Is there a list of digital phones that will work with Asterisk?
Any suggestions? Preferences?
I have looked at the Gizmo Project for PC’s, but some users may prefer a real phone on the desk.
Thank you in advance!
David
Are you looking for digital phones or IP phones?
Both. I want to test the system’s capability.
Testing analog as well.
I have been using Asterisk for about 3 years now, and I have not found any digital phones that will integrate directly to server Asterisk. Their is a company call CITEL that makes digital gateways for Nortel, Avaya and NEC digital phones. Check out their web site. As far as IP phones, you have a wide variety. Linksys/Cisco and Polycom are my favorites, however, you can use Grandstream, Mitel, etc. Grandstream is ok, but their speakerphone is sub par. Hope this helps.
Sorry for jumping in but I am also interested in phones. So you’re saying that there are no digital phone that integrate with Asterisk, so getting the displays to work is a no go. So is the best bet IP Phones? And how well / easy are they to hookup / integrate into Asterisk?
So do most people using Asterisk for the home use IP Phones or use an ATA and use standard analog phone. But then don’t you lose a lot of the benefits of using Asterisk?
TIA
To get the maximum benefits and features from Asterisk, your bset bet are IP phones. As I said, I prefer Linksys/Cisco and Polycom. The Linksys si about 139.00USD and the Polycom 301 is about 115.00USD. It all depends on shat you are trying to accomplish. You can use analog phones if you install the Digium TDM FXS card. If you have a display on your analog phone, you will get CLD and other information, but remember, it is a single line phone. You can got with the CITEL solution, but it is more for business class and it is expensive. What I use for my home office is a mixture of Linksys 941’s and Polycom 301’s. These are ip phones. Both excellent phones. There are so many IP phones out, even wireless. Grandstream 2000 series is probably the least expensive, but the SPF is not that great. I have evaluated some 20 phones, and Polycom IP phone and the Linksys IP 94_ are my picks.
Integrating analog or digital PBX handsets to an Asterisk call control server is relatively straightforward. Citel supports more than 100 types of digital and analog PBX handsets, including Avaya, Nortel, Toshiba, Panasonic, NEC, Ericsson, pPhone and more. Visit www.citel.com for more information and a complete list of supported handsets.
Here’s how the SIP Handset Gateway works:
Deploy the Asterisk server either at a premise or hosted location.
An ethernet connection at the premise site connects to the Citel SIP Handset Gateway.
Configure each handset with the SIP features you require via the web-based GUI.
An amphenol cable is used to connect the Citel SIP Handset Gateway to the patch panel in the premise phone closet.
Disconnect the amphenol cable from the existing PBX station card and connect to the Handset Gateway.
Upon final configuration, existing PBX handsets take on the functionality of new SIP handsets. Buttons can either be programmed with new Asterisk features or can maintain previous features.
Cutover time can be as little as five minutes.
The benefits are substantial:
No LAN assessment, LAN upgrade or Power over Ethernet (PoE) is required - using the Citel Handset Gateway, the LAN is avoided altogether.
Purchase of new SIP phones can be reserved for a few users, rather than purchasing new handsets for employees who don’t require them.
Existing phones take on SIP functionality, but users do not need to be retrained on a new device.
Business disruption is minimized.
Again, for more information, visit citel.com and click on the Contact Us page.
Hi
The Citel gateway is a clever piece of kit but cost wise it is a show stopper.
Per port it can be the same as buying a compatible handset.
I looked into it for a site that had Nortel Kit and basicly it was far more costeffective to sell the Nortel kit and buy IP sets.
Ian
i’m with ianplain. love the idea behind the citel handset gateway, but for the same or possibly even less money per port, you can get a decent SIP handset and generally, i think the “oooh … it’s shiny and modern” beats the “it’s what we know” most times.
perhaps it’s the UK price, like most things US-UK, we get killed during the exchange process.
All good comments. One of the common misconceptions on the “price per port” is that doesn’t take the “installed cost” into consideration. Most of our customers realize that when the Handset Gateway is equivalent to the price of just a LAN assessment, let alone PoE upgrades, cabling, and the new handset, the decision becomes clear. Obviously, there are users who want, or need, a shiny new phone. But that often does not apply to the majority of workers who use their handset to simply make, receive and transfer calls. Make sure to shop around for the best price on the Handset Gateway, as final pricing is determined by our channel partners, and can vary. Good luck on your deployment!