Nov 06 2008
Comparison between Astribank and PCI Cards
Asterisk Channel Banks are often overlooked when considering a solution for adding telephony interfaces to an open source telephony deployment. Astribank is a good example of a Channel Bank designed specifically for Asterisk. The Astribank offers an interesting alternative to PCI cards. Below is a comparison put together by Xorcom, the company behind the Astribank.
| Category/Feature | Astribank | PCI Card | Comments |
Installation and Maintenance |
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| Easy installation |  |
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USB connection vs. card assembly |
| Hot swappable | |
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USB connection |
| Easy front panel access | |
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| Unit status indicators | |
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| Port status indicators | |
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| Communications cabinet compatibility | |
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Industrial grade 19” 1U rack mountable design |
| RJ11 and Telco connector | |
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Either RJ11 or Telco. Astribank offers both for high density FXS installs |
Versatility |
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| Mixing digital & analog modules | |
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| Fits any PC / Server | |
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Half or full size vacant PCI slots needed for PCI solution |
| Input and output ports | |
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For FXS modules |
| Simple unlimited scalability | |
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Just add additional units. Not limited by PCI slots, no need to turn off the PC. |
| Message Waiting Indicator | |
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MWI for analog telephones |
Density |
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| Slim 1U 19” chassis | |
N/A | |
| Realistic 1,000 ports support | |
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Typically limited to 48 analog ports if the PC supports 2 full size PCI slots |
For more information on Astribank products, check out our Astribank page.