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Off The Shelf PBX Appliance?

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n4tna
n4tna's picture
Off The Shelf PBX Appliance?
Has anyone tried using an off the shelf PBX such as the Grandstream GS-UCM6104 on the Mesh?  Our Emergency Manager is kind of leery of using a Raspberry PI and Asterisk and was looking for a more plug and play solution.  We currently are using the Grandstream GXP-1625 phones and have had success dialing direct IP over a small 2 node network, but as the network increases in size then the IP will change dynamically.  So we were looking into a PBX solution and none of us are experienced at all with Linux.

Thanks for the help,
Chris N4TNA
 
w6abj
We use, Incredible PBX on
We use, Incredible PBX on Raspberry PI3's, works great, you could use the X86 version, either way.. It works well.

Rich
W6ABJ
n4tna
n4tna's picture
Incredible
I'll have to check that out.  Thanks for the info.
 Chris N4TNA
KG6JEI
From a network perspective,
From a network perspective, if it can be made to run over the internet it can be made to run over the mesh (just make sure encryption is disabled.)
n4tna
n4tna's picture
That's kind of what I was
That's kind of what I was thinking, but it never hurts to ask if anyone has been down that road before.  Thanks for the help.
 Chris N4TNA
N2MH
N2MH's picture
Linksys SPA-9000

In the Virginia Beach, VA, area, both KD6FIG and W4NMH run Linksys (Cisco) SPA-9000 pbx's feeding several Polycom phones.  These Linksys boxes can be made to network with asterisk switches to form a voip network. However, it could be hard to take two of them and make them redundant to each other.

Don't discount an asterisk running on a raspberry pi, or its cousin, the BeagleBone Black. We ran two of them in a redundant mode at the New York City Marathon last fall and they worked very nicely. If you are thinking about voip networking, asterisk has many more options than a stand-alone appliance: trunk types, number manipulation, number of simultaneous calls, call logging, scripting ability...

If you are looking for voice mail, it is built into asterisk. I'm not sure how the various appliances (SPA-9000 included) support this feature. You may have to have a separate box just for the voice mail.

If you want your telephone pbx to also connect into a radio for remote control and access by telephones, then you want the AllStar asterisk load. It will run on the raspberry pi 2/3, BeagleBone Black, and x86 platforms.

73, Mark, N2MH
 

n4tna
n4tna's picture
Redundancy would be key.  I'd
Redundancy would be key.  I'd like to learn more about making that happen.  I checked out the All Star Asterisk and it does look like the optimal solution.  Maybe I should just get a Raspberry Pi and try playing with it.  VOIP to RF and vice versa could be very useful and would be a worth looking into.  Is all of the configuration and management on the All Star Asterisk done with command line, or is there some sort of web interface gui?  If it has to be done strictly via command line, I think that's what our EM was trying to avoid.  However if there is a user friendly admin module, then he may be swayed.

Thanks for the advice,
Chris N4TNA
We1btv
We1btv's picture
If you want a lean system you

If you want a lean system you can also install Asterisk on a node you use during “panic” situations. If the node has enough free memory it will run fine. Better would be a node with more memory on board like the Airrouter.
In the beginning days of BBHN I had Asterisk running on a WRT54GL for a year without a problem. It did run of a USB-flashdrive I soldered in to the GL. The Airrouter has a USB port build in already.
Only 5 phones connected, but still, it worked without getting even near the maximum CPU load or use up all memory. The UBT’s have newer, better and faster CPU’s so they should run fine.

If you pre-configure the node and use this configuration in emergency situations it saves you time setting all up in the field. Just power it up and your running. No mistakes possible, no problem of lost cables or PI’s and no extra power needed for the PI.
You would have all the benefits of the PBX like voicemail or group conference and all others functions Mark mentioned.

Saves you a PI and a lot of frustrations.

73, Ruud, WE1BTV
 
KG6JEI
Running software on node is
Running software on node is highly discouraged. There is nothing lean about trying to run Asterisk on a node expect for the lack of horsepower and ram that it will have to perform its mission.

​ARDEN doesn't put out software files for Asterisk on a Mesh Node so they will be a "compile/obtain yourself" project and move the node sharply into "Unsupported" territory (probably not something you want in this case)

​In addition the statement that BBHN ran fine with asterisk on a WRT54* I find a bit imprecise considering in my position as the Lead BBHN Programmer I can state that WRT54's barely ran in their stock condition (the startup times for some of the services was abysmal, 30-60 seconds for the main routing daemon to start in some tests where we have it starting probably in 3-5 seconds).  They worked, but the units were a lot closer to the cliff of collapsing than most people realize. Maybe they were not noticeably worse after loading Asterisk on them but they sure were not running fine.   (I'll also note the version of Asterisk from BBHN builds was created so long ago that it doesn't have a significant amount of the features current Asterisk does so it consumes significantly less resources.  While one might be inclined to run those older versions to save on resources, they have a number of known security vulnerabilities that can take down the Asterisk system making them non viable.
 
N2MH
N2MH's picture
Asterisk operating mode

The reason why asterisk ran at all on a BBHN node probably has to do with the mode under which it was running.

In asterisk, you can have the voice payload (RTP) either go through the asterisk code itself or be switched to go directly between the endpoints once the call is set up and answered. If the RTP goes through the asterisk fabric, chances are very good that the BBHN node will run out of gas. If it goes directly between the phones themselves, then asterisk is almost back in its idling condition and will not require much processor.

However, all bets are off if the connection is between phones running two different codecs. The RTP MUST now go through the asterisk fabric for transcoding purposes. Depending on the transcoding effort involved, this may consume more processor resource than is available on the Linksys device. Thus, you have just fallen off the cliff just described by Conrad.

Running foreign code on any node, even AREDN nodes, can be risky. All foreign code takes processor resource away from the node's primary purpose: handling data packets. If you can't handle data packets, then the node is useless. Best to keep all such code on external devices and let the nodes do what they were designed to do.

73, Mark
 

KE6UPI
Here is the most recent
Here is the most recent release for Raspberry Pi 2 & 3 for AllStarLink.

http://dvswitch.org/files/DIAL/RAT_RC1.tar.gz

Remember their is NO FreePBX with AllStar.
Samethings you can do with ASL:
Full-Duplex
Frequency agile remote base HF/Vhf/Uhf
Echolink and a DMR Gateway


David
KE6UPI
ALS Nodes 2060, 2061, 2062, 2063, 2064, 2080, 2081, 2082, 2083, 2084, 90104
N2MH
N2MH's picture
Alternate code

If you are looking for AllStar code that has been under development for several years for the rpi 2/3 and Beagle Bone Black and is stable, go to

http://www.hamvoip.com

There is also a forum on this website just for people running this code.

And, yes, as David alludes, there is no GUI for configuration. Everything is done via a text editor in linux.

However, what is not generally known is that any version of AllStar can also be configured as a pbx supporting phones and trunks. And, with the right configuration, you can cross over from the radio side to the pbx side and vice versa.

Mark
AllStar 40831

 

n4tna
n4tna's picture
Thanks for the link.  I will
Thanks for the link.  I will check that out.  I do feel more comfortable with having a forum with support.  Most everything you want to learn is on youtube, with the exception of things like this.  Maybe once I get everything working I can make a few videos for people wanting to do this.

Chris N4TNA
n4tna
n4tna's picture
Thanks for the link I'll have
Thanks for the link I'll have to check that out.  Already ordered a Raspberry Pi 3 and should be able to start working on it some next week.

Chris N4TNA
kg5eiu
kg5eiu's picture
PBX Appliance
Hi Chris,  Here in the DFW area we have in our mesh a GrandStream ucm 6202 - off the shelf PBX appliance running for registrations.   What is nice about this appliance is that is a self contained hardware/software solution with built in management.   Fully supported from  GrandStream.   What we have been experiemnting with is using the free GSWave app that you can load on any smart device iPhone/iPad/Android - this instantly gives you call control in the mesh and adv VOIP services like conference, voice mail, PSTN and a lot more.   I know there are a lot of "free" roll-your-own like FreePBX, *  etc.   But with the appliance approach I was able to quickly setup up centralized call control in less than an hour.   All of this for under $250.00usd.   So with this appliance approach you are never exposed to the OS or even need linux experience - you will need to understand some VOIP things and setup registration so that registration is as simple as scanning a QR Code in your iPhone/Android.    Future plans, I want to see if I can have an "extension" that is connected to a local repeater or radio, as well as PSTN access. 
n4tna
n4tna's picture
Thanks for the reply.  Our
Thanks for the reply.  Our Emergency Manager wants to have something plug and play like this.  Unless I can sway him away from the idea of a stand alone appliance, this is probably what we will end up with.  I'm still going to explore the Raspberry Pi and Allstar.  If we don't use for PBX then the RF to VOIP capabilities can still be useful.  I know that using Sangoma phones with FreePBX allows for some hands free provisioning.  Does the Grandstream devices have anything of the sorts?  I kind of like the idea of having someone who knows very little just plugging in a phone and having it configure itself basically.  Also firmware rollout is much easier.

Thanks for the help,
Chris N4TNA
 
N2MH
N2MH's picture
Interesting Box

Dave and Chris,

That Grandstream box looks interesting. A lot of useful stuff built in already. Looking through the info on the Grandstream site only shows a lot of sip configuration. Looking at other sites on the web reveals that this pbx also supports IAX trunking.

I think you might be hard pressed to find a good radio interface for this system. The big stumbling block looks like it will be providing PTT to the radio and COR from the radio back to the system and putting that under control of a phone. Here's where AllStar will come in handy, especially on a raspberry pi.

Bring up AllStar and radio interface and make it play with your radio. Configure it to have an extension which talks to the radio. Then, build a trunk betwee the Grandstream device and the AllStar device. Let your Grandstream device handle all the telephone extensions and registrations. Inside Grandstream, set up some sort of extension that will automatically go over the trunk to the AllStar box. Once in the AllStar box, the call will then go to the extension that accesses the radio. In theory, this should allow access to the radio from any extension on the Grandstream pbx. A little more programming on AllStar can give your radio access back to the phone system.

What is nice about this approach is that the AllStar device talks to the radio and does only that. You only have to set it up once. After that, all the telephone work is done by Grandstream. A trunk between them ties them together. You could bundle your radio and the AllStar rpi together in a go-kit, link it back to the Grandstream device via Mesh, and have the two physically separated. There's really no need to keep them together.

And, with a little creativity, one can network this whole thing back to a larger voip network if needed.

Chris,

Most phones have a web interface for configuration purposes. They also remember their configuration between power cycles. Thus, the phones generally do not require reprogramming every time they are used. With this in mind, you configure your nodes for the best data network, then plug the phones into a node closest to where you need them. They will find the pbx, register themselves and be immediately available for service. In general, Cisco phones can be an exception to this scenario (maybe others as well). Upon bootup, they go out to a server and retrieve their configuration. Not so for Grandstream and other later generation phones.

73, Mark
 

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
I have all my Grandstream GXP
I have all my Grandstream GXP-2000's provisioned with Freepbx over TFTP.  You can easily add a extra option line to the DHCP server on nodes to have it send out a preferred TFTP server for devices.
So, our setup procedure is:
  1. Acquire new phone
  2. Setup in FreePBX provisioning system (assign new MAC address to SIP number)
  3. Attach phone to mesh
  4. Boot phone
  5. Receives new/updated config from TFTP and reboots
  6. Working VOIP phone
KE6UPI
app_rpt is the heart of
app_rpt is the heart of AllStar. app_rpt only runs under Asterisk. AllStar has an auto patch you can setup for inbound and outbound calls. So using a Grandstream PBX to dial in to the AllStar node works fine with SIP or IAX2. You can have as many calls into the AllStar node that your network can handle. Their is also an Android app and a Windows app to connect to a node. I would use the Grandstream for the PBX and for fun add AllStar. Also using AllStar you can connect two or more nodes together to cover a larger area or link Vhf and Uhf together. Their is also a voter system you can buy.

David
n4tna
n4tna's picture
Thanks for the info.  Another
Thanks for the info.  Another feature I just discovered about the Grandstream PBX is that it can integrate with the Grandstream IP Cameras.  The Grandstream cameras can be set up as a SIP device and uses the PBX to distribute the streams to computers and video capable phones.  

Chris N4TNA
WB9KMO
Video through Asterisk and AllStar?
Grandstream video phones, 3240 and 3275, are popular on the mesh. I lean toward TeamTalk as an app of choice, but want to give VideoChat and other apps a chance. Do Asterisk devices mentioned in this thread and AllStar support video? I'm working to integrate mesh video and ATV.
kg5eiu
kg5eiu's picture
GrandStream VOIP Soft/Hard Devices


I have just validated using a GrandStream GXP-1625 VOIP phone (about 30 bucks on ebay usd)
and the built-in 2 port ethernet switch that I can hook all three things together for a nice compact go-box 
setup that can be setup in a matter of minutes - reference diagram:

HLD VOIP AREDH Mesh diagram

The best part of this setup is the Phone can register to the GrandStream UCM for central call
control (perhaps to a well connected EOC/Base)  and registration and get an "Extension" in/on the mesh for VOIP calls.  
In addition the free GSWave app from GrandStream will allow your iPad/Android/iPhone to register to the same UCM with
the same extension - the neat thing is the GSWave app also does video so you can instantly have video calls
in/on the mesh from device to device.  (the loco running AirOS/Part 15 in the above diagram handles all
that connectivity)   I like the GXP-1625 since it is low cost AND is multi-line - each line can have an independent 
SIP Account - so you could register the phone to another or backup Call control or just let it do IP voip dialing.
Also all firmware updates and "managment" are handled from the UCM so it will auto update and configure.

I have been experimenting with codecs for mesh efficient bit-rates and it seem iLBC is working well - the mesh seems to have a very high jitter
rate and not always the best bandwidth so 16K seems to make it most of the time.  The UCM supports all those different codecs right out of the box.

regards,
-David kg5eiu


 

n4tna
n4tna's picture
Very interesting.  This is
Very interesting.  This is really close to what we were thinking of deploying.
Chris
N4TNA
kj6ffp
I am using the Grandstream GS
I am using the Grandstream GS-UCM6104.  Grandstream is running Asterisk in the background.  You just get a fancy web interface.  It is a little challenging navigating when you first get into it but once you learn where everything is it isn't too bad.  Once you have everything setup the way you want it then there really isn't anything that needs to be done to it and is plug in play after that.   I like it because it gives you voicemail and an option to auto setup new phones that connect to the mesh if you have that feature enabled.    Grandstream told me there is a way to also connect multiple PBX systems together if you have multiple sites that are not connected to one another but both have an internet connection. The instructions are on their website.  I only have one PBX so I have not tested that but I like that the option is there so I can basically combine 2 separate phone systems into one large one if ever needed then be able to separate again for normal operations.  

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