Section 4.1. What Do I Really Need?

4.1. What Do I Really Need?

The asterisk character ( * ) is used as a wildcard in many different applications. It is the perfect name for this PBX for many reasons, one of which is the enormous number of interface types to which Asterisk can connect . These include:

• Analog interfaces, such as your telephone line and analog telephones

• Digital circuits, such as T-1 and E-1 lines

• VoIP protocols such as SIP and IAX

Asterisk doesn't need any specialized hardwarenot even a sound card. Channel cards that connect Asterisk to analog phones or phone lines are available, but not essential. You can connect to Asterisk using the soft phones that are available for Windows, Linux, and other operating systems without using a special hardware interface. You can also use any IP phone that supports either SIP or IAX2. On the other side, if you don't connect directly to an analog phone line from your central office, you can route your calls over the Internet to a telephony service provider.