TUTORIAL New Website: PIAF for Newbies

[blanchae]

I've created a new website called PBX in a Flash for Newbies. It covers the simple basics of configuring extensions, softphones, VOIP phones, IAXy S100i, FXS extensions and FXO trunks, zaptel cards, etc.. Enjoy

 

[mashby]

Thank you!

 

[imcdona]

Nice work! Thank you!

 

[MrBostn]

as we say in Boston-wicked pissa.

Thanks for the work. It helped me today setup an iax trunk to a remote server.

 

[mharry]

Thank you very much.
I am completely new to the Asterisk world. I just downloaded PiaF and it installed as advertised.

I am now using your guide to get it in and set it up, it is extremely helpful.

 

[Darrin]

Good Job! Your Newbie site is very helpful.
I've got PIAF built and working internally with 7 Linksys SPA942 phones.
We just recieved our Openvox 400p (2fxs/2fxo). Again your instructions for installation were perfect to install and test the Openvox.
Now I'm stuck at enabling an FXS port?
I created a ZAP extension for channel 3 but can't seem to get any dialtone.
Any suggestions?

 

[blanchae]

Two very good resources in addition to my site are:

PiaF without Tears - downloadable pdf and Ringdale PBX Administrator's Guide (Fixed broken link). Kudos to both authors as these are excellent well written guides

 

[blanchae]

Good Job! Your Newbie site is very helpful.
I've got PIAF built and working internally with 7 Linksys SPA942 phones.
We just recieved our Openvox 400p (2fxs/2fxo). Again your instructions for installation were perfect to install and test the Openvox.
Now I'm stuck at enabling an FXS port?
I created a ZAP extension for channel 3 but can't seem to get any dialtone.
Any suggestions?

Questions like this are better posted as a new topic to the other forum catefories like Help or Installation. Otherwise they get buried here and not looked at for a couple of months...

 

[wardmundy]

Hadn't seen the Ringdale Guide. That's a great find!

 

[blanchae]

Came across another great resource, this time for Webmin. It's called Debian How to Start to Finish using Webmin. It's a 614 page pdf, the first 65 pages don't apply to PiaF as it's about setting up Debian. Starting at page 66, there is a ton of information on using Webmin - the stuff that we've been trying to figure out using the command line.

This document is a reference document only! Do NOT follow the instructions as if it is an installation procedure for PiaF. Use it as a reference to see what services Webmin can configure and how to configure them.

 

[dkillip]

webmin

Problem for a *real* newbie: Please, Sir, where/how do I get to webmin?
I am trying to do so since I can't set a Static IP for system without killing the NIC, and loosing all connectivity. This results in my having to do a fullup reinstall of the box
Several threads suggest WEBMIN, but I don't see how to get to that from the box I'm trying to set up.

Full up installs for PIAF collide with netconfig's not allowing me to set a static IP (several threads suggest doing so twice using 'service network restart' etc, but to no avial. Worse, once DHCP IP is (not) changed, i.e. deselected once with netconfig, eth 0 is no longer usable for ANYTHING.

Pls, would Webadmin help me, and how do I get to those wonderful screens shown elsewhere. Mea culpa for so basic a question,
Rgds Dave K

 

[dkillip]

webmin

Problem for a *real* newbie: Please, Sir, where/how do I get to webmin?
I am trying to do so since I can't set a Static IP for system without killing the NIC, and loosing all connectivity. This results in my having to do a fullup reinstall of the box
Several threads suggest WEBMIN, but I don't see how to get to that from the box I'm trying to set up.

Full up installs for PIAF collide with netconfig's not allowing me to set a static IP (several threads suggest doing so twice using 'service network restart' etc, but to no avial. Worse, once DHCP IP is (not) changed, i.e. deselected once with netconfig, eth 0 is no longer usable for ANYTHING.

Pls, would Webadmin help me, and how do I get to those wonderful screens shown elsewhere. Mea culpa for so basic a question,
Rgds Dave K

 

[jroper]

Hi

I would be tempted to use the command:-

system-config-network

follow your nose, and when you are ready to apply the network changes, type:-

service network restart

Webmin is on port 9001 in Piaf, so assuming you have configured your PBX on 192.168.1.200, you would type:

http://192.168.1.200:9001

in your favourite browser, You will then be presented with a logon screen, assuming that you have run passwd-master, login with root as the user, and the password you set during the install of the system.

I trust this clarifies.

Joe

 

[blanchae]

Alternatively to Joe's direct to Webmin using port 9001, connect to your server at its IP address:

http://192.168.1.200 (as in Joe's example)

You are presented with the Kennosoft user menu, Select Admin and you should see a few more choices: FreePBX, Webmin and Kennosoft Configure. Select Webmin, logon with your root user name and password.

 

[jroper]

You are presented with the Kennosoft user menu, Select Admin and you should see a few more choices: FreePBX, Webmin and Kennosoft Configure. Select Webmin, logon with your root user name and password.

Oops forgot there was a link on the front page - I'm too used to addressing the URL's directly. Sorry for the misdirection.

Joe

 

[chris_c_]

PiaF without Tears - downloadable pdf and Ringdale PBX Administrator's Guide. Kudos to both authors as these are excellent well written guides

I found a "bug" in Ben Sharif's PiaF Without Tears pdf.

The wget url on page 147 is the deprecated one, and it was taken offline by now!

The current wget url was updated, from the current version of this page:

http://www.pbxinaflash.org/piafscripts/Asterisk 1.4/Installs/G729 and G723 Codecs

namely:

wget http://pbxinaflash.org/ast14/scripts/install-codecs.x.gz

Hope this saves a lot of people from a lot of frustration

 

[blanchae]

In addition to this site, I have another that is used for the course I teach called Introduction to VoIP. It consists of 3 parts:

1. A fictious company in Edmonton called Desoto Carriage Works runs a PBX based on Cisco Call Manager Express (CME). There are 5 labs that detail configuring and running CME

2. A fictious company in Calgary called Studebaker Chassis Design runs a PBX based on PiaF. There are 18 labs detailing how to install and configure PiaF.

3. The last part of the course is based on the idea that the two companies merge and the phone systems must be integrated. There are 3 labs detailing how to integrate the two systems and voicemail.

All of the labs are downloadable as pdf documents and have been updated as of Dec 2010 based on CME 7.5 and PiaF using Asterisk 1.6, dahdi and FreePBX 2.6

 

[Tekmon]

Love this place, oss, people like all I read here, tech minds meeting and helping all for what I call pbxiaf is liberty and freedom of speech!
Great site. Thank you.

Will I need to install an fxo card and keep a pots line to use our fax,
If we would like to keep that? Is documentation to trunk aregular fax?

 

[blanchae]

Love this place, oss, people like all I read here, tech minds meeting and helping all for what I call pbxiaf is liberty and freedom of speech!
Great site. Thank you.

Will I need to install an fxo card and keep a pots line to use our fax,
If we would like to keep that? Is documentation to trunk aregular fax?

Yes you will need an fxo card and a pots line to use the fax. There are other alternatives. It is best to put these type of questions as a new posting for help rather than in this thread. you will get a better and more knowledgable response.

 

[Linetux]

Eugene - I just wanted to add a 'thank you'... your site even helps those of us (like myself) who might be well-versed in VoIP tackle some of the little issues in bigger installs that can be the difference between an 'okay' installation and a 'great' one.

-Carter