VOIP

[Jeewhizz]

Is this all that it's cracked up to be?

I'm toying with going down this route for business, and need something that's reliable. I have lots of credit with skype, so I could just buy a skype phone, and use that - is it worthwhile?

I'll be taking in-coming calls via my 0845, and so, the terminating service can be changed asap if needed, so i'm not too worried about being 'tied in' to a service.

All I want is something reliable!

Are there any good alternatives to skype that don't cost the earth?

Cheers,
Jee

[samhs]

This thread may be helpful: http://www.dotdragnet.com/oldforum/index.php?act=ST&f=8&t=29993

I'm very close to taking the plunge and moving to a pure VOIP telephone system for the business. I've been looking at various options: EDIT I'm updating this list, but I'm personally only interested in services that allow me to have a physical phone - I don't *personally* want software only.

Hardware systems - i.e. you get an actual phone to use
- Skype
- FreeTalk
- Tesco Internet Phone
- BT BroadBand Talk
- Vonage
- SipGate
- Talk Scan
- Nildram HomeTalk
- Virgin LoudMouth (requires a virgin broadband connection)
- FastTalk (shortly to launch)

Software only services - i.e. no hardware handset that allows you to use it as a regular phone:
- Gizmo Project
- VOIP Cheap

Calling a mobile from these services
Currently, we seem to call a lot of mobiles. Typical example:

- Current Daytime BT rate to call a t-mobile phone (per minute): 14.5p + VAT

- Skype Cost: .2 euros (approx 13p/minute?)
- Tesco Homephone cost: 10p/minute
- FreeTalk Cost: 15p/minute
- BT Broadband Talk Cost: 14.5p/minute (what a suprise!)
- Vonage: 15p/minute
- Sipgate: 9.9p/minute
- TalkScan: 13.2p/minute (three is at 22.4p/minute!)
- Nildram HomeTalk: 14.9p/minute
- Virgin loudmouth: 13.41p/minute
- FastTalk: 12p/minute
-------
SOFTWARE ONLY SYSTEMS:
-------
- VOIP Cheap: 6p/minute
- Gizmo: doesn't appear to allow calls to UK mobiles at all (as far as I can see)

Why does it only cost 2p/min to call US mobiles, but 15p/min to call UK mobiles? sad.gif

I know that I can get various "free" call packages to landlines, but does anyone have recommendations for non-fixed numbers - such as mobiles - I think that's where we spend the most money currently. I'm also attracted to the idea of a phone that connects directly via RJ45 to the web rather than via a USB port - hence freetalk is more attractive as a proposition than Tesco internet phone.

If you want to add to the list of providers, this could end up being quite a useful thread in its own right...

Cheers

Sam

hth

Sam

[Whatever]

VoIP is not reliable, not for business.

One of our biggest customers is a major college near London and they have just spoken to us about installing new analogue lines everywhere as VoIP just isn't working. Just think if your broadband goes down you're stuffed and to be fair to BT, their lines don't go down that often.

The best thing is get a decent phone line with a decent provider (not BT) who wont charge you the earth for calls  . Can work out cheaper than VoIP and more reliable.

[keri]

voip can give a fairly decent line quality (although you can always spot a voip call) but generally gives poor results.

The company i work for has 2 offices in the same leased building, in each office we have our own PBX with our own ISDN30 lines, these systems are linked via voip trunks and even over a local network the call quality of internal calls fluctuates quite heavily with network traffic - from very good to pretty shocking, i would never want to rely on this via an internet connection

[Jeewhizz]

Hmm, cheers guys. I guess it would be better with QoS for the VOIP....

[Whatever]

The main problem is the upload on the line. IIRC, Avaya IP Office is something like 80k upload so if you're uploading something else then you don't have a lot to play with.

[Shirker]

to be fair to BT

Just don't go making a habit of that.

[Jeewhizz]

I get 50kb/sec uploads most of the time, so that's more than sufficient for VOIP.

I don't saturate my line with any other downloads during business hours either...

Jee
Still Thinking.

[Matt]

We use VOIp between sites and its fine

[Phantom]

Everyone I work with is based in the States and Bangalore, and all our talky things are done via Skype - pretty rare we have any problems with it. Same goes for interviews with randomly based reporters who use it, too.