Core Networks

There has been alot of talk recently about VOIP and its benefits to companies who need to reduce their call costs.  VOIP is obviously a great solution but when everyone is forging ahead with the latest and greatest, lets take a step back and consider an alternative solution that can be setup and deployed quickly and will integrate well in almost any network.

Let me introduce “Jabber”, an open source fast and secure chat program that you can deploy within your network and be in control of authourisation and security.  Users cannot access other chat networks (unless you specifically allow them) and the server also resides within your network.

Jabber runs on the XML protocol and supports file transfers and excellent levels of sercurity.  While Jabber does well within the same building, it really excells at the WAN level.  Deploying a server in one country then allowing all users in various locations around the globe (or in the next suburb) to login will reduce business call costs by a decent percent.

Many of us prefer to use mobile phone TEXT messages to communicate short messages rather than a phone call as it is quicker and provides a nice little audit trail for both the sender and the reciever.  Thinking along these lines when installing a Jabber server will allow staff to send and recieve short text messages across the Jabber server instead of making a potentially more expensive telephone call.  Multiply this method out by many staff and the potential for saving become very clear.

Core Networks can install a Jabber server on your network.  Please visit the “contact” link at the top of the page.

Over the past month, we have been working hard to refine the install document for the Asterisk and debian install.  Digium released the DAHDI libraries over this time so the document has been brought right up to date with this info.  You can check it out here

But thats not this biggest news! A while ago I stumbled upon a script by Yoann Queret which installs Debian, Asterisk and freePBX in one go using pretty much the same method that I wrote in the howto on the WIKI.  Since then, I modified Yoan’s script (with his permission) to provide a fully automated install of Asterisk, DAHDI, freePBX, you only have to type in the mysql passwords and press enter about 8 times and your done!

The script is available here, please report back with any issues you may have with it.

-END-

To some, setting up an email server is a simple task. Buy a microsoft excange license, a few clicks and you are installed.  While that works for some companies, alot of IT departments are looking at alternatives.

There are a number of reasons to be looking for a new mail server, maybe you have outgrown the old one, you might be looking for more or different functionality. Then there is the cost factor.  MS exchange is (lets face it) a nice app when it works, but administration, cost and limitations such as total storage size can be restrictive.

There are many open source alternatives but when you are looking for a seamless, integrated solution to replace MS exchange there have been no alternatives that are simply plug and play, this is where MS is leaps ahead of anything else.

Unison is a new mail server on the block which provides an MS exchange type feature set while using a “fat” local client to access the mail.  Unison is plug and play without the double dipping licensing costs of exchange and alot more functionality than the open source alternatives.

Unison initially was a pay per seat license model but soon (added) another mode of payment, the advertiser supported version.  This is not a new idea but it is new in the corporate email circles where traditional pay per user licensing fees are king.

At Core Networks, we have not yet finished appraising Unison (it is installed and running) but so far we like what we see.  In these current times when businesses are looking to save some costs, deploying a advertiser supported mail server that is of high quality and functionality can make alot of sense.

-END-

For those not to familier with the Linux world, Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/) have released version 8.10 of the desktop release and just like the others, it has been a great upgrade.  Something missing for me in previous releases has been the lack of integrated support for my Vodafone usb dongle.  This is now fixed and once you plug it in, the device is recognised quickly and you are prompted to configure it.

Selecting the configuration tool brought me to a wizard where I selected the Vodafone provider and was online straight away.

there were two issues I had, one was with vmware workstation not able to reconfigure itself for the new kernel (not an Ubuntu issue), this was an easy fix with a patch available here http://www.insecure.ws/2008/10/20/vmware-specific-specific-55x-and-kernel-2627 (thanks Kang)

The second issue was with my Dell Latitude D600, when I pressed the function and arrow keys to adjust the screen brightness, the keyboard stops responding.  Googling revealed the problem to be with a large number of Dells and a kernel patch is being tested to resolve the issue (note that this problem is due to the way Dell operate the keyboard and is not a Linux or Ubuntu issue)

If you have been thinking about converting to Linux, now is your chance, the install is smooth and the operating system performs as nice as any other or better!

-EnD-

The wiki is now back online, I have moved the server and most of the pages.

Thanks for all the feedback, I get a couple of emails a week regarding the voip document and it is much appreciated.

-Matt

hi, as it says above, needed to move servers and will get the wiki up soon.  The voipserver document will be online then.

thanks

-Matt

Please hold on while we change a few things around here.

contact: matt@corenetworks.com.au

mob: 0407 836 506

thanks