I've completed the transition from my old phone system to an Asterisk VOIP system. I am saving a ridiculous amount of money and have a system that, so far, nobody can tell is VOIP. I don't even subscribe to a POTS line directly to my asterisk server. With connect.voicepulse.com, I basically subscribe to an IAX2 trunk with my main line (which I ported to voicepulse).
My phone bill for 4 incoming lines is $11 per month plus 1-2 cents per minute for outgoing calls. I have asterisk hosted on a GoDaddy shared server for $35 per month (I use this server for other things as well). The phones (Polycom 501) were purchased on eBay for $130 each.
Since I need redundancy on my Internet connection anyway, I decided to route voice all traffic destined for my godaddy IP across my DSL connection and route the rest across my cable connection. This keeps QoS in good shape without actually needing QoS. I'm using the Linksys RV082 to accomplish the rules.
As you look at the hardware, yes it does add up, however, monthly fees also add up and my goal was to invest in one time items that would bring my monthly fees down dramatically and complement my desire for redundancy and my remote server.
The rules in asterisk are a bit daunting at first and I really didn't get over the hump of understanding until I talked with Jeremy over at VCCH.com. I paid him for an hour of his time to help me with some of the tough points. Those guys really know what they are doing and I highly recommend them, especially if you are looking to deploy a largeish system.
I don't think they typically recommend the Voiepulse part of the equation, but based on a month of use, I have nothing bad to say about using voicepulse ofr IAX2 interconnect.
