In the year and a half since I wrote IP04 Progress, I've expanded my simple telephone system into something a little more comprehensive. I had three goals in mind; to provide that "complete accounting" of incoming and outgoing calls that my provider wouldn't supply, to manage the incoming calls so that I would be less bothered by telemarketers and other annoying callers, and to position the IP04 as a part of a much larger home automation project.
I've slowly worked my way towards all that, in fits and starts, and am ready to share some of my progress.
Since I wrote my "IP04 and Me" blog post, I've made remarkable progress. My home phones now run completely under the control of the IP04, and I have that virtual receptionist I've been working towards.
For years, I've played with my 4-port embedded-linux Asterisk PBX (the IP04 from rowetel.com). Now, I've finally decided to move it out of the toychest and into real use.
For a long while, I had put aside my IP04 to concentrate on other things. Recently, I resumed my explorations of the IP04 device, still with the long-term notion of using it as a home PBX.
I'm glad for the extended absence; it allowed me to reconsider my approach, and (when I resumed playing with the IP04) do some things that I had previously found impossible to do.
Since I received my IP04 from Rowetel, I've wanted to connect my telephony system to the real world. Consequently, I've spent some time researching VoIP providers, looking for good inbound and outbound rates in my target areacode. It looks like I might have found one.
Recently, my day stood still as I waited for an important email. While I stared at my email client, silently encouraging it to report my long-awaited email, I cursed my immobility. Here I sat, stuck indoors, in front of a screen, when I could instead enjoy the good weather, sip a cold drink and read a book on my deck. How I wished for a portable tool that would notify me audibly when email arrived in my In Basket.
