VOIP advice required for beginner please

Hello

Please could someone give me some advice?

I currently have a PC with broadband connection (via an ADSL modem), and a BT landline telephone.

I would very much like to get a second telephone line at home so that I can keep my personal calls totally separate from my business calls.

My home is rented and my landlord does not want a second BT line installed, so that option is not possible.

I have been looking into the possibility of VOIP as an alternative - though I would need to be able to receive calls even when my PC was turned off. Presumably broadband is still active even when the computer is off?

After searching on Google, one company which seemed to come highly recommended was "Voipfone". I emailed them explaining my situation and they said that VOIP would be ideal for me. They said that I would need a VOIP phone - the one they recommended would cost £95, and a router which would cost around £45. (Adding these costs together the total is more than the cost of BT installing a second landline!)

My current ISP, NewNet offers VOIP and they say that all I need is a router (the one they offer costs £80) but no special VOIP telephone at all, as a normal landline phone can be used.

Another website I have looked at says that a "VOIP telephone adapter" is needed.

I'm confused! Do I need a special VOIP phone or not? Would the sound quality be very bad on a normal landline telephone? And do I need an adapter aswell?

Please could someone clarify this in simple terms for a beginner!

Many thanks.

Comments

  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,976
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
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    The router is to help you connect more than one device to the broadband connection, so you need that anyway. And the connection is live all the time, so calls would connect with the PC off. If the modem you use at the moment is on a USB connection to the PC and into the wall socket, you'd need to swap to either a modem with an ethernet connection to the router, or a combined router/modem

    If you get a digital phone, this would plug straight into the router. If you want to use an ordinary analogue phone, then an analogue telephone adapter (ATA) would be needed. Some routers have an ATA included

    An alternative would be to use BT's CallSign service, which gives you a second number on the same line, with a different ringtone, and costs 2 or 3 quid a month (I can't remember exactly and haven't checked)
  • smcaul
    smcaul Posts: 1,088 Forumite
    It's a lot simpler then the people you have spoken to make out!

    There are really 3 ways to access VOIP:
    a "softphone", just a piece of software that you use a headset or mic and speakers with - PC will need to be on all the time to use.

    An ATA adapter, just a little box that you plug a normal bt type phone into, that then plugs into your router via an ethernet cable, can be used without the PC being on. some routers now have these built in.

    A dedicated IP/VOIP phone, plugs directly into your router via ethernet cable.

    I use an ATA adapter and have been using this method for the last 3 years for my business line - I have no problems at all, just as good as a BT line, but much cheaper and if you move you do not have to have the line moved as it can be used from any router.
  • I have been using Voipfone for about 3 years now and can highly recommend them.

    What you need is a voip-ATA (analogue telephone adaptor) which acts as a bridge between the voip service provider, and the normal telephone.

    You can buy a product called 'Linksys PAP2' which can be bought off the internet for about £35 nowadays.

    You then need to create an account with Voipfone - which is free to create.
    You do pay approx £2+VAT per month for a physical landline number like 020-xxxxxxx.

    Then you need to set up the PAP2 with the login and account details of voipfone account.

    The Linksys PAP2 needs a ethernet connection and a normal telephone to go with. I use a dect phone so it is wireless and has multiple handsets.

    If your adsl modem provides more than 1 ethernet connections then you do not necessarily need a router. If it does not, then you would need a router so that you can connect your pc and pap2 at the same time. Note that the router can be bought for approx £20 today.

    Finally, you connect it all together as follows:

    ADSL Modem/Router <===> Linksys PAP2 <===> DECT/Normal Phone

    It works like a charm :-)
  • benjus
    benjus Posts: 5,433
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    Forumite
    I bought my Linksys PAP2 for about £15 from ebay. The PAP2 has RJ-11 sockets, so you will need a little plug adapter to connect a phone with a BT plug. One of the nice things about the PAP2 is that it can run two phone lines simultaeously.

    I haven't used VoIPFone, but it's worth looking at SIPGate (www.sipgate.co.uk) which gives you a free geographic incoming number. I've been very happy with their service.
    Let's settle this like gentlemen: armed with heavy sticks
    On a rotating plate, with spikes like Flash Gordon
    And you're Peter Duncan; I gave you fair warning
  • Just wanted to thank everyone for their helpful replies. It is much clearer now.
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