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== Overview ==
== Overview ==


I am setting up Asterisk again at home. I want a thing that looks like a real phone to ring when I get calls.  
I am once again messing around with Asterisk systems. Now it's version 13.
I have been missing too many important calls lately, because my mobile is ofetn tucked away and set to tingle instead of bleep.
 
I used Asterisk for several years and then I went to a simpler system for a time. [[VOIP]] Then I went to having only the mobile.
I used Asterisk for several years and then I went to a simpler system for a time. [[VOIP]] Then I went to having only the mobile.


The original goal in moving to Asterisk was to eliminate a monthly bill with Packet8 service. Packet8 is a fine service provider but I was easily able to replace the $30 bill with a pay-as-you-go bill of less than $5 per month with essentially no change in service level.
My long history of using VOIP, compressed. Packet8 ($30/month) then Les.net (gone) then Grandcentral + GISMO5 (free!) then Google ate Grandcentral AND GISMO5 and gutted them. Then mobile phones for years.


The standard Packet8 service for $30 included unlimited outbound calling which was a waste for us. I reduced this to $20/month by changing to a 400 minute / month plan. ($15 + taxes) but that's still more than we needed.
=== Incoming calls ===


Then I changed over to use a Grandcentral (now Google Voice) number for incoming calls (free), which forwards to a Gizmo5 number (free) and a Les.net per-minute service for outbound calls. That translates to a whopping $2.70 per month if we talk for 3 hours outbound.
Currently all incoming calls route through my Google Voice number. I might be able to get Asterisk to pick up Google calls again some day?
At that point we were saving at least $17.30 per month. This makes the exorbitant $50 (now $70!) Comcast Broadband bill more bearable.


Then Google bought Grandcentral and it became Google Voice, and bought Gizmo5 and shut it down!
=== Outgoing calls ===
 
=== Incoming calls ===


I used to have a [Freeworld Dialup] account but no one ever used it so when they went to a subscription service I let it expire. They are gone now.
I have used Les.net and voipjet.com which are both out of business.
Nothing right now. I need to revisit this.


I also had a Stanaphone number in New York but don't have forwarding on it right now. I had an IPKall number in Seattle but it has expired.
== Business Asterisk system ==


Currently all incoming calls route through my Google Voice number.
=== Setting up CEL with PostgreSQL ===


=== Outgoing calls ===
CEL = Channel Event Log, more details than CDR (CDR = Call Detail Record)


Updated 24-Nov-2008
In cel.conf
enable=yes


For several months now I have been using [http://les.net Les.net] for outgoing calls, but we have been experiencing audio drop outs in the outbound calls; the person at the other end hears dead air for 1 or 2 seconds at a time. This is very irritating, so I am going to try using the [http://www.gizmoproject.com Gizmo Project] CallOut service. They've been providing me a free incoming number, I figured why not try their outbound service as well.
In cel_pgsql.conf, at the bottom
hostname=localhost
port=5432
dbname=asterisk
password=yoursecretpasswordhere
user=asterisk
table=cel          ; SQL table where CEL's will be inserted                                                       
appname=asterisk  ; Postgres application_name support (optional). Whitespace not allowed.                            


When I signed on with Les.Net I put $25 in credit. I use their pay-by-minute with no monthly fee. I still have $21 left after several months. Rates are about $.015 / minute.
Create the database, user and appropriate permission
su - postgres
createdb asterisk
echo "CREATE USER asterisk WITH PASSWORD 'yoursecretpasswordhere';" | psql
echo "GRANT ALL ON DATABASE asterisk TO asterisk;" | psql


A better provider is voipjet.com. I use them for my employer's business phone system. ''Oops they are gone now!''
You don't have to create any tables, that is built in to Asterisk 13.


== Updated notes on home Asterisk system ==
== Personal Asterisk system ==


=== Hardware ===
=== Hardware ===


Server is [[bellman]] (appropriate name huh) which runs Linux Mint.
Server is [[bellman]] (appropriate name for this) which runs Linux. I think Debian; at the moment its in storage!


1 [[Grandstream BT-100]] Budgetone phone
1 [[Grandstream BT-100]] Budgetone phone

Revision as of 00:58, 31 October 2014


Overview

I am once again messing around with Asterisk systems. Now it's version 13. I used Asterisk for several years and then I went to a simpler system for a time. VOIP Then I went to having only the mobile.

My long history of using VOIP, compressed. Packet8 ($30/month) then Les.net (gone) then Grandcentral + GISMO5 (free!) then Google ate Grandcentral AND GISMO5 and gutted them. Then mobile phones for years.

Incoming calls

Currently all incoming calls route through my Google Voice number. I might be able to get Asterisk to pick up Google calls again some day?

Outgoing calls

I have used Les.net and voipjet.com which are both out of business. Nothing right now. I need to revisit this.

Business Asterisk system

Setting up CEL with PostgreSQL

CEL = Channel Event Log, more details than CDR (CDR = Call Detail Record)

In cel.conf 

enable=yes

In cel_pgsql.conf, at the bottom 

hostname=localhost
port=5432
dbname=asterisk
password=yoursecretpasswordhere
user=asterisk
table=cel          ; SQL table where CEL's will be inserted                                                        
appname=asterisk   ; Postgres application_name support (optional). Whitespace not allowed.

Create the database, user and appropriate permission 

su - postgres
createdb asterisk
echo "CREATE USER asterisk WITH PASSWORD 'yoursecretpasswordhere';" | psql
echo "GRANT ALL ON DATABASE asterisk TO asterisk;" | psql

You don't have to create any tables, that is built in to Asterisk 13.

Personal Asterisk system

Hardware

Server is bellman (appropriate name for this) which runs Linux. I think Debian; at the moment its in storage!

1 Grandstream BT-100 Budgetone phone

1 Desktop running Ubuntu on the LAN with Ekiga softphone installed

Not using at the moment: 1 Packet8 DTA-310, reflashed to be a Leadtek BVA8051. See http://www.voip-info.org/wiki-Packet8+DTA310+and+Asterisk and http://www.stromcarlson.com/projects/dta-310/

Softphone

Using Ekiga on the same system that has Asterisk installed on it meant I had to run gconf-editor (apps->Ekiga->Protocols) to change the SIP listen port from 5060 to 5061 since Asterisk was already using 5060.

Ekiga is the softphone installed by default with Ubuntu 8.10 Hardy Heron. I've seen softphones I like more but it works for testing and I use hard phones most of the time.

Implementation

To install on Linux Mint 14 (or Ubuntu 12): 

apt-get install asterisk asterisk-mp3 asterisk-mysql asterisk-flite asterisk-mobile

This installs dependencies that I also want, including voicemail and sound and music on hold files.

Customizations

As much as possible I keep general changes out of main config files by using include files. This makes updates much simpler. In sip.conf add this line: #include sip-wildsong.conf and in extensions.conf add this: #include extensions-wildsong.conf The voicemail.conf file warns agains this approach so I edit it directly.

For each of the extensions, I then add entries in sip-wildsong.conf and extensions-wildsong.conf and voicemail.conf.

I edit the web settings for the hard phones and the configuration settings for the Ekiga softphones.

That's about it.

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