another newbie question from another newbie....

My family live in the UK and we have relatives posted in Turkey, the
Phillipines, and USA. We all currently use Skype and everyone LOVES it -
especially the conference calling. Some of us have purchased SkypeIn numbers
to allow relatives to make local calls [free of charge in the US for
example] that come through to us on Skype. We have a DECT phone plugged into
a USB adaptor on the PC and we take our Skype calls anywhere in the house.

Having just discovered this newgroup today, I find people being critical of
Skype and stressing SIP as an alternative however I really don't get the
difference in terms of the end user experience.

Maybe I am being a little slow on the uptake but can someone please explain
what I am missing?

What benefits would I gain from running asterisk here at home? If it helps,
I am fairly tech literate - running a couple of linux web/mail servers on
the net, a linux-based home server runs our mail/family calendar/PDA syncing
as well as acting as a file store for backups and so on.

Thanks in advance

L

Lee

"Lee" <> wrote in message
news:...
> My family live in the UK and we have relatives posted in Turkey, the
> Phillipines, and USA. We all currently use Skype and everyone LOVES it -
> especially the conference calling. Some of us have purchased SkypeIn
> numbers to allow relatives to make local calls [free of charge in the US
> for example] that come through to us on Skype. We have a DECT phone
> plugged into a USB adaptor on the PC and we take our Skype calls
> anywhere in the house.
>
> Having just discovered this newgroup today, I find people being critical
> of Skype and stressing SIP as an alternative however I really don't get
> the difference in terms of the end user experience.
>
> Maybe I am being a little slow on the uptake but can someone please
> explain what I am missing?
>
> What benefits would I gain from running asterisk here at home? If it
> helps, I am fairly tech literate - running a couple of linux web/mail
> servers on the net, a linux-based home server runs our mail/family
> calendar/PDA syncing as well as acting as a file store for backups and
> so on.
>
> Thanks in advance


Skype is ok as far as it goes, *but* (a) it uses a proprietary protocol
that isn't compatible with anything else and (b) you require a PC to be on
all the time.

A SIP based system is compatible with hardware and software from a variety
of sources and using a hardware adaptor doesn't need a PC to be on all the
time.

You can use asterisk if you want but it seems a bit OTT for a home system
in my opinion.

Ivor

"Ivor Jones" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>
> Skype is ok as far as it goes, *but* (a) it uses a proprietary protocol
> that isn't compatible with anything else and (b) you require a PC to be on
> all the time.

OK. Well, that makes a big difference there already especially as the
Skype>USB Adaptor>DECT combination requires my windows machine to be
permanently left on which I would rather not do.

>
> A SIP based system is compatible with hardware and software from a variety
> of sources and using a hardware adaptor doesn't need a PC to be on all the
> time.
>

I have been doing a little reading around and *think* I have got my head
around things.

Am I correct in thinking that if I wish to allow handsets to choose routing
of outgoing calls via SIP or BT landline I have to have an ATA that has a
FXO port? E.g. the SPA-3000 from Sipura.

> You can use asterisk if you want but it seems a bit OTT for a home system
> in my opinion.
>

that's what I suspected. Thank you.

> Ivor
>
>

"Lee" <> wrote in message
news:...
> "Ivor Jones" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>>
>> Skype is ok as far as it goes, *but* (a) it uses a proprietary protocol
>> that isn't compatible with anything else and (b) you require a PC to be
>> on all the time.
>
> OK. Well, that makes a big difference there already especially as the
> Skype>USB Adaptor>DECT combination requires my windows machine to be
> permanently left on which I would rather not do.

It does seem the long winded way of doing things..! My ATA is connected to
the router and then connects into the PABX, but most people would just
plug phones directly in, of course.

>> A SIP based system is compatible with hardware and software from a
>> variety of sources and using a hardware adaptor doesn't need a PC to be
>> on all the time.
>>
>
> I have been doing a little reading around and *think* I have got my head
> around things.
>
> Am I correct in thinking that if I wish to allow handsets to choose
> routing of outgoing calls via SIP or BT landline I have to have an ATA
> that has a FXO port? E.g. the SPA-3000 from Sipura.

Yes, if you want the system to do the routing choice for you. I have my
PSTN lines and Sipgate lines connected to a PABX which has the facility to
select a particular line for a call, so if I want to dial out on Sipgate I
select either line 1 or 2 and if I want PSTN I use 3 or 4. That works for
me as I like to decide for myself which line to use, but YMMV of course.

Ivor

"Ivor Jones" <> wrote in message
news:...
>>
>> OK. Well, that makes a big difference there already especially as the
>> Skype>USB Adaptor>DECT combination requires my windows machine to be
>> permanently left on which I would rather not do.
>
> It does seem the long winded way of doing things..! My ATA is connected to
> the router and then connects into the PABX, but most people would just
> plug phones directly in, of course.

Thanks again. That is what we would be doing.

>
>> Am I correct in thinking that if I wish to allow handsets to choose
>> routing of outgoing calls via SIP or BT landline I have to have an ATA
>> that has a FXO port? E.g. the SPA-3000 from Sipura.
>
> Yes, if you want the system to do the routing choice for you.

Sorry, as opposed to what? I would not need the FXO port if I used the
handset to choose the routing via a # or 9 or something? I would still need
to plug something into the landline and this is where I am getting
confused.[I have no PABX, nor did I originally wish to go down that
road.....subject to item below]

> I have my PSTN lines and Sipgate lines connected to a PABX which has the
> facility to select a particular line for a call, so if I want to dial out
> on Sipgate I select either line 1 or 2 and if I want PSTN I use 3 or 4.
> That works for me as I like to decide for myself which line to use, but
> YMMV of course.

I think having a domestic PABX is a bit over the top. Though, if it allows
what you say then possibly.....