SIP providers, VOIP phones, and Linux

[Ansar Mohammed]

There are many DID providers that would free DIDs for the US.

If you looking for a budget SIP provider check out
http://www.backsla.sh/betamax



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org [mailto:owner-tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org] On Behalf Of D. Hugh
Redelmeier
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2009 11:43 AM
To: tlug
Subject: Re: [TLUG]: SIP providers, VOIP phones, and Linux

| From: Tyler Aviss <tjaviss-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>

|  We've actually moved out of Toronto so some of
| the cheaper VOIP providers aren't necessarily available, but I was
| thinking that it might make more sense just to pick up a standalone
| wifi/VOIP phone and do things myself.

VoIP is a solution.  It would be helpful to delineate the problem a
little more.

Pure VoIP doesn't care where you are as long as you have a good
internet connection.

Outbound calls and inbound calls are different.  Do you want to handle
both?  To handle inbound calls, from the PSTN (Publically Switched
Telephone Network), you need a DID (i.e. a phone number).

DID's cost money.  If you care about the area code, that may limit
your choice of suppliers.  For example, I wanted a Kingston DID and
Unlimitel.ca stopped offering them so I got bounced as a customer.
They offer them again now.

You can buy a la carte service from a number of providers (choose the
bits you want) for a fairly low rate, or yo can buy a bundle that
approximates a regular phone.  I like a la carte, but it requires more
knowledge.

Skype is bad in several ways.  One is that it seems to require having
a PC running all the time.  Another is that it uses a proprietary
protocol.  Everyone else uses SIP + RTP.  Note: privacy is
questionable -- no encryption is used.

As for hardware, this is a pretty good thing to get:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=014833&ci
d=828.480
The PAP2T-NA has not been locked to a paritcular provider.  $51 is
about as cheap as a never-locked one gets.  This lets you hook a
normal phone up to VoIP.  Actually, it supports two phones (or a
two-line phone).  No need to have a PC on all the time.

VoIP phones are more expensive than regular phones and there is less
choice of features.

It is quite possible that a wireless router is all you need to enable
some cell phones with 802.11g to do VoIP.  But I would guess that most
cell phone providers probably block this (or tie it to their service)
since it is not in their interest.

Asterisk is open source PBX software.  Probably overkill for your use.
http://taug.ca/
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