[ale] Voice Modems

[Brian MacLeod]

Okay, how about a different approach?  Pick up a PC (used is
absolutely fine, may even be able to get for free) with some PCI
slots.  You want 256MB of memory as a minimum.  Processor isn't as
important.  Grab a couple of X100P cards from x100p.com (the clones on
eBay are known to have echo problems), for ~$37, and download trixbox
(www.trixbox.org).  Install trixbox (stick CD in, say yes, walk away
for a while).  After logging in and putting in some passwords for
various functions, you cna then log in to your trixbox website, and
create 4 incoming routes/extensions, to which you will send to
Voicemail.  You can put in your own custom prompts as necessary.

A little more expensive, yes, but you're probably going to have to do
that anyway to get good cards with m/vgetty.

bnm

On 10/15/06, Brian D. Pitts <bpitts at learnlink.emory.edu> wrote:
>
>  Hi,
>          I've been asked to set up a computer-based answering machine for
> three phone lines. After a certain number of rings, the computer should
> answer the phone, record any audio to a file, then email that file. It looks
> like vgetty provides the basic capability I need to do this (described here
> http://linuxindia.virtualave.net/lamhowto.html). If I want
> something fancier, VOCP can build on that.
>          My problem is that I need to do this on the cheap; $100 max. The
> computer this will be running on (PowerMac G4, Fedora) has 4 unused PCI
> slots. I expect that my best bet is to buy several pci cards with serial
> ports and three external modems. Would anyone pursue a hardware strategy?
>          I can find 2-port cards
> (http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Dual-Two-2-Serial-RS232-Ports-PCI-Expansion-Card_W0QQitemZ300037861915QQihZ020QQcategoryZ3666QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
> that claim linux support for $15 on ebay. These are based on a Netmos 9820
> chip; does anyone have experience with this? I've found references
> (http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/linux-parport/2005-March/000277.html)
> that suggest it should work with the 8250_pci driver.
>          My next question is what modems should I look for? There are plenty
> of new $20 Actiontecs
> (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Actiontec-USB-Serial-56K-V92-90External-Fax-Modem_W0QQitemZ230038411946QQihZ013QQcategoryZ14920QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem),
> but they don't mention voice capability. Has anyone tried them? Are there
> any specific brands or models that anyone would recommend I look for used on
> ebay?
>
>  Thanks,
>  Brian
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