I had lunch with a friend today (hi, Gary!). He tells me a common friend from a while back (you know who you are, Bryan š was reading my weblog and has some questions about dial plans.
Dial plan syntax can be specific to the manufacturer and, in some cases, to the router itself. PBX systems like Asterisk have their own syntax so if you want to get elaborate, you’ll likely have to port your dial plan if/when you change platforms.
On the other hand, you can insulate yourself from these differences by signing up with a virtual PBX provider like Voxalot or MySipSwitch. Of course, that means you’ll have to entrust them with your precious login information and, if they get penetrated, you could have your accounts hacked. It’s a decision that’s your to make. Me? I’ve signed up with both of them but I’ve still got my dial plans in my router. And, yes, they’re a bit more elaborate than what I’ve listed in my previous entry. For instance, 8XX calls are free with SIPPhone (see SIPphone) and a lot of other numbers, including toll-free, are available for free from FreeWorldDialup. So, my dial plan contains special routing to get 800, 866, 877 and 888 number to go to SIPphone and so on.
BTW, if you’ve forgotten how to reach me, one easy was is tony here at this domain. And don’t forget to OMIT the www.