Re: [MLUG] Asterisk continued

[Johann Luebbering <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

If it's of any help, I've heard that Grandstream 
(http://www.grandstream.com/) has good IP phones for extremely 
reasonable prices.  I've heard from other soruces, though that the 
phones are less-than-stellar quality, so I guess you have to take it 
with a grain of salt.  Also, Quintum (http://www.quintum.com) is 
supposed to have top-notch products, but they're a lot more expensive.  
I haven't heard many people who aren't Cisco-freaks to begin with say 
much in the way of good things about Cisco's VOIP line.

This is all second hand, though...  I have yet to use any of them 
personally.

Shawn Parker wrote:

> My Asterisk saga is now unfolding into a bit of a drama.  I got a call 
> back from Integrated Solutions about ordering Cisco 7905G IP phones 
> and they told me that they can't sell me just the phones.  I needed to 
> have a Cisco phone system in place and Cisco hardware, like L3 switches.
>
> Everyone I've talked to on the Asterisk mailing list says that is 
> utter crap.  I agree, I think ISG is just pissed because I said I was 
> going with an Open-Source solutions that obviously will undercut their 
> business.  I can see the point of wanting a nice, L3 switch in place 
> for the pure fact of better networking.  But, it's not "needed" to 
> make the phones work.  Especially since I will be using SIP.
>
> I talked to one guy using Cisco 7960 IP phones and an old Netgear fast 
> ethernet switch and reported no problems with that set up.
>
> It disappoints me to be haggled by someone I was nice enough to 
> consider for business.
>
> I still think we're moving forward with the Asterisk solution, I just 
> don't know what to do phone wise now.
>
> The basic gist of the call was that if my "ethernet isn't exactly to 
> spec..." the phones will absolutely not work.  That is nearly verbatim 
> what the Integrates Solutions Group rep and "tech" guy told me.  Then, 
> they proceeded to offer me a Cisco phone system and a switch or router 
> to "make" it work.
>
> I'll see what happens, and report back when I have more info.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Russell Horn wrote:
>
>> I've put a bit more work into this. Yesterday I added two FXO cards that
>> cost me about $25 each - that's a Foreign Exchange Office which 
>> connects my
>> asterisk box to two standard phone lines. I can now route calls at 
>> will. The
>> asterisk box can spot if I am dialling the USA and route calls there 
>> through
>> Broadvoice VOIP and if I'm dialling locally route them through the PSTN.
>>
>> Incoming calls can be moved between extensions and voicemail works.
>>
>> The configuration system is quite messy, but I think they are working on
>> that. It has a system for passing call information to another program 
>> so you
>> can run compiled C programs or even call a PHP script on the basis of
>> telephone input.
>>
>> All in all, this is a neat system. For a few hundred quid of hardware 
>> you
>> could easily have a PBX that would cost thousands from a big name 
>> vendor. Of
>> course what you don't get is the support line and technicians. That,
>> however, was where I was pointing in my initial thread. If someone 
>> wanted to
>> make money through Linux, this has to be an opportunity. You can provide
>> better, more flexible systems than almost any other vendor, and undercut
>> them on cost every time because you have no licensing fees.
>>
>> On the other hand, you could just set things up at home so you have the
>> geekiest house in MO. Is the university covered by Wi-Fi? If there 
>> was a way
>> to get the phones to log in, you could even get a Wi-Fi phone and 
>> have an
>> extension of your home PBX in your pocket anywhere on campus!
>>
>> Asterisk is definitely one to watch...
>>
>> Russell.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>  
>>
>
>

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