Re: Phones - Integrating the lot

["Mark Harrison (Groups)" <mph@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 2005-12-18 at 15:53 +0000, adamandeveit1999 wrote:
> I would like to be able to have the ability to combine at home BT
> calls,VOIP,Skype,door phone and Mobile in a single 'package'. I am
> aware of Asterisk and seems that what I could do is have a handset -
> XDA II with WiFi and then that handles the mobile, and the others are
> converted etc via asterisk and then a VOIP Client run on the XDA.

The bit I've not managed to do is the Skype.

Skype is a bit like Macintoshes were in 10 years ago - well marketed,
easy to use, but totally incompatible with anything else other than
through their own proprietary solutions.

I have not yet found anything that can accept Skype incoming calls and
route them through to VOIP, for example (though if anyone has any ideas,
let me know.)

In terms of mobile calls, what I'm increasingly doing is setting my
mobile voicemail to divert calls to a landline - my Asterisk feed -
rather than to the network-provided voicemail. The downside, however, is
that this diversion costs money rather than the "free" voicemail
I pay
for as part of my phone contract.

In terms of door phones, what we've done (at the office, not at home) is
get a door entry phone that acts as a phone handset, and attaches as if
it were a normal extension.

M.