HOW TO SETUP ASTERISK@HOME

Part 6: Setting up External Calling using VoIP

For outgoing calls, or incoming external calls, you need to either purchase hardware that connects the PBX server to an analog phone line, or be subscribed to a VoIP provider. We opted for the latter, as it is far less expensive.

There are several providers to choose from, but we recommend VoIPJet (http://www.voipjet.com/) for testing purposes because it's extremely inexpensive. However, it doesn't allow you to receive incoming external calls - it is outgoing only, since you don't get assigned a phone number. Broadvoice (http://www.broadvoice.com/) is a little more expensive, but allows you to make both incoming and outgoing external calls since they assign you a unique telephone number. In fact, you can use any VoIP provider that supports SIP or IAX/IAX2 protocols with Asterisk.

If you are impatient, the good news about most VoIP providers is that they give you nearly instant access after signing up. We had our VoIPJet account up and running in less than thirty minutes after first visiting their website.

To configure outgoing calling, open up your favorite browser and browse to your PBX Server's IP address once again. In the AMP, the same place where you set-up the extensions, on the left, click Outbound Routing.

If there are any existing routes (at the top right), click them. Then, in the Edit Route page, hit the Delete Route link which is right underneath the Edit Route text.

Click the red bar at the top to apply the changes.

Next, on the left, select Trunks. Do not delete the existing trunks yet. Here is where VoIPJet and Broadvoice differ: VoIPJet is IAX/IAX2, whereas Broadvoice is SIP. If you are using VoIPJet, click add IAX2 trunk, if you are using Broadvoice, click add SIP trunk.

If you are using VoIPJet or an IAX/IAX2 provider, that should bring you to the following page.

On this page, you will have to configure outgoing dialing options. Firstly, replace 514 with your local area code, or it will mess up outgoing calls. Fill in the appropriate settings as shown. Leave the incoming settings (not shown in the screenshot) blank, only if using VOIPjet. All of the information that you are inputting on this page should be provided by your VoIP provider (VOIPJet, Broadvoice, etc.).

You can use the following image as a model for your settings.

Submit the changes, and then, as before, click the red bar at the top to apply the changes.

Now, click the ZAP trunk at the top right. On the Edit Trunk page, click the Delete Trunk link.