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rblizz
join:2001-12-16
North Richland Hills, TX

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Re: Recommendation for local church? - 4 lines

said by digiblur:

I guess I'm just going to have to email their tech support to see if they offer a way to use both lines of the SPA2000. I'm hoping they can come up with something and I can just swap the router, configure the QOS, plug in the SPA2000, then plug in the two lines from their phone system into the SPA2000 and boom that's it.

Just a few comments. If you get two lines from CallCentric you definitely can use both lines on your SPA2000 -- my brother does that on his SPA2102. I use to have one CallCentric number show up on both lines of my SPA2102, but I think I could only use the 2nd line for outgoing. If you buy a block of minutes for the first line (the $8.95 business plan) you could just use the Pay Per Minute plan ($1.95) on the 2nd line -- so that could save you a little more. You can also set up a hunt group with CallCentric's call treatment feature.

I would definitely try out CallCentric (or whatever VoIP provider you end up with) on that 3rd line.
rblizz

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said by kaila:

Not to muddy the decision process for you, but it sounds like your needs would really be best suited by a PBX, which I know you ruled out (and understand completely).

For two lines? (Remember, the FAX and "back room" phone are separated from these two.)

digiblur
Premium Member
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana

digiblur

Premium Member

said by rblizz:

said by kaila:

Not to muddy the decision process for you, but it sounds like your needs would really be best suited by a PBX, which I know you ruled out (and understand completely).

For two lines? (Remember, the FAX and "back room" phone are separated from these two.)

That has all changed. I was misinformed, the backroom is just a different phone. You know how some of those older folks get. They thought it was a separate line. I looked at the phone and sure enough you can dial one of the extensions up front. They are just used to the other phones up front that have the 8 or so buttons you mash to direct dial an extension. This phone you have to dial a code then the extension number.

I looked at the AT&T landline bill and it's just 3 voice lines and 1 DSL service(on the fax line). So I really just have 2 voice lines to deal with right now.

I've been in an inquiry to the sales dept at CallCentric about ordering Office Unlimited inbound and attaching it to basically two ATAs. Then also using the two ATA's to dial out with the 1000 minute package. Everything on their website looks like it can support it with the multichannels.

The equipment budget for this thing is really at about $0 right now. Things are tight for them as it is a small church. So no PBX or other craziness. Just an IT guy swapping in a spare router, hooking up a 2 line ATA to their existing phone system and start saving them money.

JasonOD
@comcast.net

JasonOD

Anon

said by digiblur:

....I've been in an inquiry to the sales dept at CallCentric about ordering Office Unlimited inbound and attaching it to basically two ATAs. Then also using the two ATA's to dial out with the 1000 minute package. Everything on their website looks like it can support it with the multichannels.....

But how are you going to have both ATA's register to the same account? I don't think that's possible with Callcentric?
druber
join:2000-04-11
Stow, MA

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are you comfortable with your own PBX? you can take a relatively old PC and install pbxinaflash on it - register the phones to it, and it registers with Callcentric. Costs $0 and is fairly easy to set up.

digiblur
Premium Member
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana

digiblur to JasonOD

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to JasonOD
said by JasonOD :

said by digiblur:

....I've been in an inquiry to the sales dept at CallCentric about ordering Office Unlimited inbound and attaching it to basically two ATAs. Then also using the two ATA's to dial out with the 1000 minute package. Everything on their website looks like it can support it with the multichannels.....

But how are you going to have both ATA's register to the same account? I don't think that's possible with Callcentric?

Well it is possible as I talked with the sales team but there would be issues and it wouldn't work as expected. I think CallCentric might not be an option for me at this point since I would have to get two office unlimited accounts and they do not have a number in area code 225.
digiblur

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said by druber:

are you comfortable with your own PBX? you can take a relatively old PC and install pbxinaflash on it - register the phones to it, and it registers with Callcentric. Costs $0 and is fairly easy to set up.

Hmm... How old? I just found out they have upgraded an older PC with XP on it. It will soon be retired.

You have peaked my interest as the CallCentric guy explained this what you are talking about. One account to a PBX then the ATA's would be attached. I'm just not sure of the setup of this but I don't have any issue learning something new. But I'm really not wanting to support an older piece of hardware added to this mix. I don't think the room it would be in would be air conditioned really well either.

Going to go google stuff on this on my search for another possible VOIP provider for 2 lines this evening.
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

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If you need to have two separate registrations (because you have to work with the equipment already on hand, no option for IP phones in this case) then you might need to look at a provider with subaccounts like Voip.MS

However, as [druber] said, if anyone in the church congregation has an old PC laying around, you could install pbxinaflash (PIAF) on it and that would allow you to use CC.
said by digiblur:

(CC) do not have a number in area code 225.

They do have 225 numbers.
»www.callcentric.com/did_ ··· did.y=13

Now, whether or not they can port your current number is another story. For that, check here:
»www.callcentric.com/lnp/

Note: If they cannot port your current number, then there is a chance that other providers can't port it either.

JasonOD
@comcast.net

JasonOD to digiblur

Anon

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Church's get very important calls. Do NOT trust their phone system to an old PC. It might work just fine, but don't bet their phones on it.

It's kludgy, but if you have zero budget and want to go through with this, find a sub-account provider. Put in a few bucks and test the heck out of them until you're satisfied it would meet the needs of the church. Then port, migrate.

digiblur
Premium Member
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana

digiblur

Premium Member

said by JasonOD :

Church's get very important calls. Do NOT trust their phone system to an old PC. It might work just fine, but don't bet their phones on it.

It's kludgy, but if you have zero budget and want to go through with this, find a sub-account provider. Put in a few bucks and test the heck out of them until you're satisfied it would meet the needs of the church. Then port, migrate.

Yeah, I've since thought about this and do not want a PBX/older computer up in the mix. Still debating on things and looking around...

Trev
AcroVoice & DryVoIP Official Rep
Premium Member
join:2009-06-29
Victoria, BC

Trev

Premium Member

said by digiblur:

Yeah, I've since thought about this and do not want a PBX/older computer up in the mix. Still debating on things and looking around...

If you'd like something that's just done and without needing to experiment or take up any more of your time, there are also full service providers out there. AcroVoice is one of them (and there are many others with varying price points).

With AV, the cost will be about $40/mo for your two lines [as a slightly discounted price for your organization]. It's a fully managed service where the church can call us directly if there is any trouble.

Yes, indeed it will cost more than the other solutions you have been looking at. That's why I asked previously if you wanted to be the support guy or not. This solution doesn't require you to become the permanent phone support guy
druber
join:2000-04-11
Stow, MA

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PIAF has a very low memory/cpu-speed footprint. You could use a 2+ GHZ celeron with a gig of ram even. It really doesn't tax things much. I just saw your post about not wanting to do this - honestly, I think you will spend more time and effort trying to trick things out without it (and inevitably something will break in the bandaid and bailing wire method, and you'll spend more time and effort fixing things, but your call...) I've had PIAF at home with 3 extensions - two via ata and one sip (polycom) phone and literally can't remember the last time I had to logon to it to do anything (well not counting the several hours I spent tweaking things so I could Rickroll telemarketers LOL).

JasonOD
@comcast.net

JasonOD

Anon

With the exception of the installed packages that Ward goes crazy with and some customized setup routines, PIAF is no different than any other Asterisk+freePBX clone out there. Pushing him into an asterisk install is like what someone said earlier in the thread recommending a mikrotik router- way to much of a learning curve for the uninitiated and way overkill.

Now if the OP has time and is willing to learn this stuff, awesome. Otherwise just let a decent provider take care of it, whether recycling his own ATA's or using provided hardware.