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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USA Datanet

USA Datanet utilizes an advanced Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
network to provide voice, Internet access and enhanced communications
services to hundreds of thousands of consumer, business and carrier
customers across the United States. The company has extensive, hands-on
experience in the real-world delivery of cost-effective, high quality
VoIP products and services and an established reputation for
world-class customer service.

USphone

USPhone is an American telephone line installed at your home or office. You lift the handset and hear the roing tone as if you were in the US.

It allows you to make local and long distance phone calls for a fixed
monthly rate provided you have a broadband Internet connection. You
will get a simple monthly bill and won't have to worry about unexpected
phone bills at the end of the month.

Verizon

VoiceWing uses a new technology called Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) that sends calls over a high-speed Internet connection instead of a traditional telephone network. Translation: You can surf the Internet and chat on the phone at the same time AND use your own phone wherever there is a broadband connection... even when you are away from home or office.

Vide Telecom

Vide Telecom, INC. is a privately held
telecommunications company. With over 12 years combined experience in
the telecom industry, we have always focused on providing customers
with the best quality and the lowest cost.

Employing state-of-the-art equipment, across fiber optic networks, we
have over 25 network providers and adding more daily. For customers
that have telecommunication needs, but want to keep control of their
spending, we have created a custom web application that allows for
purchasing calling time and monitoring calls and invoices.

VIP Connectz

VIP Connectz is an
international marketing and sales company in the Internet and
telecommunications industry that offers VoIP (Voice over Internet
Protocol) application services to customers in International
residential and small business markets. The VIP Connectz value
proposition is based on offering a service package that gives customers
“flat-rate” minutes to make local, long-distance, and international
calls, coupled with a compelling business opportunity for those who
choose to pursue financial independence. 

Viper

Broadband / PC to Phone voip service provider

Virtualphoneline

VoIP provider - Call forwarding

Vitelity

Vitelity meets the needs of the home based and small business Voice over IP user by offering an affordable line of quality products and services. Local and Toll free numbers are available instantly through our unique and custom user portal. Vitelity service is instantly activated with approved credit card and you are able to make and receive calls almost immediately. We provide a helpful setup wizard to easily configure your Voice over IP PBX, gateway or ATA device.

VIVOphone

VIVOphone is a unique international Telecommunications provider. Using
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), VIVO has developed customizable
and scalable technology that allows customers to make and receive
telephone calls over the Internet. In addition to providing voice
transmission services, VIVO has developed and sells call boxes
(allowing usage of a “standard” phone), USB powered phones, and a
variety of related accessories.
VIVO is positioning itself to be a constantly growing and innovative
VoIP provider in the worldwide international calling market, with a
strong emphasis on the Spanish-speaking market.

VoicePath

Florida Multi-Media supplies telephone services at
bulk rates, business class, and residential service, which includes the
newest technologies. Being competitive in services provided, a research
and development team is continuously reviewing new ways to provide the
highest quality at the lowest rate.All VoicePath Plans come with the following standard features:
Call Waiting, Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Caller ID Block, Call Return, Voicemail, Emergency 911, Realtime Call Logs.

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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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