Yesterday’s random package of the day (man, these guys must love me now for all the ordering I’ve had to do in preparation for moving) was a Linksys PAP2. Like all other products from that (division of Cisco) company, I am impressed. So, ok, the supplier shipped me a US model with the wrong regional settings (the PAP2 has a fairly nifty DSP and can generate tones/support many countries in one model) and I had to locate some UK parameters (they seem to differ arbitrarily from what one person claimed was the BT “standard”[0]) but now it is configured and I can make test calls.
Unfortunately, the PAP2 didn’t come with a US->BT converter and the RJ11 I used here doesn’t seem to be wired right (on-hook detection doesn’t work) so it took a bit of fiddling to test. But I’ve ordered some adapters and hope that they’ll work out ok. Now, I just need to get my parents a large oversize red (very important) “bat phone” on which they can call me. Since it’s an international direct line over a secured network into a foreign territory, we’ll probably have to call it the hotline…the NSA will still be listening.
Once I have a place, I’m ordering one of these puppies for myself. Then I can hook up a DECT (recently approved for use in the US! wow! like 5 billion years later…) phone and use a variety of configured trunks to reach family and friends all over the world. The guys at Juntion Networks are still looking for a 31337 vanity DID number for the US. One day, oh one day, the FCC (or whoever) will nationalize the process of finding unallocated local area code numbers for this kind of vanity purpose. Until then, they’re very kindly doing a manual search for me through a variety of area codes so I can once again be l33t in my number (my UK mobile phone number being +44 7776 131337…). Oh, yes, I’m that vain…
Honerable mention goes to dotwaffle of #lugradio for his voicemail earlier. You too can check out my SIP service and get a mention here!
Jon.
[0] It’s not a proper standard if one company tells everyone else what to do, like BT historically did. Not that I’m claiming any telco with a historical monopoly is any better.