[CentOS] OT: google voice + chat <- Re: finding the right serial port, enabling & configuring it [was: Re: fax software]>

[ken]

On 03/29/2011 05:10 PM Stephen Harris wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 05:02:47PM -0400, ken wrote:
>> This was one feature I was interested in with the "answering machine" I
>> spoke of before: I'd want to be able to pick up an incoming call with a
>> bluetooth phone so I could walk around and not be tethered by a phone
>> line.  A friend of mine got a bluetooth/skype phone which works on PCs
> 
> That's what standard cordless phones are for.  I plugged my existing
> 4-handset DECT basestation into the ATA, and it worked as expected.
> Any of the 4 cordless handsets could use the line.

I like it!  As far as home telephony goes, a POTS cordless phone is much
better technology than a bluetooth hand- or headset.  And much less
expensive.

What I'd hope to do is plug the analog output from the ATA into the
input of my home's POTS (Plain Old Telephone System, i.e., the 1970s
technology).  That way all the cabling I have for extensions into nearly
every room could still be used.  Why abandon all of that?  The only
downside would be that I would be providing electric to all of that
(rather than pulling all that power from AT&T).  Would the ATA mentioned
on your webpage handle that?  I mean, I wouldn't be using all the phones
at the same time... mostly just one phone at a time.  It would just be a
significantly longer distance to push the DC voltage than plugging a
phone straight into the ATA.