VOIP as a business landline?

Tutor

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me with an obstacle I've come up against. I have recently set up an e-commerce website, providing an advertising space for private tutors in the UK. I currently run the website from home and I do not have a landline telephone. Currently, I only use my mobile to receive phone calls. Due to the nature of my business however, almost all enquiries are dealt with via email.

My predicament is that in order to portray a professional image, I believe that a landline number should also be provided.

I would like to know if it's possible to obtain a local landline number via VOIP without having to install an actual handset telephone and without having to pay for line rental? Basically, I want to keep my overheads as small as possible.

Would it be possible for me to answer incoming calls via my PC without a landline telephone connection even when my PC is switched off?

What kind of basic set up would I need and how much would it cost? Bearing in mind, I don't anticipate receiving many calls, I only really want a landline number in order to portray a professional image and want to avoid line rental costs.

Any feedback would be much appreciated - I'm new to this VOIP stuff.

Regards,

Mark_In_Hampshire

I suspect you're right about the need for phone number; if you go down the route of using certain payment providers like World Pay, they tend to insist on it.

There are many to choose from, but suggest starting with www.sipgate.co.uk

Get yourself a number which has the right STD (area) code

For calls, you can get by with headphones/webcam, but for the sake of about £5 to £10 you can pick up a very basic VOIP handset (plugs into USB port resembling a landline style phone, you dial on the keypad on the phone etc)

If you're not at your PC no problem. You can have Sipgate hunt you on several numbers, take voicemail, email it to you, etc. You can even install the Sipgate app on an Android mobile and use it directly on the mobile handset over your WiFi, so the "landline" calls come directly to your mobile, even though the caller pays the cost of a landline, not mobile, call.

This will get you started. You can also check the products page on that site for the more advanced kit, e.g. standalone handsets which, like the mobile above, work over your WiFi and don't need plugging into the PC so you can put them anywhere in the house.

Not sure what you use for your connectivity, we don't have a landline, our broadband is via 3G and it works fine on that.

jhp

Another solution buy a Geographical 01/02 Number from www.flextel.com they start about £2 (One Off Payment) depending on exchange and point it direct at your mobile they only charge 4p a minute to receive incoming calls.

TimBear

You will still require a landline for your broadband connection, though, which is what the VoIP service will work over.

InsideInsurance

Assuming you have a good enough broadband connection then you have a couple of options:

1) use a software phone - this will only work when the PC etc is turned on

2) use a hardware phone - this can be a dedicated VOIP phone or it can be a standard phone that connects to a special adaptor that allows it to work with VOIP rather than normal phone line - both of these plug into your router

3) Divert - you can redirect your calls to another line (eg your mobile) this could be for all calls or only if either your voip phone isnt connected and/or if it doesnt answer after X seconds. You will pay for the call from your VOIP provider and your mobile though.

Personally I use a combination of 2 and 3. I have a Siemens Gigaset cordless phone setup at home for when I am there and divert the phone to my mobile when I am out.

Tutor

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

I suspect you're right about the need for phone number; if you go down the route of using certain payment providers like World Pay, they tend to insist on it....

Not sure what you use for your connectivity, we don't have a landline, our broadband is via 3G and it works fine on that.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for you reply. Your advice has been very useful. You make a good point about using payment providers - at the moment I am not charging but will be in the near future so a landline number will probably be an essential.

At the moment I use a wireless connection, provided from a hub but will soon be changing to a wireless router provided by 3G - is this what you have? If so, it would be reassuring to know that it works fine with that set up.

All the best,

Tutor

jhp wrote: »

Another solution buy a Geographical 01/02 Number from Flextel they start about £2 (One Off Payment) depending on exchange and point it direct at your mobile they only charge 4p a minute to receive incoming calls.

Hi JHP,

Thanks for your advice. This sounds very interesting. My original thought was to 'buy' a landline number that I could answer on my mobile but didn't think it was possible, or at least expected it to be expensive. I'll have a look on the flextel website.

Regards,

jhp

TimBear wrote: »

You will still require a landline for your broadband connection, though, which is what the VoIP service will work over.

Not if you point the Voip Geographical Number direct to a mobile/landline/or voicemail service.

jhp

Tutor wrote: »

Hi JHP,

Thanks for your advice. This sounds very interesting. My original thought was to 'buy' a landline number that I could answer on my mobile but didn't think it was possible, or at least expected it to be expensive. I'll have a look on the flextel website.

Regards,

You should be able to do the same with Sipgate but they charge nearly 10p a minute for calls diverted to a mobile.

http://www.sipgate.co.uk/user/tarife.php

TimBear

Instead of VoIP have you thought about standard NGN numbers? You can have your usual 0845 etc, but can also set up a number with your area code (or that of another area if you like - to make your business appear 'local' in different areas, or bigger than it is).

Mostly you'll pay a ppm rate for calls received on these numbers, or even can earn money on calls you take depending on how you set it up. This way there are no monthly costs, and you can literally point the incoming calls to any number you like and unlike a divert, you won't pay extra to answer the calls on a mobile, for example.

These are feature rich too, with call queuing, hunt groups etc, and you can change the number you point the calls to in real time instantly, so they're great in case of emergency (office flooded, say).

billsavings

TimBear wrote: »

Instead of VoIP have you thought about standard NGN numbers? You can have your usual 0845 etc, but can also set up a number with your area code (or that of another area if you like - to make your business appear 'local' in different areas, or bigger than it is).

Mostly you'll pay a ppm rate for calls received on these numbers, or even can earn money on calls you take depending on how you set it up. This way there are no monthly costs, and you can literally point the incoming calls to any number you like and unlike a divert, you won't pay extra to answer the calls on a mobile, for example.

These are feature rich too, with call queuing, hunt groups etc, and you can change the number you point the calls to in real time instantly, so they're great in case of emergency (office flooded, say).

There is no such thing as Non Geographical Rate Standard Number. I guess your talking about 01/02 Voip geographical numbers which have already been recommended a number of times. EG Sipgate. and Flextel.

Perhaps you would care to explain how you can avoid paying extra to mobiles,and how you can money on calls you take on them.