Hi folks,
Am new to asterisk pbx systems.
I am trying to figure out what to do, I'll list and folks feel free to
give feedback and advice.
MAIN purpose for usage:
1.exposure to setup an asterisk box
2.get home phone service via VOIP/internet connection.
tasks so far
------------------
1. setup and install asterisk (1.4.x) --> DONE
-currently configuring sip.conf and extenstion.conf files.
-using soft-phone till I find a cheap voip phone(recommendations ??)
2. trying to get a DID number
-alot of search results, not sure which are reliable, most are
charging per month usage and some are charging setup charges
-also looking for DID provider which will interface with asterisk
pbx (sip and iax protocols, is that ok? )
-Am I missing anything else here?
-Are there any providers folks would recommend? Looking for
affordable and reliable)
thanks in advance,
Mike
On Mon, 20 Oct 2008, Mike wrote:> Hi folks, > > Am new to asterisk pbx systems. > > I am trying to figure out what to do, I'll list and folks feel free to > give feedback and advice. > > MAIN purpose for usage: > 1.exposure to setup an asterisk box > 2.get home phone service via VOIP/internet connection. > > tasks so far > ------------------ > 1. setup and install asterisk (1.4.x) --> DONEHeh... You'll never be done! Read the starfish book cover to cover (free online/PDF, or buy a paper copy). Read the Voip-wiki.> -currently configuring sip.conf and extenstion.conf files. > -using soft-phone till I find a cheap voip phone(recommendations ??)If you want a cheap VoIP phone look for a Grandstream - BT200 is cheap and functional. GXP1200 will give you something with a small display (BT200 is numeric only) GXP2000 has a bigger display and more buttons. However holy wars have been fought over Grandstream - some people like them, some hate them. You get what you pay for and I've deployed 100's of the damn things.> 2. trying to get a DID number > -alot of search results, not sure which are reliable, most are > charging per month usage and some are charging setup charges > -also looking for DID provider which will interface with asterisk > pbx (sip and iax protocols, is that ok? ) > -Am I missing anything else here? > -Are there any providers folks would recommend? Looking for > affordable and reliable)What country are you in? This is a truly global marketplace and mailing list. We have people from the UK, Ireland, Oztrailia, New Zealand, Bolivia, Russia, China, India, Argentina, etc. All over the world, really. Saying what country you need the DID/DDI in will narrow it down somewhat. Well done so-far and Good luck! Gordon
On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 8:42 AM, Mike <mikef1007 at gmail.com> wrote:> Am new to asterisk pbx systems.Hi Mike, Welcome to the wonderful world of asterisk!> I am trying to figure out what to do, I'll list and folks feel free to > give feedback and advice.You don't mention if you have read one of the several books out on asterisk or whether you are familiar with sources like http://voip-info.org. If you haven't already, look into the O'Reilly book: http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596510480/> ------------------ > 1. setup and install asterisk (1.4.x) --> DONE > -currently configuring sip.conf and extenstion.conf files. > -using soft-phone till I find a cheap voip phone(recommendations ??)Define cheap. I believe for home use there are entry-level phones by known manufacturers for well under $200, but that's 10 times what a cheap cordless costs, right? You can get a Grandstream for under $100, but people will already be groaning at the mention of these. You can also purchase FXS/FXO cards to connect regular phones to your asterisk box, among these the Digium TDM400 can accept four modules. Pricey perhaps, but this avoids buying phones if you already have some. Ypour budget will depend on how serious your needs are. If you just want an answering machine to experiment with, cheap iup phones maybe from Ebay will do it for you. (Ebay is the Devil, I do not recommend it personally)> 2. trying to get a DID number > -alot of search results, not sure which are reliable, most are > charging per month usage and some are charging setup charges > -also looking for DID provider which will interface with asterisk > pbx (sip and iax protocols, is that ok? ) > -Am I missing anything else here? > -Are there any providers folks would recommend? Looking for > affordable and reliable)There are many SIP providers, but among those that are part of or support the asterisk community, Junction Networks, Teliax, VoicePulse Connect loom large. I have had accounts with all of those and find them to be reasonable in price and service. This stuff is very subjective, though. Maybe look through the mialing list for references to those names and other providers. r
> What country are you in? This is a truly global marketplace and mailing > list. We have people from the UK, Ireland, Oztrailia, New Zealand, > Bolivia, Russia, China, India, Argentina, etc. All over the world, really. > Saying what country you need the DID/DDI in will narrow it down somewhat. >I am in the US. Hope someone here can help. Gordon, thanks for your email.