check your PM....

My first question is why would you want to do this? Why not just route the calls to your home?

I'm prepping these questions because I have VOIP experience and access to vast amounts of voip knowledge.

Some of the questions I have are:
- Why do you want to plug an analog phone in vs. voip phone. There 's a device called a ATA (Analog Terminal Adapter) that allows you to use a normal phone as a voip phone.
- I assume you already have a network established from your house to your home computer, correct? This is important for QOS issues.
What do you want to use this phone for? Are you trying to work from home?
- How many calls are you anticipating

I guess what I'm saying is there are many simple options and you seem like you've already architected a solution that may be overkill.

Michael

VOIP and best effort networks (like most DSL and Cable networks) aren't a great combination - espectially for business applications that require quality.

You might be surprised how far they've come. We have entire subdivisions running on VOIP phones. It's the most significant threat to the RBOC industry (SBC, Verizon, Bell South, Qwest) today.

Than why do you want to go VOIP? I'm missing something here.

The ATA will allow you to pick up the VOIP line at home using an alalog phone. Software on your computer will do the switch conversion as well.

Michael

Threat = challenge. The RBOCS will offer VOIP as well. And, just as the cable companies are crossing over in to Voice, the RBOCS will deliver Video. Given that the RBOCS will deliver all their services over fiber, the cable companies will need to rethink their delivery as well.

The biggest hurdle the RBOCS have is Regulation. Unfortunately, the cable companies and some of the startups have more freeedom and do not have to play by the same rules that limit the RBOCS.

Always the cat and mouse game.

Personally, I can't wait to dump Comcast. I could switch to DISH right now and get a deal through SBC, the only reason I don't is that we have too many TV's in the house so I would end up paying more. Once the kids are out, I will switch for sure, and by then it will be SBC delivering the service.

RBOC's pain point is less dependent on regulation (which is loosening) and more on the final mile. DSL has limits over distance that cable does not have. Most homes are hardwired to a Central Office using twisted pair. This is the problem. These lines have been in place for years and have various technologies thrown on them over the years that severly limit the bandwidth. Cable companies have relatively new technology with cable running directly to the house that inherently have greater bandwidth.

If RBOCs could run fiber to the home, they would put cable companies out of business. They could offer it all. Problem is, fiber is expensive to put in. And when a homeowner planting a tree breaks the line, it's expensive to fix.

Wayne: My quick thought would be that you could purchase a VOIP number, use your ACD to forward to that number, then have the person working at home office use the ATA to answer the phone with a traditional phone. You could purchase an LA VOIP number relatively inexpensively (maybe as little as $5 per month) and the ATA is less than $100. This would allow them to receive calls while not incurring LD on your part since you are forwarding to an LA number.

The only thing you would need to consider is Quality of Service (QOS). The networks have gotten significantly better so the QOS of the home office internet access would be the key. We have dsl at home (128K) and have extremely good service using VOIP. I typically use the POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service - Analog) for most calls but use the VOIP for LD on occasion with excellent results (cell phone quality).

Michael

Michael,
The RBOC's are already starting to put fiber to the home (FTTH). Verizon and SBC are doing it in So Cal right now. I was just involved in a trial in Irvine that we wired about ten people with fiber. You are correct about the cost of placing fiber in a brownfield but the new tracts is where it should really take off. I know SBC is also going to start rolling out fiber to the node (FTTN), which will bring fiber much closer to the home. Granted it will still be twisted pair to the home the speeds should still be up into the 20 m/bits. I predict within 7-10 years there won't be anymore class 5 switches in the network.
Pete

edit: sorry guys a little too fast with the fingers. It is 20 m/bits per second.

20 megaBITS per second. Divide by 8 for megaBYTES.

(edit) Unless there are extra for error correction? (/edit)