Quote:
Originally Posted by julie_m
A Raspberry Pi is a great choice if you are running SIP hardware or software phones and a SIP trunk to the outside world. But if you want to run analogue telephones, and especially if you want to connect to an analogue landline, you need separate ATAs (Analogue Terminal Adaptors) and the setup can quickly become unwieldy.
In this situation, you would be better off with a "proper" PC (i.e., a motherboard with expansion slots) and an FXS+FXO card. (I've also got a GSM card in mine, so it's also a mobile phone; but then again, I'm a show-off.) You can get Asterisk-compatible 8-port cards from The Usual Places online, with various combinations of FXS (phone) and FXO (exchange line) modules; if you configure it with six FXS ports and two FXO ports, then it will run half a dozen phones and two exchange lines. Digium cards (and the cheap clones thereof; which use the exact same drivers and firmware, and are generally fine for experimental or home use, but are to be avoided in any mission-critical business application) support pulse dialling; I do not know about other makes.
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The RPi can be no problem. I've had one running for several years now an it has about 240 lines running off it terminating mainly on ATAs but some go onto other Asterisks - the lines end up in 15 countries as far away as Australia & New Zealand. Handles about a phenominal number of calls per day - there is a call to my Speaking Clock roughly every six minutes. Some from the PSTN ( on 01352 83 8081 or the 'more interesting' one on -1330 55 8081 - note they are geographic numbers some will be in your free calls packages if you have one - unlike some which are on costly 0870 numbers).
If you want to connect pulse dialling telephones - use the Grandstream Handy Tone/HT 502 ATA which accepts pulse dialling (you may have to slightly narrow gap in the pulsing contacts as they are built for US dials which have 60/40 break/make rather than the UK 66.6/33.3 ratio. But you don't need to build an Asterisk to run an ATA - just get a free line from CNet (replica of the old GPO Public network - no rental and no call charges!) and a free PSTN number from the likes of SIPgate All good fun !
By the way, beware of some of the PCI cards with FXS/FXO from the Far East. Not all work with pulse dialling. The smaller Digium ones do as do the Openvox ones. I know some-one who bought (through relatives in America), a card full of 24 FXOs for over £1000 but they forgot to ask if it worked with 'pulse'! It didn't when tried. The manufacturers didn't know what 'pulse dialling' was and basically 'cos it worked with DTMF he couldn't get a refund. Beware and check the card's spec before buying.
Ian J
CNet 0352 2979
MR ETD )53-6278