[Techtalk] Does asterisk need a modem card?

[Daniel Pittman]

vtrucs <vtrucs at gmail.com> writes:

> I'm about to plunge into the world of Asterisk and am already stymied.  My
> Dell box doesn't have a modem card, but I do have an ATA router: InnoMedia
> MTA6328-2, an unlocked former Sunrocket gizmo.

OK.  *If* that will talk to a standard SIP server, which it probably will[1],
then it should work fine with Asterisk.

> Just to prevent the "@#$Q I needed -that- piece of hardware" blues three or
> four days into setup, can anyone tell me if Asterisk needs a modem card on
> the computer it's being set up on?

No, you don't.  You /do/ need a source for a 1000Hz clock tick, which can come
from Zaptel supported hardware, or from the kernel RTC.  I use the later, in a
machine that definitely has no modem cards, and it works fine.

> I remember setting up a modem card was a nightmare on previous Linux
> installs, and am really hoping the answer is no, but will get one if I have
> to.

Generally speaking, a "generic" modem card isn't going to work with Asterisk
anyhow.  A very limited subset of Intel software modems could be used as POTS
adapters, but they are vanishingly rare.  Everything else is dedicated
hardware.

Regards,
        Daniel

Footnotes: 
[1]  ...but I am too lazy to Google it up and check.