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My experience, so far with voip....
About 3 weeks ago I compiled Asterisk and bought a Linksys/Sipura
spa-3000. I originally had planned on using it on an NSLU2 and I still may
but for testing and learning I decided to put it on my server. I bought a
couple of VOIP books... O'Reilly Asterisk. etc.
Status....
I have lots of things running. Although I have not totally deployed it
yet on my entire home system it is working very well. I have accounts with
gizmo, voipjet, free world dialup, and I registered with e164.org
This is neat stuff and although I guess I consider myself somewhat of a
geek I am not a Linux professional. I teach myself well!
I have both SIP and IAX channels setup to many of these services. With my
records stored at e164, VOIP users using this service can reach me the
cheapest way. For those of you who do not know e164 is the 'domain lookup'
of voip. My PSTN number as well as all my voip accounts are registered
there. You can setup preferences like an MX record in the domain world.
Thus if someone using this service tries to call my home PSTN number they
will first be directed to my SIP and IAX accounts, saving them money as in
most cases this would be a free call.
I intend to do away with my PSTN long distance and reduce my PSTN service
to a minimum with the only feature caller ID. I will not do away with it
though. My DSL is via verizon/DCAnet. This eliminate any 911 or emergency
issues. My interface box falls back to PSTN should anything fail, network,
Asterisk, power, etc.
Every call I have made so far has had excellent quality. I can call myself
and the moment I hit the last key my phone is ringing. This stuff works
when setup properly.
Cost is about .01/min to any US PSTN, free via internet. Countries vary
and if you are going to be calling a specific country you need to research
a provider. I have not need for that here.
Cost so far here.... $80 for Sipura interface, $30 books, $10 for 1000
minutes (US) credit (gizmo). Future costs... minimal... just buying
credits as I need them which won't be very often.
There are so many neat things you can do with Asterisk. As a creative
programmer I find it fascinating. As a kid I played with phones. That was
back when it was illegal to even connect one that was not Telco provided.
I had a hardware PBX, key phone system setup using 'appropriated' Bell
equipment! Now I can sit at a keyboard and basically create this in SW.
I am also NOT tied to my phone like many people are today. If I miss a
call, so what. It drives me crazy when people have to have their phone
tied to their hip and would not even think of not taking a call!
I suspect the PLUG group is very diverse knowledge wise but I see vonage.
skype, and other pay services to free ones, like mentioned above as Linux
is to Microsoft. It is open vs. closed and free vs. cost. You have to make
that decision.
Doug
17476591332@gizmo
776412@fwd
215-355-5307 pstn
****************************
* Doug Crompton *
* Richboro, PA 18954 *
* 215-431-6307 *
* *
* doug@crompton.com *
* http://www.crompton.com *
****************************
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