Where to get a geographic numer with a lot of inclusive minutes?

Owain_Moneysaver

Weave wrote: »

Sadly my knowledge of how VoIP systems work means I don't know how to point a new number at the existing phone setup.

What sort of phones (make and model) do you use at present?

Who is your existing VoIP provider? How do calls to your Tamar numbers appear at the phones?

Weave

Our current phones are Cisco SPA504G and we have 4 of them. The incoming line goes to a router model Cisco 887VA-M.


Our existing VoIP provider is Chess Telecom who are resellers of Gamma Telecom.


Chess Telecom provide us with 2 geo numbers and these then ring all 4 handsets but it tells us which incoming geo number was called on the handset. Tamar currently only supply us with non-geo 03 an 0808 numbers that are pointed at the geo numbers and have inclusive minutes covering the redirect costs.


As Chess Telecom control the two geo numbers I want to start using two alternative geo numbers. I have no confidence in Chess Telecom so do not want to be held to ransom by them if they decide to cut off the 2 geo numbers they control. If we start advertising new numbers I can phase out the numbers they control over time so they have no value to us.

Owain_Moneysaver

Your CISCO phones have 4 flashing line buttons to the right of the display.

Unless the phones have been programmed (auto-provisioned) by Chess to exclude other services, you can assign any unused line buttons to a 'line' (SIP account) from another provider.

To see if it's likely to be possible to assign unused line buttons, do STEP 1, STEP 2 and STEP 2 here

Click on the EXT1, EXT2, EXT3 and EXT4 tabs in turn. These are settings for external 'lines'. Any tabs that don't have setting information should mean the line key is available for another provider.

Further setup instructions here. Do not do Step 3 - Turn Off Provisioning as this might disconnect your phone from your existing Chess lines.

You might need some technical support to actually get another VoIP provider working, especially if Chess auto-provision the phones to lock out other services, (or if you don't have any admin password required to get into the phone settings above) but it should give a reasonable indication whether it's possible to add new lines from another provider.

If Chess have locked the phones, the simplest option might be to get 4 more cheap phones and set these up to your new provider. (This additional cost could actually be almost zero if you use softphones on PCs and just add a headset to the PC).

For a provider of new lines, consider Andrews&Arnold or Gradwell.

Weave

Thanks for your help Owain Moneysaver. I will try and access the settings for the phones as you suggest. I have managed to locate the IP addresses but when I try and go to the IP address in my browser I just get 'This page can't be displayed'. I can see my PC and the phones on the network using Angry IP Scanner but I am being prevented from accessing in the web browser. I have rebooted everything but no joy. I'll try and resolve the technical problems and fingers crossed the phones won't be locked out by Chess.


Thanks again.

Owain_Moneysaver

Weave wrote: »

I have managed to locate the IP addresses but when I try and go to the IP address in my browser I just get 'This page can't be displayed'.

You might need to have the PC plugged into the 'spare' network port on the back of the phone to be able to access the admin pages.

Weave

Just tried connecting using the PC port on the phone but still getting the same message. Tried rebooting the PC and the phone with no change.


Could the phones be locked out by Chess so that I can't even access the admin front page?

Weave

Could it be the Cisco 800 router that is stopping me accessing the phones? We have 4 phones on a switch and the switch then plugs into the 800 router.

Owain_Moneysaver

Weave wrote: »

Could the phones be locked out by Chess so that I can't even access the admin front page?

They might be, but I'd expect the phone's webpage to tell you you were locked out rather than a page not being found.

If the Cisco router is also supplied by Chess that might be controlling access to the phones.

I woulnd't regard it as a conclusive 'no' at this stage.

You could try asking Chess, or look for a VoIP technical person that understand Cisco technology. If you own the phones Chess shouln't lock you out of your own hardware.

As I said, you could get some more VoIP phones, or use softphones on the PCs with a headset. Or just get your alternative VoIP numbers 'in case' and send them to voicemail, with the voicemails emailed to you for now.

Weave

Thanks again.


I will look for a Cisco expert to see if they can resolve this access issue for me as I know Chess will not be interested in helping me. If that fails we will go for new equipment.


I appreciate your help.