[TriLUG] Options for replacing Panasonic PBX with Asterisk

[Mark Turner]

Aaron Joyner wrote:
> 
> Consider replacing each extension with a Budgetone phone at ~$60 per 
> phone(1), and you're looking at $720 for handsets, then $15 or so for an 

Grandstream phones are crap. Trust me. Avoid them unless you enjoy 
collecting broken plastic. Buy Polycoms or Ciscos. You won't be 
disappointed.

Never before have I heard Asterisk ruled out because of its cost. :) No 
matter what you replace your dead system with, you're going to have to 
buy phones. This is the biggest expense with an Asterisk system. 
Sometimes the only expense.

The Digium Wildcard cards are quality hardware. I haven't played with 
their multi-port (24+) cards yet but have high hopes for them. I *do* 
have TDM04B cards for multiple FXO (incoming) lines and am very pleased 
with them.

I don't know if you need to keep that many extensions around but if not, 
  FXS devices like the Linksys PAP2 or Packet8 DTA-310 terminal adapters 
can tie the phones together using a single extension or two. Those 
terminal adapters can be had for ~ $50 for 2 ports (plus analog phones 
to go with them).

Nothing beats a SIP phone, though. Just don't buy Grandstream. :)

Cheers!

Mark Turner, Asterisk freak
www.siteseers.net
www.markturner.net