TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Home PBX Info: Switching Between Landlines and VoIP

Re: Home PBX Info: Switching Between Landlines and VoIP

Robert Bonomi (bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com)
Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:51:18 -0000

In article <telecom24.101.7@telecom-digest.org>,
Lee Sweet <lee@datatel.com> wrote:

> I've got an application that may apply to many with VoIP. I've got
> two home landlines (one for myself, and one for my wife). I also have
> a Vonage line for LD and Fax. We are keeping the landlines for the
> usual reasons, including inability to port, E-911, etc.

> Now, what I want to do is have all outbound LD calls go out on the
> Vonage line automatically. Right now, I have a separate cordless
> phone for that line, but that's not the optimal answer! :-) \

> I'd like to have the various corded and cordless phones and the three
> lines hooked to some sort of home PBX where, either by dialing the
> required '1' (best answer) or perhaps an '8', calls are connected to
> the Vonage line. Else, they go out the (correct) landline. (I assume
> each handset could know its 'proper' outbound landline for local
> traffic if each input phone jack on the PBX can be programmed to use
> the appropriate outbound line.)

> Now, before PAT jumps in with his PBXtra recommendation :-) , I've
> discussed this with Mike Sandman, and he really doesn't recommend it
> for this application.

> I'll bet a lot of people have Vonage as an extra LD/Fax line, still
> have landlines, and would like to do this.

> Any recommendations/pointers about home PBX info? Thanks!

Any _real_ PBX can do what you're looking for.

With minimal systems, you implement an outside line access code for
each line -- say '7' for His, '8' for Hers, and '9' for long distance.

Smarter systems support 'call routing', where the outgoing line used
is selected by the first digit(s) of the number being called. This
allows you to route international calls differently from domestic long
distance, handle different areacodes differently, handle toll-free
calls differently from toll calls, etc., etc.

As mentioned in another response, the lowest cost approach is Asterix.
free software, an old PC (a 486 box is plenty fast enough), and some
inexpensive 'line cards' for the telephony interfaces.

More features and capabilities than you can *possibly* use, but you
don't pay anything for those "surplus" capabilities.

I've only played with it a *little* bit -- don't know off-hand if it
will do 'call routing' on a per extension basis out of the box. BUT,
if it doesn't, it would be a fairly simple matter for a programmer to
_add_ that capability -- one of the *big* advantages of a system where
you have the source code. <grin>

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