[Asterisk-Users] total newbie sanity check

[Thomas Gallaway]

Mike Stupak wrote:

> I’m a total newbie at this telephony stuff but I'm putting together a 
> low cost PBX for my small company and wanted a check on the h/w I’m 
> planning on ordering and my system configuration. Any input is 
> appreciated. Take it offline and email me directly if appropriate 
> (mstupak at comcast.net <mailto:mstupak at comcast.net>). Here’s what I’m 
> planning:
>
> === Parts List ===
>
> 1 Digium Wildcard TDM400P w/ 4-port FXO bundle
>
> I’m planning on using this to connect to a few CO POTS lines.
>
That should be fine if you have 4 incoming pots lines

> A mid-range computer (600MHz or so w/ 512 MB RAM)
>
Should do fine too! We run a similar setup with a P3-1Ghz and it's most 
of the time in idle.

> Some form of Linux (fedora?)
>
I run fedora FC1 too. Runs quite well. Just remember to install the 
kernel and kernel headers. This is required for asterisk and all zaptel 
stuff to compile right.
The tool you want to use is yum. "yum install kernel-header" and so on. 
There is an yum.conf file. Yum is also good if you want to up date your 
system.

> Asterisk
>
Yup. Install asterisk from CVS and NOT from rpm. The rpm version that I 
installed back then was causing me nothing but trouble.

> 10/100 Ethernet card (in the computer)
>
> 10/100 Ethernet Switch (8 port or so)
>
> A few SIP capable phones
>
> === End Parts List ===
>
> And now a few questions:
>
> 1) Is this a feasible system? Am I missing any important hardware?
>
Yes

> 2) What is a good Linux to use? I’m reasonably proficient w/ Linux.
>
I think most people will suggest you to use debian. Fedora works quite 
well here at my office.

> 3) Do I need to tell the phone company anything special or do I just 
> have them connect up standard phone lines?
>
> 4) Can the phone company usually roll the calls onto a spare incoming 
> CO line? (e.g. if the first line is busy - route it to the second 
> line, if the 2^nd is busy – route to the 3^rd , etc.) Is there a 
> special name for feature this that the phone company will recognize?
>
We do it that way. We have 4 incoming pots lines with 4 numbers. When 
number 1 is busy it will forward to the next line. If that one is busy 
it will forward to the next.
The only thing I have run into as a problem sometimes people dial back 
the number they got called from. If that is the last number we have and 
it is busy even if line 1/2/3 are free line 4 will not forward back to 
1. For some reason our phone provider will not do that.

> 5) I’d like to support a special feature – I’d like to have 2 
> different incoming phone numbers (o
>
> n all lines) and have asterisk multiplex to the right voice menu 
> system based on the incoming phone number. Is this possible? Does it 
> require special features from the phone company?
>
I guess that is not that easy. If you can just group 2 of the 4 pots 
lines together I guess you can create a dialplan like that. But then you 
could only have 2 incoming lines per number but 4 outgoing lines.

> That’s all for now (though I’m sure this won’t be my last post. Thanks 
> again for any help.
>
> - Mike Stupak
>
-- Thomas