Phone Calls Over WiFi
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I love having features like blacklists and extension numbers. You can basically eliminate spam calls like you can with email. It brings telephony for home use into the current era.
I really surprised that someone hasn't offered this to home users yet.
PBX hosting isn't trivial. Like with most things, the best home user services are normally the commercial ones.
But businesses don't advertise to consumers for this product.
Consumers who care seek out products, they don't use what they are told to buy. I don't see this as a problem for customers who want a product like this.
I suppose that makes sense. The typical consumer already has a solution that they are apparently happy with.
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
-
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
With a service like this, you could convert your cellphone into a data only device. of course the Cell companies would hate that, less billable for them.
There are cell companies that specifically offer this. Saw one advertising literally yesterday afternoon.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I have no idea of SMSing can be made to work with it, that would be about the largest drawback (though some others would say that e911 being broken would be a bigger drawback).
Yes it can. Which is a big deal since you can't do SMS with traditional phones. e911 works the same as 911 does for any PBX. So what's the issue there?
Because you won't be stationary. If you have Zoiper, and that's what you use for phone calls, and use that to call 911, your PBX won't know where you are.
-
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
No way. A private PBX is expensive (when compared to having nothing) and the average consumer, even the average prosumer, even the average IT pro can't manage their own PBX. If it's your thing, it's not a big deal. If this is a one off project, it's a fairly steep learning curve.
Most people don't have home phones today and live on cell phones. So this is very much an elite phone user category product. Has a lot of value, but it isn't for the 99%.
-
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I have no idea of SMSing can be made to work with it, that would be about the largest drawback (though some others would say that e911 being broken would be a bigger drawback).
Yes it can. Which is a big deal since you can't do SMS with traditional phones. e911 works the same as 911 does for any PBX. So what's the issue there?
Because you won't be stationary. If you have Zoiper, and that's what you use for phone calls, and use that to call 911, your PBX won't know where you are.
I understand that, but that's no different than any mobile phone scenario. And I've had it affect land lines before, even traditional POTS lines, so the issue is universal.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
With a service like this, you could convert your cellphone into a data only device. of course the Cell companies would hate that, less billable for them.
There are cell companies that specifically offer this. Saw one advertising literally yesterday afternoon.
Have you ever seen that in the USA? I haven't. I know that deaf people in the US can get a phoneline with no voice mins, but they still have a phone number for SMSing. Damn I wish we could get a FREE uniform way to instant message. Sure there are tons of free options, but they aren't ubiquitous, they rarely inter operate with each other.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I have no idea of SMSing can be made to work with it, that would be about the largest drawback (though some others would say that e911 being broken would be a bigger drawback).
Yes it can. Which is a big deal since you can't do SMS with traditional phones. e911 works the same as 911 does for any PBX. So what's the issue there?
Because you won't be stationary. If you have Zoiper, and that's what you use for phone calls, and use that to call 911, your PBX won't know where you are.
I understand that, but that's no different than any mobile phone scenario. And I've had it affect land lines before, even traditional POTS lines, so the issue is universal.
Well, Cell phones are suppose to turn on the GPS (granted doesn't always work) and report the info - though I hear that many 911 centers don't have the tech to read the info provided by the phones or some such shit.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
No way. A private PBX is expensive (when compared to having nothing) and the average consumer, even the average prosumer, even the average IT pro can't manage their own PBX. If it's your thing, it's not a big deal. If this is a one off project, it's a fairly steep learning curve.
Most people don't have home phones today and live on cell phones. So this is very much an elite phone user category product. Has a lot of value, but it isn't for the 99%.
I'm lost - I'm talking about a product for PBX to consumers like O365 is to end users. The consumers would log into a web portal, assign phone numbers to end points, etc. It would all be very point and click.
-
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I have no idea of SMSing can be made to work with it, that would be about the largest drawback (though some others would say that e911 being broken would be a bigger drawback).
Yes it can. Which is a big deal since you can't do SMS with traditional phones. e911 works the same as 911 does for any PBX. So what's the issue there?
Because you won't be stationary. If you have Zoiper, and that's what you use for phone calls, and use that to call 911, your PBX won't know where you are.
I understand that, but that's no different than any mobile phone scenario. And I've had it affect land lines before, even traditional POTS lines, so the issue is universal.
Well, Cell phones are suppose to turn on the GPS (granted doesn't always work) and report the info - though I hear that many 911 centers don't have the tech to read the info provided by the phones or some such shit.
Cell phones are unique. But talking about other phone technologies, the hosted FreePBX style option competes well with all of them.
-
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
No way. A private PBX is expensive (when compared to having nothing) and the average consumer, even the average prosumer, even the average IT pro can't manage their own PBX. If it's your thing, it's not a big deal. If this is a one off project, it's a fairly steep learning curve.
Most people don't have home phones today and live on cell phones. So this is very much an elite phone user category product. Has a lot of value, but it isn't for the 99%.
I'm lost - I'm talking about a product for PBX to consumers like O365 is to end users. The consumers would log into a web portal, assign phone numbers to end points, etc. It would all be very point and click.
So NOT what we were talking about above with a private PBX. You jumped to a different product category
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
No way. A private PBX is expensive (when compared to having nothing) and the average consumer, even the average prosumer, even the average IT pro can't manage their own PBX. If it's your thing, it's not a big deal. If this is a one off project, it's a fairly steep learning curve.
Most people don't have home phones today and live on cell phones. So this is very much an elite phone user category product. Has a lot of value, but it isn't for the 99%.
I'm lost - I'm talking about a product for PBX to consumers like O365 is to end users. The consumers would log into a web portal, assign phone numbers to end points, etc. It would all be very point and click.
So NOT what we were talking about above with a private PBX. You jumped to a different product category
Oh - OK I guess I see what you mean - yeah, when providing this to a consumer - a private, privately managed PBX would never fly, way to complex as you said.
-
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
No way. A private PBX is expensive (when compared to having nothing) and the average consumer, even the average prosumer, even the average IT pro can't manage their own PBX. If it's your thing, it's not a big deal. If this is a one off project, it's a fairly steep learning curve.
Most people don't have home phones today and live on cell phones. So this is very much an elite phone user category product. Has a lot of value, but it isn't for the 99%.
I'm lost - I'm talking about a product for PBX to consumers like O365 is to end users. The consumers would log into a web portal, assign phone numbers to end points, etc. It would all be very point and click.
So NOT what we were talking about above with a private PBX. You jumped to a different product category
Oh - OK I guess I see what you mean - yeah, when providing this to a consumer - a private, privately managed PBX would never fly, way to complex as you said.
Right, but it is the hosted PBX or PBX in general that delivers so many of those features to businesses. So if we skip that part, we skip the benefits (normally) that we are discussing.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
No way. A private PBX is expensive (when compared to having nothing) and the average consumer, even the average prosumer, even the average IT pro can't manage their own PBX. If it's your thing, it's not a big deal. If this is a one off project, it's a fairly steep learning curve.
Most people don't have home phones today and live on cell phones. So this is very much an elite phone user category product. Has a lot of value, but it isn't for the 99%.
I'm lost - I'm talking about a product for PBX to consumers like O365 is to end users. The consumers would log into a web portal, assign phone numbers to end points, etc. It would all be very point and click.
So NOT what we were talking about above with a private PBX. You jumped to a different product category
Oh - OK I guess I see what you mean - yeah, when providing this to a consumer - a private, privately managed PBX would never fly, way to complex as you said.
Right, but it is the hosted PBX or PBX in general that delivers so many of those features to businesses. So if we skip that part, we skip the benefits (normally) that we are discussing.
I'm not talking about skipping that part - I'm specifically talking about Hosted PBX for consumers.
Cox has started to dabble in it around here. They have a console you can log into and forward numbers, but they don't support things like Zoiper, they are just using old school tech and made it more accessible to consumers.
-
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
Cox has started to dabble in it around here. They have a console you can log into and forward numbers, but they don't support things like Zoiper, they are just using old school tech and made it more accessible to consumers.
No, that's hosted VoIP, not hosted PBX. Don't get all SW mixing the two terms there. One you get a PBX, one you do not. Very different animals. Both are VoIP, both are hosted, only one is there a PBX for you.
-
If you get hosted PBX, you have a PBX. If you get a hosted email server, or a hosted server of any kind you get... a server. If you get a hosted email service, you don't get a server.
Does that make sense? One you are getting a product that you could run yourself but hosted. One you are getting a shared system that provides certain functionality.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I just wonder if someone did a blitz campaign if they could move the typical consumer to a new platform?
No way. A private PBX is expensive (when compared to having nothing) and the average consumer, even the average prosumer, even the average IT pro can't manage their own PBX. If it's your thing, it's not a big deal. If this is a one off project, it's a fairly steep learning curve.
Most people don't have home phones today and live on cell phones. So this is very much an elite phone user category product. Has a lot of value, but it isn't for the 99%.
I'm lost - I'm talking about a product for PBX to consumers like O365 is to end users. The consumers would log into a web portal, assign phone numbers to end points, etc. It would all be very point and click.
So NOT what we were talking about above with a private PBX. You jumped to a different product category
He does this all of the time.
-
@JaredBusch said
And then how in the hell would it make a phone call FFS?
Do you think this is fucking magic?
FFS!
Did you read my original post? Nowhere did I say I would rule out any solutions that involved magic. I"m OK with magic.
-
I was thinking about a service such as Google Voice. I know Google Voice can be set up (MAGIC!) to basically do what I am asking about, but I do not know if that process would work outside the US.
I assume you could just turn off your cell data, and it would work, but not being out of the country for a while, I was just wondering.
Has anyone used Google Voice in such a way? Can it be used JUST with WiFI?
I know Skype can also magically make phone calls, but there is a cost to that. (I don't care so much about the cost at this point, just seeing what is out there.) I also don't know if there are non-US issues with Skype.
I can't imagine there would be any issues with either of these since they are over WiFi. But I've learned it's better not to assume.
-
No, haven't tested that because I can't get Google Voice here
-
@BRRABill said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I know Skype can also magically make phone calls, but there is a cost to that. (I don't care so much about the cost at this point, just seeing what is out there.) I also don't know if there are non-US issues with Skype.
It's just a paid for service, not very exciting considering you can pay to make calls on your cell phone as it is. Doesn't really buy you much of anything for calling on the PSTN.
