AtlanticBchBum
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 02, 2016 11:57 pm

VoIP Project

Tue May 03, 2016 12:57 am

I am a total novice with RasPi and new to the forum. I have a friend that owns several coin laundries.
While chatting the other day he said he wished he could have a way to speak directly to the customers in his stores. He has a cable broadband connection with a fixed IP into each store that is used for his remote video monitoring system.
Later it occurred to me that we could use a connection on the in house router to connect to a stacked VoIP and Audio Amplifier on a Raspberry Pi.
First let me preface this with, simplicity of use is paramount. This guy just got off a flip phone less that 6 months age because he is a total technophobe.
The idea being that while sitting a home on his PC where he monitors the stores. He could click on a desktop icon linked to a VoIP app connected to the Raspberry Pi in the store connected to the store IP and with a microphone talk to the customers.
He runs these stores 24/7 so he often has people there overnight, some who are doing things they shouldn't. If he could open an audio channel and let them know that he is watching, or calling law enforcement, or run off a person sleeping in the store without having to drive to the store, it could make his life a lot easier. Am I on a right track or am I just missing something? Any input would be sincerely appreciated.

rastoma
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 8:42 pm

Re: VoIP Project

Thu May 05, 2016 10:48 pm

I think it would be easier to just add or replace one of the existing cameras with one that has 2 way audio. That would be WAY more simple and easier to setup with less maintenance. And if you're not around to help him he and the camera fails he can easily unplug it and plug in a replacement. With a RPI setup with VOIP.... and you're not there to help him if it crashes or won't boot one day, someone will charge him an arm and a leg to go there and figure out your 'custom' solution in order to service it.

Just a quick search I came across http://www.amazon.com/TENVIS-JPT3815W-S ... B006I0KL6Y

It would probably need some kind of plexiglass box to house it to keep people from messing with it since I don't think that particular model is designed to be mounted to a ceiling like a typical security camera. And if the volume is not loud enough you could probably easily figure out a way to tie into a larger speaker or something.

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