[VoIP] Joining the Network Without a Mechanical Switch

[Rusty Dekema]

Well, thanks everyone!

I am _definitely_ interested in electromechanical switches; I just
don't happen to own one right now, nor do I probably have room for one
in my apartment. (It's tiny and is already full to the brim with
computer stuff ;)). However, I expect to be moving into a house in
August, so you never know what might happen then!

I've reserved office code 616 in memoriam to the former area code in
the area in which I grew up. (I guess that is a not-so-subtle hint as
to the question of where I'm from ;)). These days, I'm living in the
eastern side of the state (Michigan); currently Ann Arbor, although I
expect to move to Ypsi this summer.

Right now, my phone system consists of an Asterisk machine with some
SIP and IAX trunks to VoIP carriers and users, one cheap one-port
(x100p) FXO card, and a Digium TDM400 card with two FXS ports. I use
this as a general phone system for my apartment and also as a calling
card system for some of my friends and family who have friends and
relatives in foreign countries.

Some time back, I purchased a specific model of ISDN card from a guy
in Germany that is supposed to be able to work with the "BRIStuffed"
version of Asterisk in NT-mode; that is to say, it will act like a
line card in a phone switch and let you plug in an (S/T) ISDN phone or
TA to your Asterisk system. My progress on this project has been
hindered by the fact that it appears that this ISDN card cannot
coexist in the same system as my analog FXO/FXS cards. However, a
couple days ago, I rearranged things such that I now have a spare
computer into which I can install the ISDN card. There is a wide
variety of semi-exotic ISDN equipment available cheaply on eBay
(telephone sets, router line cards, and so on), so if I am able to get
this card to work, I will probably buy some more of them and set up
some stuff that people can dial into from CNET if they so choose.

I also have some "interesting" extensions on my Asterisk system, such
as one that will read selected excerpts of humorous semi-gibberish
collected from email spams I receive, out loud, and a few others I'm
in the process of developing. I guess I'll enter those into the
directory once I have my system interconnected and once they're done.

Anyway, that's about all for now, but thanks again! I think that you
guys have a really cool project going here. Once I get my own system
integrated with the CNET network, I will be happy to help anyone else
who needs it with Asterisk configurations.

Warmest Regards,
Rusty