[Asterisk-Users] Dumb question - reaching the PSTN

[Bob McDowell]

Not dumb at all.  Seeing that most end users in the world are still on
the PSTN, you're going to want to attach to it at some point.

Since this is Asterisk, you have options.  Lots of them.  And, using
careful dialplan-ning you can mix and match to your heart's content.
Here are some examples:

1) Use a Digium or a non-digium card to connect to POTS, ISDN, PRI, etc.
2) Use a "in and out" VoIP provider such as telasip, vonage, etc
3) Use an "out only" VoIP provider such as voipjet (generally lower
per-minute rates)
4) Use an "in only" VoIP provider (examples fail me...)
5) Use an FXO card (as in #1) but connect it to another device rather
than the telco.  E.g. a cell phone
6) Use a full-blown GSM gateway
7) Etc

Using the above options, I personally have configured Asterisk to:

1) Interface to my T1
2) Use voipjet to place outbound calls
3) When dialing a company cell phone, send it out a cellular device
until they're all used up, then use the T1


Bob McDowell

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Charles
Marcus
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 4:38 PM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] Dumb question - reaching the PSTN

Hi everyone,

I am fairly new to the idea of VoIP, although I've been reading about it
off and on for the last few years. Now it is starting to look mature
enough to consider implementing it, but there is one thing that I
haven't been able to get a clear answer on...

With Vonage, you are using the Vonage network - it is their
responsibility to route your call to the endpoint, which is more than
likely on the old fashined PSTN.

If I install Asterisk, how do my calls actually get completed? How do
they get 'bridged' over to the PSTN?

I attended a Seminar today hosted by Dynasis, and one of the issues was
VoIP. ShoreTel was there, and the said I had to have phone lines,
whether they were POTS lines, chennels from a T-1, whatever, we still
had to have phone lines.

Now I'm confused.

If I implement an Asterisk based system (yes, I'd be paying a consultant
to help), will I still have to maintain phone lines and pay full price
for Long Distance?

Simple pointers to White Papers on this issue will be sufficient.

Many thanks,

-- 

Best regards,

Charles
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