[asterisk-users] I need to connect Asterisk to a Nortel Meridian phone plant

[Andrew Kohlsmith]

On Wednesday 17 January 2007 4:14 pm, Gustavo Andrés Salazar Giraldo wrote:
> Yes, i am using E1/PRI

Ok.  What PRI switchtype is the Meridian set up for?  You need to set the same 
(or a similar-enough one) in zapata.conf, and specify the signaling 
as "pri_net" so that Asterisk acts as if it were the telephone company, as 
that is what the Meridian is expecting to talk to.

My zaptel.conf:
span=1,0,0,esf,b8zs
bchan=1-23
dchan=24
loadzone=us
defaultzone=us

Now obviously since you are using E1 instead of T1 you'll very likely be using 
a configuration something like:
span=1,0,0,ccs,hdb3,crc4
bchan=1-15,17-32
dchan=16

with a loadzone/defaultzone of your countrycode.

'crc4' is optional and depends on your Meridian setup.  Basically mirror your 
Meridian setup in zaptel.conf, and make sure that span 1 has a clocking type 
of '0' (master).

As far as zapata.conf goes, here is mine:
[channels]
txgain=0.0
rxgain=0.0
echocancel=yes
echocancelwhenbridged=yes
echotraining=no

immediate=no
switchtype=national
priindication=outofband
pridialplan=unknown
overlapdial=no
callerid=asreceived
resetinterval=86400

context=Norstar
signalling=pri_net
group=1
callgroup=1
pickupgroup=1
channel => 1-23

Your zapata.conf will look very similar, perhaps with different echo cancel 
settings (I'm using a TE407 which has the Octasic hardware echo canceller).  
You will also VERY likely have a different switchtype, and your channel 
settings will be 1-15,17-32 to match your zaptel.conf.

Hope this gets you going in the right direction.

Also note that if you are not hearing busy tones, etc. and the call just 
drops... change your priindication to inband; some systems generate their own 
indications, others do not.

-A.