Best DIY VoIP solution?

[kaborka]

I'm considering dumping my landline. I use prepaid TMo cell to keep costs down, currently using landline for most calls. I don't want to get tied up with expensive proprietary solutions like Vonage or Skype. I have Google Voice for long distance. Google may eventually have a full VoIP solution via their Gizmo5 acquisition, but who knows when.

I found this site:
http://faq.sipbroker.com/tiki-index.php?page=A+Complete+Plan+for+DIY+VoIP

Has anyone set up VoIP using something like described there?

 

[pm]

I'm using a pay-as-you-go, bring-your-own-box VOIP service from Callcentric ( http://www.callcentric.com/dids/pay_per_minute ). It's $3/month and then $0.015/min. for inbound and outbound calls. We've been using since AT&T CallVantage dumped us back in about April this year, and I'm happy. I found them via the DSLReports.Com GBU charts for VOIP:
http://www.dslreports.com/gbu

 

[kaborka]

Cool! Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. I'll check it out. Is the $15/mo in the GBU chart incorrect? -- I don't see that on the Callcentric site.

 

[pm]

When you post a review, they ask you what your average monthly bill is - after all the calls and everything. So it's whatever people are spending. Probably there's some unlimited international customers ($30/mo) in there.

 

[abaez]

Do you have a gizmo5 account? Inbound calls already work for free with it. (Just have to set your gizmo number as the forward number in GV settings).

Outbound calls are free if you go to the GV website and call a number and tell it the "phone to ring" is your gizmo number. It'll ring gizmo, and when you answer, the number you dialed will go through.

 

[kaborka]

I didn't know about about gizmo5 until after the acquisition, and they're now closed to new accts. I've been using GV for both outbd and in, so my friends ring both my cell and LL.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I hear asterisk is pretty good, but I have not tried it myself. I want to eventually. Just be sure to setup at least one power fail phone for if the power goes out or the voip server goes down.

 

[kaborka]

I don't need a PBX at home, but I put the IT mgr at one of my customers on to asterisk. They've set up a testbed and so far really like it. Guess it might be fun to do multiline @ home at some point.

I'm willing to risk my TMo cell for backup. Not worth $20/mo for LL.

 

[QueBert]

I have Ooma and LOVE it. You can get the new Ooma Telo for $199 right now, and it's $12 a year fee. I've had mine since July and it's the best 200 bucks I've spent. As long as your internet has decent upstream it's as good as a land line phone.

 

[kaborka]

I've heard of Ooma, but not familiar with it. I'd have to be sure the h/w is compatible with other voip providers. There are open SIP adapters for less, e.g., www.amazon.com/Linksys-SPA3000-Analo.../dp/B000E57DSI.

 

[TourGuide]

+1 for Ooma. I've had ooma (hub) since September and overall I am very satisfied. It is true that it isn't perfect - Voip is going to have some occasional voice quality issues but once you pay for the hardware - you don't have to pay any more. I had to tweek the hub QOS settings at first but since then we have had few real problems. You can get basic calling throughout the US for nothing. I am currently paying for the premier service because it has some features that I value - and that is also a good deal as far as I am concerned. We switched from MCI, who doubled their rate on us and we've been glad we made the change.

 

[Binky]

I'm running an (Linux) asterisk server on a virtual machine hosted on my primary home desktop system (Win7). This is a lot more complicated than just signing up with a provider like callcentric and using your own adaptor (or buying one from them), but you get an insane amount of options. I think most people are better off with a simple adaptor and not the full asterisk setup.

You could also run a dedicated asterisk machine, or set one up in a "cloud."

Googlevoice+asterisk instructions:
http://nerdvittles.com/?p=637
or http://nerdvittles.com/index.php?p=600
or http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1480557

Asterisk in an Amazon cloud: http://voxilla.com/2009/10/15/freepbx-in-a-cloud-with-a-click-1436

Pretty much ANY almost modern machine has enough power to run asterisk.

Vitelity has a pretty good deal as a provider for your asterisk box. You can see it on the nerdvitles pages (look for vitelity ads, they are everywhere).

 

[California Roll]

For people interested in Asterisk, it can be run on certain routers. I have it set up on my Asus WL-520GU that I got for $30. Having an Asterisk server on my router that's already on 24/7 and uses less than 10W of power is nice.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r22812809-How-to-Install-Asterisk-on-an-Asus-WL520GU-router

 

[QueBert]

I've heard of Ooma, but not familiar with it. I'd have to be sure the h/w is compatible with other voip providers. There are open SIP adapters for less, e.g., www.amazon.com/Linksys-SPA3000-Analo.../dp/B000E57DSI.

It only works with Ooma, but unless they go bankrupt or the quality goes down 50%. I'll be with them forever. I love no monthly bills and the stability of it. If you need something that will work with other VOIP providers Oomas hardware won't be for you.

 

[kaborka]

The idea of putting Asterisk on a router sounds too cool. I'll have to try it! Thanks, CR.

 

[parim]

asterisk is a Voip server and is not a client. asterisk is mainly used in enterprise situation to have an internal voip server. Its much easier to get an ATA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_telephony_adapter like the linksys PAP-2 and use it with a Gizmo-5 + google voice. I am using such a setup, it works extremely well. the only problem is that when you need to call you need to log on to goolge voice to call. the other optinon is to buy credit for Gizmo-5. You get 500 minutes of US calling for USD10.
If you already have Google voice and Gizmo-5 accounts, configure the gizmo-5 account as one of your Google voice forwarding phones and you can receive calls to your Gizmo5 for free.

 

[kaborka]

Can't get a G5 account now. There's a thread at SD HD forum on getting free voip via GV. Search for "asterisk googlevoice".

 

[SaydiJeffries]

Voip Phone System I'm considering dumping my landline. I use prepaid TMo cell to keep costs down, currently using landline for most calls. I don't want to get tied up with expensive proprietary solutions like Vonage or Skype. I have Google Voice for long distance. Google may eventually have a full VoIP solution via their Gizmo5 acquisition, but who knows when.[/QUOTE]I think you are on the right track with Google Voice and I hope free voip is coming soon on the Driod phone and I'll be dumping my landline with ya.