New to Asterisk, my plan advise required

Hi all. I have been wanting to dip my toe into VOIP and specifically asterisk for quite a while now, and am eventually going to take the plunge. I am a web developer with a fair bit of knowledge of linux, and playing round with configs, compiling installing and configuring applications, etc. My VOIP knowledge is pretty limited, understand basic principles, and SIP, etc. FXO/FXS etc confused me, but believe I know what it is now, an FXO port allows u to connect to a PSTN line, and FXS allows u to connect standard phone/fax to the PBX.

I would like to state how I plan to set this up, and have comments on what I plan to do. Also some questions (from what I’ve read and seen I’m hoping that most will be a yes!) I don’t want to really get into the configuration, etc of Asterisk at this point, just give a general/hardware overview of what I plan!

I would be running a SIP Asterisk server on probably an Ubuntu server platform at home (although could remote host on the net later at some point), possibly VM machine whilst I play and setup, and eventually a stand alone PC. I would like to terminate my land line (PSTN line UK based BTW), to the PBX, but the line is not near the PC, but I have ethernet near by, and would REALLY like to not use a PCI card, but rather a device that allows me to connect PSTN to the ethernet, and connect that as a trunk on asterisk. I have been looking around and the SPA-3102 (Lynksys), could do this for me, and provide an additional FXS port (I current have a draytek router with two FXS ports). Is this the best piece of kit to allow me to connect the PSTN to the PC over ethernet without a PCI card, etc?

I guess thats the hardest part so far, but I would like to know about SIP proviers in the UK, provinding an all in local call plan per month, with a remote dial in number, which allows more than one line to be used, e.g. I want my home line to be used for incoming and outgoing, but have for the time being one (in the future two, or more), external numbers provided by a SIP provider which could possibly allow more than one incoming/outgoing call at the same time, which could go to voicemail/automated system on the PBX if all the lines are engaged, or can’t be answered. Are there providers that do this relatively cheaply, and who are they?

I guess the main question is whether the SPA-3102 would do the trick, so I can get that ordered, and start playing! I can then look at the SIP providers!

Many thanks, this forum has already helped with the searches I have done, etc!

Martin

Marin,

  1. I have not looked in to the SPA-3102 but if it has an FXO port then yes you can use it to connect to your POTS line. Make sure that it works well in the UK. You will not need any special cards on the server for it.

  2. Pricing depends on the provider. PM me for details on a UK carrier that gives multiple channels (so you can heve several concurrent calls on one DID or for outbound calls).

Dovid