VoIP Asterisk Resources

All the leading Asterisk resources for hardware, software, news and advice.

Asterisk is the leading software engine for creating a business IP PBX, VoIP gateway, or other communications system. Asterisk is free and open source, with many official and unofficial Asterisk resources available on the Internet.

VoIP Asterisk Resources Listing

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BinFone

BinFone is a leading provider of
VoIP termination and long distance termination
to the US and Canada. We offer a full product suite for origination
from the US including
toll free numbers
, and
local numbers (DIDs)
in all major markets in the US and Canada. We offer both
Inter-Asteriskâ„¢ Exchange (IAX and IAX2) termination
and
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) termination.
We also support
Asteriskâ„¢
the open-source Linux PBX.

callExchange

CallExchange provides companies looking to enter the retail
telecommunications business a turnkey solution to rapidly and cheaply deploy prepaid and
postpaid calling cards and accounts, as well as VoIP softphones and customer premise
equipment.

Endstream Communications

Endstream is is a privately held facilities-based Voice over IP carrier providing wholesale services to high-volume customers. Endstream strives to provide the highest quality telecommunications services with the market's most aggressive pricing. A strong, dedicated development team and real-world testing have resulted in one of the industry's most advanced, and reliable, networks with superior voice quality equal or better to traditional digital services. We have only the highest quality routes in the US and select Tier 1 international routes, and our custom pricing plans allow for highly cost-effective termination.

GlobalTelecom

Wholesale voip service provider (SIP,H323)

GP Telecom

GPTel.Net offers wholesale VoIP services to resellers, agents, and service providers

i3 Networks

We are strictly a wholesale network provider and aggregator. We provide our clients with all the benefits of having their own network facilities without all the hassles. This coupled with volume buying power equals cost-effective solutions designed for your companys needs.

IMS Assist

IMS
Assist provides global VoIP solutions to Telecommunication Carriers,
VoIP resellers, Internet telephony businesses and consumers across the
globe. Our cluster of profitable VoIP solutions include world-class
quality VoIP Call Termination at very competitive A-Z rates.

Instadial

VoIP wholesale provider.

VoIP services provided by www.instatele.com starting at CDN $14.95/ US
$ 11.95, slect a number form over 500 locations in Canada and the U.S..
No contract, no setup fees, no surprises. Call North America and 22
countries for only 45.00 per month.

inZon

inZon's proprietary
switches and systems control both traditional legacy TDM (Traditional
Time Division Multiplexing Voice Circuits) and IP Telephony technology
(or Transitional Telecom technology). This provides the Company with a
hybrid system that is the best of both worlds. The Company uses its own
proprietary, leading edge monitoring and management software to
thoroughly evaluate profitability in real-time and employ dynamic
routing that will allow its systems to immediately react to changing
network conditions and reroute based on key predefined criteria. For
the majority of its traffic, the Company now utilizes Voice over
Internet Protocol ("VoIP") technology to provide complete voice, fax,
data and conference call services on an ASP platform.

IP Communications

IP Communications delivers Voice over the
Internet Protocol (VoIP) based carrier solutions to providers of IP
based telephony services. Our product range includes SIP or H323
Origination Services, local numbers (DIDs), international local numbers
(DDI), domestic/international Toll-Free Service, area based IP T1 (PRI)
replacement service, termination and IP private line services. IP
Communications network is one of the most reliable MPLS networks in the
world, having a fully meshed network with redundant SBCs. 

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Asterisk is Linux-based software for creating an easily manageable and feature-rich business communication system. Asterisk includes all the drivers, protocol converters, scripts, codecs, and more needed to perform functions that range from routing and call handling to call recording and generating call detail records.

Asterisk VoIP software is open source and free, with many configuration options, features, and modules. An Asterisk VoIP solution is preferred by businesses — small and large — who want a robust and customizable IP PBX system to handle their business telephony traffic.

Who Uses Asterisk VoIP?

Asterisk is a framework for building a communications network, which can include conference servers as well as the basic PBX system Asterisk was originally designed to support. Asterisk uses the most common protocol — session initiated protocol (SIP) — and is built on one of the most stable and advanced operating systems (Linux). This makes Asterisk a reliable and extendable VoIP solution for businesses of all types.

Some of the business and organizations using Asterisk include:

  • Small and medium businesses
  • Carriers (CLECs, ILECs, and wholesalers)
  • ITSPs, ISPs, and VoIP providers
  • Government agencies
  • Large corporations
  • Call centers
  • Call shops
How Can Asterisk Be Used?

Asterisk is powerful, flexible, and stable. Asterisk was named for the * character in Linux, which is a wildcard character. Like its namesake, Asterisk is capable of performing many different functions — singularly or combined. Some of the functionalities of Asterisk VoIP software are:

  • VoIP gateway
  • IP PBX
  • Skype gateway
  • Call center automatic call distributor (ACD)
  • Conference bridge
  • IVR server
  • Voicemail system
  • Fax server
  • Speech server
  • Call recorder
  • Unified messaging

Asterisk resources such as whitepapers, videos, and forums can be found at asterisk.org, where the software can also be downloaded. As an open source platform, additional resources for Asterisk VoIP software — such as tutorials for integration with OpenSIPS or software for reporting — can be found all over the Internet. Looking for Asterisk software, hardware, tips, tutorials, or forums? We can help — check our Asterisk resources directory.

Installing an Asterisk VoIP PBX System

Building an Asterisk VoIP PBX is relatively simple from an installation standpoint, as long as you are familiar with Linux and comfortable using the command line interface (CLI). Binary installations using Yum on CentOS or RedHat makes Asterisk easier to maintain, according to the software's developers. There are many Asterisk resources offering installation instructions, including the Asterisk website as well as numerous unofficial how-tos.

Once the Asterisk software is set up, additional software — a graphical user interface (GUI), or front-end — is needed to interface with the Asterisk VoIP system to manage and configure standard features such as music-on-hold and voicemail. There are a number of Asterisk GUIs available, such as Mini Asterisk or GEOTEK Phonebook. You can find Asterisk GUIs in our Asterisk resources directory below, and a complete list of Asterisk GUIs at VoIP-Info.org.

However, that might not be the most stress-free process for many. Thankfully, there are also many software packages out there called distros that roll up the open source Asterisk VoIP PBX software and the GUI with additional components and an easy-install executable. AsteriskNOW is the distro offered by Asterisk, which does the heavy lifting by installing Linux, Asterisk, and the GUI as an ISO image, simply and easily. Some of the more popular distros for Asterisk VoIP service include:

  • AsteriskNOW
  • Elastix
  • PBX in a Flash
  • Trixbox
  • FreePBX
  • Switchvox

You'll find Asterisk resources like distros for setup, configuring, and customizing the PBX software in our Asterisk resources directory.

Using an Asterisk Appliance

One of the easier ways to install the Asterisk VoIP system is to use an Asterisk appliance. Asterisk appliances are small standalone servers and complete PBX solutions for small and medium businesses (SMBs).

Asterisk appliances come fully loaded with custom compiled Linux configurations, FXO and FXS ports, and a front-end (or GUI) to manage and configure Asterisk's features. Some well-known Asterisk appliances are:

  • Asterisk Appliance
  • Rhino Ceros Appliance
  • WARP Appliance
  • PhoneBochs MiniVoIP Appliance

Some developers of Asterisk distros also produce Asterisk appliances, so you can find a simple, comprehensive solution to Linux and Asterisk installation issues, the need for a dedicated machine, and the need for a GUI to manage the Asterisk software all in one compact package. Digium's Switchvox and AsteriskNOW as well as Trixbox are just a few of the distros that also come preloaded on Asterisk appliances.

You'll find more Asterisk appliances, GUIs, and other software in our VoIP Asterisk resources directory.

Choosing an Asterisk Appliance

When considering an Asterisk appliance, it's best to weigh a few factors carefully before making a final choice. Even though Asterisk is open source, a Digium Asterisk appliance — Switchvox — offers certain advantages in that it's fully supported and will upgrade at pace with Asterisk. Relying on community maintenance for independent Asterisk appliances can be a more complicated and even risky process.

Things to consider when evaluating an independent Asterisk appliance:

  • Upgrades
  • Extendability and portability
  • Installation
  • Compatibility with other programs/interfaces
  • Adequate support
  • Statistical aggregation ('phoning home' with usage data)

You can find these and more Asterisk appliances in our VoIP Asterisk resources directory, as well as links to tips, reference material, and hardware options.

Asterisk Resources: Getting Help

The official Asterisk site offers a forum, instructional videos, documentation and more. However, there are also plenty of other Asterisk resources available as well, including forums and installation help at AsteriskGuru and courses and certifications at Digium.

There are also sites featuring extensive documentation, such as the online O'Reilly guide to Asterisk, and sites with how-to vodcasts. Local Asterisk user groups are another online Asterisk resource, as are sites with news about Asterisk developments, updates, and releases. You can find links to these online Asterisk resources and more in our directory.

Asterisk Software

Because Asterisk is open source software, many companies and independent developers offer modules and add-ons for additional PBX features and functions — especially for industry-specific functions relating to call centers or VoIP providers. For instance, software for call center stats, call recording, autodialers, or conference management, as well as channel drivers, scripts, and other tools are all available through third-party agents.

Information about these and other Asterisk resources can be found in our directory.

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