[geeks] Voip options

[Patrick Giagnocavo]

On 7/20/2011 3:14 AM, Dan Duncan wrote:
> 
> My typical usage is hundreds of minutes a month on conference calls (mostly
> toll free numbers) and occasional spikes of long distance numbers (mostly on
> call pages and calls to field engineers, but also family) and I already have
> analog phones throughout the house so I'd like something that accomodates
> that.  If not, I guess I can go back to vonage.  Is skype practical for that
> sort of usage?

I don't think skype is what you want.  The real question is, "how much
work do you want to do"?

Getting a 4-port FXS/FXO card, installing TrixBox (a batteries-included
Linux with Asterisk on it), and buying service from a cheap provider
like les.net or vitelity.net might work well.  The FXS/FXO ports let you
use analog phones; then Asterisk takes care of the VOIP.  Since you
won't be using more than 1 or 2 lines at a time, pretty much anything
from a decent P3 on up will do the job.

Note, though:  if it breaks, you have to stop what you are doing and fix it.

Alternatively, buy ATA's for each analog phone and register those phones
with either a local or remote Asterisk box.

Good site for researching products and figuring out approximate prices:
 http://www.voipsupply.com/

--Patrick