VOIP - mapping DID's to SIP gateways

I'm on a quest to get connected with this whole VOIP thing. I've got a Fritz!Box Fon; I have free calling to many international destinations. Now I want to get a local number in another country to dial into my Fritz box. I have setup a PTSN DID number. I think I need to get that mapped to a SIP gateway (SIP URI). Is there a recommended way to do this?

I checked out E164.org, and it seems to couple a few gotchas:

1. Their public SIP server (like2fone.com) looks like it's gone the way of the Dodo bird. So I'll need another provider to host the SIP URI, and use E164.org to make the ENUM. Perhaps forwarding to a FWD (Free World Dialup) account.

2. E164.org's DID phone setup requires a person at the phone location to pick it up and receive a PIN number for verification. But err, the DID is virtual - there's no one to pick it up, until after it's forwarded to an SIP gateway. Catch-22?

So, can any experienced telephony wizards here give advice, alternatives, recommendations, or links I should be reading?

Thanks...

Possible alternative: It seems like I might be able to skip E164 and go straight to FWD, presumably mapping the DID to something like usernumber@fwd.pulver.com:5060 - and then setting up usernumber as an MSN in the Fritzbox. Has anyone gone that route? Does FWD allow inbound calls with that sort of URI?

Why not simply sign up to a VoIP/SIP service providing DID numbers in the country you want to be called from? Which country/location would this be?

Because obvious solutions are too advanced for my mind to grasp?

Actually, to get the dial-out, I signed up with sipdiscount.com as you've mentioned in other threads previously. I didn't realize they would happen to give me an internet phone number as well (not too obvious on their website). However they did exactly that when I signed up, and since I gave my correct info - the internet number they gave me was with a munich area code. I don't suppose it's as simple as re-signing up under a different username and changing my address to be one in the area code I'm interested in (west coast, usa)? Or is it?

Your Fritzbox will allow you to sign into up to 10 different VoIP providers in parallel, so simply sign up for accounts in the places you want DID numbers and register them all into the box. SIPdiscount provide you with a number in the location/country of your sign up, but don't backcheck these details, so if you want a number in Salzburg simply sign up with a ficticious address there. Downside here, of course, is will need different accounts for each location/number and have to deposit €10 in each account (the minimum to get a DiD number). SIPdiscount also threaten to delete numbers that are not used for DiD, even if you use them for outgoing. The only free SIP service that I know in the US providing DiD is www.stanaphone.com. I have a New York number there and it works well. With most other US services you need to pay money to get or maintain your number.

YL6

And if you would want to use thes foreign numbers to dial out from you would setup the outbound dialing plan on the fritzbox...

Example: If you have a US DID # and would like at calls to the US to go
via this # then you would tell the fritz box that all calls that start with 001
would go via this SIP account.

Thanks for the good info guys, I'm sorted now. Let the savings begin

By the way, per my original post, if anyone needs a public sip server, then IPTel.org seems pretty good.

I recently found this article on using the FritzBox as a Least Cost Router. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems pretty nifty. Just throwin' it out there in case anyone else is interested.

The Fritzboxfon is probably the best domestic VoIP adapter on the market and comes in a variety of forms, both wired and wireless. It contains a DSL (ADSL2+ compatible) modem, USB and LAN ports for wired local routing, a revered firewall and the ability to feed a phone (analogue OR ISDN) circuit though it. The result is you have a one-stop shop for DSL-based internet (which can include wireless) up to 25Mbits, and VoIP services can be integrated into an existing single phone or complete (ISDN) exchange. The Fritzbox supports up to 10 VoIP providers, so on a single analogue line with DSL you can make incoming or outgoing calls on 11 numbers based all over the world. With an ISDN line that increases to 20 (10 of which are local!). As already noted, least-cost-routing (LCR) functions in the system permits automatic routing of calls onto VoIP circuits or onto selected call-by-call providers for cheaper (or even free!) telephony according to location dialled. Last, but not least an undocumented Fax client is available to permit all connected (wired or wireless) PCs the ability send and receive faxes through the system. Those nice people at Telefonsparbuch will even generate an LCR configuration file for you to automatically take advantage of the cheapest call-by-call deals of the moment. Hell, the thing can even be used as an alarm clock to wake you up by phone at predetermined times -Almost as good as a good woman (note I say "almost"...)

YL6

Wow.. Thanks YL6

I am about to order a new wireless modem router... may as well spend a few quid more and get one of these Fritzboxfon jobbies.

G

Remind me -don't you work for/with a communications company? You need to resort to TT postings to get your ideas?