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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?"
Check out the Asterisk PBX system by Linux Support Services. http://asteriskpbx.org/
It is all linux based and the hardware is very nicely priced. I have this running at home and love it!
Why would you want a PBX system in your house? how many people live in your house?
Two... but that's obviously not the point.
I'm looking for features. Features like programmable voicemail and room-to-room intercomm are easy, and they're available at reasonable cost from companies like Panasonic. But the more complex stuff, like call filtering by caller ID, call forwarding by caller ID, day-night programming, and so on... those are harder. That's why I'm hoping somebody can help me out with building a scriptable, configurable system using off-the-shelf hardware and software as much as possible, and homegrown software where necessary.
I really thought I made this clear in my submission. Maybe I was wrong.
I have one too - 8 extensions, 3 lines (2 connected). Panasonic PBX: takes key sets or analog sets
That is one of the most important variables: can you connect cheap analog sets, or must you use expensive key sets?
Used to be a phone engineer so it's an interesting hobby but also useful: share 2 lines, connect through, redirect fax calls to the fax, etc - recommend you buy a cheap analog PBX - few hunbdred bucks in Europe.
MW
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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
Dealing with phone lines is a PITA. Look at the innards of something like a Panasonic PBX ( I've had one in the house for 10+ years), and one of the first things you notice is that a large percentage of the circuitry deals with spike and surge protection for all the lines going in and out of the box.
I've thought about homebrewing a system, but don't have a 30 hour day just yet. The panasonic box is reliable -- it just sits in the closet and works. Oh, when power fails, it automagically switches the CO (incoming) lines to the first n extensions, so you're not totally screwed.
Features with unintended consequences department: One cool feature of the panasonic system is the doorbell boxes. Put one on the front door, and you can answer the door from any phone connected to the system. Unfortunately when I first set up the system, the front door also rang the extension with the answering machine on it. We went away for the weekend -- when we returned, we found that the answering machine had been answering the front door! Oops! A "simple matter of programming" fixed that.
I myself would just see about buying a used system. Try here or here.
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