can someone suggest
> the cheapest option? Should I get some kind of large scale FXS box or
> would the cost of doing that on a large scale work out the same as
> getting cheap SIP phones?
> 
> I have a large number of POTS phones with headsets so I would have to
> take that into account if I replaced the phones with SIP's
> 
> In an ideal world Id like to convert a number of POTS to soft phones but
> as always its persuading the users that they can operate in the same
> way.
> 
> Our Telco is NTL offering us an ISDN 30 style package. I assume this is
> a E100P card requirement? Any suggestions for good UK reseller or shall
> I get it direct from Digium?
> 
> Anyhow, as I say I'm getting more functionality out of Asterisk than I
> ever did with (personally thinking) a very confusing Argent setup. I
> just hope that I can make it financially viable to do the install
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Tim
> 
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