VOIP phones without computer connection

[Bminusrob]

My wife and I are moving shortly to a house in the back of beyond. The "best" Internet anyone can offer over a landline is a maximum of 3Mbits, with a guarantee of 1Mbit. This is useless for any practical purpose, but we are pretty sure we can use Three network's 4G broadband at a much more sensible speed, and the price is quite good for unlimited data.

The question is, what about a landline? Prices for a landline without broadband appear very high (that is, similar to the price for the Three unlimited broadband, which comes in at £20 per month), so the question is, do we need a landline at all (*), and if so, how can we do it at a reasonable price?

(*) Personally, I would be happy to just rely in my mobile, but my wife always has hers turned to silent, so it isn't an option for her, and the new house is "sprawling", and hearing one phone anywhere in the house is not practical.

I have this "ideal" answer and what I am looking for is anyone who has a solution to my ideal answer. Of course, if there are holes in my ideal answer, I would like to know, so I can rethink, or be advised.

My ideal answer would be to use Skype (or similar VOIP) using a local Skype In phone number, with a telephone system with multiple handsets, which can be connected directly to an Ethernet port on the Three broadband hub, so not requiring a computer connection.

Any ideas?

[Infrasonic]

There's a few posters on here who do what you want (I'm not one of them), so hopefully they'll comment soon.

In the meantime have a read up on this search...https://www.google.com/search?q=SiP+pho ... e&ie=UTF-8

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

My wife and I are moving shortly to a house in the back of beyond. The "best" Internet anyone can offer over a landline is a maximum of 3Mbits, with a guarantee of 1Mbit. This is useless for any practical purpose, but we are pretty sure we can use Three network's 4G broadband at a much more sensible speed, and the price is quite good for unlimited data.

The question is, what about a landline? Prices for a landline without broadband appear very high (that is, similar to the price for the Three unlimited broadband, which comes in at £20 per month), so the question is, do we need a landline at all (*), and if so, how can we do it at a reasonable price?

(*) Personally, I would be happy to just rely in my mobile, but my wife always has hers turned to silent, so it isn't an option for her, and the new house is "sprawling", and hearing one phone anywhere in the house is not practical.

I have this "ideal" answer and what I am looking for is anyone who has a solution to my ideal answer. Of course, if there are holes in my ideal answer, I would like to know, so I can rethink, or be advised.

My ideal answer would be to use Skype (or similar VOIP) using a local Skype In phone number, with a telephone system with multiple handsets, which can be connected directly to an Ethernet port on the Three broadband hub, so not requiring a computer connection.

Any ideas?

I worked in "VoIP" 10-18 years back, played with Cisco and Snom hardware back in the day. You certainly can use IP phones without a PC, but IIRC a browser interface (e.g. from a PC, tablet, or smart phone) *might* be helpful in some aspects of configuration. (That said the Cisco desk phone I have at work now, seems to have a good config on it's LCD, but all the leg-work will have been done on the router which we don't need to know about).

What I can remember from dim and distant past is that you *will* notice poor call experience, if you aren't getting packets of speech at least once every 0.25 seconds. I guess you'll need the 4G mobile data solution for that, doubt very much the landline could deliver that reliably?

Matt

[johnhemming]

I am doing work in SIP (and am looking for guinea pigs willing to try out a service for free - with a uk landline number). With relatively limited bandwidth it is best to try to make sure that the sound is transmitted in a form that uses a relatively limited bandwith. There are different codecs. The phone system itself does that, but other systems can vary. I am not quite sure how Skype handles audio. They might use the raw phone codec or they may transform it into a higher bandwidth signal.

[Stonge]

Don't know if this thread would help you

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=2856

[AF62]

My ideal answer would be to use Skype (or similar VOIP) using a local Skype In phone number, with a telephone system with multiple handsets, which can be connected directly to an Ethernet port on the Three broadband hub, so not requiring a computer connection.

A decent and recent UK based article on this issue - https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2 ... -line.html

I tried VOIP at home a few years back and it was just about ok but was nowhere near as reliable as a a 'real' telephone line.

[Laughton]

I fairly recently was in the same boat. I live far from a BT cabinet and the landline phone quality was terrible. I was paying BT for a rubbish service which I wasn't using all that often.

I decided to sign up for a VOIP provider - sipgate. Signing up was easy. Porting my existing landline telephone number was easy. Getting the sipgate software set up was fairly easy. If you don't have an existing landline number then don't worry, they give you a "local landline"telephone number

I now receive all my incoming calls over my mobile broadband connection. I make all my outgoing calls via my mobile phone. As my outgoing calls fall well within my monthly allowance I now effectively have free telephone service (sipgate basic is fin for me and there is no montly or other standing charge or charge for receiving calls). I can make outgoing calls via sipgate but then there is a charge (although lower than BT).

I use a Panasonic wireless phone with a range extender and additional handset. I alos live in a rambling property with many very thick walls and reception is good throughout.

Things to be aware of:

You need to have a good reliable mobile broadband service where you are to ensure good quality calls

I think it may be possible to set up sipgate without use of a computer although that's how I did it but as you are posting on here I assume that you do have a computer but you don't want to have to have your computer on or connected to be able to receive (or make) calls. Once set up you dont.

Depending on which router you have you may find it only has one ethernet port. If you want to have your phone always connected but might also want a computer connected then you either need a router with more than one ethernet port or you need a cheap switch (a small box) which effectively gives you more ports.

If you have a power cut then you can't make or receive calls via VOIP (but then you wouldn't be able to anyway if using a wireless telephone).

Hope this is of some help.

[UncleEbenezer]

I tried VOIP at home a few years back and it was just about ok but was nowhere near as reliable as a a 'real' telephone line.

Unless perhaps you're in some timewarp/backwater, your 'real' telephone line is just an analogue wrapper to VOIP.

I can make outgoing calls via sipgate but then there is a charge (although lower than BT).

I do that. Cheaper than BT standard rate within the UK, but the bigger bonus is when you phone internationally. PAYG, topup is a tenner and only happens once or twice a year. Then it's free to other SIP users (including but not limited to sipgate users), and cheaper than a regular BT call to most countries, including pretty-much all the developed world.

But calls to nonstandard numbers - YMMV. I think I've encountered some form of freephone number that wasn't free with sipgate, though I might be misremembering.

You need to have a good reliable mobile broadband service where you are to ensure good quality calls

Either a decent mobile broadband (preferably not less than 3G), or wifi. A lot of people use the latter at home/when available.

[taylor20]

I decided to sign up for a VOIP provider - sipgate. Signing up was easy. Porting my existing landline telephone number was easy. Getting the sipgate software set up was fairly easy.

I have a rather complex setup at home, but SIPGate is one of my providers, and they are 'host' to my main incoming phone number. So I'd second that recommendation - they seem a very professional outfit. I have a number of other providers (http://www.localphone.co.uk / http://www.freephone.co.uk, and a couple of others) as they provide cheaper outgoing calls.

Although I do 'run' my phone system using a computer as a server, the phone that I use is a Gigaset DECT/VOIP base with 3 handsets (Latest here: https://www.gigaset.com/en_en/telephones/voip-phones/), I'm using an older model (over 10 years old now) and it works really well. It supports multiple providers (VOIP) + landline if you have one and mutliple codecs and has decent DECT range and good voice quality.

Like the philips it is a standalone unit that needs configuring and connecting to your broadband router via ethernet.

Main gripe I have is that most ISP's and routers do not prioritise the VOIP call data, so if you have a lot of other competing traffic (streaming video, etc.) then the call can get a bit choppy. One would hope a 4G connection could manage this better - since 4G 'calls' are actually VOIP...

Also bear in mind that you can get SIP phone software for your mobile, giving you an extra handset for free, or try it out now with your existing 4g connection?

[nowretired]

This might be helpful or not.

I have an Alexa Echo and discovered by accident that I can use it to make free phone calls, I was setting it up it had copied my contacts from my android phone and I'd jokingly said Alexa call home and what do you know, my home phone started ringing and my mobile phone balance didn't go down.

So now I use it for all my outgoing calls.

The computer doesn't need to be on.

I haven't figured out yet how to receive calls on my Alexa echo.

[ReformedCharacter]

This might be helpful or not.

I haven't figured out yet how to receive calls on my Alexa echo.

I don't believe you can but if the caller is on your contact list then Alexa can apparently tell you who is calling. You cannot make a 'phone call from one Alexa to another AFAIK.

RC

[swill453]

You cannot make a 'phone call from one Alexa to another AFAIK.

You can "drop in" on another Echo if they've given permission for it, which I suppose is a limited version of this.

Scott.

[AF62]

I tried VOIP at home a few years back and it was just about ok but was nowhere near as reliable as a a 'real' telephone line.

Unless perhaps you're in some timewarp/backwater, your 'real' telephone line is just an analogue wrapper to VOIP.

Well I have (and had) a real copper connection as far as the junction box on the street, and as far as I am aware, the exchange a couple of miles away.

Sure from there the calls will disappear into BT's digital VOIPish system, but the issue was for me that VOIP directly from phone to phone was far less reliable than copper to the exchange and BT's digital VOIPishness from there onwards.

[AF62]

This might be helpful or not.

I have an Alexa Echo and discovered by accident that I can use it to make free phone calls, I was setting it up it had copied my contacts from my android phone and I'd jokingly said Alexa call home and what do you know, my home phone started ringing and my mobile phone balance didn't go down.

You can do the same with Google Home.

If the person is in your contacts book you just say the name, otherwise just tell Google to call whoever you want (it looks up the number) or tell it the phone number to dial.

You also can't receive inbound calls, but you can receive messages from other users of that Google Home which will be read out if you typed it or played back if you talked to Google.

[ElectronicFur]

(*) Personally, I would be happy to just rely in my mobile, but my wife always has hers turned to silent, so it isn't an option for her, and the new house is "sprawling", and hearing one phone anywhere in the house is not practical.

An alternative if you have Amazon Echo devices, is the Vodafone OneNumber service. When your mobile number rings, it will also ring your Echo devices and let you answer the call on them.

See here

https://blog.aboutamazon.co.uk/innovati ... -customers

[gryffron]

Unless perhaps you're in some timewarp/backwater, your 'real' telephone line is just an analogue wrapper to VOIP.

No it's not. Just because they are both digital doesn't mean they work the same. Not even close. The digital telephone network doesn't use IP at all - EVER.

The important difference is that the digital phone network is a synchronous system, with guaranteed data rates. When 2 phones are connected over the digital network, they ALWAYS get 64kbit/s each way. Rock solid guaranteed, no errors, no delays, no discontinuity, right across the world. IP is an asynchronous system with no guarantee of individual packet delivery.

It is very easy to make a synchronous system appear asynchronous - you just leave a few gaps.
It is very hard to make an asynchronous system appear synchronous - you have to make sure EVERY single gap is filled. That's why it is so hard to implement audio over IP, and you need a huge overhead of spare capacity to make it act like it is continuous.

That's why we build a synchronous digital phone network around the world, and use it to carry the internet. We don't build an internet and use it to carry phone calls, because it is very bad at it.

Gryff

[UncleEbenezer]

I see it's one of those moving targets, and the current BT and Ofcom target appears to be 2025. So maybe it's me in a timewarp.

Though articles from a few years back mention 2018 as a target for closing down PSTN.

[Infrasonic]

Seeing as 7 of the world's top ten companies by market cap. are technology based with commercial interests in IP based communications it's going to very interesting going forward to see how the whole 'net neutrality' (QoS packet prioritisation) situation pans out...