[asterisk-users] Any good guides for installing Asterisk on Embedded systems like Alix boards?

[Gordon Henderson]

On Tue, 9 Nov 2010, Bruce B wrote:

> Thanks for input. Great info. Good to know all this about the router. I see
> you use a 256MB CF card there. Do you use a USB key stick for storage?

No. Things that stick out of boxes in small offices get broken off. (ie. 
the type of places that do not have a server room) Everything is stored on 
the 256MB CF card - which is overkill, I only need 64MB for the OS, etc., 
but it provides plenty of space for voicemail and additional sound 
prompts. I provide a 2GB card for people who want to store call 
recordings.

I actually have my own cut-down version of Linux and a full-custom 
compiled kernel that I use in these things, but you'll get a standard 
Debian in there if you go for a text-only install, but a 2GB CF cards 
isn't a big hassle.

I don't think it will boot off USB though (but I've never tried) - there 
is a 44-pin header behind the CF socket, so maybe you can plug a suitable 
CD-ROM drive in that. When building, I boot them via PXE then use my 
booted image to write a copy of itself to the flash.

The "bios" is very primitive and of-course there's no video hardware 
on-board.

They run at 5 watts which is nice too.

Gordon


>
> Thanks,
> Bruce
>
> On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 4:09 AM, Gordon Henderson
> <gordon+asterisk at drogon.net<gordon%2Basterisk at drogon.net>
>> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 8 Nov 2010, Bruce B wrote:
>>
>>> Yes, it is a small office. I am familiar with pfSense. I am not sure if
>>> firewall on Astlinux is as versatile and flexible. But also, I am
>> wondering
>>> if with all those attacks around now-a-days if the box will be able to
>>> handle 5 extensions, voicemail, IVR, firewall, DHCP, openvpn all
>> together.
>>
>> I've benchmarked an Alix board with a 500MHz processor to 80 concurrent
>> calls handling media.
>>
>> They're the mainstay of my small office VoIp only PBX range right now
>> where I limit them to 60 extensions. (the real limitation on number of
>> calls is their broadband bandwidth). Storing voicemail and call recording
>> won't be an issue for you - but do get a fast CF card.
>>
>> http://unicorn.drogon.net/cutie.jpg
>>
>> What you need to do is learn Linux networking and iptables - then you
>> won't need pfsense, etc. Install a good text-only distribution and you're
>> done. e.g. Debian Lenny in text-only mode. To get he best from the
>> hardware then you'll need a custom kernel, but that's no big deal.
>>
>> However the thing that will kill it is multiple VPN terminations - unless
>> you can persuade the system to use the on-board AES crypto engine, but I
>> regularly use ssh into my systems without any detriment, so you could use
>> OpenVPN, etc.
>>
>> I am considering making my boxes into a router and handle PPPoE too, then
>> they can do proper traffic shaping, etc. They're more than capable.
>>
>> Gordon
>>
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>