asterisk users - Aug 2005 - Switchboards

Hello,

I am still researching my dive into Asterisk at my workplace, and I was
wondering about how switchboard
activities are handled..   Right now, a call comes into our switchboard, and the
operator forwards them
to the appropriate line, thus freeing up the primary number and allowing more
calls in.  Everyone on
campus has a direct-dial line as it is right now.  I want to eliminate most of
those lines, and switch everyone
to extensions instead. 

If I understand correctly, with Asterisk, i'll need to figure out how many
lines are in use at any time
(i'll say 20% to be safe) -- so I'll need to have roughly 25-30 POTS
lines "on standby" for inbound calls?

The way I see it in my head is, a call comes in on the primary number, and the
operator will forward
them to the correct extension, and Asterisk will route the call to another
circuit, freeing up the
primary line.  Is this correct?

(Sorry for my lack of correct terminology.. still getting familiar!)

- Don

Well Don, it depends on how you get things setup from your telco. You
could get a T1/PRI (or E1) and just trunk all your calls. Then you
could have DIDs for each employee along with a primary number, which
could receive multiple calls at a time (it's just a DID).  If you go
with the POTS solution, then you'll need to get a channel bank and do
things that way.  Frankly, it would be a hell-of-a-lot-easier and
cheaper if you got trunked calls.  Why buy 23 POTS channels when you
can probably get an equivalent number of channels + DIDs for much less
money?

--
Tom Hayden
Astoria Telecom, LLC
www.astoriatelecom.net

On 8/5/05, Don Brearley <donbrearley@hibbing.edu>
wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I am still researching my dive into Asterisk at my workplace, and I was
wondering about how switchboard
> activities are handled..   Right now, a call comes into our switchboard,
and the operator forwards them
> to the appropriate line, thus freeing up the primary number and allowing
more calls in.  Everyone on
> campus has a direct-dial line as it is right now.  I want to eliminate most
of those lines, and switch everyone
> to extensions instead.
> 
> If I understand correctly, with Asterisk, i'll need to figure out how
many lines are in use at any time
> (i'll say 20% to be safe) -- so I'll need to have roughly 25-30
POTS lines "on standby" for inbound calls?
> 
> The way I see it in my head is, a call comes in on the primary number, and
the operator will forward
> them to the correct extension, and Asterisk will route the call to another
circuit, freeing up the
> primary line.  Is this correct?
> 
> (Sorry for my lack of correct terminology.. still getting familiar!)
> 
> - Don
> 
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-- 
Tom