It’s a PBX and It’s Free

It’s a PBX and It’s Free was Originally Posted on April 25, 2010 by

So, I’m reading the news and I see a PCWorld article about incredibly useful websites. As I scanned the list of sites I have never heard of, one glittered like a gold nugget in a pan of black sand. You have to be a gold prospector to fully enjoy the metaphor.

That website is Phonebooth.Com and shows up if you mistaken type the wrong URL for FreePBX.org. As I understand it, they are associated with Asterisk and FreePBX (which is the software I am running).

A PBX is a Private Branch Exchange, kind of a telephone company in a box. In my case, the box is a PC, but real PBX’s are larger.

As you may know, I was constantly called by telemarketers who ignored the do not call list and the provider of my home phone service does not allow call blocking by individual numbers. I had a spare PC nearby, loaded a blank disk in it, downloaded the install disc and installed an operating system and the PBX. The PBX allows me to connect to the internet and internet telephone services. You should not that the system is not for everyone; however, there are some companies who supply a box that just plugs in. In my case, I tweak the PC files and tables myself. The operating system is based upon RedHat Linux. There is a version of the PBX software that runs in a special virtual window on Windows systems.

So what does this PBX really do for me?

Well, I have a number of inbound telephone numbers, 10 if you really want to know, all for different purposes and in different cities. Some also handle outbound calls. Most are free. Because I live in the middle of the Pacific, I have challenges. Some telephone services do not offer telephone numbers in our state (Alaska also have issues).

Without going into too many details, I have a local number, which for about $13 a month, gives me unlimited inbound and outbound calls to my island. I also have a number in Florida (local to my Mom), which gives me unlimited US-wide calling for about $200 a year. This company does not support Hawaii inbound numbers, thus I can use it, but people locally would have to call a mainland number to reach me on island. Although that works, people who don’t understand see an east coat number and want to call at odd times. Thus a local number is better.

Google has a voice service, which allows free inbound and outbound calls (or you can pay for international calls), but also has no Hawaii numbers available yet.

So, I found a company that offers inexpensive access to Voice over IP calls AND has a local number for me on this island. They don’t allow me to block individual calls, but they allow me access directly to their system and I can use this PBX software to do the blocking. I can use Google Voice to make free long distance or local outbound calls and use the local service to get all my local calls to me.

Although it sound complicated, the PBX allows me to decide which route my calls need to take to get what is called “least cost routing”. Imagine being able to make a call and have something determine which route to send the call to charge you the least or nothing for the call.

Also, it allows me to look at individual caller-id’s and route the call differently. Calls on my toll-free line can be sent to my cell phone except after perhaps 8pm local time. If I had a sales office, those business calls could be routed there instead of my home phone. Telemarketers go to a “bee-boop, the number you have dialed has been disconnected” message. It also allows me to connect to friends who may not have long distance.

Although I may not use it, I also have the ability to pick up the phone and find the weather at my airport, the tides and lunar schedule, join calls into conferences and yes, even make and receive phone calls. My voice mail can be listened to or emailed to me wherever I am.

Speaking of where ever, I can visit a friends house, go to a PC and make a quick download of a program like X-Lite. Within 3 minutes I can set it to connect to my PBX here at home and make a phone call as thought I was home. That is a cheaply routed or free call. I also can reroute the calls to wherever I am.

By now you may be thinking “Does he really need all that capability?” and I would say, “No”, but the software and operating system are free. Even if I have to buy a few VOIP devices at $20 or more a piece, image a different extension in every room of the house. I can have an extension outside for visitors which can call long distance for free, or perhaps an extension for farm workers where they can only make local calls.

Then again, setting a wake up call for 10am might be a plus :-)