[Mac-telephony-list] Apple USB modem dongle

[Edward Eigerman via List]

While generally I put Linux based systems in for my clients, I am  
running my office with an OS X system (running on an Intel Mini,  
which is actually kinda overkill.) It can be done and it's not at all  
painful (though it took about ten times as long to set up as TrixBox  
would have). But you have to give up a couple of things. One of those  
things is PCI based analog adapters. External SIP adapters are fine,  
there's no reason to be afraid of them. But I don't use one anyway  
(not FXO anyway, I use a couple FXS) - I do pure VOIP and I like it.  
You have to give up reliable music on hold and meetme conferencing as  
well.

In general as an IT consultant I always caution clients against  
adding anther OS platform without thinking it through. If you're ALL  
mac the benefits of not adding another platform that you might not  
have the in-house talent to support could well outweigh the  
advantages of doing Asterisk on Linux. Or it might not. But it's an  
equation that seriously needs to be considered. Having 1 linux box  
means a lot more extra work than having 5 or 6 more Macs, if you have  
an otherwise all-Mac infrastructure.

Ed

On Dec 20, 2006, at 1:29 PM, brody bernardi via List wrote:

> It isnt that is HAS to run on a Mac.  It is just that we only use
> Macs and therefore that is what is available.  I'd be fine with
> running Linux on an Intel Mac if that is what it takes to get it
> done.  I'd prefer OS X because that is what we are happy using, but
> it is by no means a showstopper.
>
>
> On Dec 20, 2006, at 1:18 PM, Colin Anderson via List wrote:
>
>>> All I want (and I believe I represent a LOT of Mac users) is a  
>>> way to
>>> eliminate my dependance on proprietary phone systems.  Let me
>>> configure my phone system in an easy and user friendly way (GUI).
>>
>> If you want to just get it done, buy a Dell 430SC and Xorcom's 8
>> port USB
>> Astribank, and download Trixbox. It'll cost you about $1200 total.
>> Friendly
>> GUI and all. Unfortunately, once you throw Macs in the mix,
>> hardware PSTN
>> interfaces have to be offloaded to a seperate device (such as a SIP/
>> PSTN
>> gateway) because of driver issues. Once you let go of the notion
>> that it
>> *has* to run on a Mac, things usually go so much smoother. I'm not
>> denegrating this project and Sunrise's work (in fact, I'm excited
>> by it:
>> this is why I'm subscribed to the list), but the reality is that
>> Asterisk is
>> written for Linux/x86 and any other implementation is going to be
>> problematic by it's very nature. This will most likely go away in
>> time, as
>> Apple becomes more MacIntel but for now...
>>
>> I'd sure like to try Asterisk on the new xserve. Should be able to
>> plug in a
>> Digium and Sangoma card and off you go. Linux, of course.
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>
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-- 
Edward Eigerman
Principal
Eigerman Consulting, Inc.
118A Fulton St. #104
New York, NY 10038
212-710-2972
http://www.eigermanconsulting.com