IP-Based Intercom system

[Track Drew]

My parents are looking for some kind of intercom system for their house. This would only have a couple stations (like 3 or 4).

Those 900 MHz wireless ones are out of the question as it must also reach the detached garage which is a couple hundred feet away. Cellular phone service is also spotty in the area in the area (thus the need for the intercom - if my dad is in the garage and my mom wants to talk to him without walking over, cell phone calls often go strait to voicemail)

There is ethernet in practically all the areas that would need to be covered.

I've Googled around for hours and either my google-fu is real weak tonight or I'm just not finding anything.

Are there any IP-based intercom/phone systems that can manage point to point audio communication. I feel that some kind of VoIP PBX like Asterisk is way overkill for this.

Any solutions for this? Ideal device would be something like an intercom that just plugs into an ethernet jack.

 

[keenan]

Most SIP phones can dial by URL and accept calls sent directly to them without registering with a PBX, but configuring them to do this can be a little tricky depending on the phone. And obviously you can't use them for outgoing calls without a PBX or SIP service provider. You could also just sign up two accounts for one of several free SIP services and have your phones/ATAs register different extensions on them, and then call over the Internet. Less elegant, but easier to set up and should work fine.

A good DECT wireless phone system shouldn't have any trouble doing this either.

 

[Track Drew]

These phones wouldn't need to make calls outside, there are already land-line phones in these locations.

As far as calling over the internet through a free SIP provider, the problem is the only form of internet access is cellular 3g service(which barely scrapes by with a directional antenna I set-up for them because of crummy coverage), so this isn't an always on connection.

Any recommendations for a relatively simple phone that can do this without too much difficulty. It would also be ideal if I could pick up a couple on ebay for not too much...

I didn't think of using a DECT handsets, but the distance may be a stretch, I'll have to look into this more as I think they might already have some DECT devices.

 

[keenan]

Any recommendations for a relatively simple phone that can do this without too much difficulty. It would also be ideal if I could pick up a couple on ebay for not too much...

I'm pretty sure my Polycom IP430s can do this, I've never actually tried without an active registration, but if they're registered you can call them directly without a PBX. Configuring them isn't that easy though, you can probably find something more appropriate. I wonder if a pair of cheap ATAs like the Linksys SPAxxxx that are all over eBay for cheap might work, but I don't have any to try out. I think it probably should, but you might have to fool around with the dial plan a bit to get them to work well without a PBX.

I didn't think of using a DECT handsets, but the distance may be a stretch, I'll have to look into this more as I think they might already have some DECT devices.

If you can place the base station near the outside wall of the main house I think it'd be fine if 'a couple hundred feet' is literally that. The upside is that the gear is readily available at BestBuy or Wally World whatnot and you can easily return it if it doesn't work out. Plus it's easy to use and set up.

 

[timreichhart]

stay away with polycom (shoreline IP100) phones because I am having tons of issues right now with the phone talking to my pbx box (freepbx).

 

[keenan]

stay away with polycom (shoreline IP100) phones because I am having tons of issues right now with the phone talking to my pbx box (freepbx).

Most SIP phones work similarly. You need a server with an appropriate XML configuration file to load onto the phone initially. Once the phone is configured properly it will use its last configuration even if the server is gone.

You need to read and understand the administration/provisioning guide; these phones are very featureful and require a fair bit of configuration to get them registered properly. Your problems are not likely due to the phone.