VOIP without PC turned on?

p5x · 23 April 2007 at 8:36PM

I'm a complete newbie to VOIP and was wondering if it would be possible to use my regular DECT home phone without the need for my PC to be turned on at all?

I'm currently with VM phone/broadband via a router and was wondering if i'd be able to do away with the phone line altogether but still have a landline number for incoming calls (without needing to have the PC switched on), since that's pretty much the only thing I use my landline for.

BritBrat · 23 April 2007 at 8:49PM

I am a newbie at VOIP too.

If you have a router the answer is yes.

I am sure a few more will give you more details later.

You need a device like this:

LINKSYS SIP VOIP PHONE ADAPTOR PAP2-NA STAY UNLOCKED

I just won one for £10.50 and others have had them delivered OK from the same person.

satellitebadger · 23 April 2007 at 10:34PM

I would just add that some VoIP companies will give you an adaptor when you sign up, or sell you one already configured, so check before buying.

When I was on Telewest, I got rid of the landline altogether and routed calls using a VoIP provider called Gossiptel (no longer trading) with an adaptor plugged into the cable modem. These days I'm back on BT and prefer to route my calls via 18185, Primus and the like and save money that way. I know your choice of override providers is restricted on cable, but as someone who's been-there-done-that, I would recommend that you exhaust all options to reduce your spending using your cable line first, before you invest in VoIP equipment or a VoIP service that has a monthly subscription.

BexTech · 23 April 2007 at 10:51PM

I use a PAP2 with Sipgate and VoIPStunt, don't have a landline so save £11 per month on line rental, plus as I used free mobile credit to top my account up with and had many many months of free calling almost 2 years of service has cost me around Six Euro, plus the cost of the PAP2 ATA.

If you can pick up a PAP2 for around £10 you can't really go wrong.

There are several VoIP companies that have no monthly charges you just pay around 1p/min for the calls (such as Sipgate).

There is VoIP.co.uk that charge £20 for the year (or £1.99 per month) and you get evening and weekend calls for free (60 mins per call, per min afterwards) daytime calls 2p for 60 mins - per min afterwards.

When you think I have saved around £264 on line rental and all the money it would of cost on phone calls, plus all the extras you get as part of VoIP, such as Call Waiting, Caller Display, 3-Way Calling, ACR etc. I haven't done too badly.

p5x · 23 April 2007 at 10:56PM

So do you just plug the PAP2 into your router and then use your phone as before? You don't need any other handsets or anything do you?

Also, do incoming calls work the same as with a landline and can you still use either handset on a single line?

Sorry for the barrage of questions

BexTech · 23 April 2007 at 11:09PM

You plug the PAP2 into the router, plug your regular phone/s into the PAP2, configure with your VoIP provider account details and away you go.

The PAP2 is very configurable so you can set it up, so you wouldn't know it was any different to a normal phone service.

If you want to keep your regular landline and you want to use the same phone on both VoIP and landline then you need a different ATA as the PAP2 is VoIP only, such as the Linksys SPA 3102.

The Linksys devices come with RJ11 ports so you'll either need a RJ11 to BABT adapter or make a lead up and connect to a master socket.

Adapter: http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=2370

The Linksys devices have a REN of about 5, so you can daisy chain phones like you do normally.

The PAP2 comes with two lines, but you don't have to use 2, but can be handy if you want to make or receive 2 calls at the same time.

At the moment I have 3 phones connected to the one line and 1 phone connected to the other (was 2).

I have two different accounts, one on each line, so have 2 phone numbers one on each line (but have about 20 other numbers pointing to the same line, but that is just overkill for most).

You could for example have just one account, but both accounts registered on both lines, so when someone calls your number both lines would ring, you could answer any of the lines to take the call, then if someone else calls the same number, the remaining line would ring.

p5x · 23 April 2007 at 11:22PM

Thanks for all the info.

Is the following any good, seems to be quite cheap from a UK site:

http://www.digidave.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=325&osCsid=147eb8005d5c41bc5658685ca0c7b4c6

BexTech · 23 April 2007 at 11:26PM

p5x wrote: »

Thanks for all the info.

Is the following any good, seems to be quite cheap from a UK site:

http://www.digidave.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=325&osCsid=147eb8005d5c41bc5658685ca0c7b4c6

Digi Dave sells a fair few items through eBay.

I've only really heard of a few people with the GATE 101, and are mainly them having issues with them.

Never used one myself.

msun · 24 April 2007 at 9:05AM

I have used the GATE 101 from DigiDave and can confirm it works fine with Betamax VOIP provider (voipcheap.com).

I now use GATE 102 (also from DigiDave which is similar to 101 but supports incoming calls via PSTN which is what I required.

Cheers from Mike

Anon · 24 April 2007 at 9:35AM

A related question, if you dropped your landline in favour of this, would you be able to transfer your existing VM (or BT) number to the VOIP to avoid having to change number?

Many thanks

Anon

BritBrat · 24 April 2007 at 10:18AM

I would guess no, but thats an interesting idea so I hope someone say's yes.

VOIP without PC turned on?

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