[asterisk-users] Asterisk to PBX

[Paul Hales]

Some thoughts inline:

logan wrote:
> Hi Paul,
>
> Thanks a lot for the response.
>
> I'm a novice so pardon me for the stupid questions. I thought that maybe the 
> PSTN lines don't allow more than 1 simultaneous calls on a line, but on GSM 
> it might be possible.
>
> I basically want to know how Asterisk can dial out calls from the lines 
> connected to it. Ideally I want to make out as many calls from the lines 
> connected to my Asterisk box.
>   
I don't really understand this question - Asterisk can make calls over
phone lines. And it does it well.

> I have a few related questions, again pardon me if I'm a novice. How did PBX 
> in days when didn't have Asterisk worked? 
We used to have an NEC.
> If a company wanted to give desk phones to all the employees then it would have a switchboard which would 
> route the calls.
Maybe. Or maybe not.
>  Now in this case I'm guessing that the company had only one 
> PSTN line, 
Why would you guess this? We had 16 phone lines in the first business I
worked in.

> but somehow the switchboard let everyone make calls and receive 
> calls at the same time. 
Because the calls never used the phone lines.
> So is it possible to have the switchboard and have it connect to Asterisk who can there by use these lines?
>   
I suppose.....and I think attaching a vintage jack-style switchboard
would be a very fun project.

> Paul, could you also describe a bit about hook flash?
>
>   
It's a way of putting a call on hold and taking one off hold - much like
your descreption of how calls work on a mobile phone.

You should had a read of:

http://www.asteriskdocs.org/

later,

PaulH