RE: VOIP service

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Des, some sage advice there. It will take me a while to take it
all =
in. Looks like I will have to start doing some serious research, and it
*re=
ally* looks like I'm not going to be able to avoid the evil penguin for
muc=
h longer... :-)

Cheers.

Paul G.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Des Gibbons
> Sent: 03 October 2007 01:20
> To: UKHA Group
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] VOIP service
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> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx]
> > On Behalf Of Paul Gordon
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> >
> > Actually, the answer is kind of both....
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> I had a feeling you would say that ;)
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> > I do want to start experimenting with "proper" VOIP for
home,
> > since Virgin (Nee NTL), don't look like ever getting round to
> > giving me a CLID service...
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> First things first, I would sign up for a free account with sipgate
> which
> will give you an incoming UK geographic number in your choice of area
> code.
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> I don't really rate sipgate as a provider, but it is free :))
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> You can mess about with a softphone for a while, but I would buy some
> hardware to get you going.
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> Option a.   Buy a Linksys PAP2 (=A326+V) which you can plug 2 x 
corded
> or
> dect phone into.
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> Option b. Buy a Linsys SPA-3102 (=A338+V) which will give you 1 phone
> port(FXS) and one line port(FXO)
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> Option c. Buy a proper SIP handset ( Something like a Linksys SPA-941
> at
> around =A350+V)
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> That will give you some technology to play with, and get your head
> around
> some of the issues involved in installing VOIP.
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> >
> > In addition, I also need to consider some "small
business"
> > type services that my company may look into offering as a
> > value added service on top of some existing small business
> > server solutions...
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> At the current state of play, either learn Asterisk, or go for a
> managed
> PABX from someone like Gradwell.
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> >
> > In both cases, Windows platforms are the norm... - I have a
> > full W2K3 server, and the business platforms are all based on
> > SBS2003R2. Since I tend to prefer to have the same full-on
> > enterprise class products at home as I use for work, I'd
> > probably want to have just 1 solution for both uses... (My
> > home servers are all enterprise version of Windows server,
> > Exchange server, etc.)
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> I understand your point, although I am the opposite, if it doesn't run
> on
> RHEL it doesn't run on my servers ;)
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> >
> > What (I think) I want is your basic VOIP telephony system,
> > that provides
> > (say) about 6 handsets, (but should be scalable), and a nice
> > GUI interface running on the Windows server to configure it.
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> The only windows SIP PABX I have heard of is 3cx.com, could be a pile
> of
> dogpoo for all I know, but it is free so you can  suck it and see.
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> Linux is where it is at for VOIP, trying to go away from that will
> drastically reduce your options.
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> Another option which might suit is the Linksys SPA-9000 hardware PABX
> (Do I
> sound like a Linksys fanboy) (About =A3150-=A3270+V) It is a bit
> restricted, but
> if you don't do Linux, it might be easier to support.
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> > I'd rather have "proper" (i.e. physical, desktop)
phones than
> > software phones in 99% of locations.. - for my laptop, a
> > software phone and the need to wear a headset would be OK,
> > but everywhere else a real phone would be better for WAF (and
> > other end-user acceptance).
> >
> > If there are "little black boxes" that provide a POTS
port &
> > a LAN port so that any old standard analog POTS phone could
> > be connected to the IP network that would be great, as then
> > existing phones could be used, & end-users would be none the
wiser.
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> I use some ATA's like the Linksys PAP2, and also proper SIP phones.
For
> business use I would go SIP phone every time.
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> >
> > I'd like to have some fairly standard business-class PBX-type
> > facilities, such as:
> >
> > Group pick-up
> > Internal to internal extension dialling
> > Night mode (i.e. auto-divert to answering machine at 17:30)
> > Music on hold Multiple incoming & outgoing simultaneous calls
> > possible Auto-divert on busy DDI to all extensions Call
> > screening based in CLID with rule-based processing of the
> > call handling (the screaming monkeys scenario) Voice mailbox
> > for all extensions Etc...
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> The fancier you want to get, the more you will need Asterisk!
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> >
> > Further to that, some clever integration with Outlook (for
> > now) would be really good, and in the not-too-distant future
> > with Exchange 2007's voice features would also be invaluable.
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> Outlook integration is on my research list, I don't know what is
> available.
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> >
> > In the first instance this would be something I would
> > implement for myself, (I like to "dogfood" test such
things
> > before I consider offering a service to anyone else!).
> > However, with the consideration that my company might then be
> > interested in implementing it in-house, and then eventually
> > possibly even offering it as a saleable "solution",
there is
> > obviously funding for, (and actually a requirement for)
> > products that are reliable, and supportable. It should be
> > standards-based, and from a provider with a proven model in
> > B2B service and support.
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> An old but true saying....
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> How to make a small fortune in VOIP ................. Start with a
> large
> one! :)
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> >
> > My own personal interest is in the "whiz-bang"
features, and
> > integration with HA, etc. however, the business aspect of the
> > consideration will be more concerned with cost-savings...
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> Cost savings are tiny. You can use CPS to get close to most VOIP
rates.
> In
> certain circumstances such as between branch  offices there can be
> large
> savings, but you also need to factor in extra bandwidth in your
> costings.
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> (btw, with NTL, you have very low upstream bandwidth to play with.)
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> > So a little bit of everything you said then!!!
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> I would jump right in, get some hardware to configure, do some
research
> on
> providers etc. I use the following:-
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> Voip.co.uk
> Sipgate.co.uk
> Voipcheap.com ( My current favourite for outgoing calls)
> Enta.net
> Voiptalk.co.uk  (Only just investigating them)
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> I would recommend www.gradwell.co.uk for business use, the above
> providers
> (apart from Enta) are domestic providers with previous periods of
> downtime,
> see uk.telecom.voip
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> Cheers, Des.
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