Top 10 Reasons Why I love Asterisk

August 3, 2007
AsteriskIn November 2001 I wrote an article for Communications Solutions Magazine (precuror to the #1 VoIP magazine, Internet Telephony Magazine) titled "In Search Of A Linux-Based PBX" . In that article I espoused the benefits of Linux and open source and pondered why there wasn't an open source Linux-based PBX. It was then that I discovered and wrote about Asterisk which virtually no one knew about and which was still up-and-coming.

Who knew that out of the plethora of Linux telephony companies I found in that article that Asterisk would be the clear front-running Linux IP-PBX today. In just a few short years, Asterisk has built a rabid and loyal fan base. Asterisk along with Digium's popular hardware have created excitement in the VoIP industry like no other VoIP player has. And that's why I thought it was time I wrote an article stating unequivocally how much I Asterisk. And so here it is...

Top 10 Reasons Why I love Asterisk
  1. Because it's open source, duh!
  2. It has a strong and loyal community that continues to grow. While there are many open source solutions, most don't have nearly the support that Asterisk has.
  3. Its configuration files are so granular you can configure Asterisk to do just about anything and you can easily add third-party applications. For instance, you can get weather reports from your Asterisk phone system. Why you can even call and talk to your plants giving them some - your plants will even call you using Asterisk and talk to you. Another app example: Asterisk supports Bluetooth presence integration so when you aren't in the office calls are automatically forwarded to your cell. (Nerd Vittles has tuts here and here.)
  4. If a feature doesn't exist, or you need help with something, you can ask the Asterisk community.
  5. Even Linux novices can try Asterisk with a simple bootable ISO image called AsteriskNOW.
  6. All the cool Asterisk "hacks" - run Asterisk on anything including a Linksys WRT54G wireless router or even on an Apple TV.
  7. According to this article, security issues are handled quickly by a core team of Asterisk developers that address issues 24 to 48 hours from the initial report. Talk about a fast bug fix turnaround!
  8. Want a highly scalable 64-bit virtualized and hosted version of Asterisk with clustering? Check out my BlueWave Telecom post.
  9. Asterisk is "the" open source PBX that has helped drive costs down for traditional PBXs while forcing traditional PBX manufacturers to innovate more quickly. Traditional PBX manufacturers today offer more "bang-for-your-buck" features due to competition from Asterisk.
  10. Last, but not least, the reason why I love Asterisk is that the founder of Asterisk, "Asterisk guru", Mark Spencer likes fast convertibles, as do I.
    dave rodriguez left, mark spencer right - roadster
    Dave Rodriguez (TMC) on left with Mark Spencer (Digium) on right.
    tom keating viper
    Me on vacation in Cape Cod with my 2001 Dodge Viper RT/10

So what would you add to this Top 10 list? Post a comment.


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Comments to Top 10 Reasons Why I love Asterisk


  1. Robert Keller :
    August 3, 2007 4:41 PM

    Ward mention you two were talking the other day. This post must be a resultsmile


  1. Tom Keating[TypeKey Profile Page] :
    August 3, 2007 4:44 PM

    >>Ward mention you two were talking the other day. This post must be a result

    Actually, no. I was drafting this article for some time, but just never got around to finishing it. I did link to a bunch of great Ward/Ward/Nerd Vittles articles above though. But just coincidence that we emailed back and forth.

    I have another draft post about my discussion with Ward/Nerd Vittles. Should go live on Monday. Stay tuned!wink


  1. Robert Keller :
    August 3, 2007 4:49 PM

    I too hope to talk with Ward next week. I have started an Audio blog at:
    http://www.gabcast.com/index.php?a=episodes&id=292

    Tom, would you be willing to spend 10 minutes with me in a Gabcast (via Asterisk)interview?


  1. Sheng :
    August 4, 2007 1:10 AM

    I love asterisk (Trixbox). You can't beat it. A free pbx system. A free phone solution is to use grandcentral as your number, then simul-ring your asterisk box and cell phone. Get a free DID number from sipnumber.com or freedigits.com, then assign that as a trunk in asterisk. Forward your local grandcentral number to the free DID. You now have free incoming calls. Then for outbound, you can go with voipdiscount, freedigits, gizmoproject, etc. This way you have unlimited incoming, and then pay as you go outgoing. The beauty of Grandcentral is you can always change the number it simul-rings to.


  1. Diana Cionoiu :
    August 14, 2007 3:56 PM

    10 reasons why i don't love Asterisk.
    1. Maybe the software is free but the support is not.
    2. The design is made in a way that you have to reimplement every single feature in a bunch of modules.
    3. Is not really stable
    4. Is not able to support deasociated media and signalling for example to send the RTP directly between the MGCP endpoints and the SIP endpoints.
    5. It's a PBX not a softswitch.
    6. It doesn't route from a database which makes the writing of a GUI hard.
    7. The IVR in other languages than c is quite limited.
    8. The H.323 module is not stable.
    9. The IAX modules has the biggest function i've saw in my life.
    10. It takes 2 days to configure it.


  1. DJ :
    August 16, 2007 11:28 AM

    No need to write a GUI ... I am running Asterisk 1.4.9 with FreePBX 2.3.0RC1.1 ... no problems so far!


  1. Leigh[TypeKey Profile Page] :
    August 20, 2007 5:41 PM

    Tom - Great post, although we think there are actually 11 reasons users should love Asterisk.

    http://blog.citel.com/2007/08/top_10_reasons_to_love_asteris.html

    As an aside, referring to the "No Love" comments listed above, some observations.
    -As Tom says above, one of the most remarkable things about Asterisk is the community - not "Support" in a professional sense, but there is a vast network of "helpers" out there.
    -We've seen some very large (college campus) installations and from our experience it is very stable.
    -Configuration is proportional to the level of experience of the person configuring it. I think Digium/Asterisk addresses this in the other versions and with the appliance.


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