On Thu, Feb 12, 2004 at 03:03:33PM +0100, Ben Buxton wrote:
Richard Hayes [EMAIL PROTECTED] uttered the following thing:
Dear list,
Now that xDSL connections are as low $40 /mth, is it possible to run VoIP?
You can run VoIP on any ip connection, and most are now fast enough to
have it run fairly well. Have a play with gnomemeeting (which talks
to netmeeting clients - yes it's in xp, go start-run-conf).
What are the problems and can you call a 'normal' phone?
The problem is that very few ADSL providers have true QoS over
the ADSL networks. My company has been playing with offering true
QoS over consumer ADSL (using separate ATM VCs) and so far it's
very promising.
Of course, you can only guarantee quality if you control the entire
path of the data - once it leaves your network there can be no more
guarantee (without all parties in the path having SLAs).
As for calling normal phones, VoIP is just a way to get voice from
one IP address to another. You still need to gateway it to the PSTN.
We use asterisk here as our PBX, and VoIP from here to a number of places.
256/64 ADSL is enough to have one phone call (two if you're doing nothing else) going
out VoIP using GSM Full Rate (like mobiles).
To plug it into the PSTN we have two AVM Fritz!Card PCI which each plug into an
OnRamp2 (EURO ISDN BRI) from Telstra. This gives our company 4 lines. We have a
separate line
for Fax/ADSL.
The main problem with Asterisk in Australia for hobbyists is the lack of (any would
do):
1) Cheap, good A-ticked hardware that is Asterisk Compatible
2) VoIP providers who offer incoming
3) Easy/Cheap way of getting hardware A-ticked
It costs $10,000 - $20,000 for an importer/manufacturer to get a card A-ticked so they
can be plugged
into the phone system without a letter of permission from the Telco. This is passed
on to the consumer -
this hardware is pretty low-volume.
If you are keen:
A-ticked Fritz!Card ~$350
Convert Analogue Line to ISDN2 ~$125
Extra Line rental $30/mo
cheers,
Woody
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