[Gloucs] Re: VOIP *and* BT with Linksys SPA3102

[Andrew Oakley]

Russ Hay wrote:
> maybe I'm being an newb to this but I'm intrigued - the outbound PSTN
> calls will still have to break out of the network *somewhere* - so you
> will still have call charges unless you're on a VOIP to VOIP call. So
> where is the cost saving?

Various VOIP SIP providers offer VOIP->PSTN calls at vastly discounted 
rates compared to BT, and bundle free minutes to landlines.

For example, I use webcalldirect.com who give 300 minutes/week of free 
landline calls to most of the western world (UK, Europe, USA, Canada 
etc) for three months after you buy credit. Minimum credit purchase is 
10 Euros (about 6 quid). Since I'm likely to spend around 6 quid over 3 
months on on mobile calls (7p/min) this works out as a good deal for me.

http://www.webcalldirect.com/en/rates.html

In order to continue receiving calls on my normal BT line, I just pay 
basic line rental for 10 quid a month (I can't go on the Light User 
Scheme, as this isn't allowed with ADSL). Also, in the even of a power 
cut or loss of network connectivity, the SPA3102 simply routes all calls 
via PSTN.

So that works out at (6/3)+10 = 12 pounds per month for free landline 
calls anywhere in the western world plus cheap mobile calls, I get to 
keep my BT number and BT handsets, and my wife barely notices the 
difference.

> calls, I could move my better half's office to an Asterisk box instead

An Asterisk box is not required for PSTN<->VOIP using the Linksys 
SPA3102, it just works on its own (it actually runs Linux firmware). You 
can use Asterisk with it if you want to do something relatively 
advanced, such as internal office extensions, or least-cost-routing 
based on XML RSS tariffs, but for my simple "one line, one provider" 
scenario it isn't needed. My scenario is:

* Route all 01, 02, 07 and local [2-8] calls via VOIP->PSTN
* Route 100, 151, 0800 and 0500 via PSTN (BT)
* Bar directory enquiries 118 and premium rate 09 numbers
* Handle incoming calls from PSTN (BT)

It is fiddly to configure, hence my HowTo, but once set up, it Just 
Works [TM].

It is, of course, also possible to receive incoming calls using VOIP, 
but I don't need that right now.

-- 
Andrew Oakley