[Asterisk-Users] VoIP extn number planning

[Mark Elkins]

On Tue, 2005-02-08 at 06:27 -0600, Rich Adamson wrote:
> Looking for some advanced thoughts relative to exten number assignments.
> 
> We're in the planning stage for rolling out asterisk at multiple small
> US telco/isp operations. Their typical voip customer has had their 
> pstn line for a looooong time and wants to keep the pstn line and number, 
> but add voip to their existing home/soho arrangement.

The approach that I have taken is... 

1 - at each place that I have asterisk, register the users full number
with e164.org (or equivalent)
2 - Make sure I do e.164 lookups as part of the normal process of
placing a call...
3 - If a call comes in via VoIP - alter its CLID so it looks the same as
an incoming telco call - which makes identifying and returning the call
simple.


Effectively - I use the dialling plan from Telco. Each site retains its
'historical' number - which is probably the same as everyone has in
their Rolodex/Diary/PDA (etc) - so there is no customer learning - or
dialing funny access codes - etc.... If the call does not get through -
my system simply uses the Telco line - as in the old way. If your client
calls anyone else who implements the same rules - they'll get through on
VoIP too... and if I take a phone book, look up your customer and call
the number given - I'll use VoIP too...

The only time that I do not do any number lookups is to 911 or operator
specific numbers... which in South Africa tends to be '10XXX' format.

This works fine for any Asterisk installation that has both traditional
(= fixed connection to telco) and VoIP circuits.

-- 
  .  .     ___. .__      Posix Systems - Sth Africa.  e.164 VOIP ready
 /| /|       / /__       mje at posix.co.za  -  Mark J Elkins, Cisco CCIE
/ |/ |ARK \_/ /__ LKINS  Tel: +27 12 807 0590  Cell: +27 82 601 0496