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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mcmorris95125@gmail.com href="mailto:mcmorris95125@gmail.com">Mike
Morris</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=asterisk-users@lists.digium.com
href="mailto:asterisk-users@lists.digium.com">Asterisk Users Mailing List -
Non-Commercial Discussion</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, October 06, 2006 4:22
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [asterisk-users] Newbie h/w Q,
and confirming basic concepts</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I'm preparing for my first asterisk install, and would like to
ask a hardware question & confirm my understanding of some basics:<BR>
<UL>
<LI>The Q: I'm looking for 2 FXO ports to have asterisk answer 2 incoming
lines. There are single FXO port cards for about $30... but dual
cards, or the Digium "400" cards, are all several hundred dollars. Why is
this? Are the chipsets so different, or am I missing something? </LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2> The singles ones out
there today are mostly clones. Never used one but people seem to have problems
with them and there is limited support. If you get one from Digium or Sangoma
you have support.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>And here's my plan to teach
myself using increasing complexity:<BR>
<UL>
<LI>Starting point is standard PC, standard phone line
<LI>do trixbox install on PC & connect to LAN (no special hardware yet)
</LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Trixbox will work however I would
not recomend it. You are limited by what they put in the GUI as well as if
there is problem it can take for ever to trouble shoot it. It pays to learn
asterisk the "right way".</FONT><BR></DIV>
<UL>
<LI>then I should be able to setup IVR and voice mail boxes, and access them
using a "soft phone" from any PC on the network, but only"locally", using
extension numbers, right?</LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>You can localy or remote. Just make sure to set up
NAT if you are remote and using NAT.</FONT></DIV>
<UL>
<LI>I could also plug IP phones directly into the network and access the
asterisk box "locally", using extension numbers, right? </LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>Correct !</FONT><BR></DIV>
<UL>
<LI>add FXO card(s), and connect incoming lines. Now I can also:</LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>I would recomend inserting the card in the begining.
For if you dont you will need to use Ztdummy for testing and then recompile
once the card is there.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> dialup the voice mailboxes from any standard phone
worldwide<BR> Use any of the IP
and/or softphones to send and receive calls via PSTN, right? </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Yes </FONT></DIV>
<UL>
<LI>add FXS card(s) and I can plug standard phones into the asterisk box and
I can use them as extensions, to either access voicemail locally, or
send/receive calls via PSTN ... right ???
<LI>Now for VoIP I just have to order the service from a vendor like vonage,
and I can use any of the soft phones, IP phones or standard handsets for
VoIP... right ?? </LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>Some VOIP providers (like vonage for a basic line)
only let you use thier ATA's. You would need a provider to allow you to
connect your asterisk box directly to them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Do I have any major misconceptions about the above?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Pretty much. You have a little
playing around to do. And remember practice makes
perfect.</FONT><BR><BR>Thanks a lot for your patience !!!<BR></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
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