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An IP Phone is a Simplified Computer Taking into consideration the fact that an IP phone implements both a telephone interface and an IP interface, it is clear that an IP phone is actually a computer with a simplified human interface. This fact constitutes a mix-up, when non-technical people refer to an IP PBX system. Traditional PBX systems implement all the PBX services at the PBX level, while IP PBX systems tend to implement some of the features at the IP Phone level. For example, even the simplest IP phone is capable of rendering hold and transfer functions, without performing any function on the PBX system.

An added value is the ability to trunk multiple call sessions into a single dataflow. This feature preserves bandwidth and network resources when interconnecting Asterisk servers, utilizing the IAX protocol. Another advantage is security, as IAX is capable of performing authentication using plain text, MD5 hashing, and RSA key exchanges, making it more secure than Asterisk's SIP implementation. As Asterisk progresses, we will surely see advancements in that field too, most probably adding TLS functionality in addition to the above.

While the above screen is fairly simple, one useful option would be the Asterisk Console option. The Asterisk console displays the workings of your PBX. While calls traverse the PBX, your console screen will be constantly updated with various status reports and debug information. [ 36 ] Chapter 2 The following screenshot shows what the Asterisk Console screen may look like: You have successfully completed the first section of the installation process. Now you need to perform the initial appliance configuration, which is explained in the following section.