Landline + VOIP + Broadband - Where do I start?

CaptainRock

So many questions....

I currently have Fibre To The Box (not full fibre) which uses the landline.

We only use the landline for incoming calls and internet.

We pay £4 a month for unlimited calls on a mobile but the mobile is very basic with a battery that doesn't last very long.

I'm thinking of getting rid of the landline and using VOIP and to go back to using the normal phone, not the mobile for making calls and switching back to PAYG for the mobile.

If I get rid of the landline it means getting full fibre which is not cheap and I don't need 900MB connection, but having full fibre would be nice, or there is another alternative of a router that connects directly to 5G.

I'm not sure what to do.  There's so much to think about.

If I get VOIP will my current phone still work or will I have to get an adapter?

Which company would I use for VOIP?

If I have Full Fibre I would have the cable coming into an upstairs bedroom which is where I have the router, would that mean I would have to connect a DECT phone to the router in the bedroom?

There is most probably things I have not even thought of!

I just want to pay a bit less each month if possible.

I came across this website but don't know if it's a good deal or not for Voip?

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/

Thanks in advance

cymruchris

First off - you don't need full fibre to go VOIP - and if you have a landline number you can port it over to a reputable VOIP company. You will need a new handset, but these are available for not too daft prices.

I've just transferred the local foodbank from standard line to voip, installed their new phones and arranged the porting of their existing number (it happened to complete last Friday evening, and everything went very smoothly.)

The new fibre to the cabinet internet is about £24 a month, and unlimited landline and mobile calls (UK) is a further £10 a month.

Once the line is due to be ported the tech team call you up and help you through the install, and remotely program  your phones to your new account. (Helpful if you have a PC at home so that they can connect to it and do it for you). Or  you can buy phones from the provider that are pre-programmed, and you just plug them into your router or a network switch. Ours run on POE - so the phones get the power from the POE network switch meaning we only have to run one cable to the phone.

I've fitted two traditional cabled handsets and one cordless handset - the cabled were about £60 inc VAT, and the cordless was £135 inc VAT for one base station and one handset - you can run several handsets off one base station (this was a touch more expensive as we chose the 'rugged' version that can be dropped - you can get cordless VOIP for a bit less though). We've fitted Yealink - have used them already on another foodbank site, and they've been very good with some nice options. These are the two we've just put in:

CaptainRock

Who are reputable VOIP companies?

littleboo

Andrews and Arnold, Sipgate, Vonage 
You don't have to get new phones, you can use an ATA (Vonage supply you with a configured ATA) and plug your existing phone into the ATA

cymruchris

CaptainRock said:

Who are reputable VOIP companies?

The company we are using specialise in freelancers, small business and startups rather than domestic installs. Not sure if you come under those categories?

Devlin1976

You don't need to buy a new phone. I've just switched my landline to voiphone and use my old DECT phone but did have to buy a ATA adapter which came configured. 

knightstyle

We are with Virgin, TV, Broadband, free weekend calls and you can keep your existing number and phones. We are paying £29 a month,  new customers £31 with no set up charges, you might be able to negotiate this down.

danco

And you are likely to be able to use the landline number and phone when moving to FTTP without needing to get a separate VoIP phone or service.

EnPointe

CaptainRock said:

Who are reputable VOIP companies?

Andrews and Arnold, Sipgate, Vonage  as others have suggested 

 the 'House' phone  at home  is  VOIP via  VM ( ordinary  dect base plugged into the phone port of the route _having recently migrated from ...

I  use Sipgate for another  'true' / 'pure' VOIP  ( which has a Cisco SPA525G as it;s 'terminal - as  the 525 was also used for some experimental / trial work  with a voluntary organisation )  which gives me a dedicated landline number for  certain uses 

a lot of people do seem to m,isunderstand what is happening with the  'landline switch off' for  most people  who have a  broadband connection whether  Openreach or VM  their  landline number will just move to coming fro mthe phone port on the router  rather than  a dedicated POTS  NTE5  socket