VOIP

naf123

Hi
Has anyone found the cheapest VOIP where one keeps a landline number and just use it for emergency calls only? I do not need Vonage et al expensive packages. Is there one where you just pay by the minute rather than a monthly fee?

rdr

We use LocalPhone and a gigaset VOIP phone, incoming calls via the landline, cheap pay-as-you-go VoIP calls out, now only used for international calls as we have unlimited calls on our mobiles.

naf123

Thanks for this. So how does it work? I plug the gigaset VOIP into the router? How does localphone actually work? Do you set up the gigaset to work with locaphone?

naf123

Actually I just saw on Localphone that 

• Does Internet Phone support 911 / 112 / 999 calls to emergency services?

  We currently do not support calls to emergency service numbers, and as such Localphone is not suitable as a complete replacement for a standard landline at this time.

This is a bit of an issue? As I only want a VOIP for emergency calls only....

tafelmoneysaver

I have a https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/ account and an app on my mobile phone to make/receive calls. Never used it in an emergency though.

Google Voice is another option.

rsvtoddy

Another Sipgate user here - ported our old landline number to them a few years ago and haven’t topped up since as it is very rarely used for outgoing calls. 

Sandtree

naf123 said:

Hi
Has anyone found the cheapest VOIP where one keeps a landline number and just use it for emergency calls only? I do not need Vonage et al expensive packages. Is there one where you just pay by the minute rather than a monthly fee?

Hu?

So you want to receive calls via your landline or your VOIP package? Do you want to make calls via VOIP, Landline or either?

Gigaset do phones that are able to make calls via both VOIP and landline.... short press to call via VOIP or long press to call via Landline if you plug the hub into both.

We use VOIPfone on a pay as you go basis, you can pay a one off fee to add a number you own to their CLI so incoming calls come via the original phone line but outbound calls appear as if they are from whichever number it is. We don't have a landline as our internet is via a fixed line to the building.

J_B

Slightly O/T but if I already have a VOIP enabled modem (for our WISP internet) do I need a new phone or can one be adapted?

Sandtree

J_B said:

Slightly O/T but if I already have a VOIP enabled modem (for our WISP internet) do I need a new phone or can one be adapted?

It depends what you mean by a "VOIP enabled modem"?... every modem can support VOIP, I'd have imagined that the modem has a RJ11 slot for plugging a normal phone in to use as a VOIP phone but it could just be marketing spin.

J_B

Sandtree said:

J_B said:

Slightly O/T but if I already have a VOIP enabled modem (for our WISP internet) do I need a new phone or can one be adapted?

It depends what you mean by a "VOIP enabled modem"?... every modem can support VOIP, I'd have imagined that the modem has a RJ11 slot for plugging a normal phone in to use as a VOIP phone but it could just be marketing spin.

This one https://www.cambiumnetworks.com/products/wifi/cnpilot-r201p/ which says

TELEPHONE INTERFACES

2 FXS ports, RJ11

Sandtree

So thats a yes then