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    PBX Phone System

    Can anyone out there recommend a good, not too expensive, PBX system?
    I have been doing a lot of research but I am coming up dry.
    One of the main features I need is the ability to choose which line I am dialing out from. Two of my COs are for businesses and I want to send the correct caller ID info when making a call.

    The other main feature, of course, is intercom.

    Thanks
    Ty

    #2
    Tymon,

    We have the Panasonic KX-TA624 Advanced Hybrid System and it's one of the best investments we made for our house. "Not too expensive" is relative but you may want to check this PBX out.

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      #3
      Panasonic has the residential market covered as they have had inexpensive systems available for years. I started with a 3x8 system back in 1993!

      The larger systems now require that factory trained dealers be the only ones that can buy them, but there are plenty of other models that can be purchased by consumers from distributors.

      They do allow direct CO selection. With the hotline feature, you can determine on a phone-by-phone basis which CO you want selected. You can also default the CO hunt group for each extension to use hunt group 1 (residential line(s)) or a different hunt group if it is an office phone. With standard telephones, dialing 9 can get you a default hunt group (CO) for that extension, or you can explicitely select a line by dialing 8 and the CO number - e.g. 82 for CO 2. It's all good.
      Regards,

      Rick Tinker (a.k.a. "Tink")

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        #4
        I run an older mitel SX-50, which you can pick up on ebay or many old mitel dealers.. it hangs on the wall and uses multiline AND single line sets... it is a true PBX so you can route calls out based on the number dialed, access code etc.. it also supports SMDR if you want to keep track of the calls you make for costing purposes.. I see them cheap everywhere..
        -christopher
        PerfecTemp - the Most advanced HVAC system I've ever Built - and its in my House

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          #5
          I have a TA-624 also and it works great. I have a local wired line and a 2nd VOIP line with Packet8. I really like how easy it was to integrate with HS.
          I got mine as a good deal offa Ebay.
          Bruce

          "The universal answer is 42."

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            #6
            If you know Linux you might want to try * (Asterisk), an Open Source PBX solution. I did and it's super cool and flexible.

            Here's a good article.

            And if you decide to give it a go, here is a good place to buy hardware (FXO/FXS cards, etc).

            Cheers.

            Comment


              #7
              Hello guyz Yeah tel0p is right the askterisk is an amazing SoftPBX + VOIP gateway! I just wish I had more experience in Linux... I had it up and renning but editing the .conf files is kind of hard for me specialy in VI editing in linux.... You can also have it integrate with XAP for your HA wich is really cool.....
              If you also use it as a VOIP Gateway you can enable your laptop to connect home via VOIP and have an extention that is connected to your home's PBX.

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                #8
                I used Debian Kernel 2.4, and followed along this thorough 'HOW-TO' which covers installing Debian and then * (Asterisk).

                Editing the conf files is a bit odd, but not too bad if you install the 'demo' that comes with and follow the examples. Also, this page is quite helpful, as are the ones on this site.

                [[ BrnBug - if u do install Debian, add apps is easy, so you dont have to use VI ( i hate it ). Just do a: apt-get install pico (same editor as pine). Or run SMB, share out and edit on your main workstation .]]

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                  #9
                  Would there be any benefits of using Asterisk when I only have 1 phone line and no voip hardware or phone cards?
                  HSPRO 2.4 (ESXi 4.1) | my.Alert NEW | my.Trigger | HSTouch | ACRF2 | UltraM1G | BLWeather | BLLan | Rover
                  (aka xplosiv)
                  Do You Cocoon? Home Automation News, Tutorials, Reviews, Forums & Chat

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                    #10
                    is it just me or does the asterisk hardware seem really really expensive.

                    i currently have a panasonic pbx with all 24 extentions used ( yes i really do have that many phones here !!!!

                    to have that many extentions with asterisk would cost tousands and thousands, or am i completely miss reading it?
                    detail of setup in profile. Link to videos of my projects there as well. Over 300 scripts running every min and counting

                    Comment


                      #11
                      It's all relative, cbl. A Panasonic system like you have, if bought today new, would probably be somewhere around $6-7k, using $200/digital phone and about a grand for the PBX. Then you add costs for additional features that require modules...

                      An asterisk system would cost similarly, given the need for a PC, the station cards, the CO card(s), and the phonesets. Or IP phones.

                      The plus I see is the asterisk system is being developed and upgraded often (the software is free), can use IP phones and plug into VoIP services, and might be better integrated into your HA lifestyle using custom software. If you went all VoIP, it might actually cost a lot less with cheap IP phones ($115) because you don't need a card or port for each phone.

                      This site has some decent prices, but I haven't purchased anything from them (yet): http://www.digitnetworks.com/store/
                      |
                      | - Gordon

                      "I'm a Man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess." - Man's Prayer, Possum Lodge, The Red Green Show
                      HiddenGemStudio.com - MaineMusicians.org - CunninghamCreativeMaine.website

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                        #12
                        It's not quite as expansive as a phone switch, but I have a couple of the RCA 25404RE3 4-Line Business Speakerphone with Caller ID & Intercom. Search RCA 25404RE3 at officemax.com to view. They are $130 each and can expand to 16 phones, and the best part is that they work over your standard 2 wire phone jack, no special wiring is needed. You can program each phones features like intercom auto-answer and line priority. You can also intercom between the phones, conference call, and do an all phone page.

                        They're a little big and not wall mountable but they do the job for less $$ than a switch.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I use a talkswitch, it is wonderful and has many features you have asked for. you can connect to it via, serial, dial up ar lan, check it out at www.talkswitch.com and best of all is support is free for life. Now if someone could only write a plugin for it for homeseer, BTW you can also see who is in cue, calling out, etc.

                          Thom

                          Comment


                            #14
                            <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tel0p:
                            I used Debian Kernel 2.4, and followed along http://users.pandora.be/Asterisk-PBX/index.htm 'HOW-TO' which covers installing Debian and then * (Asterisk).

                            Editing the conf files is a bit odd, but not too bad if you install the 'demo' that comes with and follow the examples. Also, http://www.automated.it/guidetoasterisk.htm is quite helpful, as are the ones on http://voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk+c...xtensions.conf.

                            [[ BrnBug - if u do install Debian, add apps is easy, so you dont have to use VI ( i hate it ). Just do a: apt-get install pico (same editor as pine). Or run SMB, share out and edit on your main workstation .]] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

                            Tel0p Thank you for the links I already saw all three a while ago. I did my first install with the guide Andy wrote! After that I saw guide with the Debian Kernel 2.4 but guessed there’s no use to install Debian because I had RedHat installed and running but couldn’t do anything with it because of VI….. I went ahead and tried the one with GUI interface but got stuck half the way….. I also tried some other plugins like the one with PHP to edit the .conf files but got stuck there to In your post you mentioned this GREAT Idea with SMB and that is just the right solution for me now I could edit them with my trusty notepad.
                            I wanna Thank you again… I will install Debian with Asterisk and let you know as soon as I finish, so you can help me with the SMB share if you don’t mind…
                            Thank You,
                            ALi

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