This post will serve as a log of a really casual attempt to reproduce the desired functionality using Asterisk and / or FOSS software. My desire is to actually perform the install and configs vs. reading about them to verify what people discuss on the Internet re: Asterisk is actually what people want and / or would accept transitioning to.
The goals are:
- 50 hardphone deployment over 2 sites. currently call control exists at site A only, and the phones are Cisco 7940s
- BLF functionality on phones
- IVR to answer incoming calls and provide options via DTMF
- ACD / Call Queueing environment to distribute calls among 10 agents
- all calls should be able to be recorded
- calls should be able to be recorded on demand
- historical reports of call distribution and abandoned calls should be available
- agents should be able to identify what option was chosen from the IVR to reach them
- voicemail with retrieval from Outlook
- audio paging
- texting
- all signaling and RTP traffic must stay on LAN
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download
- decided on the Ubuntu OS to keep things easy knowing this may not be the production OS of choice
- burned using Sonic RecordNow CD
- simple next-next-next install on an old Dell Dimension desktop
- found issues with the default display options
- used "Ubuntu (no effects)" setting during login
- changed top and bottom bars to 32 height for easier reading
- changed Eth0 from DHCP to static address
- changed / created root user password via "sudo password root" (I am not concerned about the hashed / blank / secure root password at this time).
http://randystech.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89:install-asterisk-on-ubuntu-1004&catid=4:linux-server&Itemid=8
- decided to use the guide above as basic install steps vs. a live CD etc. to be able to dissect issues later if necessary
- found corporate desktop using IE7 made copying code difficult from site
- decided to simply download the script and review
http://randystech.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134:ubuntu-1004-asterisk-install-script&catid=4:linux-server&Itemid=8
- used scripted install due to issues copying documented install elements
- changed PASSWORD variable in script to something I could remember
- used text editor find / replace to change "aptitude" to "apt-get"
- ran in terminal via "bash asteriskinstall.sh"
Installed Attractel Zoiper softphone for easy testing
http://www.zoiper.com/download_list.phpInstalled Counterpath X-Lite softphone
http://www.counterpath.com/x-lite.html
- configured new IAX account (basically user / password) and registered Zoiper phone
- configured new SIP account (basically user / password) and registered X-Lite phone
- called voicemail, myself, some feature codes, etc. to test basic functionality.
- added Test IVR with a few useless options
- added feature code in FreePBX to access from softphone
- added blank inbound route to same IVR and used 7777 to simulate call from softphone
5/14/2011
Made some test calls between Zoiper and X-Lite. Found X-Lite seems to support Asterisk's implementation of presence basically natively. After some very simple configuration in X-Lite that involved adding the other Zoiper extension to the contact list, the X-Lite contact list was updated when a call was in / was not in progress on the other Zoiper extension. See setup and updated list below:
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| X-Lite contact list config |
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| X-Lite reflects Zoiper is in call |
5/15/2011
Added Queueing and Queuing Priorities Asterisk modules via FreePBX.
- Don't need Queuing Priorities except for testing.
- Added test queue as option from test IVR.
- Basic call routing and queuing features function as expected.
- CID Prefix does not work. Was expecting "Test" to prefix caller ID on test agent phone display. Will need to research dependencies / bugs.
- Agent audio prompt to agent on answer works nicely.
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