[Asterisk-Users] Asterisk for home office

[Michael Graves]

>1. Does this make sense? 
>2. What is a good, inexpensive FXS solution?
>3. Would a TDM400P solution be a better way to go, cost considered?

My own home office experience may run counter some others on the list. 

To me it makes little sense to use a Vonage type service that's based
upon an ATA device, then bring it into an FXO. This make work for
others but it simply seems inappropriate. Moreover it doesn't make
economic sense since the $30/mo flat rate service is the equivalent of
>2000 minutes from an IAX based ITSP. I don't use that much time a month.

Compound this with the fact that small FXO adapters tend to suck. I've
tried X100p clones and the Sipura SPA-3000. Neither were acceptable. I
recently installed a TDM11. After only a few days I'm still happy with
it. The relative volume of the call is ok with only +3 db gain in
zapata.conf, unlike the SPA-3000, and the line is not noisy, like the
X100 clone. The X100p clone was horribly unreliable in my Asus/ AMD
2500+ based server.

In over a year of reading this list and repeatedly polling for peoples
experience with PCI and standalone FXO adapters I've come to the
conclusion that there is no really good solution. If the TDM400p is
long term unacceptable, and ITSPs don't cut it fomr some reason, then
my next experiment will be to order up a BRI and try an ISDN based
interface.

I also have SPA-2000s for FXSs. I have been totally happy with these.
They connect to a Panasonic KX-TG4000B KSU with 4 cordless handsets &
extensions.

Lastly, on my desk I use a Polycom IP600 SIP phone. It's a great
device. Can't say enough good things about it! If I decide to put a SIP
phone on my wife's desk it'll surely be another of these wonders.

For termination I use no fewer than four providers;

(all are IAX based, in order of preference)

- www.sixtel.net
- www.voipjet.com
- www.nufone.net
- connect.voicepulse.com

The great thing about * is that I have one macro for outgoing calls
that cascades from one provider to another if the former is not
available for some reason. Sixtel is incrementally more expensive for
making calls than Voipjet, but they offer DIDs in my area where few
others do, especially over IAX. I was also able to get at * friendly
tech support via their 800 number,

I do not connect to any outside ITSP over SIP.

I keep only one POTS line from SBC. That's my main incomming line. If
one of the DID providers proves very reliable over the next month or
two I will likely switch my main incomming line to a IP based DID. Then
bye-bye SBC.

Finally, my DSL service was provided by Covad over SBC lines. The
initial service had a problem when the voice line on the corresponding
copper pair rang. The ring signal would interrupt the DSL feed and I
would lose IP connectivity for  a minute. SBC and Covad said it was a
problem with line filtering but I tried lots of filters with no
improvement. The solution was to change the service to a dedicated loop
DSL that does not piggyback the DSL over a voice line. The DSL has its
own copper pair. This has been about 20% faster and absolutely
reliable.

Michael


--
Michael Graves                           mgraves at pixelpower.com
Sr. Product Specialist                          www.pixelpower.com
Pixel Power Inc.                                 mgraves at mstvp.com

o713-861-4005
o800-905-6412
c713-201-1262