Stuart Longland
2011-Feb-28 02:12 UTC
[asterisk-users] Using voice modem as poor man's FXO in Asterisk 1.8
Hi all, I've tried researching this, and so far, have struggled to find any contemporary information on the issue, so I do apologise if asking this irritates people who have answered this before. I have managed to set up Asterisk 1.8 on the web server here. I have two softphones (Ekiga) able to communicate with it. So far so good. I'm now curious to see if I can link it with the PSTN phone line here. The web server in question is an Intel Atom system with a Mini-ITX motherboard. Its one and only PCI slot is occupied by a PCI ethernet card. So FXO card is not an option even if it were within budget. My options therefore look to be an external FXO device of some description (Ethernet or USB), or to use a voice modem. I fear external FXOs are going to be even more expensive than internal FXO cards. Now, I have here an old Maestro JetStream 56k modem here that does amongst other things, voice comms, and I have used it in the past as a telephone by plugging a headset into the front of it (and it was full duplex too if I recall correctly). I have also used it as an answering machine, with the audio being transmitted digitally over the RS232 link. So that to me suggests it is possible to get audio in to and out of the modem, either via a sound card or using the serial port. The web server has a sound card too (hard not to buy a motherboard with one these days). Apart from the lack of any hardware signal processing, it seems all the components are there. The server isn't particularly heavily loaded, and thus I see no reason why the machine wouldn't theoretically be able to handle the DSP in software ? I've seen lesser hardware do quite sophisticated DSP in real-time. Now, I've hunted high and low for where this is configured. Some mailing list threads point me to the nonexistant /etc/asterisk/modems.conf. One points me to /etc/asterisk/phone.conf, but nothing there jumps out at me as being an obvious means for configuring a modem ? nor can I find where it's documented on the Asterisk wiki. Where abouts should I look for documentation on configuring these modules? Regards, -- Stuart Longland (aka Redhatter, VK4MSL) .'''. Gentoo Linux/MIPS Cobalt and Docs Developer '.'` : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .'.' http://dev.gentoo.org/~redhatter :.' I haven't lost my mind... ...it's backed up on a tape somewhere.
Steve Edwards
2011-Feb-28 02:35 UTC
[asterisk-users] Using voice modem as poor man's FXO in Asterisk 1.8
On Mon, 28 Feb 2011, Stuart Longland wrote:> Now, I have here an old Maestro JetStream 56k modem here that doesAn external modem is a non-starter. If you have infinite time and your time is worth US$0 and you're doing it just for the thrill of it -- maybe. Ward Mundy & crew seem to think this kit (http://nerdvittles.com/?p=720) is pretty hot stuff. Sangoma makes a 2 FXO port USB thingy that looks interesting. -- Thanks in advance, ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Edwards sedwards at sedwards.com Voice: +1-760-468-3867 PST Newline Fax: +1-760-731-3000
asterisk asterisk
2011-Feb-28 02:36 UTC
[asterisk-users] Using voice modem as poor man's FXO in Asterisk 1.8
HI, My understanding is that the modem won't work. I believe asterisk does not support. I wonder why you do not have the built in ethernet in your motherboard. You can spare your PCI slot for a proper FXO card and use USB-to-ethernet For a PCI FXO card, the cheapest will be X100 but be aware of the quality and compatibility. Or a better choice will be TDM400 Other alternative: Get a USB-FXO from Sangoma, expensive Get a working SPA3000 as FXO --- cheapest I believe Get a OBi100, out of stock at the moment. I also want to try Hope this is of help to you CK On Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 10:12 AM, Stuart Longland <redhatter at gentoo.org>wrote:> Hi all, > > I've tried researching this, and so far, have struggled to find any > contemporary information on the issue, so I do apologise if asking this > irritates people who have answered this before. > > I have managed to set up Asterisk 1.8 on the web server here. I have > two softphones (Ekiga) able to communicate with it. So far so good. > I'm now curious to see if I can link it with the PSTN phone line here. > > The web server in question is an Intel Atom system with a Mini-ITX > motherboard. Its one and only PCI slot is occupied by a PCI ethernet > card. So FXO card is not an option even if it were within budget. > > My options therefore look to be an external FXO device of some > description (Ethernet or USB), or to use a voice modem. I fear external > FXOs are going to be even more expensive than internal FXO cards. > > Now, I have here an old Maestro JetStream 56k modem here that does > amongst other things, voice comms, and I have used it in the past as a > telephone by plugging a headset into the front of it (and it was full > duplex too if I recall correctly). I have also used it as an answering > machine, with the audio being transmitted digitally over the RS232 > link. So that to me suggests it is possible to get audio in to and out > of the modem, either via a sound card or using the serial port. The web > server has a sound card too (hard not to buy a motherboard with one > these days). > > Apart from the lack of any hardware signal processing, it seems all the > components are there. The server isn't particularly heavily loaded, and > thus I see no reason why the machine wouldn't theoretically be able to > handle the DSP in software ? I've seen lesser hardware do quite > sophisticated DSP in real-time. > > Now, I've hunted high and low for where this is configured. Some > mailing list threads point me to the nonexistant > /etc/asterisk/modems.conf. One points me to /etc/asterisk/phone.conf, > but nothing there jumps out at me as being an obvious means for > configuring a modem ? nor can I find where it's documented on the > Asterisk wiki. > > Where abouts should I look for documentation on configuring these modules? > > Regards, > -- > Stuart Longland (aka Redhatter, VK4MSL) .'''. > Gentoo Linux/MIPS Cobalt and Docs Developer '.'` : > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .'.' > http://dev.gentoo.org/~redhatter :.' > > I haven't lost my mind... > ...it's backed up on a tape somewhere. > > > -- > _____________________________________________________________________ > -- Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com -- > New to Asterisk? Join us for a live introductory webinar every Thurs: > http://www.asterisk.org/hello > > asterisk-users mailing list > To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users-------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/attachments/20110228/14db2d9c/attachment.htm>
Gilles
2011-Feb-28 08:57 UTC
[asterisk-users] Using voice modem as poor man's FXO in Asterisk 1.8
On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:12:44 +1000, Stuart Longland <redhatter at gentoo.org> wrote:>Apart from the lack of any hardware signal processing, it seems all the >components are there. The server isn't particularly heavily loaded, and >thus I see no reason why the machine wouldn't theoretically be able to >handle the DSP in softwareI've seen lesser hardware do quite>sophisticated DSP in real-time.That's where Zaptel/Dahdi came from: An open-source driver for a Winmodem. This is still available as the X100P/X101P, but for some reason, those cards rarely work. "A $10 Linux Answering Machine" www.linuxgazette.net/120/smith.html www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/X100P+clone For anything serious, you need to get brands like Digium, Sangoma, Patton, etc.
Steve Underwood
2011-Feb-28 13:24 UTC
[asterisk-users] Using voice modem as poor man's FXO in Asterisk 1.8
On 02/28/2011 10:12 AM, Stuart Longland wrote:> Hi all, > > I've tried researching this, and so far, have struggled to find any > contemporary information on the issue, so I do apologise if asking this > irritates people who have answered this before. > > I have managed to set up Asterisk 1.8 on the web server here. I have > two softphones (Ekiga) able to communicate with it. So far so good. > I'm now curious to see if I can link it with the PSTN phone line here. > > The web server in question is an Intel Atom system with a Mini-ITX > motherboard. Its one and only PCI slot is occupied by a PCI ethernet > card. So FXO card is not an option even if it were within budget. > > My options therefore look to be an external FXO device of some > description (Ethernet or USB), or to use a voice modem. I fear external > FXOs are going to be even more expensive than internal FXO cards. > > Now, I have here an old Maestro JetStream 56k modem here that does > amongst other things, voice comms, and I have used it in the past as a > telephone by plugging a headset into the front of it (and it was full > duplex too if I recall correctly). I have also used it as an answering > machine, with the audio being transmitted digitally over the RS232 > link. So that to me suggests it is possible to get audio in to and out > of the modem, either via a sound card or using the serial port. The web > server has a sound card too (hard not to buy a motherboard with one > these days). > > Apart from the lack of any hardware signal processing, it seems all the > components are there. The server isn't particularly heavily loaded, and > thus I see no reason why the machine wouldn't theoretically be able to > handle the DSP in software ? I've seen lesser hardware do quite > sophisticated DSP in real-time. > > Now, I've hunted high and low for where this is configured. Some > mailing list threads point me to the nonexistant > /etc/asterisk/modems.conf. One points me to /etc/asterisk/phone.conf, > but nothing there jumps out at me as being an obvious means for > configuring a modem ? nor can I find where it's documented on the > Asterisk wiki. > > Where abouts should I look for documentation on configuring these modules? > > Regards,There is no requirement for DSP. There is a requirement for getting duplex audio in and out of the PC. *Very* few full blown external modems will do that. The very simple USB winmodems will, but nobody has produced drivers to make it work for any of the common chips used in those devices. Its not hard to do, though. Source code exists which is not a million miles from that required to hook a USB winmodem into DAHDI. Steve
Leif Madsen
2011-Mar-02 00:53 UTC
[asterisk-users] Using voice modem as poor man's FXO in Asterisk 1.8
On 11-02-27 09:12 PM, Stuart Longland wrote:> I've tried researching this, and so far, have struggled to find any > contemporary information on the issue, so I do apologise if asking this > irritates people who have answered this before. > > I have managed to set up Asterisk 1.8 on the web server here. I have > two softphones (Ekiga) able to communicate with it. So far so good. > I'm now curious to see if I can link it with the PSTN phone line here.There are several very good answers in this thread, and I suggest reading them. However, if hardware costs are the issue, then my recommendation is always to look at a SIP connection from an ITSP as your connection to the PSTN. The costs are nearly trivial (at least in Canada here you can have a DID for inbound calls for something around $5 a month, with termination costs in the range of 1c/min -- in other commonwealth countries I presume the costs are similar?). My bill rarely rises above $20 a month, and I use my phone a lot. (Business, personal, and 3 DID numbers are included in that cost.) I highly suggest you spend your time and money elsewhere, rather than chasing the dragon that seems to be winmodem FXO connectivity. If you absolutely must have hardware, then I suggest you start with used ATA (analog telephony adapters) that can be found on eBay, kijiji, craigslist, or any other assorted websites. Leif.
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