Looking for after-hours answering

Asterisk Asterisk Support
1

Hello,

I’m sure Asterisk can do the following, but I want it to be very cheap and very simple. My requirements for this device are stunningly simple:

  • A device that answers my POTS line when I set it active.
  • When answering plays a message “I am currently asleep, if emergency press 1, otherwise leave a message”
  • If the caller presses 1, it rings the house. Otherwise -> voicemail.

That’s it. I don’t need any of the other extensive list of feature that Asterisk can offer.

So obviously with such a simple device should be cheap and easy… but I get the feeling that may not be true. (When I say cheap i mean < $100)

Any ideas?

Thanks
David

2

If you already have asterisk, this is a simple dialplan setup. If not, you can buy an FXO module and plug into a cheapo computer and do the whole thing for around $30 US (90 if you have buy the cheapo computer)

P.S. download the free SwitchVox. It is Asterisk Lite.

3

Can you recommend the cheap FXO module? I have an old Dell 566mhz I would run the whole thing off of.

Thanks

4

X100P - $12.99-29.99 on ebay.

5

Perfect.

One more question, as I look at this… I think I am fundamentally missing something

The X100P gets the analog signal into the SwitchVox, but how do I get it back out to my home’s analog phone ‘network’? It seems like the phone port is only for Switchvox failure/power loss? Or is that what I would be hooking my home phones to?

Thanks,

6

Arrgh!! You would need 2 lines to get the call from your Switchvox to home. You could use a SIP service to continue the call

Call – > POTS --> SwitchVox --> SIP --> Home POTS

or with 2 X100P or a 2 port X100P

Call – > POTS --> Switchvox --> POTS2 – > Home POTS

7

An x100p is a FXO inteface card to connect to pots phones you need an FXS interface card or ATA.

you need to look at a openvox a400p but it will blow you budget

or use a Pap2 these can be found cheap on ebay

Ian

8

So the smartest/cleanest way is to grab something like the A400P11 (1 FXO 1 FXS)?

Is the PAP2 a less reliable/more hacked type solution?

Thanks,