I know nothing!

[Todd]

Ok, so I am just about to open our new office.. I would like to use VOIP to save money.. For our office I just need 3 voice lines and a dedicated fax machine.. pretty simple.

This is what I am assuming.. That if I have a broadband connection.. I can install Asterisk on a machine, connect that machine to the internet through some sort of card and then connect my phones and fax also to that card and booyah I'm done??

Is that right? So basically I'll need a low level CPU, the asterisk software, the card in the CPU, 3 IP phones and an IP fax machine?? Is that right?

If this is right what stuff should I get? Less than $100 phones that are decent and the other stuff?

And then I'm also assuming that I would have no ongoing fees associated with a PHONE service provider, just my broadband connection fee.. yes?

[mike]

This is what I am assuming.. That if I have a broadband connection.. I can install Asterisk on a machine, connect that machine to the internet through some sort of card and then connect my phones and fax also to that card and booyah I'm done??

You could install Asterisk on a machine, although it can be a very difficult to program from a general users perspective, i'm not sure how savvy you are with editing code. Essentially you need some sort of PBX (asterisk, etc) on your network. So you would have this PBX on your network and you would have the phones on the same network. This is usually accomplished by having a network Switch to connect all the devices.

Is that right? So basically I'll need a low level CPU, the asterisk software, the card in the CPU, 3 IP phones and an IP fax machine?? Is that right?

I wouldn't get risk getting to low level of a CPU as you may run into some issues, and have risk it degrading your entire phone network. Somtimes your best bet is to buy a PBX and for your small office I would recommend the Grandstream GXE5024 which can be found here: Grandstream GXE5024

If this is right what stuff should I get? Less than $100 phones that are decent and the other stuff?

If you are looking for affordable phones I would go with Grandstreams, and if you get the above PBX I mentioned they will even configure themselves! Here is a list of all the Grandstream Phones: Grandstream Phones - A lot of our customers use GXP 2020's and GXP 2000's and they work great for them.

And then I'm also assuming that I would have no ongoing fees associated with a PHONE service provider, just my broadband connection fee.. yes?

You are mistaken about no ongoing service fees. In order to get outside lines you need a SIP Provider which is basically like your traditional phone company, companies like Inphonex or Broadvoice handle this. So there is still a recurring monthly fee however it is MUCH lower than traditional phone lines.

If your going to go ahead and need help configuring and purchasing the phone systems our sales staff would gladly help you, or you can call me directly.

888-864-7786 ext 207 - mike@888voipstore.com

In a nutshell I would highly suggest you get the GXE5024 bundled with some support and phones. This PBX will handle everything from your business Auto Attendant, to extensions to even emailing your faxes to your email! If your purchase the support we can aid you in configuring your network. When it comes to service for your VoIP network I recommend Inphonex, many of our customers use them and have very little problems.

I hope this helps, let me know if you need anything else!

[jzawacki]

Originally Posted by Todd

This is what I am assuming.. That if I have a broadband connection.. I can install Asterisk on a machine, connect that machine to the internet through some sort of card and then connect my phones and fax also to that card and booyah I'm done??

You don't need broadband to use Asterisk. If you have copper PSTN lines from the telephone company, you would install a card to interface with them.

Is that right? So basically I'll need a low level CPU, the asterisk software, the card in the CPU, 3 IP phones and an IP fax machine?? Is that right?

I agree with Mike, a low level CPU is not what you mean, you probably mean a low cost CPU. You can purchase computers these days for as low as $300 that will be more than enough for your Asterisk system. But, as Mike mentioned, this project really depends on your technical knowledge. You will want something in the 2.2Ghz range, 1GB RAM, and pretty much anything for HD space. Our standard is a single 80GB drive, but if you care to learn more about Linux and Asterisk in general, you can go with a software RAID1 that will give you redundant data.

If this is right what stuff should I get? Less than $100 phones that are decent and the other stuff?

If the under $100 range for VoIP phones, I would look at the GXP-1200 or GXP-2000. The 2000 has a lot of features you probably won't need, like the ability to log into 4 seperate SIP accounts and such. I have played with all of the GXP series phones and they are all nice. The 2000 is the "old man" of the bunch. The new series has a much more executive feel and you won't be disappointed (at least I wasn't) for the quality/price.

And then I'm also assuming that I would have no ongoing fees associated with a PHONE service provider, just my broadband connection fee.. yes?

Again, this depends on who your phone service provider is. If you are using copper PSTN lines provided by the phone company, you will pay whatever the monthly rate is on those lines. If you are going with a VoIP provider like Vonage (NOTE: I said _LIKE_ Vonage, hooking a PBX up to Vonage is against the TOS), then you will most likely pay a monthly fee on the phone numbers + any outbound minutes you use.

Also a note on the fax topic. if you want a real fax sitting on your desk, get a PSTN line from your telephone company for it. If you don't need a real fax, and are willing to do it all through software (AKA, e-mail, website, etc), then I would suggest you start with an online fax service provider. So far, we have not been happy with faxing through Asterisk. We have had limited success using a Digium card with PSTN lines through Asterisk. But, fax over VoIP just doesn't work because of the codecs used.

The only issue with the GXE5024 that Mike mentioned is that they are not yet available to the public. Once they are, I believe it is exactly the solution you are looking for.