[Asterisk-Users] Newbie has a few basic questions please.

[Daryll Strauss]

For what you want to do asterisk isn't really the right solution.
Asterisk is a PBX. It doesn't provide a way for you to connect to the
PSTN.

To do what you want, you need to buy VOIP service from any of the
providers (broadvoice, vonage, packet8, etc). They will provide you a
device that you connect to your broadband connection and a analog
telephone and it lets you make calls to anyone on the PSTN. They  all
have a some sort of unlimited calling plan that might save you money
calling your family.

You said you wanted the phone connected to your Linux box. Why? From
what you describe as your goal, that's not necessary.

You also asked, about the purpose of Asterisk. Once you've got a
connection to the PSTN (VOIP service, a card in your linux box, or a
gateway box of some sort) Asterisk can be useful. It would let you
plug one or more phone lines into your Linux box and have multiple
extensions. It can provide voicemail and voice menu systems. It can do
call logging and monitoring. All useful stuff, but none of it lets you
call the PSTN for free.

- |Daryll


On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 14:25:25 -0500, Bruce <bruce at bruce.homelinux.com> wrote:
> 
> I think I am missing the whole purposes of *. i see that it can do
> mainy things, but in laymans temrs I am not sure what it does.
> I am very proficient in Linux and would like to use * for the
> following:
> 
> 1) I would like to get rid of my landline(verizon) and use voip as my
> main means to communicate on the telephone.  I would like to be able
> to plug in my plain old phone into my linux box and be able to make a
> phone call to my family who has a plain old telephone line going into
> thier house, using voip and then I guess connecting to the pstn.  Can
> i do this?  If so, how? What hardware do I need? Can anyone connect to
> PSTN lines for free? Or do I need to pay some phone company somewhere?
> 
> thanks to anyone who can help.
> 
> Bruce
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