To get Multiline PBX, IVR or a Unified Messaging service on my line, I can forward calls through the phone system to a separate company. I would have to pay connect charges.

If VOIPo wanted to offer IVR or Unified Messaging, they would direct my calls over their Ethernet. (For example, they already offer three-way calling, a PBX feature.) My question is whether I can set up my own such servers and connect them to my VOIPo account over the Internet. I have a reseller account and I think resellers do this.

I could build an Asterisk box or a SIP Server out of a PC and use PCI cards to connect to telephones or the phone system. I have cable Internet (15 Mbps) and Verizon 3G, which I can upgrade to 4G if I buy a new dongle. Either would be plenty of bandwidth, and I would only have to check my TOS agreement with the ISP before running a server of any sort.

I think the answer to my question might be that I would want to create an Asterisk or SIP connection with hardware of my own choosing. I am already using a native SIP device, the Grandstream ATA VOIPo provides.

Thanks for any advice!

Theron