Re: Structured Wiring Questions.

["wkearney99" <wkearney99@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I like the idea of VoIP extensions, so that I could have a phone number
for my
> office and a seperate one for the house...

Having two different VoIP lines is different than having different
extensions.  Two lines would be dialed to each other as a regular phone call
and would require each to have their own VoIP number.  Extensions, on the
other hand, are entirely internal and would be able to share a single
outside line.  Of course, extenions could also be configured to deal with
multiple outside lines as well.  But it's when you get into wanting each
telephone to be able to act independent of the others that you start getting
complicated.

> I have heard of asterisk, but I don't like
> the idea of running a full blown computer and waste money on energy costs
just to
> answer calls... a system with a 300W power supply could cost around
$30/mo. to operate,
> thus increasing the total phone costs.  Maybe for s#$%s and grins I might
try it
> out.

Then run it on as low-powered a box as your budget deems necessary.  Devices
like laptops make fine machines for going the low-power route.  I have my
doubts on your $30/mo. cost but electricity prices vary by area (and season,
time of day, etc...).

If you want what a system like asterisk provides then it's operating costs
are a necessary part of the equation.  Devices like Sipura's consume
considerably less but they're not offering the sort of 'pbx' functions that
might be useful.

> What I mean by exterior walls, is the drywall side of the exterior walls.
I didn't mean
> to imply that I was going to drill through the stucco and run the cabling
outside and then
> back in. I guess the way I'm using the term 'walls' includes both sides. I
feel that that
> the exterior walls are hardest to run cabling through becuase of all the
fire breaks and.

Well, when working with walls be sure to follow code for fire safety
requirements.