How Working From Home Caused Michael Graves to Start Writing about VoIP: “I had to come up with my own IT strategies, including telephony.”

October 10, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski
Michael Graves & Shdow-IMG_5786

Michael Graves, his dog, and 100+ lb. pumpkin. Photo Courtesy: Michael Graves (www.mgraves.org)

Office technology is supposed to make our working lives easier but the overwhelming amount of options makes it difficult just choosing the right device.

So where do you turn and who do you trust when you want to know who’s used this stuff before, what works and what doesn’t, and how much hair will I pull out trying to install this thing?

This is when you seek the guidance of a VoIP blogger like Michael Graves (@mjgraves) who runs the site Graves on SOHO Technology. He tests products geared for the small office / home office (SOHO) user and offers you, the reader, a wealth of detailed product reviews, guides and how-to articles, and great hands-on advice.

Graves explained to us that products under review spend a considerable amount of time in use on his desk before he even thinks about writing about them, so you know you’re getting quality insight. Which is great, but we wanted to know, “Why?” So we asked him a few questions about how it came to be that he created his site with all these great resources and what he thinks about the future of VoIP.

VoIP Supply: Tell us a little bit about who you are and what Graves on SOHO Technology aims to provide for your audience.

Michael Graves: My professional background includes working as a video editor and graphic designer. I also spent a long while on the technology end of the broadcast business for an English company that builds specialty graphics equipment. That work, mostly system integration and technical support, gave me the opportunity to travel extensively, which was great exposure to a variety of corporate IT infrastructures and strategies.

Early in my career I took a bit of time away from television production to write for a magazine. That exercise gave me the confidence that I could go beyond design and layout to actually write content. It was much later that I started the blog as a way to share the experience gained over years of working from my home office.

VS: How did you get started in VoIP?

Michael Graves

“I was one of the earliest people clamoring for an embedded Asterisk appliance. That’s what started me writing about VoIP. “

MG: Working as I did for a UK based firm, with limited US presence, I was based in my home office in Houston. I wasn’t just occasionally working from home as is more commonplace. I was and remain, 100% home office based. That means that I had to come up with my own IT strategies, including telephony. We had four analog phone lines, and watched as the cost went up while their capabilities were flat-lined.

Eventually, I thought that I needed to be able to do more with the funds. That drove me to look at Asterisk in it’s pre-v1.0 days. After some experimentation, I used a small Asterisk installation with some Polycom and snom phones to replace the small Panasonic KSU that was providing our home and office phones.

I was one of the earliest people clamoring for an embedded Asterisk appliance. That’s what started me writing about VoIP. I documented the process of building an Embedded Asterisk server using a Soekris single board PC and the then fledgling Astlinux embedded distribution. I wrote that for Tom’s Hardware (which later became Small Net Builder) late in 2005.

Since I had analog lines I needed FXO interfaces. My experience with early FXO cards was pretty horrible. Even the new Sipura SPA-3000 (I was in the beta program) was less than wonderful. I eventually ported my numbers to an ITSP, putting all of our voice calling over a DSL circuit.

Back then DSL was pretty slow. It took patience to select and tune a router to ensure good voice quality over DSL. The whole process or moving to Asterisk using voice-over-DSL is what drove me to start the blog. I was answering questions in various forums. It seemed like the same handful of questions kept being asked all the time, so I thought I’d carefully write down my experience in a place that I could use as a reference.

VS: What are your favorite things about VoIP, or some of the creative ways you’ve seen people use the technology?

MG: I think it’s wonderful that we can take standards compliant hardware and software to build solutions to real problems. Sometimes it’s driven by saving money, but for me it’s more often driven by the desire to solve a problem in a new and interesting manner.

People have done all kinds of fun and interesting things with VoIP tools. My former employer had to exhibit at a major trade show in Las Vegas every spring. They paid handsomely for the privilege of internet access at the booth in the exhibit hall. Then they paid again to have a voice line dropped into the booth. Then they paid a third time for calling to the UK head office where their team of engineers were busily trying to finish the code that was to be used for the show. It was silly, bit it was the way of the world.

Once they were familiar with what I had done in my home office they asked me to bring a small PC and a couple of SIP phones to the show. We never again had the convention center install the voice circuit. Better yet, we could have multiple simultaneous calls ongoing over the SIP service, including calls from staff in the UK who had a few of their own snom hard phones by then. We had better calls using G.722 based wideband audio, and we paid less. That’s win-win.

Looking to the present-day and forward, I really like that both HDVoice and video are coming into more widespread use. It’s been about to happen for many years, but it’s really picking up momentum now. Even the US mobile carriers are now supporting HDVoice in limited ways.

Graves answers and shares a readers question.

Graves answers and shares a readers question.

VS: What trends are you seeing now and any predictions for the future?

MG: I expect to see growing use of hosted PBXs by small businesses. That’s what I use myself. There’s a chance that Microsoft could step into this space with a new hosted Lync offer.

I don’t think that the desk phone is going away just yet, at least not in the world that I inhabit. I still need to be on the phone even as my desktop reboots.

More use of video. We see it already with Hangouts and various other services. WebRTC has yet to really make a dent into anyone’s business, but it’s a tidal wave that’s going shake things up a lot.

On the other hand, I’m not that enthusiastic about the more costly video conferencing end-points. I think that their days may be numbered. Low-cost end-point psuedo-appliances like Chromebox for Meetings may do well, but it’s too early to tell as yet.

I hope that we see more use of encryption in all aspects of telecom. WebRTC may be a big step forward in that direction.

VS: Writers read a lot. What’s on your reading list; websites you love or books you’d highly recommend?

MG: It was pain making the switch from Google Reader when it was shuttered. These days I meet my morning using Feedly to catch up on the news of the day. While I have a couple hundred feeds collected there, I’d recommend Light Reading, No Jitter and UC Strategies for telecom topics. Also, Dave Michels who also writes at www.talkingpointz.com is someone I really admire. Avaya’s Andrew Prokop has some great insights into technical matters at SIP Adventures.

As for books, right now I’m trying to stay focussed on the Certified Specialist of Wine Study Guide. I’ve just completed a class and I’d like to take the test some time in the next month or two. It’s a grueling test, requiring 75% correct to pass. I’m told that only one-in-three people pass on their first attempt. Everyone needs a hobby, right?

There are two books I read that I’d recommend to anyone; “Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws who Hacked Ma Bell” by Phil Lapsely and “Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music” by Greg Milner. Both are excellent accounts of the lengthy history of something that most people take for granted.

3 Technical Training Sessions for Sangoma TDM Interface Cards

October 7, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski
Sangoma A100 Cards

Sangoma TDM Card Training Sessions Now Available Online

Sangoma, a leading provider of voice and data cards since 1984 for VoIP platforms like Asterisk and FreeSWITCH, is now offering free online technical training courses to introduce you to their line of Sangoma TDM interface cards.

What You’ll Learn at Sangoma TDM Training

Sangoma offers a wide range of telephony cards including digital voice cards, analog voice cards, wireless GSM cards, hybrid voice boards, and ISDN BRI voice cards.

The first of three training sessions will help you learn:

  • Which Sangoma card you should choose (Analog, BRI, PRI, E1, T1, J1, GSM) and the benefits for each type in your system.
  • Introduction to Sangoma’s WANPIPE Driver including:
    • Installation methods for Asterisk based systems
    • How to configure your Asterisk system with Sangoma
    • Hardware installation details

Block out 90 minutes for this training and come prepared with your Sangoma questions as there will be a Q&A period at the end.

How, Where, When to Register

Click here to register for Session 1 of 3:

  • Making the Right Choice: Introduction to WANPIPE

This training will be held on:

  • Day:  Wednesday, October 15, 2014
  • Time:  8 AM – 10 AM EST

Next Up

Here are the next Sangoma training sessions in this series:

  • Part 2: Installation with Asterisk | Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 | 8 AM EST
  • Part 3: Performance Tune Your System |  Wednesday., Oct. 29, 2014 | 8 AM EST

VoIP Q&A: Jabra Motion Office Headsets for Polycom VVX 600 VoIP Phones

September 30, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski

Questions about VoIP devices and services are regularly submitted to VoIPSupply.com through a technical support ticket or via the “Ask The Expert” tab on our product pages.

We respond to these requests directly but more often than not, this Q & A would be helpful for lots of other folks.

Below are your VoIP questions answered – Real questions from real people just like you.

Q: I have a Polycom VVX600 phone. Will this headset [Jabra Motion Office] work with that phone? Is there something available that would signal people that I am on the phone when I am talking on the headset – perhaps an optional light or something?

Jabra Motion Headset

Jabra Motion Headset – One headset for all your phones, including the Polycom VVX600

A:   The Jabra Motion Office is a versatile wireless headset that promises to be “the only headset you’ll ever need.”

It’s designed to be the one headset you take with you everywhere to work hands free no matter if you’re making calls from your desk phone, VoIP softphone on your computer or laptop, cell phone, or tablet.

And in the words of the Jabra Motion datasheet, this headset “is designed to work with Bluetooth mobile phones. It can also work with other Bluetooth devices that are compliant with Bluetooth version 1.1 or higher and support a headset and /or hands-free profile.”

Polycom VVX600

Polycom VVX600 Business Media Phone has Bluetooth 2.1

The good looking Polycom VVX600 Business Media Phone has integrated Bluetooth 2.1 so, Yes, the Jabra Motion Office is a great headset for this phone and you’ll get extra use out of it with your other devices which is good if you work from home or on the road.

Jabra Busylight Signal

Lastly, to answer the second part of your question: “Is there something available that would signal people that I am on the phone when I am talking on the headset – perhaps an optional light or something?”

You’re in luck.

The Jabra Motion Office comes with a busylight indicator on the unit that will help you avoid interruptions, especially in a hectic office or one that has a more open working environment.

The Jabra busylight turns red when you’re on a call providing a clear signal that tells people not to bother you.

Stay Tuned

Check back next time for more VoIP Q & A.

Thanks for your questions!

Fall Savings with Instant Rebates on Aastra 6700i Series VoIP Phones

September 29, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski
aastra fall savings2

Aastra 6700i Series VoIP Phone Rebates

Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad like the fact that Summer has ended, but the kids are out of the house and back in school.

Once in a while though you don’t have to settle for anything, like getting to enjoy the beautiful Fall foliage together with the start of football season.

To help you combine more great things for a win-win situation, we’re offering Instant Rebates on sleek, stylish, and sturdy Aastra VoIP Phones.

Only until the end of September, enjoy an Instant Rebate between $10 and $50 on select Aastra phones that offer:

  • Solutions for small businesses on up to enterprise applications.
  • Open standards that support SIP, Asterisk, FreeSwitch, and Switchvox.
  • HD audio, multiple lines, expandibility, PoE, and Gigabit switches.

aastra_phones_cta

Aastra Phone Rebates

Aastra 6739i

$50 Rebate on Aastra 6739i VoIP Phone with 9-Lines, Color Touch Screen, Bluetooth

List of some of the limited time special add-to-cart pricing:

  • Aastra 6731i: 6-line phone | $10 rebate
  • Aastra 6735i: 9-line phone | $50 rebate
  • Aastra 6737i: 9-line phone | $10 rebate
  • Aastra 6739i: 9-line phone | $50 rebate

Click here to download the Aastra 6700i Series User Guide.

Good News for Google Voice Users, Obihai VoIP Adapters Now Officially Supported

September 26, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski
Obihai Google Voice

Google Voice now officially supported on Obihai VoIP Adapters

This is combination of old news and new news.

Many people have been using Google Voice with Obihai VoIP adapters for some time now to take advantage of free calling with the wireless or corded phones they already own.

That’s why the company has this appropriately titled blog post, The Google Voice Service is Still Working on My OBi! How come?. Google was scheduled to drop the XMPP communication protocol that made this possible.

The new, good, news is that Google Voice is now officially supported on Obihai VoIP adapters.

What This Means

What this means now is that instead of crossing your fingers that your OBi device will still work with Google Voice, which Obihai could not confirm or support, is that you won’t have to switch to a new voice service afterall.

Obihai + Google Voice features:

  • Personalized greetings
  • Call blocking
  • Voicemail transcription, text alerts, and SMS to email
  • Free calling to the U.S. from the U.S. and Canada ($0.01 per minute from the rest of the world)
  • Low international calling rates
  • E911 VoIP service optional for a small fee
  • Your OBi phone rings when your Google Voice number is called, or when your Google ID is called through Google Hangouts or GMail
Update: Obihai announces Google Voice now officially supporated

Update: Obihai announces Google Voice now officially supporated

Supported Devices

Google Voice can be accessed via the:

  • OBi1032: OBi Series IP phone
  • OBi202: 2 Port adapter, supports OBiWiFi, also works with other SIP providers
  • OBi200: 1 FSX port, USB, OBiWiFi, supports up to 4 SIP accounts
  • OBi100: 1 Port adapter
  • OBi110: 1 FXS Port and 1 FXO port for existing analog phones and fax machines

Don’t Update to Apple iOS 8 if You’re Using Digium Switchvox Mobile App

September 23, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski
Digium Swithvox Mobile App Not Yet Compatible with Apple iOS 8 Software Release

Digium Swithvox Mobile App Not Yet Compatible with Apple iOS 8 Software Release

The news that Apple iOS 8 software is now publicly available is exciting, but try to resist the urge to install the update if you’re a current user of the Switchvox Mobile App.

Digium has announced that their Switchvox app does not yet support iOS 8:

We are working to determine Switchvox Mobile’s compatibility with this new version of the operating system, and cannot guarantee the app will function under iOS 8.

Switchvox Mobile is the free app that allows you to access your Switchvox VoIP network via iPhone, Android, and Blackberry devices.

Switchvox iOS 8 Plan

Digium plans on having an updated mobile app available in October 2014 which “will offer much of the feature-set of a Digium desk phone, on your iPhone,” said an announcement from Gayle Magee of Digium.

A new Android Switchvox Mobile app will follow after the Apple iOS 8 version is complete.

Stay up to date with customer issues on Switchvox Today.

VoIP Supply Pitches In for 22nd Annual United Way Day of Caring in Buffalo and Western New York

September 20, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski

day of caring_voip_supply_2014_3

This past week on September 17th and 18th, VoIP Supply participated in the 22nd Annual United Way of Caring in what has become one of the biggest community service events in Buffalo and Western New York.

It’s a great event, with even greater turnout, where companies lend out their employees who get a chance to help their neighbors and gain a some team-building experience.

We were proud to help out Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara with blacktop sealing and another project where a resident was in need of fence staining.

Get Involved, Year of Giving

Visit the United Way of Buffalo on Facebook or their website for more information on their charitable efforts and ways that you can get involved.

We look forward to next year’s Day of Caring but in the meantime, VoIP Supply’s Year of Giving continues.

 

How Does Net Neutrality Affect VoIP?

September 18, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski

If you’ve been following the net neutrality debate you know that the FCC is currently reviewing over 3 million comments from the public to find out how they feel about the current Open Internet standard that we’re used to.

So far, public opinion is less than 1% against net neutrality. Most people, it seems, believe that all internet traffic was created equal.

Can the voice of the people be enough to sway the FCC or will service providers be allowed to monetize priority internet traffic?

We’ll have to wait. In the meantime, if you’ve wondered how this will affect your Voice over IP, here’s a helpful infographic from Visually:

(more…)

VoIP Q&A: Failover Port on Cisco SPA232D ATA

September 16, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski

Questions about VoIP devices and services are regularly submitted to VoIPSupply.com through a technical support ticket or via the “Ask The Expert” tab on our product pages.

We respond to these requests directly but more often than not, this Q & A would be helpful for lots of other folks.

Below are your VoIP questions answered – Real questions from real people just like you.

Q: In case that my Internet Provider or SIP provider fail, has the Cisco SPA232D the survival option through it’s FXO port?

Cisco SPA232D

Cisco SPA232D Analog Telephone Adapter with Built-In DECT

A:   The Cisco SPA232D ATA is an FXS/FXO gateway with DECT so that in addition to using your analog phones and fax machines with VoIP you can, with the addition of an integrated DECT base station, also add up to five Cisco SPA302D handsets to communicate with it.

In regards to your question, the answer is simply “Yes.”

For more detail I will refer to the post of one of our former colleagues who wrote the post, FXS and FXO – You should be in the know:

Some ATA’s also have an FXO port. This connects to the wall jack by the computer to provide failover. In this case, in the event of internet failure, you can still make telephone calls via the POTS line. Also, you can use the FXO port to make free local calls on your POTS line.

FXO ports are most often used on Gateways and PBX’s to support Failover or Fallback as mentioned above.

For more information on all of the FXO control settings, check out the Cisco SPA232D Datasheet.

Cisco SPA232D ATA shown with SPA302D DECT Handset

Cisco SPA232D ATA shown with SPA302D DECT Handset

 

Stay Tuned

Check back next time for more VoIP Q & A.

Thanks for your questions!

Xorcom Interviews Explain Benefits of New CompletePBX Version 4.5 and Orion Video Conferencing for SMBs

September 11, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski

IT Expo West 2014 is over but Xorcom has shared a couple great recap interviews that explain two of their solutions:

  • New, soon-to-be-released Xorcom CompletePBX Version 4.5 that will offer stronger security features and an open source endpoint manager
  • Xorcom Orion Video Conferencing for SMBs that’s affordable and reliable

Xorcom Orion Video Conferencing for Small Businesses

Via Xorcom

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