Cell phone to VoIP gateway

[elcano]

I got a new cell phone with a plan including unlimited local calls (among other things), but it does not includes long distance calls. On the other hand, there is Skype giving away free calls in the US and Canada (and other companies asking a very competitive price).

How can I pair these two to have free (or almost free) long distances calls from my cell phone? What kind of gateway is available, if any?

 

[Mike]

There is a device that lets you dock a cell phone and use it as one of the lines in the house. I keep forgetting the name, but there are several.

If you have phones that handle multi-line, you could then just make a choice when making a call, line 1 for local, line 2 for long distance.

Sounds like what you want though, would be something to understand the number being dialed and reset which line it goes out over based on that. I think Stargate had some functionality that might let you do this, but I could be off it has been a few years since I read up on that. I could be confusing that with a phone system hooked up to it.

I'm going to guess that the phone module for HS might allow you to do this with some custom work, but I don't have the experience here either so both of these are guesses.

 

[elcano]

What I want is to dial home from my cell phone via the analog line (while I'm anyware in the local area), press a few keys to open the VoIP channel in the gateway, and then dial the desired long distance number.

My cell phone in San Juan ---(free local call)-->
Home Analog to VoIP Gateway----(free long distance VoIP call)---->
Skypeout---(free analog call)--->
My friend's analog phone anywhere in US

All the blocks area readily available, but I dont know how to implement the block in red.

I used to have an equivalent of this scenario with a previous employeer that I had. I would call the local office and from there I could make any long distance call outside. In that case they used regular analog lines, but VoIP opens new possibilities.

 

[Mike]

Could you use an elk for that? I'm talking off the top of my head and there could be a few issues but what about something like this:

Call home, hit the * keys to get the Elk.
Trigger another combination to trigger a rule (I have not tried this type of phone automation but I'm assuming it might work).
Dial out on a second line and conference in with the elk to the pre-programmed number for that task/rule.

A few things that might not work though:
1. Does the elk phone connection include two lines or only one? (I can't remember off the top of my head)
2. If it does, can you trigger rules by line to dial out?
3. Can you conference that with a line?

I am guessing at least one of the above possible obstacles won't work, but it sounds like that is what you want.

I thought I saw something like that in a book on the stargate awhile back, I'll see if I can find the book later and confirm. I could be 'misremembering' however...

I would wonder if that $400 home seer usb voice module would let you do it....

 

[Chakara]

I stumbled across this little device the other day...

D-Link DVG-3004S

I suspect it can do what you want. It says it interacts with any SIP device, but I have never used one and really don't know what it can do....

 

[elcano]

Chakara,

The D-Link loks like what I would use. But at $700 on their site ans almost $500 on eBay i better cotinue paying long distance (I dont make ld calls thaaaat much).

Other option would the to assemble an Asterisk pc, but I was wondering if a regular windows PC with a voice modem and a gateway software could do the trick.

 

[Skibum]

Loose the Skype hype, move to SIP.

Then install the free asterisk PbX.
Then you can setup asterisk so that you can call in and get an outside line, and dial wherever you want for almost no cost.

I have exactly that setup here. Works great.. and less filling.

 

[elcano]

Then install the free asterisk PbX.

Yup. That would be the right long term solution. What SIPout :lol: service do you use?

 

[Skibum]

Lately I have been using Broadvoice.
No real complaints. I do have to occasionally kick asterisk to reconnect.


Skype -> Baaaaad
SIP -> Gooood :lol:

Skype is the Betamax to SIP's VHS.