[Asterisk-Users] bellster credits problem coming...

[Ed Guy]

Jay,

Thanks for the feedback.

You seem to be missing one of the basic premises of bellster: it is an
equitable
sharing network where "The [Calls] you take are equal to the [Calls] you
make."

Route selection is done heuristically favoring the least used of the
most direct (or more fully specified) routes.  Many routes are attempted
until the call is successfully routed.  It is neither round-robin or
random.

For instance, if Marge Gunderson in Fargo runs the only bellster node
for her small exchange in North Dakota, calls to that exchange
will go there first, then if there is no PSTN path available, it attempt
higher level routes (e.g., the area code, then the country) until
a working one is found.

I'll add these features as schedule permits:
* "Altruistic Routes" where the caller need not have any credits to call.
* "Points Transfer"

On the chargeable 800 numbers, please provide specific details off-list.

/ed guy edguy at pulver.com

PS. recent features:

* Quiet Calls. (sans Allison)
* ENUM directory.  (server side is done -- hopefully someone will donate the
client side.)
see http://www.bellster.net/web/NewFeatures


PPS.  for your FWD mailing list problem,
visit support at: http://www.fwdnet.net/content/view/full/373/


-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com]On Behalf Of Jay Austad
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 1:26 AM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] bellster credits problem coming...


I signed up for the FWD forums, but didn't receive my confirmation
email.  So, since the FWD guys read this, I though I'd post here.

If you read the route report, +1 currently has 11720 available calls.
If you look at the routes for specific area codes/prefixes, they all
have a much smaller number of available calls each.  How does Bellster
determine what IAX trunk to try first?  Does it round-robin all of the
possible matches?  Or, does it try to pick the most specific route and
then gradually try less specific ones until one works?

Given a round-robin or random type scenario, people like me who have
very specific routes (612,651,952, and 763 area codes) are not going to
get many calls routed through our systems, therefore we will have a
very hard time accruing credits.  People who offer routes to +1 are
going to get an enormous number of credits and unintentionally hoard
them by not possibly being able to use them all.  People who offer
routes to less used area codes can end up using all of their credits
and being starved until a call randomly gets routed to them, even
though they have in good faith offered up their system for use.

Obviously trying more specific routes first is the better solution, but
it still doesn't address the problem of people in infrequently called
areas being starved for credits.  For example, the 701 area code is ND.
  All calls between cities there are LD.  So, my local calling area
there in a small town might be 1701493.  How many people will use
Bellster to call a town of 600 people?  There's no reward for someone
in a small town to run it because even if someone did call the small
town, the guys offering +1 routes are more likely to handle the call,
and he'll never get any credits to use the system.

Maybe there should be a credit donation feature, where you can donate a
certain percentage or number of calls back into a pool that will get
distributed evenly among people who handle few calls due to the neglect
of the scheduling system or the fact that no one ever calls BFE, ND.

Or maybe a weighting/precendence system would be better, where everyone
on the network is assigned a precedence of say 1000.  That number would
get decremented for every minute (or a certain amount of time) they use
the network, and also for time they are not even connected up to the
network.  When it reaches zero, they can't make calls.  Time spent
connected to the network will slowly regenerate their precedence, and
calls they handle for others will more quickly regenerate.  You could
even use this to implement a queueing system, where if no lines are
available because they are in use to a certain route, it puts them in a
hold queue based on their precedence related to others in the queue
waiting to put a call through, maybe even add a dialback feature so
they don't have to wait on hold while the line is in use, when they
pick up, they get some sort of message the line is available and press
1 to continue placing their call.

Anyway, the basic point of this message is that there is currently not
much incentive for people in remote/infrequently called areas to sign
up.  They will end up making their 10 calls and then be providing a
service for others and not getting anything out of it.

Additionally, it's dangerous to allow routes for toll-free numbers in
the US.  Some "adult" lines use toll-free numbers, but have a menu
option to charge the call to your phone bill, even though it's not a
900 number.

~jay

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