Vonage - unlimited calls, no line rental, £9.99 per month

koru

Phonix wrote:

If you're used to using VoIP and cale is available in your area, the best thing to do is to get rid of your landline and use your cable internet connection to make VoIP calls.

If you need a number so people can ring you get one from https://www.sipgate.co.uk .They also do some nice sipphones which shoud be able to be configured with the 1899 service.

It would be cool to dump BT, but it does mean relying on NTL for your broadband (and thus for your VOIP phone service). The feedback I have heard suggests that NTL are not the best in terms of service. (Backed up by my own experience. I actually asked them in December to install a line for me, but not a peep since, so I assume they have lost my request.)

Have you actually managed to use a sipgate number on another service? I'm surprised they are willing to hand out numbers for free, without some way to stop you using it with cheaper providers like 1899.

thespacecowboy

Can you have broadband access without having a landline though?

koru

thespacecowboy wrote:

Can you have broadband access without having a landline though?

Well, you need some sort of wire or cable, sure. But the poster meant that you don't need a BT line. Just a cable broadband contract would do. NTL and Blueyonder provide broadband for roughly the same as you pay for ADSL on a BT line, but they don't require you to buy a phone service as well, so you save on line rental if you can use the cable broadband for your phone calls.

Darryl

Spacecowboy - yes you can have broadband with a BT landline. Just call your local cable provider (NTL, Telewest) and ask for their broadband service. They'll try and sell you their telephone service too, but just tell them you can't switch from BT at the moment, and they'll install broadband anyway (they need the money...)

Having said that, I agree with Koru

koru wrote:

It would be cool to dump BT, but it does mean relying on NTL for your broadband (and thus for your VOIP phone service). The feedback I have heard suggests that NTL are not the best in terms of service.

As an ex-NTL customer, I agree their quality of service is poor (to say the least) - although you can always use this to argue for discounts/free monthly rental... However, like I said earlier, at the moment, I'm sticking with BT and testing these VoIP services. If they stand up to testing, then I'll go for it (with a mobile phone - with free minutes - for backup)

Darryl.

koru

I have been researching this a bit further and have identified another apparent problem with Vonage and any other VOIP service. As far as I can tell, the phone number is not portable, so if you want to stop using Vonage, Sipgate, etc, you have to tell everyone your number has changed. For me, that's a real downside to VOIP.

mike_paterson

derrick wrote:

reign,height,
their, and countless others to disprove that "rule"

There is a rule that works though - i before e except after c (where the sound is 'ee') - Unless anybody can prove me wrong ?
Now there's a challenge !

Regards
Mike