Asterisk basic configuration

Asterisk basic configuration principles

In this section we'll have a look at the basic configuration of an Asterisk PBX. Contrary to the TFOT-book, we'll be looking at it from the theory side, and from there go to an example configuration. For this example configuration, we'll start from a server with on the "outside" a POTS line and a SIP account with an Internet provider, and on the "inside" two analogue telephones and a SIP softphone. Our goal is to let the PBX behave as if we don't even have a PBX, but a standard home situation: for an incoming call, all phones ring; and every internal phone can make calls to the outside.

Asterisk channel configuration basics

The first thing to realise, is that all devices attached to the Asterisk PBX have their specific configuration files. Correctly setting up each (set of) telephony devices

Asterisk dialplans - handling incoming calls

What is a Channel? A channel is a connection which brings in a call to the Asterisk PBX. A channel could be a connection to an ordinary telephone handset or an ordinary telephone line, or to a logical call (like an Internet phone call). Asterisk makes no distinction between "FXO" and "FXS" style channels (that is, it doesn't distinguish between telephone lines and telephones). Every call is placed or received on a distinct channel.