Communications alternative, low cost high Q

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Communications alternative, low cost high Q

December 23, 2011, 09:32:43 am

Noting a fair amount of discussion regarding smart phones, mobile internet access, range extenders etc., I thought I'd offer up what I have settled on as a good integrated package for mobile and fixed base communications. This came about as I started to look at personal expenses, some of which I regard as, for lack of a better term, parasitic. They go on forever, increase incrementally, and typically have a sleigh load of fees, taxes and other no value hidden costs. Mobile phones define this term.

Requirements:

Low cost, high quality
Robust and durable
Multi function
Seamless transition from stix and brix to motorcoaching.
Constancy from month to month.

1. Realizing that we seldom really need to use cell phones away from the coach or home but want to have that capability, a couple of wal mart 14.95 Verizon prepaid phones fill the bill. As long as they aren't used, they cost nothing. Each day that they are used costs 1.50, so they are cheap backup.

2. Pretty much everyone knows about Skype and other voip services, I've found it to be great in theory but cumbersome in use. I'm as geeky as the next guy, but when I want to place a call I want to pick up a telephone and dial it, no more or less. For this, I've added a great little device called an OBI 110. This is basically a fifty dollar pbx system that integrates and leverages your internet service, voip, landlines, and bridges all your phones, landline, mobile, chat etc. The beauty of the device is that it is set and forget. Once it's done, use is exactly like your home or mobile phone. You have a fixed number that will ring any of your phones as you choose. There are no telephony charges per minute, month or otherwise. It is a bit larger than a pack of playing cards and will travel with you. You can use an assigned phone number or port an existing number to it.

3. For telephone handsets, a pair of Vtech wireless phones, the home style (not cell phones.) One advantage of these is that they dial with the same sequence as cell phones.

4. Internet service, Millenicom 3G when we are traveling (we suspend service when not on the road), when at home we have DSL that's quite snappy and inexpensive. The dsl service comes with a free phone line limited to 911, 800, and incoming calls. Outgoing calls are blocked.

5. To use these services, a computer(s) of course, along with a wireless router. For a portable computer that will travel, my choice is an Intel Atom based homebrew which will run off 12 Volts DC, and uses a miniscule amount of electricity. It also serves as my fileserver, is tied into my home entertainment system, allowing use of the 40" tv as a monitor, stores movies, pictures etc. One of the beauties of this little Atom is the fact that the motherboard, memory, cpu is under $100.00 and the package is smaller than a cigar box. Very nearly silent in operation. I'm using wireless mouse and keyboard so the hardware stays tucked away in the coach. Of course you can use any computer you choose including a laptop or netbook. It is only necessary to use the computer one time to set up the phone system, it does NOT have to be on or present to use the phones. Internet service through either the wired DSL or wireless modem IS necessary to use the phone service.

How it works:

The computer is tied into the wireless router. The router is tied into the DSL line when at home. When at home the OBI is tied to the router. When traveling the OBI is tied to the wireless broadband router which uses the Millenicom usb wireless modem for connectivity. This provides internet and phone service for fixed and mobile. To make a call, you pick up your wireless home style phones, dial the area code and number, hit send and it dials. It works exactly the same as a standard home phone, no delays, clicks, beeps or other foolishness. The quality is perhaps a bit better than the land line, but certainly no less.

When someone wants to call you, they dial your phone number. Your wireless phones then ring, or you can have it set to ring your cell phone (nice alternative if you have free incoming calls), and I think you can, if you wish, have it ring both. As stated, if you have a phone number you are attached to, you can have it transferred to this service. What you are actually using is Google's phone service, Google Voice. There are no charges for domestic calls with this service, international calls are possible but cost a couple cents a minute. It is free through 2012, it's possible that there will be a cost after that but given the competition in VOIP I expect it would be in the 20.00 a year range if at all.

Yeah, but but my smartphone... You give up a small bit of portability, granted, but I challenge you to do anything else on a phone that I can't do on a computer and monitor. The integrated phone, tv and internet is a potent weapon for entertainment, communication, navigation and information.

Cost wise, I've eliminated two cell phone plans that were running around 1500.00/year plus occasional phone replacement along with the contract obligations. Convenience wise, I've got always on information and com networking that is seamless to use, plus one permanent phone number that serves all needs. While I realize tethering to a cell phone is an option until mobile companies figure out how to crack that nut, I wanted something more straightforward.

Here's a link to the OBI 110. Obihai - What is OBi It has many, many other functions that the more sophisticated user can set up, I'm using it in a basic fashion.

Hopefully someone else will find this info useful. Wasn't sure exactly which forum it should go into, so apologize if it's misposted.

Chuck

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #1 – December 23, 2011, 10:59:20 am

Well... you certainly are "as geeky as the next guy". As an old-style electronics engineer and a network engineer for the past 12 years, I consider myself geekier than the next guy and I think you've outdone me! This sounds like an excellent solution. I like the 12vdc file server idea. Is it running Linux? I wonder if the little PBX is running a version of "Asterisk" which is an open-source PBX that is free for a download.

And if people like their smartphones there's no reason they couldn't keep them and still integrate them into this system. I'm going to have to look at this. Thanks for the posting!

Craig

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #2 – December 23, 2011, 11:03:53 am

How about Ooma Mobile HD APP for Android and iPhone | Ooma. I just have the premier ooma and not the wireless. And I am not techy enough begin to understand all this stuff. It was great the other night. My internet is cable based and it went down. All my incoming calls through ooma went automatically to my cell phone. No loss of phone service at all. Plus now when everything is up and running over the internet, I have the ability to talk to two different people, one on the main phone and the other on the extension. So I can take a call while my wife is talking to her sister on the same line with no loss of quality of the call or internet.

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #3 – December 23, 2011, 11:18:39 am

Chuck,

Thanks for the excellent post. What your description does not spell out, the video at your supplied link does. Good point about the $1500/yr plus cost as a lot of RVers are on a fixed budget. The atom based netbooks are available for $200 or less on Craigslist and use way less power than non Atom netbooks. Plus, on a lot of Dells, it's easy to install Snow Leopard for Mac users. AT&T also offers $2/day prepaid service only charged the days you use it.

Pierce

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #4 – December 23, 2011, 11:24:50 am

I'm currently eyeballing the little Acer 11inch 1830t - i7 with 4 gb of memory and Win7 64 bit. My boss got one and loves it. Then he dropped a spare SSD drive in and it screams.
$650.00 for the Acer is a great price (from several online places). Then add a 256gb SSD for under 400.00 and you have one screaming 3 pound laptop barely bigger than a netbook.

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #5 – December 23, 2011, 12:32:31 pm

Chuck... two questions:

1. I assume you move the Obi 110 from the coach to the house. Is this correct? Or do you have two of them? Or link them via WiFi or wire?

2. Do you have a link to the Atom-based under-$100 basic PC you mentioned?

Ok, maybe that's more than two questions. I never said I could count.

Craig

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #6 – December 23, 2011, 04:13:20 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – December 23, 2011, 11:18:39 am

Good point about the $1500/yr plus cost as a lot of RVers are on a fixed budget.

Yep, since we no longer have the gold standard I've gone to the tank standard. 1 T.S.=140 gallons of fuel. That's how I value stuff lately.

Plus, on a lot of Dells, it's easy to install Snow Leopard for Mac users.

I have got to look into this, is this a Hackintosh? Windows irritates me with their licensing schemes, Linux is appealing but don't really want to put the effort into it.

Pierce

Quote from: wa_desert_rat – December 23, 2011, 10:59:20 am

This sounds like an excellent solution. I like the 12vdc file server idea. Is it running Linux? I wonder if the little PBX is running a version of "Asterisk" which is an open-source PBX that is free for a download.

And if people like their smartphones there's no reason they couldn't keep them and still integrate them into this system. I'm going to have to look at this. Thanks for the posting!

Craig

Craig, not sure what the PBX is running, I do know it's a single chip based device. I heard rumors of being able to force a router flashed with Tomato to perform the same function....way beyond me. Sure, the smartphones will integrate, a wifi enabled phone is also usable.

Quote from: wa_desert_rat – December 23, 2011, 12:32:31 pm

Chuck... two questions:

1. I assume you move the Obi 110 from the coach to the house. Is this correct? Or do you have two of them? Or link them via WiFi or wire?

2. Do you have a link to the Atom-based under-$100 basic PC you mentioned?

Craig

Craig, the most basic atom board is the Intel 945GGLC. A later board, not sure of the numbers but once again with integrated cpu, with dual core and hdmi output + pci-e is also out, several mfgs, slightly more $. All these boards have onboard video, sound. The power supply is called a pico psu 12V. This can be driven from 12V, or plugged into a wall wart for 120V op. I've had excellent service from the several Atoms, one of them drives my cnc equipment. They have a legacy parallel port, getting hard to find. The under 100.00 is the board and memory only, case and hdd, are extra. I'll be upgrading one soon, will post info once I research and source. BTW, the Atoms can be booted from compact flash card.

Yes, I transfer the OBI from house to coach.

Chuck

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #7 – December 23, 2011, 07:47:54 pm

Chuck,

OK, here is the link to all the info as to models, compatibility, etc. Don't want to go too far here as Mac vs. PC is almost politics to some.

Hackintosh Instructions, Hackintosh How To Guides @ Hackintosh.com Also has links to YouTube videos of the installation.

I have a Mini 9. Drawback is 16Mb internal SSD with a card slot for another 16Mb SD card. Has a different keyboard with some keys in different locations. Drives me crazy sometimes.

10V would be the best as it has 160Mb hard drive and regular keyboard and only an inch larger overall. Both weigh almost nothing.

Limited video capability (video off main board) on most netbooks so slide shows may be a bit jerky in some cases. VGA out to big screen is great.

With the Intel Atom, it can sit on your lap all day and not get hot plus long battery life. Yes, excellent reliable processor.

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Communications alternative, low cost high Q

December 23, 2011, 09:32:43 am

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #1 – December 23, 2011, 10:59:20 am

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #2 – December 23, 2011, 11:03:53 am

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #3 – December 23, 2011, 11:18:39 am

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #4 – December 23, 2011, 11:24:50 am

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #5 – December 23, 2011, 12:32:31 pm

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #6 – December 23, 2011, 04:13:20 pm

Re: Communications alternative, low cost high Q

Reply #7 – December 23, 2011, 07:47:54 pm

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