Skype - VOIP - Engin and other internet phones

[miro]

I would like some opinions on VOIP broadband systems.

I have been looking at new and to-be-released products for internet phone calls. I notice that the two competing products are

1) Skype phones - some are USB to your PC and others are emerging as stand alone WiFI phones with no PC connection

2) Generic phone adapters - these are either built into new types of routers which take your normal fax and phone but connect to the internet. For existing users there is an adapter box which is ethernet networking on one side and normal phone on the other side.

Now the interesting thing about some of these devices is that I found one which passes my normal PSTN calls through to me and also manages my VOIP calls. This is type 2 above.

With all of the hardware in place I can choose (if the adapter is not provider locked) a VOIP service provider. Since all SAME provider person to person calls are free then it makes sense to get the service which is the most popular so that you can make the most number of free calls.

Generally the cost of internet to PSTN calls is very low. Making ordinary billable calls very reasonable and affordable.The monthly fees are quite reasonable too.

This may be tedious but i found these call rates
- 3.5 cents / min from AU to UK, USA, DE and so on.
- 10 cents flat anywhere in Australia
- Mobile calls at a cut rate

What I am interested in is personal opinions on what is popular in the UK and popular service providers for VOIP to PSTN calls. It is generally true that whatever takes off in the UK turns up in Australia not long after.

I am just about to buy an ENGIN II box with PSTN passthrough but willing to consider other options.

===================================================
PSTN is the generic name for a phone line from a Telephone company.
VOIP is Voice over IP - calls over broadband

 

[glojo]

I have a Siemens cordless DECT telephone system that is brilliant. I paid extra for a 'dongle' thingie that allows the telephones to recieve VOIP (Skype)

If I am on the telephone using Skype, then we can still make standard outgoing calls, plus receive them as well.

John

 

[david_h]

www.voipcheap.com

cheapest Uk service provider, free landline calls anytime.

I am having terrible trouble configuring my adapter box, it requires an analogue phone to be plugged into the adapter for this purpose, and of course it's about 10 years since I had an analogue phone.

 

[miro]

I have a Siemens cordless DECT telephone system that is brilliant. I paid extra for a 'dongle' thingie that allows the telephones to recieve VOIP (Skype)

If I am on the telephone using Skype, then we can still make standard outgoing calls, plus receive them as well.

John

WE dont have many Siemens products here lately.

Can you please post the link to your VOIP adapter for Skype.

I am interested in ideas and products.

 

[miro]

www.voipcheap.com

cheapest Uk service provider, free landline calls anytime.

I am having terrible trouble configuring my adapter box, it requires an analogue phone to be plugged into the adapter for this purpose, and of course it's about 10 years since I had an analogue phone.

I have an analogue phone which is the size of a box of matches. It takes the phone line as normal and uses a mobile phone earpiece for sound. The mic is in the casing.

IT is amazing how when you travel that such a small device can be so incredibly useful. It is more or less test equipment but it is just a really small analogue phone.

 

[glojo]

WE dont have many Siemens products here lately.

Can you please post the link to your VOIP adapter for Skype.

I am interested in ideas and products.

Here it is

This dongle is not cheap, but the DECT phone has excellent reception, I use the cordless telephone as an internal telephone to speak to my wife, plus of course I use it for both normal phone, and VOIP.

I simply use the address book on the telephone and the phone will dial whatever format is programmed into it.

John

 

[miro]

Here it is

This dongle is not cheap, but the DECT phone has excellent reception, I use the cordless telephone as an internal telephone to speak to my wife, plus of course I use it for both normal phone, and VOIP.

I simply use the address book on the telephone and the phone will dial whatever format is programmed into it.

John

I notice that SIP, AIX and VOIP all have prefix codes with VOIP services where the PSTN only has an area code like normal.

Seems that phone books will be the next big thing to manage in a phone. I was rather surprised that my new cordless has ring tones and a number of mobile phone features.

The thing I dont quite get is why can a base station for a phone system handle time and date but it cant handle a phone book and PC docking. I would much rather load my contacts into the phone base once and deal with it that way. I cant see myself typing it all in. I use my mobile as a phonebook.

 

[glojo]

Hi Miro,
For convienance I use the'mobile' DECT telephone and then store any new numbers or type them in. (S645)

The handset then has an option to transmit my telephone book to other handsets or the base station.

No doubt there are all sorts of other convienant options what I have missed.

Regards,
John

 

[BonzoDog]

We have used Skype for some time but have postponed buying any handset until true mobility, apparently not far away, is made available.
Another friend of mine uses www.voipstunt.com which has free calls to land lines in most first world countries and even free calls to mobiles in parts of the USA.
The problems that I have with it are 1) persauding my wife to use it and b) having to leave the PC on all the time although I believe that connections via the Router are also coming.
Regarding Siemens we are on our third and last set. Each time, after two years, they have failed due to one quality issue or another

 

[glojo]

Regarding Siemens we are on our third and last set. Each time, after two years, they have failed due to one quality issue or another

Noooo!!! Please don't say that. We got fed up with Panasonic because of unreliability issues. We have the S645 system with a couple of handsets. They offered the best, most suitable options for my specific needs and touch wood, we are delighted with them.

I only use Skype Out?? It's the one you pay one cent a minute for. My brother lives in the sticks of New Zealand and their Internet connections make Skype unusable.

 

[miro]

We have used Skype for some time but have postponed buying any handset until true mobility, apparently not far away, is made available.
Another friend of mine uses www.voipstunt.com which has free calls to land lines in most first world countries and even free calls to mobiles in parts of the USA.
The problems that I have with it are 1) persauding my wife to use it and b) having to leave the PC on all the time although I believe that connections via the Router are also coming.
Regarding Siemens we are on our third and last set. Each time, after two years, they have failed due to one quality issue or another

I like the Engin box I am looking at as it uses my normal phone and also takes normal calls inbound but uses internet outbound.

 

[BonzoDog]

In mitigation our latest Siemens is lasting- almost two years now. But isn t it surprising that given all the advantages, benefits and savings of this technology, how relatively little impact it is having. I was just using Skype and it had the most users on line that I have seen - just over 5M, which doesn t seem like that many.