HOW TO SETUP ASTERISK@HOME

  1. Introduction
  2. Installing the Operating System with Asterisk
  3. Configuring the Operating System
  4. Configuring Asterisk
  5. Getting a Softphone Working - X-Lite
  6. Setting up External Calling using VoIP
  7. Setting up External Calling using VoIP (cont'd)
  8. Advanced Settings and Configuration (via SSH)
  9. Conclusion

Part 3: Configuring the Operating System

At the login screen, log into CentOS with the following credentials:
login root
password password
Ignore any "mail" CentOS may claim you have.


First, change the root password to something a little more secure than password. The root password gives unrestricted access to the operating system (analogous to an administrator password on a Windows OS). To change the root password, type passwd and hit ENTER. You'll have to enter a password twice, and it won't show up on the screen as you type. If nothing went wrong, it should say All authentication tokens updated successfully.

Next, configure the IP address of the server by typing netconfig and hitting ENTER.


Input your desired network settings. The IP address should be on the same subnet as your router and all computers and VoIP phones you will be using in your IP-based PBX solution.


If you aren't exactly sure what all these settings mean, try this out: ensure that the first three "sections" (the groups of numbers separated by periods) of the IP address are the same as those on our other, networked computers and router. As well, you will probably use a Netmask of 255.255.255.0, and your Default Gateway and Primary Nameserver (DNS server) are likely the IP address of your router.

We do not recommend using dynamic IP configuration (BOOTP/DHCP) unless you are 100% certain that your DHCP/BOOTP server will never give out a different IP address to your server. Therefore, ensure that Use dynamic IP configuration (BOOTP/DHCP) is unchecked.

Confirm the selections by pressing OK, and that should bring you back to the Linux console.

Next, we have to change the other passwords from their default, insecure settings. We'll start with the Maintenance Password for the Asterisk web configuration interface. To change the password, type passwd-maint and hit ENTER. As with the root password, you'll have to enter it in twice and it won't show up on screen as you type it in.


Now we'll change the AMP Password. For simplicity's sake, we suggest using the same password for both the AMP Password and Maintenance Password, just make sure it's a fairly strong/secure password. Use the command passwd-amp.

Then, change the MeetMe Password using the command passwd-meetme.

Finally, change the *nix System Password using the command passwd admin - no dash between the two words. This password should be unique and very strong/secure.

Now, ensure the computer is plugged into the internet and reboot the machine. This will apply all the settings we have just changed, including the IP configuration. Use the command reboot (then press ENTER).

Click here to continue to the next step!

Copyright © 2006-2012 Michael Soares & Alexander Blank