On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, Tom Marble wrote: > Very cool... a couple questions: > > 1) have you every used a SIP softphone (including the proprietary Linux one) > with Vonage? If so, how did it work? how does it compare with > Asterisk softphones? I've used their Windows softphone software, and it works ok. I always prefer hardphones, though. :) Note that you can't use a softphone with Vonage unless you pay $10/mo extra for a Softphone line -- they don't give you your authentication credentials for your primary line. Any plain 'ol SIP softphone should work OK with Asterisk - I've used kphone and a few others that I can't remember offhand. > 2) did you consider GNU Bayonne instead of Asterisk (open vs. closed protocol, > SIP gateway, etc.)? I took a quick look at Bayonne; Asterisk seemed to be much more active, so I went with it. I only actively use IAX and SIP, but Asterisk does also support MGCP, H323, and various others. > 3) I'm not sure I grok the architecture here... does Vonage make an IP call > to your Asterisk server (or is this all on the PSTN side?)? > You don't have a landline at all, right? So when you make an outbound > call via Asterisk it gets routed to the PSTN via Vonage? I've got my Vonage account configured so that when a call comes in from me, it gets routed both to my ATA, and to a DID that is assigned by Clearpath1 (VoIP provider), and delivered to me via IAX. So, as far as Vonage is concerned, it's a PSTN line. I have a few Asterisk-connected phones, and a cordless phone on the Vonage ATA. When someone calls the Vonage number, both sets of phones ring, and whoever picks up first gets the call. And you are correct, I do not have a landline anymore. > 4) Is there a point at which you wouldn't need Vonage anymore (or will > they always serve as the PSTN gateway, forwarding/voice mail agent, etc.)? Well, if they would let me port the number away, I wouldn't need them right now. But, alas, they won't, so until I can convince my wife to switch our phone number, I keep Vonage. :) > I actually think this is very on-topic! Well, this part is, more than many other conversations on the list lately, at least. :) -- Nate Carlson <natecars at real-time.com> | Phone : (952)943-8700 http://www.real-time.com | Fax : (952)943-8500 _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota Help beta test TCLUG's potential new home: http://plone.mn-linux.org Got pictures for TCLUG? Beta test http://plone.mn-linux.org/gallery tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list