Multiple phone numbers on one line (VoIP or POTS) - possible?

[tankman1989]

I would like to be able to have 2-3 phone numbers for different businesses as well as a personal # which is provided by my local phone company. I'm not particularly crazy about having to run the business #'s through my computer but a dedicated router/pbx box or Vonage/voip box is acceptable.

If I have to buy minutes before the service is used, I'd like to be able to share them across the #'s if possible.

I'm looking into a 2 line phone, line 1 for my personal # and line 2 for the VoIP calls.

The thing I'm most concerned about is knowing which line was dialed for the voip lines when it comes through on line 2. IDK if that is possible with systems like this. The phone has caller ID.

Years ago I saw that voip #'s could be purchased for something like $2/month and then a service was purchased to connect those #'s to the copper lines (PSTN gateway I think...?).

I know there are some adapters that can convert a VoIP line to a regular telephone and there may be a couple different types. I know voip phones there are different types (excuse my ignorance in here), SIP and PRI.

I am willing to setup some kind of PBX (asterisk type) box to handle the calls if that would allow me to use one 2 line phone. I can also get a phone that is compatible with a PBX box that can display which line was called (what VoIP # was called) so I know how to answer.

Has anyone done a setup like this or have any ideas what to look for to accomplish this?

 

[layoric]

I use sub accounts with my voip provider. Each one is in a ring group that rings all phones at once (voip phones). I only have one business # and one home number, but through my setup I could actually have several incoming and outgoing calls at the same time. I should probably offer setups to businesses as I've worked so long on this setup.

 

[Altster]

I believe POTS would fix you up with call forwarding to the number(s) that you wish them (original phone number) to go to. Can't say anthing about VoIP as I haven't had hands-on experience with it (yet).

 

[TAPtech]

VOIP would do this easily. Would not need a PBX, many IP Phones support 6 lines. You can set a custom ring tone for each line.

 

[layoric]

VOIP would do this easily. Would not need a PBX, many IP Phones support 6 lines. You can set a custom ring tone for each line.

I didn't set up mine that way since I have two floors and didn't want to run to one phone every time the phone rings. Many different ways to set it up once you understand more about how this all works. I was an AT&T phone operator years ago, so I may understand more than most.

 

[TAPtech]

If you're doing this in a prewired residential house, you could also use an ATA. It wouldn't allow simultaneous calls but you could set different ring tones (single or double, etc.) for the different lines.

 

[E Bell]

Take a look at the following device:

OBi202 - The OBi202 has 2-phone ports. It supports up to 4-VoIP services such as a multitude of SIP-based VoIP services and Google Voice plus OBiTALK calling. With the OBi202, you have the power make and receive phone calls simultaneously from each phone port using ANY available service configured on the OBi202. The OBi202 also supports T.38 fax for reliable fax calls over the Internet as well as a 1-port router with VoIP application prioritization (QoS). The OBi202 also features a USB port for use with OBiWiFi and OBiBT.​

I have one that I run 2 Google Voice numbers through.

 

[TAPtech]

Off, yes I should have mentioned- you can't have simultaneous calls over a SINGLE POTS line, but if you have the house wired for two lines, then you could certainly continue using them with VOIP!

 

[jbartlett323]

We use PhonePower VOIP at work. They give you a modem that has 2 POTS line coming off it. We have 2 sets of cordless phones, 3 phones on each set. If one set is in use, the other set rings. Else they both ring. But also has the option to pipe our toll-free number exclusively to 1 port or the other, but we never worried about that and have both our regular and toll-free numbers going to the same lines/phones....

 

[jft135]

Ask your VOIP provider if they can set you up with additional DID's and if they can have their system prepend a code to the incoming caller ID. We have 10 tracking numbers for different advertising mediums and depending on what number they dial, our caller ID will show AA_555-555-5555 or AC_555-555-5656. That makes it easy for me to pull call reports for different advertising mediums.

We now run our own Asterisk system and do the same thing. If your VOIP provider won't do it, you can look into getting a hosted PBX or building your own.