We don't like Skype.  Actually, that's not true.  We like the concept of Skype, that is, making free calls to people via the Internet.  We just don't like having to use a computer to do it.  We got all excited when we read about Skype for Asterisk, thinking it would be an easy way to receive calls from our Skype-using friends, on a regular phone.

But then we kept reading and said, "Sixty-six dollars per channel!?  Forget that!"

Fortunately, there is a cheaper - and in fact, free - way of accomplishing the same thing.

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We like Shaw Digital Phone a lot. Shaw Digital Phone is an implementation of VoIP that is run over Shaw's private network, separate from the Internet.  Shaw's reps actively deny that their service is VoIP - we suspect they want to differentiate themselves from providers of broadband VoIP.  This is perhaps with good reason. Because Shaw Digital Phone doesn't run over the Internet, typical VoIP issues caused by latency, bandwidth sharing, and internet outages are entirely eliminated.

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In a previous article, we wrote about how to build a call recorder out of Asterisk.  Simply conference in the call recorder's extension and Asterisk will record your conversation to a ulaw file.  It is possible for Asterisk to record in wav format but that requires more system resources.  Fortunately, there's a very easy way to convert ulaw files to wav format.  That is by using a program called SoX.  SoX is an open source command line utility for converting many types of audio formats.

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We have a PBX for home use because we want our telephones to have features that are not common or simply not available from any phone provider.  Some of these features include termination failover, custom incoming Caller ID, and call recording.  In this guide we will show you how to configure Asterisk for use as a home PBX.  If you are building a PBX for a small or home office you will likely use many of the same techniques.

If you do not yet own an Asterisk PBX, there are several ways you may get one.  You can build one out of an old PC you have lying around, or if you'd prefer a low-cost, low-power Asterisk server that is also a 4-port router, read our other article about How to Install Asterisk on an Asus WL-520GU Router.

Once you have Asterisk installed on your hardware of choice, read on to find out how we configured ours.

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Update: This article is almost a year old and some of the information is now outdated.  While it is certainly possible to run Asterisk on a WL-520GU router, there is now a better router that has been released since we bought ours.  It has a whopping eight times the memory and flash, and a CPU twice the speed of that in the WL-520GU - this is the best consumer-grade router with open-source firmware we've ever seen.  If you intend to run Asterisk on a router, we recommend the new Asus RT-N16.

We have also discovered that USB flash drives (at least the ones we have tried) are not up to the task of long-term use.  So, you may wish to instead use a CIFS share, or connect a USB hard drive instead of a USB flash drive.  Additionally, Asterisk may be installed on many other devices such as the Seagate Dockstar or a QNAP NAS.  If you have a favourite, please comment and let us know what it is and why.

The original article is below, in case it is still helpful for anyone.


Yes, you read right.  For this project, we're going to tell you how we built a fully functioning Asterisk PBX out of a $25 router.  We designed this project because we wanted an Asterisk server for use as a home PBX that could be built relatively easily, used as little power as possible, and cost as little as possible.  The best part is, a lot of the heavy lifting such as compiling Asterisk has already been done for us.  All we need to do is install it.

The first version of this article was published on the VoIP Tech Chat forum in August 2009.  The article that you are reading right now is the latest version.  The forum no longer allows us to edit the original post so we have moved it here.

A common question people ask is, "Why do you need a PBX for your home?"  The answer is we wanted telephone features that we haven't been able to find for a price we're willing to pay.  Now, we can have nearly any feature we want.  Some of these include termination failover, custom incoming Caller ID, and call recording.  The best part is that when we're done, the device will still function as a router.  You won't even need to wedge another AC adapter into your power strip.

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With the growing popularity of VoIP, more and more homes and businesses do not have a POTS (plain old telephone service) line.  VoIP is excellent technology for voice calls (hence the letter "V" in "VoIP") but that's about all it's good for. 

Finding a reliable fax solution was interesting to say the least.  Most people we asked for advice told us, "Faxing is archaic technology.  Forget that and use e-mail instead!"  We certainly rarely send faxes, but as long as our customers wish to fax in orders, we are going to need a reliable way of receiving them.  Fortunately, we've found several!

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The question of VoIP security often comes up on various VoIP forums, and it's a good one.  Could someone be listening to your conversation?  While it's theoretically possible, here are a few security tips that will help keep your network secure.

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We are not just kidding.

Thanks to some very fine folks who have worked very hard on replacement firmware for Linux-based routers, the above statement is a reality.  We used to use a Cisco RV042 router which we purchased for over $200, and we haven't even had it powered up since we completed this project.

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Instead of using a customary ATA to convert legacy telephones or PBX equipment, some users of VoIP prefer to use a "pure IP" system and use IP phones.  There are advantages to both methods.

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Need to purchase an ATA or other piece of VoIP hardware?  There are plenty of retailers around.  Canadians may wish to use Shopbot.ca to find the best price at a Canadian retailer.  Americans may use Froogle or similar.  Does a deal sound too good to be true?  Maybe it is.  Be sure to check the retailer out on a site such as ResellerRatings.com.  If you don't feel like buying from a particular retailer, reputable retailers such as Netlink Computers/NCIX will often price match in stock items from other online retailers.  If you don't require a new unit, you can often find VoIP hardware on Craigslist.  Be sure to test these items before purchasing.  Sometimes, hardware is locked to a specific provider.  Unfortunately, there are a great deal of counterfeit VoIP devices on eBay (many from Asia) and via 3rd-party sellers on Amazon.  We suggest not buying from overseas and ensuring that your seller has a return policy.

For some information about how to detect counterfeit VoIP hardware, check out this post at DSLReports.com.

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We got so excited setting up the VoIP system at my office that we decided to set it up at my home, too.  We didn't have a PBX to worry about so could choose pretty much any hardware we wanted.  We decided on a Linksys SPA921 IP phone.

In the world of all things wireless, it seems that corded phones are marketed at those who can't or don't wish to afford a cordless phone.  Thus, to keep prices low, quality is often low.  For ages, we've wanted a really nice corded phone...but we haven't been able to find one, until now.

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A company that we deal with has been using VoIP for ages and loves it, so we decided it wouldn't do for us not to have the same shiny toys.  The thought of saving $100 a month made things even better.

Looking for Mango's recommended PAP2T settings?  Scroll down.

For those of you who are just joining us, the PAP2T is known as an Analog Telephone Adapter or ATA.  It allows you to use any standard telephone or PBX and route your calls over the Internet using VoIP.  VoIP is typically less expensive than a typical phone line because a VoIP provider does not have to deal with costs of infrastructure such as running phone lines to customers.

The provider that was recommended to us was DigitalVoice.ca.  (Edit: Due to subsequent service quality issues, we do not recommend this provider any longer.  We still recommend the PAP2T very highly.) We bought a PAP2T to test them out and were pleasantly surprised. We had a horrific experience with a different provider called Primus a few years ago, and we expected quality loss at the very least.  Call quality with PAP2T using the G.711 codec was actually better than an analog phone line!

The reason we like this device is that it can be configured to do practically everything but card tricks.  For example, the Linksys/Cisco dial plans are the best we've seen on any ATA.

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One of the most common questions we get asked about VoIP is, "Is it still okay if I dial a 1 before a long distance call?"  Guess what: that's up to you!  The dial plan on Cisco / Linksys / Sipura devices is one of their most powerful features, and with it, you can configure your dialing rules any way you want.

We were going to write an entire introduction to dial plans but discovered Cisco has rewritten lots of Linksys documentation and done a great job of it.  So instead, here's a link to the Cisco ATA Administration Guide - dial plans start on page 63 of the PDF.

What we will post are some excellent dial plans along with some examples of various tips and tricks you may not have thought of.  These should work with the PAP2T, SPA-2102, SPA-3000, SPA-921, and most similar devices.

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While I'm thinking of them, here are a few random tips and tricks I've come across, based on my experiences with two Cisco/Linksys/Sipura devices, the PAP2T adapter and the SPA921 IP Phone.

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We recently had Shaw Digital Phone installed at the office.  Shaw provides what is sometimes known as Cable Telephony, that is VoIP run over a managed network separate from the Internet.  Shaw's reps actively deny that their service is in fact VoIP - we suspect they wish to differentiate themselves from Broadband Telephony services due to the fact that companies offering analog phone lines have been long since branding VoIP as unreliable.  Shaw however has done a great job of eliminating the issue of bandwidth sharing as the data simply does not run over the Internet.  We're still waiting to be allowed to purchase SIP/IAX trunks and access them over Shaw's private network.  But, until that's available, Shaw Digital Phone is a great, cost-effective alternative.

Everyone asks us how the sound quality compares, and we can't really describe sound quality succinctly.  So, Mango made a movie about it:

As far as we're concerned, Shaw Digital Phone appears to be better quality than an analog line, and G.711 the best of all.

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I've been trying to decide which codec I want to run my VoIP system off.  There seem to be two that are the most popular.  The G.729 codec is certainly very appealing as far as bandwidth is concerned - it runs at only 8 kilobits - that's kilobits, not kilobytes! - per second.  It does have some limitations, however.

Asterisk servers have a nifty feature that lets me download recordings of voicemail in *.wav format.  I decided to call my voicemail a few different ways so that I could compare.

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