[AuckLUG] phone options

[Simon Green]

On 11/09/06, Anthony Winter <aw30 at sayne.org> wrote:
> Following the last lug meet at the viaduct (which I thought was good, if a bit
> heavy on telecom jargon) I'm thinking about using woosh phone+broadband.
> We're moving in a couple of weeks, but still in the CBD, so we need a new
> phone connection anyway, but coverage should not be a problem.
> Following questions occur:
> 1       they don't say they support linux. Does it work? Are they actively hostile?

I used it with Linux last year, using the Ethernet cable (as opposed
to the standard USB cable). The WLUG wiki (http://www.wlug.org.nz/)
has details on how to connect to Woosh with Linux. It's standard
PPPoE. AFAIK, they don't do anything hostile wrt Linux.

> 2       Could I do something fancy like take the woosh ethernet out to an ethernet
> port on an existing router and let it do the pppoe?

Haven't tried it myself, but couldn't see why not.

> 3       the computer doesn't have to be on to use the phone line - right?

Correct. The Woosh device has a phone port that you connect your
existing phone to. An alternative option is to use a soft phone (phone
on your PC), but I imagine 99% of customers use their existing phone.

  -- simon