VOIP

Mickey666

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.

All sounds a bit 'old tech' really.  Back in the late 90s I used a Draytek router at home, which supported VoIP and had an RJ11 socket into which a standard telephone could be plugged and used.  My work office had a similar Draytek modem and I could make VoIP calls as simply as dialling a 'normal' call.  It worked very well.

But in these days of unlimited free calls mobile packages, is VoIP really worth it any more?  I've already given up using my landline for anything except broadband internet and can easily imagine giving that up within the next decade when 5G mobile internet is well established and as cheap and fast as my current FTTC landline.

naf123

Sandtree said:

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.

Thanks. I suppose I do not really need a landline number as I only need to make emergency calls. I just want a normal phone for the kids to be able to dial 999 if needed or anyone else if they needed to in an emergency as they do not have their own mobile phones. It would not be used for chatting etc. Ideally a most simple phone that one can dial from..... 

J_B

Mickey666 said:

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.

All sounds a bit 'old tech' really.  Back in the late 90s I used a Draytek router at home, which supported VoIP and had an RJ11 socket into which a standard telephone could be plugged and used.  My work office had a similar Draytek modem and I could make VoIP calls as simply as dialling a 'normal' call.  It worked very well.

But in these days of unlimited free calls mobile packages, is VoIP really worth it any more?  I've already given up using my landline for anything except broadband internet and can easily imagine giving that up within the next decade when 5G mobile internet is well established and as cheap and fast as my current FTTC landline.

Not everyone lives in areas of good mobile reception. 5g - dream on!

I've been quoted about 13K for FTTP and FTTC is not available

Mickey666

J_B said:

Mickey666 said:

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.

All sounds a bit 'old tech' really.  Back in the late 90s I used a Draytek router at home, which supported VoIP and had an RJ11 socket into which a standard telephone could be plugged and used.  My work office had a similar Draytek modem and I could make VoIP calls as simply as dialling a 'normal' call.  It worked very well.

But in these days of unlimited free calls mobile packages, is VoIP really worth it any more?  I've already given up using my landline for anything except broadband internet and can easily imagine giving that up within the next decade when 5G mobile internet is well established and as cheap and fast as my current FTTC landline.

Not everyone lives in areas of good mobile reception. 5g - dream on!

I've been quoted about 13K for FTTP and FTTC is not available

True, but I was talking about over the next decade.  When you consider that the web barely existed 25 years ago yet now we're all pretty much dependent on it for all manner of online services, imagine what might happen over the next 10 years. Technology moves fast.

matelodave

naf123 my want to check this out - https://basichelp.sipgate.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/204242201-sipgate-basic-999-112-Emergency-Call-Regulations

littleboo

Mickey666 said:

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.

All sounds a bit 'old tech' really.  Back in the late 90s I used a Draytek router at home, which supported VoIP and had an RJ11 socket into which a standard telephone could be plugged and used.  My work office had a similar Draytek modem and I could make VoIP calls as simply as dialling a 'normal' call.  It worked very well.

But in these days of unlimited free calls mobile packages, is VoIP really worth it any more?  I've already given up using my landline for anything except broadband internet and can easily imagine giving that up within the next decade when 5G mobile internet is well established and as cheap and fast as my current FTTC landline.

There are still plenty of requirements for something that looks and feels like a traditional phone and with the PSTN switch off, that's what VOIP delivers. Also, in business there are a lot us of use cases, contact centres, factory environments, agile workers etc where VOIP is or will be the technology, regardless of what the underlay is.

Slithery

VOIP phones should never be relied on for emergency calls, for the main reason that they won't work if your power or internet goes down. A traditional land line doesn't have this problem.

RumRat

Slithery said:

VOIP phones should never be relied on for emergency calls, for the main reason that they won't work if your power or internet goes down. A traditional land line doesn't have this problem.

That's a bit old school.....As everything is being switched to VOIP and traditional landlines are going what are you going to claim then?

matelodave

Its impossible to provide a fibre solution with the same basic reliability as a simple pair of wires. Even with FTTC there's electronics and a power supply inside the cabinet so even a home phone is reliant on that for it's supply nowadays as it doesn't come from the exchange. I guess the battery back-up has relatively short standby time (probably only around 4-6 hours).

Our FTTP optical network terminal has a battery back-up, but as far as I know they aren't provided anymore for recent installation. Mine only has  4 AA NiMh cells, so probably wouldn't last more than a hour or so anyway.

I've fitted a battery back-up unit in line with my router's power supply so I can keep that going for several hours but in the end the network must be less resilient than it used to be.

Chino

Mickey666 said:

True, but I was talking about over the next decade.  When you consider that the web barely existed 25 years ago yet now we're all pretty much dependent on it for all manner of online services, imagine what might happen over the next 10 years. Technology moves fast.

You overlook the fact that "the web" is still delivered over essentially the same physical infrastructure that was in place 25 years ago. Places to which FTTC can't be delivered today won't have FTTP in 25 years' time. Places that don't have have mobile coverage today won't have mobile coverage in 25 years' time.