asterisk users - Feb 2003 - some questions...

hi

- What excactly is _needed_ to attach analog phones to asterisk? Can I do with 
a card, or do I need a channel bank?
- What is a channel bank?
- Are any digital phones supported?

thanks

roy
-- 
Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk, Datavaktmester
ProntoTV AS - http://www.pronto.tv/
Tel: +47 9801 3356

Computers are like air conditioners.
They stop working when you open Windows.

On Tue, 2003-02-18 at 05:40, Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk wrote:
> hi
> 
> - What excactly is _needed_ to attach analog phones to asterisk? Can I do
with
> a card, or do I need a channel bank?
Digium is getting closer to releasing their card that will let you
connect up to 4 phones via a PCI card. Other option is a line/phonejack
card, but it is 1 phone per pci slot. A channel bank requires purchasing
a T1 card. The last option is to use a VoIP to analog adapter like the
Cisco ATA186. The ATA186 is a ethernet to 2 analog port adapter that is
supported by asterisk.
> - What is a channel bank?
A channel bank is a T1 de/multiplexor. It takes analog channels and
encodes/decodes them to a digital T1 signal. This gives you the ability
to convert the 24 timeslots of a T1 line to any number up to 24 channels
of analog service. 
> - Are any digital phones supported?
There are a few VoIP phones, but not digital like you would find in a
key system. VoIP gives you the benefit of being able to move them from
system to system as long as the standards are followed. Several Cisco
VoIP phones are supported. 

-- 
Steven Critchfield  <critch at basesys.com>

From: "Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk" <roy at
karlsbakk.net>
> - What excactly is _needed_ to attach analog phones to asterisk?
====
If you are using the IPv8 architecture, then your Asterisk-based GK (GateKeeper)
is a LAN to WAN device.

You can connect analog phones to the LAN in a variety of ways.
The PhoneJack (http://www.quicknet.net) is one common interface to use.
Each vPC uses one and it can ring the analog phone.
http://www.linuxjack.com/ is a link to the same products. ($110)
You can also use more expensive LAN phones, which may not be what you have
referred to as "analog phones".

The single analog line interface to the central office is handled by the FXO
(Foreign Exchange Office) interface.
http://www.Digium.com ($99)

The total picture for one-line is...
vPC+PhoneJack--------LAN-------Asterisk(GK)+FXO-------DSL------{InterNAT}-----PK

If you only have this configuration, then you can dial into Asterisk via the FXO
hardware.
Asterisk(GK)+FXO-------DSL------{InterNAT}-----PK
That is another way to "attach analog phones", but is not likely what
you need for a local site.

Jim Fleming
http://IPv8.isfun.net

>
>- What excactly is _needed_ to attach analog phones to asterisk? Can I do 
>with
>a card, or do I need a channel bank?
>- What is a channel bank?
>- Are any digital phones supported?
Hey Roy,

to add to Stevens answer:

- Depends on your required line volume (more than say 8 lines (two fully 
loaded stationcards, when they're done, would probably require a channel
bank)
- 1 T1 line (24 channels) or 1 E1 line (30 channels) in -> 24 or 30 analog 
lines out (or vice versa)
- Digital as in VoIP: Ofcourse, on your LAN. But as your question refers to 
analog phones I think you mean ISDN or ADSI. ISDN phones are only supported 
if you have a channelbank that delivers this. ADSI is supported on all 
Digium hardware (through a stationcard or through a channelbank. I think it 
is possible over VoIP gateways too, but never tried it. Maybe someone can 
comment ?

Best regards,
Florian