Suggestions for Home PBX/Key System?

foobar104 asks: "I'm fascinated by the idea of putting in a home PBX or key system. I don't really have a good justification for this; it just sounds like a neat thing to have. There are commercially available small PBX systems available for $500 to $2,000, plus another $500 to $2,000 for voicemail, but putting in one of those doesn't sound like as much fun as building one from scratch using an older PC and some off-the-shelf components. I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for sources of information, tips, HOWTOs or other knowledge on this subject? I'm sure it's been done before; GNUCOMM and GNU Bayonne are out there, but I'm not having much luck finding tutorial-type info about them."

"The system I want to build doesn't need to be complicated. I'd like to have two outside lines and about five inside lines. I'd like the system to have all the standard cool features, like intercomm and station-to-station calls and such, but I'd also like to do some exotic things. For example, I'd like to implement a call whitelist system, where during certain hours of the day, only calls from numbers on a pre-defined "white list" ring through, and all other calls go to voicemail. I'm guessing that something like that will require programming, and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. I just don't know where to start.

It sounds like a fun hobby project-- to me anyway. Can anyone point me in the right direction?"

Comments

Re:What does PBX stand for?

[FattMattP]

Actually it stands for Private Branch eXchange as it acts as a private telephone switchboard.

Reliability

[tsangc]

The one thing that would concern me with making your own PBX out of an old PC and some CTI cards is reliability. What if the system crashes and someone needs to dial 911 or another emergency service?

Keep at least one analog 500 set wired directly to a trunk/outside line.

Calum

802.11b and 2.4 Ghz Phones

[Macgruder]

I read your other post about 802.11b interference. How you get around depends on what options you have on both your phones and your Airport. 11b has 11 channels. Channels 1, 6, and 11 can coexist in the same area with no interference.

I have two access points covering my apartment, one in on 11, the other is on 6. I've avoided getting 2.4 Ghz phones just because no one publishes information as to how flexible the setup options are.

Ideally, you'd have your Airport on 11, and configure your phones to the range between 1 and 6, allowing you to get around any interference from your microwave or neighbors.

Once the phones get within 5 channels of your airport, your 802.11b is going to suffer. Sounds like that's exactly what happened.