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[Varche]

We have a rural landline that is in effect a mobile phone SIm in a fancy wall box with calls rated at landline rates.  It doesn't get used much and isn't that good. So:

Has anyone forsaken landline for VOip technology? I would be looking for a suitable basic instrument with simple buttons that an elderly relative can press to connect voice only with her friends/relatives. Similarly easy enough for none Internet as well as Internet connected folk elsewhere to ring us. We already use Skype to reasonably good effect.

What do you use with a UK Ip address? 

[aaronjb]

I have used SipGate in the past (http://www.live.sipgate.co.uk/) - German company with a presence in most European countries.

VOIP phones can be picked up fairly cheaply these days too, it seems: http://www.internetvoipphone.co.uk/

[TheBoy]

Yes, we don't use landlines here, and haven't for several years.  There are 2 landlines into the house, but purely to carry the 2 FTTC lines.  VoIP is cheaper to use, particularly if you call abroad.

Personally, I use Sipgate. As stated above, a German company, but works well, and have UK presence.  No line "rental", that's free, and I put on about £10 credit every few months, as it lasts forever with calls being just over 1p a min with no setup charge.

Additionally, you can register multiple devices, so as well as my home setup, my iPhone runs a VoIP app that's registered to the same account, so when I'm abroad, as long as I have wifi or data somehow, I can make and receive calls as if I was in Blighty.

There are plenty of adapters that allow you to use a normal phone as a VoIP phone, and some adapters that allow a hybrid setup of landline and VoIP.  Avoid anything branded Linksys/Cisco though, as their VoIP adapters have a truly awful echo that most people cannot configure out.


HOWEVER, and this is where you might come unstuck Varche, going by previous statements, VoIP needs a very good, stable internet connection.  Try something like Sipgate using a freebie softphone before spending real cash on any such setup.

[zirk]

Your also need a fixed IP Address on the Internet side, something a Mobile Sim doesn't offer if that's the route your going down?. Some Mobile Networks will supply a Fixed IP Sim Contract but normally only through a Specified Business account, which could or probably will normally cost more.

[Varche]

mm, interesting. I have satellite Internet with a fixed UK Ip address but presumably a new one might get allocated when we have power cuts. We have several seconds outages regularly.

[Bigron]

I could be wrong now, but didn't VOiP disallow calls to the emergency services?
If this still applies, it might be taken into consideration.

Ron.

[Varche]

Well we have mobiles for that scenario  which is a very real concern.

[TheBoy]

Your also need a fixed IP Address on the Internet side, something a Mobile Sim doesn't offer if that's the route your going down?. Some Mobile Networks will supply a Fixed IP Sim Contract but normally only through a Specified Business account, which could or probably will normally cost more.

Nope. Works fine on dynamic IP.  My iPhone is obviously dynamic IP

Sometimes you need to configure a STUN server (provided by VoIP provider) as many mobile providers use NAT extensively.

[TheBoy]

mm, interesting. I have satellite Internet with a fixed UK Ip address but presumably a new one might get allocated when we have power cuts. We have several seconds outages regularly.

Latency on satellite internet will likely introduce too much latency for VoIP

[Varche]

But Skype works so no worse than that but I agree latency is huge. 

[aaronjb]

mm, interesting. I have satellite Internet with a fixed UK Ip address but presumably a new one might get allocated when we have power cuts. We have several seconds outages regularly.

Latency on satellite internet will likely introduce too much latency for VoIP

I think technically jitter is worse than latency (to a point) for UDP services, because the packets won't get reordered at the receiving end leading to pops & crackles in the audio. If the jitter is low and the latency high you'd just get a big ol' delay..

Probably, anyway, never tried it personally, though our internal phones are all VoIP and that works fine to the US and back (internal calls being routed over our MPLS with ~180ms latency - OK, that's still probably 3x less latency than a satellite link).

[Varche]

just take it in turns talking, over
We find Skype to Australia acceptable, over
not the best of technology  oh sorry forgot to say over

[TheBoy]

Varche - try a pair of freebie sipgate account (sipgate to sipgate calls are free) between friends with a freebie "softphone" installed on PCs.

If it works, then you know you could move over to it and spend money on proper hardware based VoIP phones. If it doesn't, you've lost nothing only a bit of time and effort

[TheBoy]

mm, interesting. I have satellite Internet with a fixed UK Ip address but presumably a new one might get allocated when we have power cuts. We have several seconds outages regularly.

Latency on satellite internet will likely introduce too much latency for VoIP

I think technically jitter is worse than latency (to a point) for UDP services, because the packets won't get reordered at the receiving end leading to pops & crackles in the audio. If the jitter is low and the latency high you'd just get a big ol' delay..

Probably, anyway, never tried it personally, though our internal phones are all VoIP and that works fine to the US and back (internal calls being routed over our MPLS with ~180ms latency - OK, that's still probably 3x less latency than a satellite link).

Delay can be an issue, as people start talking over each other.  Sub 180ms with QoS prioritisation, you'll be OK. Get beyond 0.3s, it can become a whole heap more noticable.

Also worth noting, beyond 0.03s delay, echo can occur in the analogue section of any call (though all analogue is liable to be in telco network nowadays, with their ficking great big echo cancellers...)

[TD]

Yes, we don't use landlines here, and haven't for several years. 

I assume you don't get mobile service at your house then  I only have a landline for broadband and for my mum calling me....never use it for outgoing calls, unless 0800, always use my mobile. Everyone else either texts me or calls me on my mobile.....
And £12/month for line rental and broadband is pretty good I reckon.....2 year deal...runs out jan/feb 2018 iirc