This article will help you get started with a voice telephone number plus optional facsimile number using call forwarding.
CALL FORWARDING
Over the past 15 years I have used a number of online VoIP services such as VoiceNetwork (Canada), DiDWW, Twilio, Plivo, and currently Signalwire.
Signalwire is the least cost solution that I have discovered, currently with North American Voice numbers (DiDs) costing US$0.50/month and Toll-Free numbers (DiDs) costing US$0.80/month, not including taxes. This is the cost for the telephone numbers with actual usage being an additional per-minute cost as pay-as-you-go.
The simplest setup is to purchase a number to be used as your business line and forward that number to a number that you already have such as your cellphone.
The essential part of their instructions is the creation of a LaML bin with the following few lines of code:
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<Response>
<Say>Connecting you to George Skokos</Say>
<Dial callerId=”{{From}}”>123-456-7891</Dial>
</Response>
If you find these instructions confusing, Signalwire has another page with instructions for performing this same task:
RECEIVING A FAX
Signalwire documents the configuration of receiving a fax in a simple and straightforward manner, follow the instructions from the top of the page to just above the headline:
Using Compatibility SDKs
Here is the page with instructions to setup receiving a facsimile:
The essential part of their instructions is the creation of a LaML bin with the following few lines of code:
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<Response>
<Receive action=”/fax/received”/>
</Response>
Done!
In two easy steps you your SOHO now has a business voice number as well as a business facsimile number for a very low cost!