[kwlug-disc] VoIP Question.

Tue Feb 8 23:36:55 EST 2011

Have you consider having your asterisk server in Canada and setting up an 
extension in Costa Rica?

Extension ---> Your asterisk ---> Unlimitel --> Whatever POTS

or

Extension --> your asterisk (with an FXO card) --> POTS

I just found this interesting Info: 
http://voip.weblogsinc.com/2005/07/14/use-a-v92-modem-as-an-fxo-card-on-asterisk/

If "extension" is an Android Phone, then the employee does not even need to be 
constrained to the office as it can connect through 3G or WiFi where available.

My experience is that to support a single phone line you don't really need too 
much bandwidth 

I'm really thinking that your main concern should be the "last mile" connection 
in Costa Rica. If the employee has a decent Internet connection there shouldn't 
be a problem with latency. Or to put it another way. In my experience Calls from 
Central America tend to have noticeable latency (echo) through POTS, I haven't 
noticed it in Vonage: It may be that POTS networks and switches are older than 
the Internet infrastructure and are more saturated.

If the employee has a lousy Internet connection, then nothing else matters.

The problem I see with Magic jack is that "employee" must have the computer 
turned on at all times as it is an USB device. With Skype you have some WiFi 
phones.
Raul Suarez

Technology consultant
Software, Hardware and Practices
_________________
Twitter: rarsamx
http://rarsa.blogspot.com/ 
An eclectic collection of random thoughts

________________________________
From: Joe Wennechuk <youcanreachmehere at hotmail.com>
To: kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 3:25:56 PM
Subject: Re: [kwlug-disc] VoIP Question.

 So one solution that we were contemplating is just buying a magic jack, and 
sending it to him in the mail. But, I was thinking that if magic jack servers 
were all in north america, that the pings would be huge to Costa Rica, and cause 
problems like you mentioned, and if Unlimitel is comming all the way back to 
Canada that seems even farther (Higher Latency). This is why I was thinking 
maybe it is better to get a costa rica company to be the ITSP. Am I missing 
somthing? Does anyone think Magic Jack would work in costa rica? there is some 
stuff about it on their website, but just questions not actual reports of 
someone actually doing it. How could I find a few IP address in Costa rica that 
I could ping so I  could get an idea of the average latency, or is that not the 
way to figure out the average latency between us and costa rica? is there some 
other way to figure the average latency between various points, or is there too 
much variation to make such an estimate practical. 

Joseph Wennechuk
________________

> Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 13:26:04 -0500
> From: john at netdirect.ca
> To: kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
> Subject: Re: [kwlug-disc] VoIP Question.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> > So.... I think I am slowly getting this VoIP thing.
> > 
> > I just have a question about a scenario..
> > 
> > Scenario: We have an employee who will be in Cosat Rica in a couple of
> > weeks : permanently.
> > 
> > Requirements:
> > 
> > We want to give him a Cambridge number. Toronto if Cambridge can't be
> > done.
> > 
> > We want him to be able to call POTS all over the world as cheap as
> > possible, or unlimited plan of some sort if available.
> > 
> > We dont need him to interface with our current office phone system.
> > 
> > Questions:
> > 
> > I am wondering if he is in Costa Rica and I get say Unlimitel.
> > - How would I fugure latency before purchase, I want to make sure he
> > is going to have low ping speeds to the unlimitel server (Do they have
> > them spread all over the globe?)?
> > 
> > Should I use a company in Costa Rica Instead of Unlimitel?
> > - What should I be considering here how far to the Voip Provider
> > server? How far is the call going on POST? What should be my deciding
> > factors and parameters for choosing a provider?
> 
> I think Unlimitel probably has a server anywhere that it monetarily makes 
>sense. I always pictured them with one main location, where their VoIP is, and 
>small PRI-to-VoIP systems in places where it made more sense to co-lo that 
>equipment than to backhaul a PRI. They give you an IP address to connect to and 
>that's the one you use with your account.
> 
> That said I think your Costa Rica user will be connecting back to Canada. 
> 
> The factors in choosing an ITSP are many and you would be weighting them based 
>on your own needs.
> 
> You want a certain number, ITSPs only carry limited phone number exchanges. You 
>want Toronto or Cambridge. You can likely find hundreds of ITSPs that provide 
>Toronto numbers, fewer that provide Cambridge.
> 
> Primarily you need a predictable connection. As long as the latency (ping time) 
>is not crazily long you are okay. The key thing is that it be consistent. The 
>higher the latency means a delay from when the other party talks and you hear 
>and respond. A long delay sounds like a satellite connection with long delays 
>between responses. If latency isn't consistent then delay between talk and echo 
>changes and echo cancellers have to retrain. In short varying latency means more 
>echo.
> 
> Throughput and packet loss are other metrics worth measuring if you're 
>concerned. A safe value is that 64K is needed for a conversation. That's way 
>high practically speaking but it won't be higher than that unless you're 
>planning on doing video calls.
> 
> Then you need to consider the financial aspect. How much is the monthy, how 
>much is LD, etc.
> 
> Then you need to consider the reliability of the ITSP. Are they down much, how 
>is the quality, do they have redundancy features like forwarding if VoIP fails.
> 
> You could also obtain a Costa Rica ITSP so your employee, and your office can 
>place local calls cheaply. Or pick up a PRI down there and start your own ITSP 
>and sell Costa Rican LD.
> 
> -- 
> John Van Ostrand 
> CTO, co-CEO 
> Net Direct Inc. 
> 564 Weber St. N. Unit 12, Waterloo, ON N2L 5C6 
> Ph: 866-883-1172 x5102 
> Fx: 519-883-8533 
> 
> Linux Solutions / IBM Hardware 
> 
> 
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