Product Description

Your company can save tons of money by taking advantage of Asterisk, an open–source PBX that allows you to bridge data and voice communications. Asterisk for Dummies saves you all the worries and confusion with its easy–to–use, step–by–step walkthrough of the entire program that will have you set up in no time!

Asterisk takes the data side of telecom and applies it to the handling and processing of voice calls. This book will show you everything you need to know to install, program, and grow with Asterisk. The invaluable information covered in this guide shows you how to:

• Utilize dialplan, add features, and build infrastructure
• Maintain your telecom service
• Address call–quality concerns and completion issues
• Provide long–term health for your Asterisk switch
• Operate the AsteriskNOW GUI
• Utilize VoIP codecs
• Troubleshoot VoIP calls with packet captures
• Avoid the things you should never do with Asterisk

In addition to these essential tools, this trusty guide shows you how to manipulate your Asterisk and make it even more useful, such as fending off telemarketers, creating a voice mailbox that e–mails everyone, and transmitting your voice through your stereo. It also has quick references that no Asterisk operator should be without, like dialplan functions, VoIP basics, and a concise guide to Linux. With Asterisk for Dummies, you’ll have the power to handle all the necessary programming to set up the system and keep it running smoothly.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #254216 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 334 pages

From the Back Cover
Bridge data and voice with Asterisk!

Create and maintain an economical Asterisk phone system from scratch

Asterisk is the open–source PBX software that offers you the chance to save real money on your voice communications. Invest in this book and save a lot of headaches, too! Here′s how to choose the right hardware, install the software, handle all the necessary programming to set up the system, and keep it running smoothly.

Discover how to

• Tie together standard voice and VoIP
• Use AsteriskNOW′s GUI interface
• Install cards and telephony devices
• Build dialplans for incoming and outgoing calls
• Manage call flow

About the Author
Stephen Olejniczak is the Director of Operations for ATI, and has over 14 years of experience in telecommunications. His experience is focused on installation, service, and support of voice service with a growing responsibility for delivering VoIP. He’s the author of Telecom For Dummies and a snappy dresser.
Stephen didn’t start out in life as a techie, only falling prey to the glamour and easy money after failing to find a career enabling him to use his Bachelors degree in Cultural Anthropology. He currently lives in the quaint hamlet of Laguna Beach, California with his beautiful wife Kayley and a collection of fountain pens.

Brady Kirby is the owner of Atlas VoIP and has been programming since he was 13 years old. The initial challenge of writing small screen savers in qbasic wasn’t enough for him and by the 10th grade he worked his way up to the strong stuff — game programming. It was at this tender age that Brady accepted his calling. He realized it was his lot in life to make the world a better place, solving people’s problems, by evolving inventive software.
Brady spends his free time with his son, Brady Kirby III, in the crucible of technology and engineering, Huntsville, Alabama. Surrounded by many tech companies, and that space program we have (we think it’s called NASA), they enjoy the good life with large helpings of lasagna and good Mexican food. It’s in this environment that Brady III is mentored in all aspects of programming by his father. Maybe to write his own For Dummies book someday.

Customer Reviews

Save time and money and get O'Reilly's Asterisk - The Future of Telephony instead.
I bought this along with O'Reilly's "Asterisk - The Future of Telephony", hoping to use the Dummies book as a quick introduction, and the O'Reilly one as a reference for more advanced topics - big mistake!

Whilst what you'd expect to find is more or less in the book, there are too few details on the Hardware Configuration to get going (e.g. minimum information of setting up analogue ports - no info on configuring IP-Phones). I also find that the Dialplan section is quite confusing and other this there is no mention, let alone explanations, of Asterisk programming (AGI, etc) at all. I am also quite annoyed that all the examples are US-centric, with no acknowledgment of the differences that other countries bring (ever dialed 911 when you electrocuted yourself with a 110V power supply?), and that there are some glaring mistakes when discussing Linux (the bit about boot-loaders and defragging is worth a read in a twisted kind of way).

Compare that with the O'Reilly book which takes you in a structured, logical and paced journey from setting up Asterisk to advanced configuration, with a comprehensive set of Appendices for reference and there is no doubt that the Dummies book was put together in a rush to capitalize on a new technology, whereas the O'Reilly one has been written with care and attention and deserves to be on your bookshelf.