VOIP solution for home

[Surreywinter]

I’m looking at converting the phones in my house to a VOIP system. Right now I have a conventional BT line coming into the house into a master socket. A number of conventional phone lines (3) come off the master socket, disappear into a number of conduits and re-emerge in a number of other rooms. The conduits are all known and wide enough to re-wire if needed. Some of the phones in the rooms are fixed lines while one is a wireless point off which a couple of hands-free phones are run. Probably a fairly classic setup.


What I’m looking to do is put a VOIP system in – fairly close to the master socket which is where my PC router sits. I’d then like to plug my existing phone lines that currently come into the back of the master socket into the back of the VOIP system to make the existing phones VOIP. I’d also like the option of hanging a backup phone off the BT master socket and if possible having the option to switch all of the phones back to conventional without much disruption (a switch would be ideal) if there was a VOIP problem.


I’d also rather keep my home wireless router running my home PC network rather than replace it although I’m not completely set on that. Main reason being frankly that it works fine and I’m loathe to replace something that works fine!


This seems to me to be a fairly classic setup but I’ve not been able to find any FAQs or the like that address this approach. Is anyone aware of anything that could help me understand how this could work?

 

[Cointreauman]

I have a VoIP set up at home and using the network and some Snom phones have a really intelligent system.

The house is now set up with 3 separate VoP lines and so I can have home and 2 business lines though he same setup. All are transferable and it means that wherever I am at home - I am inmy office.

A 4th lin is used as an extension at one of my associates home so we can transfer calls between us and calls to each other are free.

I got loads of technical help from my VoIP suppiier - Voicehost (UK VoIP Internet Phone Service - Free VoIP Calls, Virtual PBX) but thre are many other suppliers around. You should be able to get local dialling codes for your area and maybe port your current number over to VoIP.

There seems to be no limit to what you can do with VoIP

C

 

[gblades]

As you want to use your existing phone lines then you would need a hardware solution. You would need a low spec PC fitted with a 4 port telephony card such as ones made by Digium. You may be able to pick up second hand PCI versions on ebay.
Then you can install a copy of trixbox (or elastix if you also want to run your own mail server etc...).

I would also recomend that you have a look at the Siemens Gigaset range of DECT chordless phones. They are voip and also can connect to a single analogue line which is handy as a backup.