NOTES, RESOURCES, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 75
Because it connects to the VX using Ethernet, audio remains clean. Many channels of audio
and SIP signaling are interfaced over a single Ethernet link.
Telos has people on-staff and access to consultants who are experienced with Asterisk and
who can help you with regard to integrated Asterisk/VX installations. Feel free to call us with
your questions and suggestions.
Here are some ways our clients are using Asterisk:
♦ To automatically play a disclaimer or informational message to callers before your
producer or talent answer.
♦ As a programmable ISDN PRI gateway. Use with the PRI/T1 that feeds your office PBX,
and redirect some of the DID numbers to your VX or to a voice mail/Interactive Voice
Response system running on Asterisk.
♦ To block unwanted callers by implementing a ‘blacklist’ based on caller ID.
♦ To create your own off-site ‘extensions’ over the Internet. It’s great for news bureaus,
sales offices, or even reporter’s homes.
♦ To create a private ‘tie trunk network’ between co-owned stations to reduce costs
♦ To have a backup Telco service by ordering a few inexpensive SIP lines or trunks to use
in case of loss of a T1.
♦ To get rid of expensive toll free numbers or foreign exchange lines. Order SIP lines from
a distant city that your station covers. SIP lines can cost as little as $1.50 a month. Also,
SIP lines don’t have all the extra charges for city taxes and other “junk fees”.
♦ Use the Asterisk call detail reports as a research tool. The reports tell you who called,
when they called, where they called from, and how long the call was. The data can be
exported to a csv formatted file that is imported into a spreadsheet or database applica-
tion for further processing.
Asterisk software: Distributions
Asterisk runs on Linux. You can download Linux from many websites and then add Asterisk to
the operating system. Or you can load The OS and Asterisk from an all-in-one distribution disk.
You can also buy an Asterisk “appliance” pre-loaded from companies like Fonality (Trixbox)
and others. If you have one of these, Skip on to the next section titled “Log in to the web GUI
for the first time”.
A ‘distribution’ is an organized and maintained collection of open-source programs, these are
available on an ISO image file that is burned to a CD and booted, automatically formatting the
hard drive and creating the entire system from “bare metal.”
Distributions can include the Linux OS, the Asterisk components, GUI tools, and specialty
modules that the creators of the distribution deem useful. Choose one that has what you value.
If this is your first experience with Asterisk, we suggest keeping it simple. If you know a “Linux
guru,” his assistance may be helpful, but not essential. Linux has come a long way over the
past few years, and is now perhaps even easier and faster to install than Windows. You’ll also
find that you can go years without a reboot due to its excellent stability.
We’ve had success using the “PBX in a Flash” distribution. It is feature-rich, well maintained
and documented, and tends to be kept more current than other distributions. It’s more
maintainable than some other distributions and tough to “break”. Basic configuration is done
through a built-in web server and a powerful “happy face” web front end called FreePBX.
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