Voice over IP.

Not talking about skype here or google talk (max ), im talking "big boys" voip.

Ive found a free provider of VOIP (sip protocol) to PSTN services (and pstn to voip), that works on a "community model" basically the people who call you pay 3p/min on top of what theyd normally pay. This 3p/min that incoming calls generate goes into a pot, which pays for every outgoing call made to a landline.

Source

Now while you can happily install a softphone, and use it like you would skype. It also allows you to go wild, and set up an asterisk server to create your own personal home PABX, providing all the functions you could possibly want.

I myself am really interested in setting one of these babies up but curious... anyone else set one of these up? whats the gist of it? difficult to setup? piece of cream cake?

Anyone tempted to follow in my footsteps and set one up for themselves too?

I have been put in charge of running the asterisk server at work. Have a new server configured and ready to go this week.

Installing it wasnt that tricky - especially considering you can download the asterisk book for free

I am going to be setting up an asterisk server at home as well, just need to order myself a POTS card so it can integrate with my existing land line. Then going to use asterisk to route calls to get the cheapest rate (dependent on destination/time etc...)

I am looking at getting PSTN forwarding from gradwell - as its only Ã,£3/month

See here

Cornet

Right.. well ive been chatting to the folks at voipuser.org

Clarified a few things for me.

To just use a normal phone with VOIP all you need, is a provider (cornet mentions a good one above, failing that voipuser.org is still a good choice), a little box called an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adaptor), and a normal phone.

To set this up you...

Connect the ethernet part of the device to your adsl router/network and then connect the phone socket (FXS) side to your phone. The ATA is configurable via the network (web interface), so you enter in your provider information in the screens provided.

Then... the device will connect to the provider over the net, and voila.. you can then make normal phonecalls through the phone you have plugged in, without needing a computer or anything. Just an internet connection.

I administer Irelands only instance of Cisco IPCC enterprise - 600 lines into a totally redundant IPCC enterprise (CAD, ICM and CTI spread over 20 servers, 12 routers and ISDN and megastream lines).

The first thing you will find out is that nobody knows anything about ANYTHING - the support experts are all total bullsh*tters, and youre going to have to learn everything the hard way, but once you do it will be a good selling point for jobs etc. I also look after the Avaya definity gear - but thats a whole different ballgame.

Try and get yourself a copy of cisco call manager - its not free however ( ) - but its the best thing out there, apart from Avaya.

At home I use a pair of cisco 7970 IP Phones

http://www.mcstel.com/ci79ipte.html

I develop apps for them (Mostly call centre focussed reporting applications) that (hopefully) are going to make me my fortune ! But well see how that pans out !!

Depends what you want:

If you want something that is gonna just work but without full control then go for an ATA . You wont learn a great deal but then the point is to get it working.

If you want to learn asterisk and have some fun along the way then go for a TDM400P Card.
A card with 1 FXO and 1 FXS (Std phone input/output) will set you back around Ã,£120, but then you can use your normal land line and land line phones for making VOIP calls. You could get asterisk to automatically route calls for the cheapest rate so you dont even have to think about it when calling - just dial the number and itll route accordingly

If you have won the lottery then you could look at BXGTi16Vs suggestion. Personally, Ill be sticking with asterisk

Cornet

BX: Errrgg... :| Expensive! lol

Cornet: Aye, well to get one phone working all thats needed is that a simple ATA with 1 FXS and an ethernet port.

To utilise Asterisk Id need an ATA with 1 FXO and 1 FXS and an ethernet port.

Easiest way to do it would be to cut the line as it enters my house, plug the phone company side into the FXO bit, and the house side into the FXS.

Then run the ethernet to an asterisk server which will deal with processing voicemails, IVRs, and all sorts of other goodies.

Cutting the line isnt an option in the house im living in next year, I wont have ANY access to the PSTN line beyond just internet access, so a simple ATA is probably the only way for me.... well.. I could run an asterisk server for my single phone, but itd be a bit pointless

Of course the draytek vigour ADSL broadband routers have built in support for this...Some even have 2 x ATA ports as standard

Quote from: BXGTi16VOf course the draytek vigour ADSL broadband routers have built in support for this...Some even have 2 x ATA ports as standard

Really? are they FXS only? or FXO + FXS?

Have a looksee - this is the one I use

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2900vg.html

The BEST home internet gateway products you can get imo

Im not after anything fancy, but Ive been thinking of something like this for a while for work, whats the bandwith like ? and lag ?

what about connecting up a fax machine ?

the adsl line would be pretty much dedicated to it, it would only be used for that and the DRV CCTV system, which would only use the connection if were gttting broken into

Try it out using voipuser.org its free... so just set it up and see if it works for you.

Lag... lag doesnt matter mate, even if its a few seconds (unlikely) your conversation will soon sync up as youll only speak when you hear things.

Theres also Voipcheap.co.uk

You need to pay Ã,£10 every 3 months, but you get to call mobiles and landlines in the UK for free, and many other countries.

You use the Ã,£10 to pay for calls to countries that arent covered by the free calls.

cool, signed up to the free one, and it it all works ok, ill sign up to the Ã,£10 one.... you need to receve calls with the free one to generate the money that pays for the outgoing calls, and i wont be receving any with it

thanks guys

I currently have a fax to email number set up on the free one, and the normal voice call one. While my 3 day wait still hasnt gone yet so I cant dial out on it beyond the echotest line, I have recieved quite a few calls on it Works fantastic for me

oh and as for recieving phone calls to pay for the outgoing ones... they also accept paypal donations so you just donate a little every now and again.

Quote from: BXGTi16VHave a looksee - this is the one I use

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2900vg.html

The BEST home internet gateway products you can get imo

Its just FXS. its a 2 port FXS ATA as well as an adsl modem and router.