Anybody use VoIP?

BatteryCharger

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My only phone is my cell phone. I have a big problem with that - I get horrible reception at my house. Go a block in any direction and I get a full signal. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif I can *kind of* have a conversation if I go outside...I just LOVE going out in the rain at night to answer the phone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Anyway, I'm thinking about signing up for some VoIP service. Anybody here use it? I'm thinking of signing up for BroadVoice's "bring your own device" plan and buying one of these cheap phones.

If I do that, will the phone work just like a normal phone? Can I just pick it up and dial a number, or would I have to do anything on the computer it's hooked to first?
 

14C

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1. The quality depends on the connection which can vary according to dozens of things including routing metrics, backbone bandwidtch, local ISP bandwidth availability and other things.

2. You will lose a telephone unless you have a UPS connected to your router and to the phone.

3. 911 is problematic with most if not all of these services.

As a primary long distance unit they seem to be ok for non-critical usage. I would not rely on them for a primary phone or for needed long distance - YET.

The time will come I am sure.

I sigggest that if you dump the LEC and go with one that you at least have a cell phone for backup.

Even in commercial environments I have seen issues with Cisco and Avaya, not that they apply here.

If you wait they will build it.
 

BatteryCharger

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This will be nothing I need to rely on. Like I said, right now I only have a cell phone...so I would be replacing nothing with VoIP. I'm guessing that VoIP will be more reliable than absolutely nothing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

14C

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In that case forge on...please share experiences..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Saaby

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We've got AVAYA at work. Actually pretty reliable. Well it does some flaky things now and again, but never when I'm there of course.

Then again, I think we've got a DC3 or some other absurd piece of backbone coming in. 4 floors of nothing but telephones requires a substantial chunk of bandwidth.
 

idleprocess

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It all boils down to this - how reliable is your internet connection?

I support high-speed internet customers at work - many of whom later decide to ditch their phone service for VoIP. Let me tell you, I do not look forward to those calls from said people whenever their internet connection goes down. POTS service might cost more than some of the VoIP offerings out there, but it's a few orders of magnitude more reliable.

I never suggest that anyone use a VoIP appliance as their primary home phone. It might be worth it to save money on long-distance... but considering the snarls the tech is seeing in the corporate world where they can throw money and support at it, I'm astounded that people are using it for home.

I second the suggestion about getting a UPS for your router/VoIP appliance. Your phone's uptime becomes your problem with home VoIP.

I'm sure that Saaby means DS3/T3 - 44.736 megabits, a common telco trunk and still seeing service as an internet pipe, often emulated over SONET.

DS1/T1 is 1.544 megabits - about 1% of an OC-3.

T-carrier overview
SONET overview
And, just for fun ATM overview
 

X33

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I use SKYPE on a 512k ADSL (I think) line and it works great for local and long distance, like Europe and further. Saves me a packet of £££s.
 

BatteryCharger

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[ QUOTE ]
idleprocess said:
It all boils down to this - how reliable is your internet connection?


[/ QUOTE ]

My internet connection is pretty good - Comcast 4mbps. It's very rarely down, but like I said above, even if it did go down it wouldn't be much of an issue, since I'd only be back to where I am now. I agree that VoIP would be a bad choice for your only line. Also, in the rare event that my connection goes down, I can use the neighbor's DSL connection via wireless network...which I have permission to do since I set up the network for her. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

X33 - is there any kind of delay or anything on that connection?
 

Brlux

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I use broadvoice. I have had it for 5 months and am quite happy with it. I am in the same situation as you. I moved into a new place where my cell phone doesn't work inside verry well. I rarelly have problems with out going calls but I think I have had some calls not get to me on the incoming. Broad voice will give you the adapter for free which alows you to plug in your regular phone. They also offer the wisp wi/fi phone for around $150 which acts like a cordless over the 802.11 network.

I have taken my Voip adapter on the road with me and using my laptop with internet conection sharing enabled was able to plug the adapter into my ethernet port with a crossover cable and use my voip service on other peoples wireless internet conections.
The problem with this is that it will not work on routers that use the IP range of 192.168.0.x because that is windows only ip addres for ICS and it can't be cahnged in.
 

Brlux

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O ya you can set it up to ring your VOIP phone and your cell phone at the same time and whichever one you pick up is where the call is transfered to. Nice feature.
 

idleprocess

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192.168.x.x is a private address range. It's not routable over the internet.

169.254.x.x is the Windows autoconfig address range. If a Windows machine can't DHCP for an address, it will assign itself an address in that range based on some algorithm that makes duplicates highly unlikely.

You should be able to assign addresses within either range so long as you take steps to avoid duplication of addresses.
 

Saaby

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No no, I wouldn't be surprised if it was an OC-3

It's a large call center. 4 floors of all call center. Every desk has a phone and a computer, and most of the computers are running things off the internet -- not intranet. So that means each of the probably 500 or more workstations needs sufficient bandwidth to run VoIp plus have a high speed link to the internet. There can be as many as 60 or 70 calls going on at once, and that's just for one "Project." Probably closer to 300 or 400 phone calls all going on at once when we're running at peak capacity, and don't forget that we (My company, not my project) also do outbound calls with one of those computers that might dial 20 or 30 numbers at a time per person.

Walking to my car the other day I noticed a HUGE man hole cover, I always thought it was for the sewer, but I looked down and it said "Qwest" on it. We've got a couple shiny boxes behind the building that look similar to stop light control boxes, I'm sure they're switching equipment.


Could I pull your thread a little more off topic?
 

BobVA

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I've had pretty good luck with casual use of Skype. Talked to folks down the block and half-way around the world (US -> Japan) and got generally good results with no delays.
A passing Aussie hobo (hi Lightemup!) also had good results calling Oz.
You can't beat the price. Free for Skype to Skype calls and about 2 cents/min for most other places via PSTN (check their rates for specifics)

One other thought: Is there ANYWHERE in your house that you can get good reception? If so, check this out:
http://www.phonelabs.com/index.asp
It lets you use your wired phones via your cell, so you can take/make calls using your old-school phone while the cell sets in the "sweet spot" where it can get good reception.

If you can't find a good spot for reception, check to see if your phone supports an external antenna (typically for a car kit). If you can pick up one of those it might help.


Or you can switch cell carriers. Verizon, for all their faults, does seem to have pretty good coverage around here. Might be work a "try and return".

Cheers,
Bob
 

lightemup

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Haha Bob, I knew you'd be all over the VOIP thread when I clicked on it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I can testify to Skype working well from D.C. to Oz, i'm looking into getting it myself. When I left the US I think my total mobile phone bill on 'roaming' was $600 Aus!!! So obviously i'm keen to do anything to save me some $$$$'s.
 

X33

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Sorry BatteryCharger, just got back to this thread. It works fine on my connection. No delays. Better sound than normal phone if you speak to another skype user. Skype to Skype is free as well. Its also got instant messaging so you can look at stuff on web together etc.. I even did conference calls where one party was on their normal home phone abroad and the third party on skype, somewhere else abroad. Works a treat. I guess the faster the connection the better. Anyhow its free to download and use. You only pay for your calls.
 
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