What is Asterisk? Features, advantages and disadvantages of Asterisk

What is Asterisk? What components does the Asterisk system include? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Asterisk? Do not ignore the following article of BKNS if you want detailed answers to the above questions.

1. What is Asterisk?

Asterisk is a telephone exchange (PBX: private branch exchange) written as open source software. Asterisk has the ability to run well on Windows, Linux, BSD, OSX. Asterisk provides all the necessary features of a telephone exchange for internal companies and businesses. Currently, many companies or businesses apply the Asterisk PBX system to their business activities.

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Just need a computer with pre-installed operating system and Asterisk software, you can set up Asterisk PBX with many unique features. Asterisk creates connections between phones and expands connections with other PBXs, with IP Phone, Media Gateway service, Softswitch, Voicemail, Music on hold, Conference server,...

Like other PBXs, Asterisk allows phones linked together through this software to make calls to each other, and allows connections to other telephony services, including public switched telephone networks. plus (PSTN)

2. What is the unique feature of Asterisk?

2.1 Display the incoming call number (Caller ID)

Incoming subscribers will appear on the screen of the device being used

Caller ID allows to confirm incoming subscriber, choose not to receive or accept calls from Asterisk system

Ability to quickly block calls from spam numbers or calls with the purpose of harassment

2.2 Call forwarding (Call Forwarding)

Allows calls to be diverted to one or more predefined numbers, and can even be diverted to mobile or landlines

In certain cases, the Asterisk switchboard will automatically transfer calls when busy, unanswered, calls with a predetermined time, instant calls, etc.

2.3 Automatic reply (Interactive Voice Response)

You can create an autoresponder using Asterisk

Depending on the interaction of the incoming subscriber, the Asterisk switchboard will direct the call accordingly

2.4 Setting call time

This is a feature that helps to specify a specific time period during which calls should be directed to a specific function or phone number.

2.5 Receiving calls from another phone while it is ringing

This feature is useful when an employee is busy but has an incoming call, another employee can receive the call from his device screen.

Random mode, rotation, priority or all can fix the case where many people call the same phone number

2.6 Call monitoring (Monitoring calls)

This feature of Asterisk helps users to monitor recording files, call logs, sort by time, statistics, reports, support call search, etc.

2.7 Voice messages (Voice mail )

This feature allows external clients to call the Asterisk system and leave voice messages

User can check Voicemail and respond to customer

2.8 Call recording (recording)

This is a feature that allows call recording to allow two-way or one-way (both outgoing and incoming calls).

Unlimited recording time but depends on the memory capacity of the Asterisk switchboard

2.9 Privacy Manager

Asterisk's Privacy Manager feature allows numbers in the list to make calls

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Asterisk?

3.1 What are the advantages of Asterisk?

Save on installation costs and voice costs

Flexible editing capabilities to work with a wide range of hardware devices

Access to thousands of tutorials on the internet for creating different PBX solutions

Relatively low monthly technical support costs

User-friendly interface, easy to manage

Diverse features, many new utilities completely free

Expanding the system easily and quickly

3.2 Disadvantages of Asterisk

Asterisk only runs on Unix operating systems, so it's still difficult to use

Installing and configuring server and workstation systems is more complicated than conventional PBXs

The security of the Asterisk system is not high because the server is built on one computer

4. What are the components of the Asterisk system?

4.1 IP-PBX . Server

The IP-PBX server operates on an open source operating system. PBX applications include terminal connection establishment, open source monitoring and management applications that interact with Asterisk. The server manages incoming and outgoing calls to the system, monitors traffic, status and reports to users.

4.2 Terminals

Choose a terminal according to your needs, it can be an IP phone, Softphone, Analogue, Wifi phone, Headphone, Microphone attached.

4.3 Voice Gateway Device

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This is an intermediate communication device between the IP-PBX server and the PSTN signal. This device has the ability to expand and connect unlimited number of VoIP Gateways with IP-PBX server through IP connection.

The Voice Gateway device supports many Codec standards such as H323, G711, G729, SIP, etc. This device supports a variety of connections FXS, FXO, BRI, SS7, etc. scale of the telephone exchange system.

>> Learn more:

What is IP telephony (VoIP)? Advantages and disadvantages of IP phones

What is IP PBX? Why choose IP PBX?

What is Analog PBX? Differentiate Analog and IP phone exchange

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