asterisk users - Sep 2003 - Budget Hotel PBX

I'm considering using asterisk to replace an existing PBX in a 40 room hotel
and
would appreciate any comments, corrections or insight before I begin.

Only 8 PSTN connections are initially required but since the guests need dial-up
internet access in the rooms it has to be Frac-T1 as opposed to using FXO ports
on
a channel bank.

IP phones are not an option strictly because of price.  The analog phones must 
have FSK message waiting lights instead of the cheaper voltage type since
asterisk
doesn't support that.

So, a TE410P {or 400} and two Zhone 24FXS channel banks will be used.  I 
couldn't google up any info on what mobo but I'd like to start with a
450mhz since I
have one laying around with 64bit slots but if that's marginal I could get a
dual
Athlon server board or whatever.

I'd also greatly appreciate knowing if anyone out there is actually using
asterisk in a
similar hotel application today.

TIA

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Bill Schultz" <bill@alaskafax.com>
Reply-To: asterisk-users@lists.digium.com
Date:  Fri, 19 Sep 2003 17:28:18 -0800
>I'm considering using asterisk to replace an existing PBX in a 40 room
hotel and would appreciate any comments, corrections or insight before I begin.
>Only 8 PSTN connections are initially required but since the guests need
dial-up
We setup a similar system using Asterisk.  We are working with something very
similar so I know it will work.  We are faxing and using modem on our system
without problems.
>internet access in the rooms it has to be Frac-T1 as opposed to using FXO
ports on
>a channel bank.
>
>IP phones are not an option strictly because of price.  The analog phones
must
>have FSK message waiting lights instead of the cheaper voltage type since
asterisk
>doesn't support that.
>
>So, a TE410P {or 400} and two Zhone 24FXS channel banks will be used.  
I have 8 Zhone 24FXS unit which are pretty much junk for this operation.  We got
some great Atran 750 to replace them.  If you value your time and money the
Zhone are good for testing and learning but for real world they just don't
cut it!
>I couldn't google up any info on what mobo but I'd like to start
with a 450mhz since I
>have one laying around with 64bit slots but if that's marginal I could
get a dual
>Athlon server board or whatever.
We actually setup the system on a Dual Xeon Dell system and had to move it to a
plain single processor P4 system.  It seems there is allot of noise from the
Dual processor system.  We need to redo this and start the test over again.  But
the Plain Intel base MB with the P4 and having only 256mg RAM is more power then
what we really need.


>I'd also greatly appreciate knowing if anyone out there is actually
using asterisk in a
>similar hotel application today.
>
If you want you can email me directly.  We have worked with Hotel systems for
over 10 years now!  And we are starting to move to the Asterisks now!  It seems
to be the best bang for the money.
>TIA
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