Your views please

shanicek

I have been phoned by Orange my mobile phone provider with the following offer:
1) Free Broadband 8 meg and unlimited download (which makes not odds to me because I don't download anything);

2) A wireless router;

3) Phone calls - free from 6pm-6am to any land line
- if I plug the phone into the broad band router (there is a special socket for this apparently) I get landline calls, any other orange mobile calls and calls to 30 different countries for free.

The cost is £17 per month all in and the contract is 18 months. All I have to do is sign up and they sought everything else out with BT.

I think that is not a bad deal. What I want to know is are there some other questions I should be asking; and is there a much better offer out there?

BexTech

shanicek wrote: »

- if I plug the phone into the broad band router (there is a special socket for this apparently) I get landline calls, any other orange mobile calls and calls to 30 different countries for free.

The socket on the router will be a VoIP port (Voice over Internet Protocol) - that is any calls make with the phone attached there will go via the internet until it then breaks out and the calls goes to the landline or mobile called - helps reduce costs

Bufflowbill

The Broadband is not Free.

You might like to read http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=782925&highlight=orange+home+max

and www.orangeproblems.co.uk before making a decision.

shanicek

Thank you for directing me to the respective information. I think I will give the offer a miss. I will look at the offer from PlusNet.
Is a "VoIP port (Voice over Internet Protocol)", (thank you BexTech), on most wireless routers? Is so can I use such a port for any old broadband supplier?

BexTech

shanicek wrote: »

Thank you for directing me to the respective information. I think I will give the offer a miss. I will look at the offer from PlusNet.
Is a "VoIP port (Voice over Internet Protocol)", (thank you BexTech), on most wireless routers? Is so can I use such a port for any old broadband supplier?

VoIP ports are only on a few routers.

You can however use one of the regular wired ports on the wireless router and connect an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) this then allows you to connect a phone up to the device and make and receive calls with your chosen VoIP provider - many to choose from, some with no monthly fee, you just pay for the calls, others a small monthly fee and inclusive calls.

shanicek

Thank you.
It seems that there are quite a few layers of service providers i.e. a broadband provider and then seeking out a VoIP provider (Is this separate from the internert povider?), which if I had more time I would consider.
At present my lifestyle is such that I need a decent facility without being ripped off.
My plan is to go to PlusNet of BE for broadband, keep BT line at its lowest line rental rate and use Primus Saver 2 as recommended unless seeking out a VoIP Provider is very straightforward and infinitely cheaper.
If you have a moment I would welcome some guidance on VoIP provider. If not, thank you for all you help thus far.

BexTech

A VoIP provider can either be the same provider as your broadband provider or as the vast majority choose one of many other VoIP providers nothing to do with your internet provider.

For example Virgin Media cable broadband doesn't require a phone line to work, so many people don't have a phone line, but use VoIP, Virgin Media don't offer a VoIP service themselves, so people just use one of the numerous VoIP Providers out there, too many to list, but some are Sipgate, VoIPTalk, OrbTalk, Gradwell, Vonage (not usually the best value and locked in hardware), Tesco (like Vonage one of the dearer providers), VoIPBusterPro, VoIPStunt (The last two being Betamax VoIP companies and there are loads of different brands, offering slightly different prices and free countries). With most (though not Vonage) you can just chop and change your provider until you find one you are happy with.

Many people seem to be going with BE. Your plan looks good. If you aren't in a cable area, then a BT landline is required, therefore there would be little saving adding VoIP in - though it can do, depends on calling pattern, often just as cheap using Primus and also Call 18185.

shanicek

That is interesting. I am on cable at present.
If I understand you correctly, it would be then possible to seek a broadband contract with whomever (as long as a router is supplied), attach an ATA, subcribe to a VoIP provider and then there is no need for a land line at all?
Does such a system allow you to receive calls in the conventional way, or is this system only for telephoning out? Friends and family phone me on the landline.

BexTech

shanicek wrote: »

That is interesting. I am on cable at present.
If I understand you correctly, it would be then possible to seek a broadband contract with whomever (as long as a router is supplied), attach an ATA, subcribe to a VoIP provider and then there is no need for a land line at all?
Does such a system allow you to receive calls in the conventional way, or is this system only for telephoning out? Friends and family phone me on the landline.

You can only dump the landline if your broadband provider is cable - for most people this will be Virgin Media.

If your broadband provider is ADSL which is all the others, such as BE, O2, Orange, BT, Pipex etc then you can't dump the landline as it is needed as this is what the broadband uses to transmit the signal to you.

Cable broadband uses a co-ax cable and not the phoneline for broadband.

I receive calls on my VoIP lines just like a landline, in fact callers don't even know they aren't calling a landline as my VoIP phone numbers are using local area codes (eg 0121).

If you want to keep the landline you can, many VoIP providers also let you control the CLID you send out, so when you call out using your VoIP line it looks like it is being made from you regular landline or mobile.

If you keep broadband with Virgin Media, then you can dump your landline and just use VoIP (some VoIP providers also allow you to port your phone number to them).

If you choose another broadband provider that uses ADSL, then you have to have a landline (connected to the BT infrastructure) and there may only be small savings to be made if you add VoIP.

I was VoIP only for 3 years, only now have a landline as Virgin Media offered me free install, free line rental, free evening and weekend calls package and free caller display on top of discount TV and broadband for as long as I remain a customer - as previously just had TV and broadband with them - before that a BT phone line.

dashforth

I have the broadband package that was offered to you. Unfortunately I have to pay £24 per month as I do not have an Orange contract. I would have rather gone for O2 but they do not cover my exchange. So far (6 months) I am happy with the service provided by Orange. I am aware that others have had different experiences. What concerns me is that at the end of the 18 months I will have to pay to be re-connected to BT if that is a condition of switching to a different ISP. It looks like I will be tied into Orange.

shanicek

BexTech wrote: »

You can only dump the landline if your broadband provider is cable - for most people this will be Virgin Media.

If your broadband provider is ADSL which is all the others, such as BE, O2, Orange, BT, Pipex etc then you can't dump the landline as it is needed as this is what the broadband uses to transmit the signal to you.

Cable broadband uses a co-ax cable and not the phoneline for broadband.

I receive calls on my VoIP lines just like a landline, in fact callers don't even know they aren't calling a landline as my VoIP phone numbers are using local area codes (eg 0121).

If you want to keep the landline you can, many VoIP providers also let you control the CLID you send out, so when you call out using your VoIP line it looks like it is being made from you regular landline or mobile.

If you keep broadband with Virgin Media, then you can dump your landline and just use VoIP (some VoIP providers also allow you to port your phone number to them).

If you choose another broadband provider that uses ADSL, then you have to have a landline (connected to the BT infrastructure) and there may only be small savings to be made if you add VoIP.

I was VoIP only for 3 years, only now have a landline as Virgin Media offered me free install, free line rental, free evening and weekend calls package and free caller display on top of discount TV and broadband for as long as I remain a customer - as previously just had TV and broadband with them - before that a BT phone line.

How did you manage to squeeze that deal out of them. I am paying £30 per month for broadband and TV only, I am out of contract and I am deciding where to turn next. I have been with Telewest before it was taken over - so in total over 4 years. Did you just haggle?