At home last night, I spent most of my waking time (and some of my sleeping time) configuring my Asterisk PBX server. The stuff is addictive! Major geek points for having a home PBX.
I now have six or seven “extensions” at home, ringing my Zaurus, two Windows desktops running X-Ten lite, and a cordless analog phone, among others.
I can also dial out from my PC. I even configured it to automatically dial our calling-card number for long-distance calls. (Eventually, I’ll replace that with one of the many VoIP services for free calling). It’s truly amazing what can be done now with SIP-based telephony.
With a little more work, I’ll have the ability to place calls through my home phone from anywhere on the Internet. THAT’S the reason why I’m canceling my Packet 8 account, only a few months into having it. Why pay $20 a month for service you don’t need?
This should make for a killer presentation to the local Linux group. It could also turn into a great consulting offering, with any luck.