UKVoIPTalk.com

An IT friend of mine gave me the cover disk from a magazine he received, and
on it is 3CX Phone System 3, which claims to be "Complete phone PBX in
software!".

Does anybody - preferably with experience of this piece of software - know
if this is any good?

TIA

On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:35:31 +0100, "Henry Hooray"
<yri6tus02@sneakeLEAVETHISOUTmail.com> mused:
[color=blue]
>An IT friend of mine gave me the cover disk from a magazine he received, and
>on it is 3CX Phone System 3, which claims to be "Complete phone PBX in
>software!".
>
>Does anybody - preferably with experience of this piece of software - know
>if this is any good?
>[/color]
Can't comment on the actual software but the idea behind it is that
rather than using VoIP phones connected to an outside provider, such
as Sipgate, you connect to an internal server that you run yourself.
Unless you are planning on running a reasonable sized IP based PBX
then it won't do anything more than a decent specced IP office
(Grandstream 2000, or 2020 spring to mind) phone and a couple of free
VoIP accounts, apart from require more hardware.

All AFAIAA IMO anyway.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

"Lurch" <myrealname@sjwelectrical.co.uk> wrote in message
news:nmj1c35sqfrbokalkl29glbu2cdkfiai5r@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:35:31 +0100, "Henry Hooray"
> <yri6tus02@sneakeLEAVETHISOUTmail.com> mused:
>[color=green]
> >An IT friend of mine gave me the cover disk from a magazine he received,[/color][/color]
and[color=blue][color=green]
> >on it is 3CX Phone System 3, which claims to be "Complete phone PBX in
> >software!".
> >
> >Does anybody - preferably with experience of this piece of software -[/color][/color]
know[color=blue][color=green]
> >if this is any good?
> >[/color]
> Can't comment on the actual software but the idea behind it is that
> rather than using VoIP phones connected to an outside provider, such
> as Sipgate, you connect to an internal server that you run yourself.
> Unless you are planning on running a reasonable sized IP based PBX
> then it won't do anything more than a decent specced IP office
> (Grandstream 2000, or 2020 spring to mind) phone and a couple of free
> VoIP accounts, apart from require more hardware.
>
> All AFAIAA IMO anyway.[/color]

Does anybody know if this 3CX software could be used to provide a similar
service (on a personal and a few friends basis) to that provided by Voxalot?

I imagine it would need to be able to provide SIP registrar / redirect / and
proxy server facilities to do as required above.

Rob

"Rob" <nobody@this.place.invalid> wrote in message
news:13c3jmk9ffb577d@corp.supernews.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Lurch" <myrealname@sjwelectrical.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:nmj1c35sqfrbokalkl29glbu2cdkfiai5r@4ax.com...[color=green]
>> On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:35:31 +0100, "Henry Hooray"
>> <yri6tus02@sneakeLEAVETHISOUTmail.com> mused:
>>[color=darkred]
>> >An IT friend of mine gave me the cover disk from a magazine he received,[/color][/color]
> and[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >on it is 3CX Phone System 3, which claims to be "Complete phone PBX in
>> >software!".
>> >
>> >Does anybody - preferably with experience of this piece of software -[/color][/color]
> know[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >if this is any good?
>> >[/color]
>> Can't comment on the actual software but the idea behind it is that
>> rather than using VoIP phones connected to an outside provider, such
>> as Sipgate, you connect to an internal server that you run yourself.
>> Unless you are planning on running a reasonable sized IP based PBX
>> then it won't do anything more than a decent specced IP office
>> (Grandstream 2000, or 2020 spring to mind) phone and a couple of free
>> VoIP accounts, apart from require more hardware.
>>
>> All AFAIAA IMO anyway.[/color]
>
> Does anybody know if this 3CX software could be used to provide a similar
> service (on a personal and a few friends basis) to that provided by
> Voxalot?
>
> I imagine it would need to be able to provide SIP registrar / redirect /
> and
> proxy server facilities to do as required above.
>
> Rob[/color]

Wouldn't Asterisk do all that?
--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

"Graham." <me@privacy.com> wrote in message
news:f9smfl$fik$1@registered.motzarella.org...
[color=blue][color=green]
> >
> > Does anybody know if this 3CX software could be used to provide a[/color][/color]
similar[color=blue][color=green]
> > service (on a personal and a few friends basis) to that provided by
> > Voxalot?
> >
> > I imagine it would need to be able to provide SIP registrar / redirect /
> > and
> > proxy server facilities to do as required above.
> >
> > Rob[/color]
>
> Wouldn't Asterisk do all that?[/color]

I don't know. :-)

Doesn't Asterisk need to be installed on a Linux box?

I was hoping to be able to set something reasonably simple up to enable a
handful of friends/family in Australia and Sweden (I am in the UK) to be
able to use multiple VoIP accounts which at present they cannot do as their
equipment is only capable of handling a single SIP registrar. As I see it,
if they were able to register their devices on my "service", then providing
some sort of dial-plan were available to them via that "service", it should
be possible to achieve the intended outcome.

Personally I use a DrayTek 2800VG which can handle 6 SIP registrars, but a
few more would be welcome.

Rob

In article <13c3qpinfubl297@corp.supernews.com>,
Rob <nobody@this.place.invalid> wrote:[color=blue]
>
>"Graham." <me@privacy.com> wrote in message
>news:f9smfl$fik$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >
>> > Does anybody know if this 3CX software could be used to provide a[/color][/color]
>similar[color=green][color=darkred]
>> > service (on a personal and a few friends basis) to that provided by
>> > Voxalot?
>> >
>> > I imagine it would need to be able to provide SIP registrar / redirect /
>> > and
>> > proxy server facilities to do as required above.
>> >
>> > Rob[/color]
>>
>> Wouldn't Asterisk do all that?[/color]
>
>I don't know. :-)
>
>Doesn't Asterisk need to be installed on a Linux box?[/color]

3CX is a closed-source PBX system which runs under Windows. There is
a free version with user/community support (via forums) and a paid-for
version with (I guess) support from the company.

Asterisk is open-source which runs under Linux (and Solaris) Lots of
support from digium (the primary sponsors) and the communiuty via
forums/mailling lists, etc. as well as various people who'll sell
you support.
[color=blue]
>I was hoping to be able to set something reasonably simple up to enable a
>handful of friends/family in Australia and Sweden (I am in the UK) to be
>able to use multiple VoIP accounts which at present they cannot do as their
>equipment is only capable of handling a single SIP registrar. As I see it,
>if they were able to register their devices on my "service", then providing
>some sort of dial-plan were available to them via that "service", it should
>be possible to achieve the intended outcome.[/color]

Either 3CX or Asterisk ought to be able to do what you require - if you
run them on a suitable PC at home. You then create your own closed VoIP
system, and with Asterisk, you could certianly take their local SIP
providers details and register the * box with them, to allow them to
call-through to their own provider as well as calling the other local
users, although you'd need to be careful to not let other users use other
users SIP providers (and thus run up charges to the wrong person!) And
everyone would need to trust you with their SIP username & passwords
for their own providers - trust you to not abuse them and run up their
bills, etc.

Gordon

"Gordon Henderson" <gordon+usenet@drogon.net> wrote in message
news:46c1efad$0$13936$fa0fcedb@news.zen.co.uk...[color=blue]
>
> 3CX is a closed-source PBX system which runs under Windows. There is
> a free version with user/community support (via forums) and a paid-for
> version with (I guess) support from the company.[/color]

Yes, I found the free version thanks :-)
I think I might have play around with it when I get some spare time.
If anybody wants to download it, it's available here:
[url]http://www.3cx.com/ip-pbx/index.html[/url]
[color=blue]
> Asterisk is open-source which runs under Linux (and Solaris) Lots of
> support from digium (the primary sponsors) and the communiuty via
> forums/mailling lists, etc. as well as various people who'll sell
> you support.[/color]

That's out for me ATM then, as I'm not familiar with either of those OSs.
[color=blue][color=green]
> >I was hoping to be able to set something reasonably simple up to enable a
> >handful of friends/family in Australia and Sweden (I am in the UK) to be
> >able to use multiple VoIP accounts which at present they cannot do as[/color][/color]
their[color=blue][color=green]
> >equipment is only capable of handling a single SIP registrar. As I see[/color][/color]
it,[color=blue][color=green]
> >if they were able to register their devices on my "service", then[/color][/color]
providing[color=blue][color=green]
> >some sort of dial-plan were available to them via that "service", it[/color][/color]
should[color=blue][color=green]
> >be possible to achieve the intended outcome.[/color]
>
> Either 3CX or Asterisk ought to be able to do what you require - if you
> run them on a suitable PC at home. You then create your own closed VoIP
> system, and with Asterisk, you could certianly take their local SIP
> providers details and register the * box with them, to allow them to
> call-through to their own provider as well as calling the other local
> users, although you'd need to be careful to not let other users use other
> users SIP providers (and thus run up charges to the wrong person!) And
> everyone would need to trust you with their SIP username & passwords
> for their own providers - trust you to not abuse them and run up their
> bills, etc.[/color]

Thanks for the comments, it sounds like it might be possible from what you
say. Presumably if it is possible to redirect calls, the actual VoIP
traffic itself will not be travelling via my PC and will therefore not
suffer from excess delay by travelling from say, Australia to UK and back to
Australia again for an internal Australian call.

Rob

In article <13c3ta82q3ghs9c@corp.supernews.com>,
Rob <nobody@this.place.invalid> wrote:[color=blue]
>
>"Gordon Henderson" <gordon+usenet@drogon.net> wrote in message
>news:46c1efad$0$13936$fa0fcedb@news.zen.co.uk...[color=green]
>>
>> 3CX is a closed-source PBX system which runs under Windows. There is
>> a free version with user/community support (via forums) and a paid-for
>> version with (I guess) support from the company.[/color]
>
>Yes, I found the free version thanks :-)
>I think I might have play around with it when I get some spare time.
>If anybody wants to download it, it's available here:
>[url]http://www.3cx.com/ip-pbx/index.html[/url]
>[color=green]
>> Asterisk is open-source which runs under Linux (and Solaris) Lots of
>> support from digium (the primary sponsors) and the communiuty via
>> forums/mailling lists, etc. as well as various people who'll sell
>> you support.[/color]
>
>That's out for me ATM then, as I'm not familiar with either of those OSs.[/color]

There are various "live install" CDs for asterisk - take a blank PC, put in
the CD and turn it on ...
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>> >I was hoping to be able to set something reasonably simple up to enable a
>> >handful of friends/family in Australia and Sweden (I am in the UK) to be
>> >able to use multiple VoIP accounts which at present they cannot do as[/color][/color]
>their[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >equipment is only capable of handling a single SIP registrar. As I see[/color][/color]
>it,[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >if they were able to register their devices on my "service", then[/color][/color]
>providing[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >some sort of dial-plan were available to them via that "service", it[/color][/color]
>should[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >be possible to achieve the intended outcome.[/color]
>>
>> Either 3CX or Asterisk ought to be able to do what you require - if you
>> run them on a suitable PC at home. You then create your own closed VoIP
>> system, and with Asterisk, you could certianly take their local SIP
>> providers details and register the * box with them, to allow them to
>> call-through to their own provider as well as calling the other local
>> users, although you'd need to be careful to not let other users use other
>> users SIP providers (and thus run up charges to the wrong person!) And
>> everyone would need to trust you with their SIP username & passwords
>> for their own providers - trust you to not abuse them and run up their
>> bills, etc.[/color]
>
>Thanks for the comments, it sounds like it might be possible from what you
>say. Presumably if it is possible to redirect calls, the actual VoIP
>traffic itself will not be travelling via my PC and will therefore not
>suffer from excess delay by travelling from say, Australia to UK and back to
>Australia again for an internal Australian call.[/color]

Well that's where it gets tricky. Handling SIP/RTP traffic through NAT
firewalls can be somewhat problematic and you might well end up with data
going from Oz through your home ADSL line then back to the Oz telco...

Gordon

"Rob" <nobody@this.place.invalid> wrote in message
news:13c3qpinfubl297@corp.supernews.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Graham." <me@privacy.com> wrote in message
> news:f9smfl$fik$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >
>> > Does anybody know if this 3CX software could be used to provide a[/color][/color]
> similar[color=green][color=darkred]
>> > service (on a personal and a few friends basis) to that provided by
>> > Voxalot?
>> >
>> > I imagine it would need to be able to provide SIP registrar / redirect
>> > /
>> > and
>> > proxy server facilities to do as required above.
>> >
>> > Rob[/color]
>>
>> Wouldn't Asterisk do all that?[/color]
>
> I don't know. :-)
>
> Doesn't Asterisk need to be installed on a Linux box?[/color]

Yes, but don't let that fact alone put you off.
I know nothing about Linux, but I put together
a working Asterisk at Home box in a couple of evenings
using an old Pentium II

If you have an old PC lying about why not download
the latest version of Trixbox from here
[url]http://sourceforge.net/projects/asteriskathome/[/url]
If you can burn an iso, you can build a Trixbox.

Think of it this way, you don't know the first thing
about the OS that runs your router, but that doesn't
stop you from logging into it's web interface from
a windows box to configure it.
It's exactly the same with Trixbox.

--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On 8 13 , 10 35 , "Henry Hooray"
<yri6tu...@sneakeLEAVETHISOUTmail.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> An IT friend of mine gave me the cover disk from a magazine he received, and
> on it is 3CX Phone System 3, which claims to be "Complete phone PBX in
> software!".
>
> Does anybody - preferably with experience of this piece of software - know
> if this is any good?[/color]


Well, it is a software-based IP PBX that replaces a traditional
proprietary hardware PBX / PABX. 3CX's IP PBX has been developed
specifically for Microsoft Windows and is based on the SIP standard -
making it easier to manage and allowing you to use any SIP phone
(software or hardware).
A software-based IP PBX / PABX offers numerous benefits:
No need for separate phone wiring - phones use computer network
Easier to install & manage via web-based configuration interface
A software-based IP PBX is far less expensive then a hardware-based
PBX / PABX
Employees can move offices without requiring any changes in the wiring
or IP PBX configuration
Choose from the many SIP based hardware phones instead of getting
locked in with one vendor
Receive & Make calls via the standard PSTN using VOIP Gateways
Save on call costs using any SIP VOIP service or WAN