Ip Home Telephone

[Flukey]

This is a good read.

Skype is on a virtual certainty

[bugster70]

Just my 2c worth. I'm also with iiNet and have the VOIP service as part of my bundle. Still have to pay line rental but a) calls on your normal land line are cheaper than Telstra (and you get to keep your existing number if you want to) and b) VOIP calls are even cheaper. For example, any 'capital' city to 'capital' city STD calls are only 10c, untimed, any time. Makes calling my family in Brissy and Sydney (from Canberra) very cheap indeed.

So I have a normal land line number, which is listed in the White Pages, and a separate VOIP number which you can hand out to selected people. You can, of course, use the land line, VOIP phone and the internet all at the same time if you wish. Sometimes it's handy having two phones, and the VOIP phone is just an ordinary cordless phone we had lying around which simply plugs straight into the back of the VOIP enabled modem. Easy as.

The one issue I have, and it's a pretty major one, is the reliability of the VOIP service. Whilst I can tolerate the voice quality being a little less than the land line, I hate the fact that it seems to just drop out once in a while. Most times it's okay, but occasionally it will just cut you off mid conversation, which can be very frustrating and will then cost you another 10c to make another call!

[XR64T]

Just my 2c worth.  I'm also with iiNet and have the VOIP service as part of my bundle.  Still have to pay line rental but a) calls on your normal land line are cheaper than Telstra (and you get to keep your existing number if you want to) and b) VOIP calls are even cheaper.  For example, any 'capital' city to 'capital' city STD calls are only 10c, untimed, any time.  Makes calling my family in Brissy and Sydney (from Canberra) very cheap indeed. 

So I have a normal land line number, which is listed in the White Pages, and a separate VOIP number which you can hand out to selected people.  You can, of course, use the land line, VOIP phone and the internet all at the same time if you wish.  Sometimes it's handy having two phones, and the VOIP phone is just an ordinary cordless phone we had lying around which simply plugs straight into the back of the VOIP enabled modem.  Easy as.

The one issue I have, and it's a pretty major one, is the reliability of the VOIP service.  Whilst I can tolerate the voice quality being a little less than the land line, I hate the fact that it seems to just drop out once in a while.  Most times it's okay, but occasionally it will just cut you off mid conversation, which can be very frustrating and will then cost you another 10c to make another call! 

←

Bugster,

Did you take the packagd VoIP modem from iiNet?

I ended up getting their wireless VoIP modem with the service ($179 I think) and have found it pretty reliable (flogged my old AP and modem). However, a couple of guys at work, bought their modem seperately and have found the VoIP almost unusable at times, I suspect the setting need some tweeking to suit the iiNet gateway.

Also, did you realise you can plug the PSTN service into your VoIP router. Then you can handoff to PSTN when you want and also use the same phones for either VoIP or landline calls.

For example, I have my modem configured to use PSTN if the first to digits are "13" because the "find your local store" function of "13" numbers doesn't work with VoIP calls.

Cheers,

Aaron

[NT TURBO]

I've been using SIPME voip prepaid. 10c to national numbers untimed, free to other sipme users, and none of my relo's could tell the difference. I use either a standard phone through a usb converter or a $10 headset from woollies and there free software.

[Cro]

Just my 2c worth.  I'm also with iiNet and have the VOIP service as part of my bundle.  Still have to pay line rental but a) calls on your normal land line are cheaper than Telstra (and you get to keep your existing number if you want to) and b) VOIP calls are even cheaper.  For example, any 'capital' city to 'capital' city STD calls are only 10c, untimed, any time.  Makes calling my family in Brissy and Sydney (from Canberra) very cheap indeed. 

So I have a normal land line number, which is listed in the White Pages, and a separate VOIP number which you can hand out to selected people.  You can, of course, use the land line, VOIP phone and the internet all at the same time if you wish.  Sometimes it's handy having two phones, and the VOIP phone is just an ordinary cordless phone we had lying around which simply plugs straight into the back of the VOIP enabled modem.  Easy as.

The one issue I have, and it's a pretty major one, is the reliability of the VOIP service.  Whilst I can tolerate the voice quality being a little less than the land line, I hate the fact that it seems to just drop out once in a while.  Most times it's okay, but occasionally it will just cut you off mid conversation, which can be very frustrating and will then cost you another 10c to make another call! 

←

Bugster,

Did you take the packagd VoIP modem from iiNet?

I ended up getting their wireless VoIP modem with the service ($179 I think) and have found it pretty reliable (flogged my old AP and modem). However, a couple of guys at work, bought their modem seperately and have found the VoIP almost unusable at times, I suspect the setting need some tweeking to suit the iiNet gateway.

Also, did you realise you can plug the PSTN service into your VoIP router. Then you can handoff to PSTN when you want and also use the same phones for either VoIP or landline calls.

For example, I have my modem configured to use PSTN if the first to digits are "13" because the "find your local store" function of "13" numbers doesn't work with VoIP calls.

Cheers,

Aaron

←

Hey guys, I also used to get the drop outs. It's a massive problem at iiNets end according to the pages and pages of threads on whirlpool.net.au

In any case, I've changed the VOIP service over to my Phone 2 port on the Belkin modem and haven't had a single drop out yet. My wife has made 2 hour long calls over seas with no worries since.

[bugster70]

Aaron, yeah, I did get the Belkin modem that was packaged as part of the iiNet deal. At the time (and I did some research), there were no modems available with VOIP built in that weren't already linked to some ISP. I could have gone for a modem and separate VOIP unit but didn't want two boxes - it would also have been more expensive.

Cro, that's really good to know, cheers mate. I'll try changing my VOIP service over to Port 2 as well - but why the hell would that make all the difference?! But mate, if it works I'll be a happy man - those bloody dropouts are giving me the

[stang]

Luke, I think one thing u have forgotten is most carriers give you a cheaper internet package if you have your home phone with them, I know telstra do eg internet if you had phone line with telstra $45 if home line not with telstra $60.

I`m pretty sure Optus work this way too, as would most like iprimus etc.As they all like to get you on a single bill.

I use to sell telstra communications.