6 ms·

Our small company linked free open source Asterisk servers in US, Philippines, and India (10-100 people per location). It's doable, but has a significant learn

by brown 15y ago

Our small company linked free open source Asterisk servers in US, Philippines, and India (10-100 people per location). It's doable, but has a significant learning curve. I'd recommend hiring a professional to help you set it up and train your IT staff. If you want to pay for a higher end option, Avaya is a common choice. They power many companies (including huge call centers) all over the world.

hahainternet 15y ago
If you have moderate experience with Linux and can read manpages then you should have no real problem linking Asterisk servers between locations and setting up all common phone functions. Asterisk (and its derivatives) are really quite powerful and easy to use. We use it everywhere that the commercial systems fail (like having working SIP without paying tens of thousands in licenses)
- chopsueyar 15y ago
  What kind of hardware to you use (besides the boxes themselves)? Is everything a VOIP phone with an RJ-45 jack, or do you also use add-on cards and other telephony goodies?
  - mdg 15y ago
    If you want POTS, you get a telephony card from Digium. If all you want is VOIP, then you can use your box as-is. Might be outdated, but you TFoT2 is free: http://astbook.asteriskdocs.org/ http://astbook.asteriskdocs.org/
- nico 15y ago
  I have worked with Asterisk and would recommend using FreeSWITCH instead.
  - jamesgeck0 15y ago
    I would not. Not yet, anyway. Configuration of Asterisk is significantly easier with the FreePBX GUI. The FreeSWITCH equivalent is 2600hz which, although prettier, is missing a number of features* and is more difficult to use in some ways. It's very promising, though. * I don't remember which features specifically, but I do remember being unable to completely replicate a moderately complex Asterisk setup in the 2600hz GUI. It might have been related to the AVR system.
    - dschreiber_ 15y ago
      Hi - founder of blue.box, the product from 2600hz you are referring to. I'd be curious to know which features, but more importantly, have you seen Whistle? It's an API-driven control system for clustered FreeSWITCH. You can probably do whatever you need to in there.

by brown 15y ago

hahainternet 15y ago

If you have moderate experience with Linux and can read manpages then you should have no real problem linking Asterisk servers between locations and setting up all common phone functions. Asterisk (and its derivatives) are really quite powerful and easy to use. We use it everywhere that the commercial systems fail (like having working SIP without paying tens of thousands in licenses)

chopsueyar 15y ago
What kind of hardware to you use (besides the boxes themselves)? Is everything a VOIP phone with an RJ-45 jack, or do you also use add-on cards and other telephony goodies?
- mdg 15y ago
  If you want POTS, you get a telephony card from Digium. If all you want is VOIP, then you can use your box as-is. Might be outdated, but you TFoT2 is free: http://astbook.asteriskdocs.org/ http://astbook.asteriskdocs.org/
nico 15y ago
I have worked with Asterisk and would recommend using FreeSWITCH instead.
- jamesgeck0 15y ago
  I would not. Not yet, anyway. Configuration of Asterisk is significantly easier with the FreePBX GUI. The FreeSWITCH equivalent is 2600hz which, although prettier, is missing a number of features* and is more difficult to use in some ways. It's very promising, though. * I don't remember which features specifically, but I do remember being unable to completely replicate a moderately complex Asterisk setup in the 2600hz GUI. It might have been related to the AVR system.
  - dschreiber_ 15y ago
    Hi - founder of blue.box, the product from 2600hz you are referring to. I'd be curious to know which features, but more importantly, have you seen Whistle? It's an API-driven control system for clustered FreeSWITCH. You can probably do whatever you need to in there.