[svkhtn]

Hello,

I am very new to this.

Can I set up a PhoneGNome at a foreign country (not the US) to make VOIP-2-PSTN and PSTN-2-VOIP calls?

I mean:
1. My PGNome is in the UK.
2. I set up a Stanaphone VOIP number (US number) for my PGNome, my relative in the US can ring to that number and maybe enters a PIN, gets a normal dial tones to call out from the PSTN line of the GNome in UK.
3. Other way, my friend in the UK, ring my PSTN number (attached to the PGNome), and I can forward his/her call through the voipbuster that I set up on the PGNome to ring internationally.

Is it easy to set up those from the my.phonegnome.com ???

Thanks,
SV

[PhoneBoy]

The PSTN/VoIP gateway function as you described it is not available in PhoneGnome. It sounds to me like you really want a SPA3000.

[svkhtn]

Thanks for your answer.
I got a SPA3000 and it does what I described. However, I am just wondering if the PhoneGNome can have the same function like that because I can get the PhoneGNome cheaper than SPA-3000 and I need the forwardings as described.

[yiannis]

The PhoneGnome will support such functionality from the PSTN side.

You can setup the PhoneGnome to work as you describe in your last point. The requirements are for CallerID to be active on the PSTN line connected to the PhoneGnome. Also your friend's CallerID in the UK should not be hidden. Lastly you have to setup your friend's number either PSTN or mobile in my.PhoneGnome.com portal under the MobileGnome feature.

With the above requirements met, your friend can dial the PSTN number attached to your PhoneGnome, listen to the prompt, enter your PIN, and proceed to dial any number, as if he dialed from the PhoneGnome. One note on the format of the number is, it should be dialed exactly as the ITSP requires, since it does not go through the normal dial-plan translation.

[yiannis]

I do not intend to sound presumptuous, but I am wondering why the first scenario is important in your application, since better alternatives are available.

Based on the assumption, in which your PhoneGnome is in the UK connected to the PSTN, and the calls could be completed with SipDiscount (free for land lines in the UK and many other countries), why would you tie up your PSTN line for calls to the UK which will cost you, since they carry per minute charges.

A better solution IMHO, would be for either your relative to get a PhoneGnome, or for you to turn on SoftGonme on my.PhoneGnome.com portal and give your relative access to it. Getting a PhoneGnome for your relative has obvious advantages. Using SoftGnome requires either running a soft-client on a PC, or getting a cheap ATA. Both require Internet connectivity, but not necessarily access to a phone line. The effect is that your relative can use your PhoneGnome as if he was sitting in front of it. And he can complete calls in many more countries, and not just the UK using your PSTN line.

[svkhtn]

Thank you very much for your information!!! It is very helpful.

As you mentioned, there are many other alternatives which are better, e.g. sipdiscount, voipstunt etc.

I am really sorry that UK is just my example in the scenario. Actually, I would like to set it up in Vietnam where the cost to call back there is very expensive.

You pointed out one interesting information that I didn't know before. It is about the SoftGNome. I have a couple of questions for this:

1. Can I buy some ATAs, e.g. PAP2 to use that function (i.e. like sitting in front of the PhoneGNome)?

2. Can I allow the access to my PhoneGNome as SoftGNome from many ATAs? (of course, not at the same time).
I mean, I set up a PhoneGNome in the US and many ATAs in Vietnam. From any of these ATAs, whenever I make a phone call, it is like I make a phonecall from my PhoneGNome in the US ?
I think it is something like VOIP-2-PSTN / VOIP-2-VOIP(a bit tricky) on the SPA3000, isn't it? However, using the PhoneGNome is easier in this case because of its transparency?

So, if the question #2 above is right, it means the PhoneGnome can forward the call to PSTN or VOIP as I explained?

Could you please tell me whether my understanding is right?

Thanks,
SV

[yiannis]

Hi SV,

The answer to your question is yes. You can setup any ATA for the SoftGnome feature, my preference being the SPA-1001, but it will work with a PAP2. Multiple ATAs should work also, not just at the same time, as you noted.

[svkhtn]

Thanks yiannis!

Here my scenario, could you please double check if it is right?

1. PhoneGNome is in VN.
2. PAP2 is in the US with settings as a SoftGnome for the PhoneGNome in #1.
3. I am using the PAP2 in the US, and make phone calls to some of my relatives in VN. I only pay the local rate in VN instead of international US-VN rate. Is it right?
==> it means I can somehow forward my call from my PAP2 to PSTN line in VN.

Thanks!
SV

[svkhtn]

I was thinking by myself and understood a bit.

Talking about "forwarding" as I mentioned in my first post.

With SPA3000:
The person who wants to ring the SPA3000 number and gets forwarding doesn't care about what provider that SPA3000 is registered or using. He/She just rings to that number and enters the PIN, gets dial tone to call out (I assumed SPA3000 uses 2-stage calling).

With the PhoneGNome:
In order for the person can have such a feature as described above, that person is provided GNome informations/details to set his ATA so that whenever he uses his ATA, he uses it as he is using the PhoneGnome.
==> In this case, the details/infos of the PhoneGNome account are revealed to him by the PhoneGNome owner.

Hopefully, I understood it right!

Next questions:
How easy to set up an ATA as PAP2 to have features like SoftGNome?
Is it just the SIP proxy, username and password as setting up a VOIP account?

If I set up many ATAs which act as SoftGNome for one PhoneGNome, can they online at the same time? Of course, all these ATAs couldn't make calls at the same time but I am wondering if they can be online at the same time?

Thanks!

[edongp]

One other alternative (although I haven't tested this) is to use a 3-way switch (such as the DialMate CM1003) on both Phonegnome locations. Phonegnome has a 3-way calling feature. When a Phonegnome to Phonegnome call is made, it is a free call. The DialMate CM1003 will answer on either side. Caller enters PIN and destination number. The CM1003 hookflashes and gets another dialtone. If the destination number is not a Phonegnome, the 3-way call will go through the PSTN line attached to the Phonegnome (for example the Vietnam PSTN). Thus, calls to other numbers in Vietnam will be at local rates. Reverse call should also be the same. One advantage of the Phonegnome over all other VOIP providers, is that it is truly an UNLIMITED call. No caps, no penalties.