You can use Phone Amego with compatible VoIP phones or Analog Telephone Adaptors (ATAs).
With an ATA you can monitor up to 8 phone lines (two lines per adaptor) at the same time for
Caller ID, and use Google Voice for dialing. You can assign each VoIP adaptor a convenient label
like "Office" by clicking on the Label field to edit and then pressing Enter.
ATAs
Phone Amego supports the Cisco/Linksys/Sipura family of VoIP adaptors and phones for Caller ID
including the PAP2T, SPA-2000, SPA-2100, SPA-2102, SPA-3000, SPA-3102, SPA112, and
SPA122 [I use the SPA-2102 and SPA112 with CallCentric and Voip.ms for testing]. If your VoIP
adaptor is not listed here, it may still be compatible as described in the next section.
Phone Amego supports the OBiHAI family of VoIP adaptors for Caller ID including the OBi100,
OBi110, and OBi202 which allow you make calls via Google Voice without a separate telephone
service.
IP Phones
Phone Amego works with Polycom, Yealink, and Snom IP phones for both dialing and Caller ID.
Phone Amego supports dialing with IP phones from Aastra and Grandstream. Some Cisco IP
phones are compatible as well.
Softphones
Phone Amego works with Skype and CounterPath X-Lite 4 and Bria 3 for dialing at this time.
Other Phones and ATAs
You can use Phone Amego with any telephone adaptor that provides one or more analog phone
ports by connecting through a USB modem, a multi-line call monitoring device (see Landline and
Caller ID Sharing), or a voice service bridge like the OBi110 that includes a telephone Line (FXO)
port (by attaching the analog phone port of your unsupported adaptor to the Line port of the
OBi110).
For IP phones or adaptors that don't support dialing directly from your computer, you may be
able to dial using a compatible web service such as Vonage, CallCentric, or Cisco WebDialer. See
ISP Supplied Adaptor
Many Internet Telephone Service Providers (ITSPs) will supply a pre-configured VoIP adaptor
locked to their service. This is generally preferred by those new to VoIP service since no
configuration is required. The "user" password (if needed) is often available upon request to fine
tune your configuration. The "admin" password that allows you to unlock the device to work
with another provider may be closely guarded, or available to long time customers depending on
your circumstances.
Vonage Notes
Vonage service is locked to a specific VoIP adaptor unless you pay extra for a "soft phone"
account. I tested support for the V-Portal adaptor, but it does not yet provide a method to
retrieve the caller ID information. I contacted Vonage about adding support for on-screen caller
ID and they seemed well aware of this request, but couldn't commit to any time frame. When
Vonage makes this feature available, I'd be happy to support it.
You can use a USB modem connected to the analog phone port for dialing or caller ID with
Vonage. Phone Amego can also dial Vonage calls using a Generic Dial URL.
After more than a year of nudging Vonage, I've come to believe that supporting 3rd party
developers to enable CTI is not on their agenda. If you are open to alternatives that support
standard SIP based VoIP, you can lower your phone bill significantly while gaining greater
flexibility. See Internet Telephone Service Providers and Choosing a SIP Phone for CTI.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Some ITSPs allow you to supply your own adaptor. This is often preferred by experienced VoIP
users and professionals since it allows you to pick the best equipment and customize it to meet
your needs. Your adaptor will be unlocked and you are free to set your own "user" and "admin"
passwords as desired. The Linksys/Sipura VoIP adaptors are popular among the BYOD crowd
earning high marks for call quality and flexible configuration.
Some of the original team behind the Sipura ATA have since formed a new company (OBiHAI
Technology) to build next generation VoIP adaptors. The OBi110 allows you to bridge up to four
telephone services (including Google Voice, iPhones, iPod Touch, and iPad via WiFi). The OBi
adaptors also feature a web based personal configuration portal to simplify configuring the
device.
Q: Can I get Internet based VoIP phone service for free in the US?
A: Kind of if your needs are modest. You can get a free Direct Inward Dial (DID) number from
sipgate.com that works with standard SIP phones or VoIP telephone adaptors. By combining this
with Google Voice for outbound dialing you can effectively have nationwide phone service with
no monthly charge. You must provide your own Internet connection and will need a cell phone
to sign up. The sipgate service is offered AS IS for single line residential use only, and may be
withdrawn at any time.
Another option is to get an OBiHAI telephone adaptor that allows you to use a standard
telephone with Google Voice directly.