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Communications Hardware

ASUS Integrates VOIP and PSTN Into Motherboards 101

yahyamf writes "ASUS recently announced that their TeleSky telecom adapter will now be included in two of their motherboards. The TeleSky converts an ordinary house phone into a multi-functional Skype phone. With one jack connected to the house phone and the other to the ground telephone line, the TeleSky can switch the house phone connection between the PSTN and VoIP networks. While it sounds interesting, how would this compare to the dedicated VOIP adapters available from SIPURA and others?"
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ASUS Integrates VOIP and PSTN Into Motherboards

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  • by Grey Ninja ( 739021 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @08:56AM (#17097922) Homepage Journal
    I'm not trying to do the standard Slashdot post. I'm actually serious. Does anyone know if it works in Linux? The system requirements on the page state Windows, but that's rarely a good indicator. I would definitely plan to have one of these motherboards in my next PC if the adapter works in Linux.
    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      Specifically, is there asterisk support for these? I did a quick search and could not determine that either way. I'd love something more affordable than the Digium boards; but, I prefer to use asterisk for VIOP.
      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        i seriously doubt it. skype and asterisk are like oil and water, always have been and presumably, always will be.
    • I think it supports both Linux and Asterisk.
      If I read it right, it's not much more than a Sipura device with "the voip side soldered to a motherboard". It looks like it emulates an (USB) audio device, which can be used from pretty much any program, including the Asterisk ALSA plugin.
    • by Metaphorically ( 841874 ) * on Monday December 04, 2006 @10:53AM (#17098924) Homepage
      Just set up Asterisk. Asterisk is actually not that tough to run once you get past the jargon. I just recently blogged how I set up Asterisk with PSTN termination [latenightpc.com] at home. Since then I've also gotten an unlocked Linksys ATA and I'm beginning to use it as a replacement for my old phone line.
    • Does anyone know if it works in Linux?

      And make sure you don't fall into the trap I did of accepting binary drivers for an Asus product. I bought an Asus Pundit-R for a MythTV box c. September 2005. It's a soup-to-nuts ATI solution, integrated graphics, chipset, ide controller, etc. ATI discontinued linux support for it as of June 2006 as "old hardware" and won't answer my mails about it. So, there's no driver that can run in modular Xorg and power the TV-out feature or do hardware 3D.

      Looks like a Matrox
  • No, they don't. (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 04, 2006 @08:59AM (#17097938)
    They integrate a line interface in the mainboard, which is mostly a glorified connector to the soundcard. The telephone acts as a microphone and a speaker. That's it. The VOIP is all software.
    • TFA is a little light on techinical specifics, but ut looks like an internet phone wizard [vosky.com] that plugs into the speaker and mike plugs on the board instead of using a USB connection. i would imagine that it requires similar a similar windows specific helper program as the vosky.
  • So what's the situation here? Did Asus get licence for embedding skype technology in hardware? Or did they just learn how to use it?
    • Re:With skype? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Aladrin ( 926209 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @09:21AM (#17098104)
      It's not in the hardware. This is just a telephone to mic/speaker adapter that is built into the motherboard. Skype uses a mic/speaker to do its thing, as usual.

      Skype probably gave them money to develop it, and then use their name on it. Great advertising, really.
      • I think you may be mistaken here. As far as I can tell, (and I have been researching it a lot lately) you can't just plug any old phone into any old modem and make it work as a voip phone. You may want to check out asterisk.org for more info, but at least with Asterisk, you need specific modems to handle this. If this will allow you to plug in your POTS phone(s) and make it work with SKYPE or any other VOIP provider, it is actually a pretty cool deal. And if it works with Asterisk and can be integrated w
        • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

          by Aladrin ( 926209 )
          I didn't say it was a modem. I said it was a phone to mic/speaker adapter.

          I simplified there, as this is also a Skype POTS adapter, allowing it to failover to a landline if you're not on the internet.
  • Fallback (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Southpaw018 ( 793465 ) * on Monday December 04, 2006 @09:15AM (#17098048) Journal
    To answer poster's question on comparison: the main advantage (IMO) to having PSTN access is fallback.

    I can think of some cases where long distance might be different, and you might want to use VoIP for some numbers and PSTN for others, but we just implemented a new PBX at my office with a feature wherein if our VoIP calls encounter a certain amount of packet loss, if they drop below a certain audio quality (not enough bandwidth available), or if we just plain old feel like it, we can switch our voice access from our T1 to our four old fashioned copper n' wire lines.

    It provides security. Bosses like security. ;)
    • I agree. There are also a number of things that simply don't work over VOIP. Number 1 would be faxing, number 2 would be DCT dialout (tivo-esque devices with a phone connection to dl schedule info). Basically, it comes down to anything that uses a modem won't work over VIOP. I wonder if there are also problems with accessability products for the deaf? Perhaps the owner of one of these devices could comment?

      BBH
      • I know vonage offers fax lines that work over their VOIP service, so I'm not to sure that all data services over POTS fail to work over VOIP... I'm not sure what they d on their end to ensure such things work however...
      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        T.38 covers fax over IP. It's pretty much a standard feature on any adapter you buy. The device understands the modulation schemes used by fax machines and works by demodulating the fax signal, sending the digital data over the network, then a device on the other end recreates the modulated analog signal based on that data.
        • If only it worked.

          In my experience, it typically takes 5-8 tries to get a fax through to China via VOIP. If I hook the machine up to good old copper it goes through the first time.
      • by xappax ( 876447 )
        There's something hilarious about even imagining sending faxes or modem transactions over VOIP. I mean, internet connections were originally hacks to allow us to send data over a voice network - VOIP is a sort of hack to allow us to send phone-like messages over the internet - but then you want to send data over the hack of the hack? Same thing with TTY - we're talking about allowing for a conversion of digital(tty text)->analog(tty modulations)->digital(VOIP data)->analog(voip audio rendered on
  • Good, I can manage all telemarketers through a single motherboard.
  • by Knight Thrasher ( 766792 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @09:18AM (#17098080) Journal
    Really, I use a lot of onboard services on my little network system these days. A 500GB HDD for network storage, printer attached for printing across the network, I run my internet service through it and it does FTP and HTTP externally for my personal remote access to my network. Why not have it do VOIP telephony too? Sounds convenient enough, and none of my other resources on the system would draw overhead hardware-wise.

    Would I recommend this kind of setup for a poweruser that likes to cut down on all background processes on their overclocked Windows gaming rig? Nah. But it's keen for those of us that like to have a main system for our use, and a small server that sits off in the basement running the little things.

    So of course, the question of whether or not there's Linux drivers for it is very valid.
  • Sipura doesn't exist anymore. Its now part of Linksys.
  • Not a so good idea (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    The problem is that it would certainly require your computer to be on. I'd rather have a router with a VOIP capability: no need to switch on the computer and no need for (presumably) Windows-only drivers.
    • by Zemran ( 3101 )
      I need VOIP capability and I cannot see anywhere that says this has it. Skype is an implementation of the idea rather than a true version of it. I cannot get free calls to all other VOIP users with Skype hype.
  • Dear Asus, (Score:2, Flamebait)

    by tomstdenis ( 446163 )
    This is why I buy Gigabyte motherboards.

    Also WTF is a phone line? VoIP goes over the net (re: ethernet) not a POTS (otherwise what's the f'ing point?).

    Why not integrate a PS3 into it while you're at it?

    Tom
    • I used phone lines back when I had Vonage. I just went ouside and unhooked my house from the outside phone company and plugged the Cisco ATA box into the wall. Then I could use all the house phones normally. I think this device just simplfies that.
      • I had vonage too, yeah I know how it works.

        But why would I want a computer dedicated to it? Just another thing that can die. At least the standalone voip boxes rarely [mine never did] crash or hang. So the only problem to worry about is the damn modem going down (which fortunately for me only happened when I was in the middle of a business call ... oddly enough my ISP offers a competing voip service, I wonder....)

        Tom
        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          The reasons I have a computer dedicated to Asterisk are a lot about flexibility and control. I have more say in what happens when someone calls my house, I set up my own voice menuing (or at least I've started configuring it [latenightpc.com]), I can route calls as I'd like to and generally use the resources the way I like. The fact that my phone service ends up being far cheaper than Vonage and that I can route calls from my cell phone through it is just a really big bonus. Honestly, Vonage is cheap, but until you start sh
          • I only used Vonage to call long distance. I used to be part of several hour long teleconference calls a week. Which would have quickly added up over POTS.

            I suppose if I actually *received* calls I'd care to have more control over how it worked. But sadly, my social life isn't that happening. And most people just call my cell anyways.

            Tom
    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Theolojin ( 102108 )
      > Also WTF is a phone line? VoIP goes over the net (re: ethernet) not a POTS
      > (otherwise what's the f'ing point?).
      >
      > Why not integrate a PS3 into it while you're at it?

      What is a phone line? While Reading The Fine Article, I came across this statement:

      "With one jack connected to the house phone and the other linked to the ground telephone line, the TeleSky(TM) can switch the house phone connection between PSTN and VoIP networks."

      Also, the Fine Article listed some of the features of the product s
      • Uh, I think you mean "if you have telephones with ethernet". I've seen lots and lots of phones with RJ45s that don't speak POTS or IEEE 802.whatever. As you say, RJ45 is just a connector and not a signalling method.
    • Dear user, you have no clue.

      The phone in your house probably uses a phone line, that's the part that plugs into the computer. The other jack on the computer plugs into the *real* wall jack, just like a modem used to. That way, you can still dial 911 with your phone over the PSTN since VoIP is nowhere near as reliable as old fashioned phone calls.

      Meanwhile, you have Skype VoIP access through your /normal/ telephone you plugged into your PC (especially if you route *all* your phone wiring from your terminat
  • Why on earth? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by aysa ( 452184 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @09:40AM (#17098258)
    Why on earth would someone prefer proprietary VoIP in a motherboard when one can have those cheap Sipuras/linksys 3000 with much more functionality, open standards backed from most VoIP leaders, no need for a computer nor to have a it 24/7/365 on, with little power requirements, fall back to PSTN when Internet fails, plus a tone options. It is really a no brainer.

    In the long run Skype is doomed.
    • Re:Why on earth? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by suggsjc ( 726146 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @11:27AM (#17099354) Homepage
      First, I agree with you, but lets just see what happens when we substitute a few words...

      Why on earth would someone prefer proprietary OS in a computer when one can have those cheap linux/*BSD ones with much more functionality, open standards backed from most hardware leaders, no need for dedicated anti-virus programs, with little system requirements, better support and customization options, plus its free. It is really a no brainer.

      In the long run Windows is doomed.

      Interesting...don't you think? It isn't technology that matters the most, its marketing/partnerships/business savvy. People know about Vonage and Skype and to some extent aren't "afraid" of it...but asterisk??? For another example, MythTV is superior to TiVo, but guess who is winning that battle?
      • by aysa ( 452184 )
        The difference is that Microsoft has a monopoly for desktop OS, and Skype has no VoIP monopoly. Of course Joe user will not run an Asterisk server, but will but an ATA (with out much understandings about ATAs) from his Internet provider (which is very popular these days).

        On the other hand we are talking about a retail motherboard. Anyone well informed about this motherboard VoIP features is surely well aware of SIP :)
        • by suggsjc ( 726146 )

          Skype has no VoIP monopoly

          Very true, but they are one of the biggest (don't have numbers to back me up). As such, hardware and 3rd party manufactures will migrate toward their larger install base (just like apps for windows vs linux). So, its one of those cases where they may not actually be a monopoly, but they are in a good position to become (to some extent) one.

          Anyone well informed about this motherboard VoIP features is surely well aware of SIP

          Again very true, but its all about marketing. You hav

      • In the long run windows is doomed. Linux is getting better and better while staying the same price. If the trend continues, Linux will be so much better than Windows and will come with so much software that eventually there simply won't be any reason to run Windows.

        Of course, what happens in the next 490823012 years, in between now and then, will be depressing...

    • ``Why on earth would someone prefer proprietary VoIP in a motherboard when one can have those cheap Sipuras/linksys 3000 with much more functionality, open standards backed from most VoIP leaders...''

      Because, sadly, Skype is taking the world by storm, whereas SIP is caught in a net of sucky software implementations, service providers that don't interoperate, and an image problem (everybody knows Skype, those who know SIP generally only know that it's "like Skype, except that it doesn't work").

      I'm actually v
  • by Iphtashu Fitz ( 263795 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @09:45AM (#17098316)
    I was just talking to somebody the other day about the reliability of VOIP, cell phones, etc. in case of emergencies. I remember as a kid when Ma Bell was a monopoly here in the US. We rented our phones from them, couldn't hook up additional phones, answering machines, or any other "unauthorized" devices to our phone line. I also remember when deregulation began and suddenly we suddenly owned the phones that we had rented for so long, and got stickers from the phone company to stick on the bottom of the phones indicating that they were now ours and not theirs.

    But I digress. One other thing I recall clearly is that even if there was a prolonged power failure, even one lasting multiple days, the telephones always worked. The power needed to run the entire telco system is provided from the phone company. Each central office has huge banks of lead-acid batteries and backup generators to provide electricity in the event of a power failure. You could pretty much guarantee that your phone would work for days while nothing else in your house did, a comforting thought if any emergencies arose.

    Today, however, with the advent of voip, cell phones, etc. it seems like the promise of always-availble telephones is bound to disappear eventually. VOIP surely won't work if your cable modem or DSL router (or your ASUS motherboard) doesn't have any power. How will you recharge your cell phone during a power failure once you've drained its battery?

    Don't get me wrong - I think all this new technology is great, but at what cost? Many people these days probably don't realize that hardwired land lines provide a reliability that all these modern gadgets can't in times of emergencies. I just wonder if the telcos will eventually give up on providing that reliability if they feel it's no longer providing a costly & desired service.
    • by nostriluu ( 138310 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @10:18AM (#17098560) Homepage
      I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.
      - Bjarne Stroustrup
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by infinii ( 27811 )
      Take a look in your house and tell me how many telephones you own that do not require an AC adaptor of some sort. The blackout that hit the North-East back in 2003 really opened my eyes to how dependent we've become on electricity.
      • by Iphtashu Fitz ( 263795 ) on Monday December 04, 2006 @10:33AM (#17098682)
        Take a look in your house and tell me how many telephones you own that do not require an AC adaptor of some sort.

        I, and all my immediate family members, and a few friends I know, all have one that doesn't require any additional power specifically for this reason.
        • I, and all my immediate family members, and a few friends I know, all have one that doesn't require any additional power specifically for this reason.

          All mains-powered phones here in the UK come with a big warning label that you should always have one line-powered phone in order to be able to make emergency calls.

        • during our power outage resulting from the ice storm last week. There's one in the home office, one in the kitchen at the other end of the house, one in the garage on the wall and one in the basement/storm shelter. Yes, I live in the Midwest.

          Our phones have worked without a hitch through hits by two category 2 tornados and an ice storm. Thank goodness the phone lines are underground between us and the CO. Fortunately we do have a generator so that, although we were "off the grid" for about 15 hours, we w
          • Our phones have worked without a hitch through hits by two category 2 tornados and an ice storm.

            Dude, either God hates you or it's time to move.
          • ... two category 2 tornados and an ice storm ...

            Have you thought about moving to Australia?

            • So you can move from a place where the weather tries to kill you every year, to a place where everything that moves is either poisonous or has gigantic, sharp teeth? I'm not sure that's going to make his life much safer.
              • Well, you know, we don't have crocodiles in Sydney (just lawyers), and no box jellyfish. I admit we do have a bit of a drought, but it doesn't affect the cities too much.

                But tornados ... oh boy. Ice storms. Nah, I'll stay here. England was bad enough for me to leave .. tornados - I'm outa there.

                Oh, and we don't have poison ivy, nor poison oak. Not even stinging nettles.

                And we have beer ...

        • by DavidTC ( 10147 )

          Every single house should have both a corded phone, for use in power outages, and a cordless phone for use during thunderstorms. You should also have a battery operated radio and a flashlight.

          Of course, I'm always astonished at the people who go out and buy bottled water and other non-perishables when snow storms threaten. I mean, I understand stocking up on some food, but are there honestly people out there who don't have four or five gallon jugs of water stored somewhere?

          Sometimes I think we need some s

          • Of course, I'm always astonished at the people who go out and buy bottled water and other non-perishables when snow storms threaten. I mean, I understand stocking up on some food, but are there honestly people out there who don't have four or five gallon jugs of water stored somewhere?

            People do not ordinarily purchase large jugs and regularly fill them with water. Aside from the fact that it goes stale after a week or two (water *is* perishable), most houses have a perfectly functional cold water tank which

            • Where I grew up we had our own well and a pump that would automatically fill a pressurized water tank whenever the pressure got too low. If we lost power when the pressure was low we'd end up with very little available water. That's one of the reasons my dad got an electric generator and a transfer switch wired into the house. That way we could run the water pump if we needed water.
              • by DavidTC ( 10147 )

                Where I grew up we had our own well and a pump that would automatically fill a pressurized water tank whenever the pressure got too low. If we lost power when the pressure was low we'd end up with very little available water.

                Yes, normal human beings grasp the idea that pressure tanks, you know, pressurize air to move water out, and thus actually require power to create a higher pressure. This is why cities pump water up high, so it doesn't require power to get it back.

                The person we are talking to, howev

            • by DavidTC ( 10147 )

              Aside from the fact that it goes stale after a week or two (water *is* perishable)

              I almost stopped reading at that point because I've never read anything so idiotic in my entire life that wasn't a political comment. No, water is not perishable, and no, it does not go stale. What would do, become less wet? Break down into hydrogen and oxygen?

              No, water becomes flat, as in, loses the air bubbles suspended in it that we take for granted in how it tastes. There is a rather trivial way to get them back when i

              • I almost stopped reading at that point because I've never read anything so idiotic in my entire life that wasn't a political comment. No, water is not perishable, and no, it does not go stale.

                Okay, obviously a troll, but just in case anybody else was reading and thought to emulate the poster... you should not drink stale water, any more than you should eat meat which has been left out in the sun for a few hours. Water goes stale because of the growth of bacteria (and sometimes mould), which propagates throu

                • by DavidTC ( 10147 )

                  Um...no. Just no.

                  Mold and bacteria don't grow without a source of food, and there should be none in a gallon of water. Therefore, while contamination in bottled, and even in tap, water are a serious health concern, you won't get much more of them if you let the water sit in an enclosed container.

                  There is absolutely added no danger to taking water that you normally would drink, bottling it, and drinking it a month or two later. Maybe six months or a year, sure, but not a few months.

                  If you have enough bact

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by massysett ( 910130 )
      it seems like the promise of always-availble telephones is bound to disappear eventually.

      Good point. One reason I keep the landline is because I don't want all my telecom riding on my cable modem service. My cell is unreliable in my home, so if I relied exclusively on VoIP and the cable went dead, I'd be without a phone.

      As Verizon rolls out FTTP, some are speculating that they will eventually let the copper system rot. Why maintain them both? Problem is that fiber doesn't provide power, and the ONTs at the
      • As Verizon rolls out FTTP, some are speculating that they will eventually let the copper system rot. Why maintain them both?

        Very good point, and a perfect example of how newer tech could easily force telco-powered phone lines into the realm of obsolesence. Fiber provides the telcos with a lot more speed & capacity than copper, so it's probably just a matter of time before it becomes the standard for all new installs.

        The customer must supply power herself.

        Perhaps it's time to invest in manufacturers of
      • Too late! They are already letting it rot, I know a Verizon tech who tells me so. They have completely cut their maintenance crews in his area of Maryland and only do repair work as needed. He has horror stories of trying to find free pairs for new lines too. They are betting the farm on FIOS and expecting to lease out the copper to 3rd parties who will have to pay for it's maintenance I guess. Honestly the end goal isn't clear but he bitches to me quite often about how much work it's making for him these d
    • Today, however, with the advent of voip, cell phones, etc. it seems like the promise of always-availble telephones is bound to disappear eventually. VOIP surely won't work if your cable modem or DSL router (or your ASUS motherboard) doesn't have any power.

      Well, I don't know how long the cable company will provide power (and I don't know a good way to test it without going to jail, nor a good way to get a reliable answer from the cable company), but my cable modem and VOIP adapter are on a battery backup, so
    • My POTS line is far from reliable.
    • by caudron ( 466327 )
      What you are seeing is the first stage of a mass decentralization. Phones were low hanging fruit (given how easy it was to move them to the ubiquitous IP wires flowing everywhere) and so they got decentralized first, but power will not be an exception. Whole house generators are getting cheaper every day. They take multiple inputs. I've been looking at adding a Natural Gas generator to my house next year sometime. It hooks into my natural gas line and my power lines (coming and going) and acts as a sor
    • Scenario 0: power line cut, phone line fine, IP link fine
      Your old-style phone still works. Your VoIP phone* still works

      Scenario 1: phone line cut, power line fine
      Your old-style does NOT work. Your VoIP phone still works.

      Scenario 3: phone fine, power fine, IP link cut
      Your old-style phone still works. Your VoIP phone does not work.

      I really don't see how your old-style phone is significantly more reliable. Especially if you use DSL, your VoIP service is just as reliable as your old phone.

      *anybody with half a b
      • anybody with half a brain would put their VOIP phone and their router on a $25 UPS.

        A $25 UPS would power a router for perhaps an hour or two. UPS's don't simply provide power on demand, when the street power fails the UPS immediately switches to its batteries, powering an inverter that uses up the batteries even if there's no load to power, so the batteries in a $25 UPS will be drained within a few hours. True that'll help for short power failures, but not for prolonged ones like I initially described. I
        • My UPS seems able to power a CF lamp for longer than it can power my PC... but whatever.

          In my lifetime, I've never experienced a power outage that lasted more than a day. But I'll grant that it does happen. Extremely infrequently.

          Suppose a situation where POTS works and VoIP does not happens once every 15 years. POTS costs a person $600/year while a VoIP system costs a person $180/year.

          Lets see, 15*($600 - $180) = $6,300 for ONE DAY of phone use.

          I highly, HIGHLY doubt anyone would consider one day of phone
    • "How will you recharge your cell phone during a power failure once you've drained its battery?"

      a few methods spring to mind

      1)plugin usb charger into my car and charge it through that,
      2)use the handcrank telephone charger I bought a while back which does work eventually
      3)Emergency battery pack (usually a couple of AA batterys in a case)
      4)plug it into my laptop.

      grab the solar powered lamps from my garden and use the internal batterys to power my cell phone...
      maybe convert a bycycle with a dynamo to run on win
      • plugin usb charger into my car and charge it through that

        I doubt everybody affected by the 2006 blackouts in NYC had cars in which to do this.

        use the handcrank telephone charger I bought a while back which does work eventually

        Smart of you to be prepared! I doubt the vast majority of cell phone users are as prepared as you.

        Emergency battery pack (usually a couple of AA batterys in a case)

        Key word: "Emergency". The point I'm trying to make is the availability of a hardwired phone during a power failure in th
    • While I generally agree about the wonderful reliability of the POTS system, a very simple answer is a backup cell phone. (And on my vonage account, if my voip phone is offline, it automatically rings through to my cell.) Generally, problem solved. (Doesn't fix not being able to fall back to dialup when the high speed is down due to power issues, but at least addresses it for voice. If 1x worked worth a damn, that'd be a good net fallback, too.)

      In general, though, it'd be nice to see the cable/dsl compan
  • by Anonymous Coward
    Have people forgotten what a modem is already?
  • I connected my phone to router (some sh**ty Speedtouch). It work like magic. I diverted all calls through router so they go over internet. They are free in most of Europe, States, Australia, and so on (voipcheap.com). Plus they're dirt cheap to use in South America (for my wife).
    If I want to still use PSTN I just dial 9 + number... It works even without power, just SIP is disconnected and only PSTN works.
    And most important: that router is also wireless and is dirt cheap. And it doesn't take any resources fr
  • by xming ( 133344 )
    Or use an ATA. In combination with a open source softswtcih (Freeswitch, Yate, OpenPBX.org, ...) you can do some amazing stuffs like FoIP (T.38 with OpenPBX.org), voicemail (to email), conference, forward to VoIP/mobile/PSTN, .... Why are people sticking to a non-open protocol and non-free program is beyond me, there are so much open and free stuff that are much better.
  • My TA supports ANY phone to be plugged in, and the AT&T Callvantage VoIP service supports, as long as you're willing to reserve bandwidth for it, Fax/Modem over VoIP. The TA is a small box, smaller than the cable modem, you plug it in, and it does what it does, brainlessly. I can't see how putting any of this function on a PC is a step up.
  • It seems like there is some confusion on what this feature can actually do. These motherboards let you connect your computer to your phone line so that you can make and receive Skype calls using any regular phone. All you have to do is plug your phone and your computer into the same phone network. You no longer have to use a headset or microphone like most people use when using Skype.

    This kind of thing is very useful to people that make a lot of international calls but want the convenience of not bein

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