VOIP for home use

[whitewood]

I decided on the recommendation of a good friend to give VOIP a go. When I looked into it it seemed too good to be true. Why wasn't every one using it. I then remember the old saying 'If it looks too goo to be true it probably isn't' or something like that. At the moment I'm running the two systems.

So my questions are --
Has anyone tried it?
Does it work for them just like a normal phone?
Are there problems setting it up?
Which provider do you feel gives the best all round service?

For the record I went with Penny Tel because that was what my friend used.

Whitewood

[shedman]

Many years ago I tried it with Engin and most of the time it was acceptable but there was an echo on many occasions.

Recently I tried it with Dodo no echo! No sound! No service! NBU

Steve

[Fuzzie]

Many years ago when I got adsl from iinet I used their VOIP service as a second phone since they provided the service free when it was first introduced. I used the pre configured iinet Belkin modem and it soon became our main phone. We had absolutely no service problems, but we had two phone numbers which was confusing.

Two years ago I changed ISPs and searched around for a 3rd party VOIP provider and decided on Pennytel. It configured into the Belkin modem easily with no problems and it turns out it is far more flexible than the iinet offering. I have it configured to caller id as my telstra landline number and I have had only a few problems. We now use VOIP exclusively for outgoing calls and only have a single dial in phone number. I run two VOIP lines one configure to the free access timed service and one configured to the free access untimed service. Calls less than 5 minutes and are cheaper on the timed service, so we have to guess beforehand if it is going to be a short or long call.

For the first few months there seemed to be a bit of a performance issue and I could not always connect on first try at peak times, but that bandwidth problem hasn't occurred for quite a while now. I also run it as a soft phone when traveling, effectively making local Australian calls from OS. Using the soft phone from a free public wifi network seems to work reliably about 75% of the time, its a bandwidth issue.

:2tsup:

[ravna]

Have a look here (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/107)....and whoever you go with read the fine print closely....had a bad experience with Engin recently.

Call quality and on time can be very iffy with some providers...read all the comments on the forum, can be very revealing.

Some, such as Engin ask/trick you into forgoing the 'Service Guarantee', do so at your peril..

[knucklehead]

I got rid of my landline 6 years ago. I have been using VoIP exclusively since then.
A couple of points:
1.It took a while to get the setup just right. That took a lot of reading and testing. The technical support was terrible.
2. if you loose power it will not work. I have set mine to divert to mobile if it is offline.
3. The VoIP units are getting better all the time. The unit I had used for 3 years failed, so I bought exactly the same model again. While it looked identical its performance is much improved.

[Grommett]

Due to the lousy state of the copper wire to our place we ditched the fixed phone line some years ago. Currently we use skype for all our outgoing calls and have a prepaid mobile for incoming and texts. If friends want to chat they text and we call back. Overall the quality is pretty good, certainly better than the crackly line we used to have. What we save on fixed line rental covers the mobile and our skype "plan" is $3 per month. We pay a 6cent connection fee per call and the calls are untimed. OS calls are a few cents per minute, we ring Poland fairly regularly. Works for us. Again, being down the coast the fixed line service was not up to much and so VOIP was easily an improvement. For the internet we are wireless.

[Sir Stinkalot]

We have been using VOIP with iiNet for a few years ago but due to our location we always needed the phone line and the associated rental.

We are now in a house where we can get Naked ADSL 2 with iiNet and no line rental. As part of the naked plan we get VOIP included and get all local and international calls for free, no connection charges or anything.

If we need to call mobiles we just use our mobile as the calls are included in the cap. The quality of the VOIP perhaps isn't as good as the fixed line but good enough for a conversation.

My work line is also VOIP as I am the only one in the office. Again quality isn't 100% but good enough. When I say quality isn't 100% it can range from a slight echo to a slight delay ..... perhaps a little like the old mobile calls.

If you make a lot of calls and it is costing a lot VOIP is a good alternative.

Stinky

[q9]

Yep, I'm with engin, and have been for near on 4 years, and have had no real issues. We've basically been using it as our only phone during that time.

Quality of service depends a lot on how good your internet connection is and I'd say you'll have issues if you don't have at least 1500/256, but if you have ADSL2+ and get a consistent 2Mb download speed or above you should be ok. I've also got QOS at the gateway, so I've always got bandwidth for VOIP.

There's a lot of settings that can affect perceived call quality, and different hardware can react differently as well to the same settings, and even different ISP's can have an effect on how VOIP reacts. Which is a roundabout way of saying - If your internet connection is decent enough, then most "call quality" issues are solvable, if you have any.

[_fly_]

I have optus cable internet and have the phone going thru the same cable. When they put it on years ago it was no line rental, Since then they have charged a line rental. But the audio quality is fine. Never had an issue with it audio wise. The 2 times in 5 years that the cable went down I had no phone either. But in my case the call costs are about the same as normal.

[whitewood]

Have a look here (http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/107)....and whoever you go with read the fine print closely....had a bad experience with Engin recently.

Call quality and on time can be very iffy with some providers...read all the comments on the forum, can be very revealing.

Some, such as Engin ask/trick you into forgoing the 'Service Guarantee', do so at your peril..

Thanks for that link. I had hoped to get some more posts before I replied but the thread seems to have died. I had looked at that site but the jargon and abbreviations lose me and I can't understand what are the problems and solutions.

My own experience with Penny Tel, still ongoing, is the technical adviser don't no the solution. It took 3 calls for them to tell me I had bought the wrong adaptor. Then I was advised it was my fault for not reading the product statement correctly. Have a look at their web site and make your mind whether it is adequate to make an informed decision. I have since written emails and a letter offering a compromise without a meaningful response. Yesterday I tried 3 different phone options but ended up being asked to leave a message each time and they would phone back. I suppose I'm expected to sit in the house waiting for a call, some day.

I have pretty well give up on Penny Tel. I have wasted $83.00 on an adaptor that doesn't do what I expected and many many hours trying to educate my self about the way VOIP works. It now appears to be a lost cause.

Whitewood

[tea lady]

I have VOIP with spin.net.au (http://www.spin.net.au/) They are great! Naked ADSL. Set it up when I moved house and would have had to get modem etc anyway. Also have mobile if there is a black out. Had trouble with the "telstra" hands free phone that kept dropping out mid call. Finally bought another brand that now works. A friend told me that sometimes the wireless internet can interfere with the hands free phone and drop out. So the new phone I got has "wireless freindly" on the box. Now I am a TOTALLY TELSTERA FREE house. :cool: I only pay $50 a month. I only end up shaped if the Small Boy plays too much on the games on Lego.com. :doh:

[Fuzzie]

Whitewood, You might like to try the VOIP forum over on whirlpool. Pennytel is mentioned quite a lot and there are lots of people who will have opinions on particular hardware issues.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/107

[q9]

I have wasted $83.00 on an adaptor that doesn't do what I expected and many many hours trying to educate my self about the way VOIP works. It now appears to be a lost cause.


No one said VOIP was simple...but at the same time it isn't that hard...

I'm guessing you bought an ATA - but you haven't said what brand/model, nor what your problem is...?

MyNetFone, Engin and most of the non Optus/Telstra ISP's probably better for domestic users as they sell hardware all ready to go...

[Ozkaban]

I got rid of my landline 6 years ago. I have been using VoIP exclusively since then.
A couple of points:
1.It took a while to get the setup just right. That took a lot of reading and testing. The technical support was terrible.
2. if you loose power it will not work. I have set mine to divert to mobile if it is offline.
3. The VoIP units are getting better all the time. The unit I had used for 3 years failed, so I bought exactly the same model again. While it looked identical its performance is much improved.

This is pretty much bang on. Particularly point 1. For some reason, it seems to need time to settle in :whatonearth:

I've been using Voip for years. I currently use MyNetFone and find them pretty Ok, though I tend to troubleshoot my own problems.

I bought a UPS for about $100 about 5 years ago that keeps voip going during a blackout. the batteries need replacing now, but it's still ok.

Oh, the other thing - NakedDSL plans cost about $10 per month more than normal ADSL plans (or used to last time I checked - these things move pretty quick). So I still pay my $21 to telstra for line rental. costs me $11 per month extra, but I have a normal (ie, no cordless or anything) plugged into the 'Telstra' socket and we keep our PSTN number.

My Voip router is a Billion - Highly recommended. Top product, and top support. I have had several netcomms (V300, NB9W x 2 and found them to be fragile both with longevity and reliability of service, though my very old NB1300+4 was a brilliant little box. One feature it has is PSTN pass through (many routers will have this), which means that if anyone calls your PSTN number, all phones ring. If you pick it up to dial out, you ring on Voip. If you want to ring on Telstra, we pick up the fixed phone or just press call waiting and it changes lines. Too easy :2tsup:

One final thing I usually tell people about Voip. PSTN is as close to 100% reliable. Mobile phones are pretty darn close, but not perfect. Voip is basically on par with Mobiles. Pretty reliable but may cause frustration every so often :rolleyes:

Cheers,
Dave

[pellcorp]

We use pennytel via ncable service for quite a few years we now have no telstra fixed line. 8c calls to USA can't beat it :-)

[pellcorp]

No one said VOIP was simple...but at the same time it isn't that hard...

I'm guessing you bought an ATA - but you haven't said what brand/model, nor what your problem is...?

MyNetFone, Engin and most of the non Optus/Telstra ISP's probably better for domestic users as they sell hardware all ready to go...

So does pennytel ! I bought my VoIP router from pennytel no issues

[danny.s]

I have Pennytel using an ATA as well as a Linksys IP Phone. Both work perfectly almost all of the time. In the end the biggest factor is your internet speed as mentioned earlier. I use mine for personal and business use. You can test it here <cite>www.speedtest.net.

Pennytel support is terrible but the product is good. I really don't care because I accept that I pay bugger all so this is what you get. The trick is if you are not really good with computers get a geek to come do it for you.

Once you are up and running there is not much that can go wrong. You don't even realise you are using VOIP, just pick up the phone and make calls. I save ridiculous amounts of money compared to when I paid Telstra for calls.

Danny
</cite>

[Poppa]

We're probably a bit different from most of you, because we had a VOIP exchange professionally installed for our home office and shop. Two physical locations, with two ADSL2+ connections, four phones, and 4 mobiles as well (which we added to one of the internet connection plans). We have TPG ADSL2+ at one location (and the mobiles are on it as well), and Bigpond ADSL2+ at the other location (lack of choice!). The VOIP is fantastic. It does take a bit of setting up, and it doesn't always do what we expect (transferring calls don't always work, and call forwards seem to take a bit of getting used to), but it has more than halved our spend on telephony. We usually get 3mbs on the Bigpond connection, and that seems to be fine for the VOIP service to work really well. We make a lot of calls all around Australia, call a lot of mobiles from the landlines, and call overseas regularly. Spend much less than we used to and we don't notice any dip in quality 90% of the time.

BTW, the service from TPG isn't great. But Bigpond service is no better, and TPG are cheap.

[Toymaker Len]

We have voip from GoTalk for all out calls. Hard to set up but it halved our phone bills.

[kiwigeo]

Ive been using Internode VOIP for 5 years now. Hardware came pre-configured so no dicking around was required to get it up and running. Service from Internode is top notch..on occasions Ive rung up the company's office and dealt directly with Simon Hackett who runs the company...try doing that with Telstra!