VOIP - questions

[Stig-OT-Dump]

With VOIP / skype can you only call computers or can you call land lines and mobiles using your pc and internet connection.

Can you do it for free or does it cost, like other service providers do?

I occasionally work from home and have a works mobile - but the coverage in my home office is a bit pants so I end up using my home phone. I'm switching providers so will no longer have free weekday calls. I don't want to pay to make calls for work, I don't want O2 to build a mast outside my house, so was wondering if VOIP would be the answer.

Any guidance or tips would be gratefully received.

Cheers
Stig

 

[Hacienda71]

You have to pay to call landlines using skype. You can buy credit.

 

[HJ]

You can make VOIP / skype calls to the same VOIP / skype service, there is also the opportunity to make calls to landlines and mobiles but these cost...

 

[HLaB]

As folk have said you can buy credit for skype out, then you can make calls to land lines and you can also buy skype in and receive calls from land line. Before I had a phoneline in the flat I done the former.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

Thanks for the replies. My next questions are:
Are there alternative providers to Skype?
What are the advantages to 05600 numbers?

 

[HLaB]

Thanks for the replies. My next questions are:
Are there alternative providers to Skype?

Never heard of them but jajah apparently and Yahoo and Lycos have entered the market too, you get quite a bit of info by just googling 'Skype Competitors'

 

[twowheelsgood]

As folk have said you can buy credit for skype out, then you can make calls to land lines and you can also buy skype in and receive calls from land line. Before I had a phoneline in the flat I done the former.

You don't have to pay for Skype in. Get free number(s) from SIPGATE or similar.

My SIP phone uses Internetcalls outgoing and sipgate incoming. I scrapped my landline 3 years ago.

National, most Western European and US land and mobile numbers are FREE. And of course you can use any number of providers to take advantage on what they offer for free.

The only calls we pay for are my wife's to her family in Albania.

I highly recommend this phone:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Siemens-Gig...5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1268062749&sr=8-5

Can add additional handset easily too and the battery stays charged seemingly forever.

(for SIP and/or landline).

 

[Danny]

Thanks for the replies. My next questions are:
Are there alternative providers to Skype?
What are the advantages to 05600 numbers?

I use Vonage

For £5.99 per month you get a second geographic telephone number, unlimited calls to UK landlines, voice mail, free 3 way conference calling and various other services.

You also have to buy little black box for about £30 which plugs into your modem. You then plug a standard analogue phone into the black box and use it like a normal phone service.

Quality is much better than Skype, in fact it is normally much better than my standard BT phone line.

If you are interested in joining I can refer you if you want, and you'll get two months free rental (as will I).

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

Danny - it looks like a good system, but the price is very close to what I'd pay to upgrade my cable to unlimited calls. Skype is £2.95 + vat and saves a bit more. I haven't been able to establish what their PAYG rates are - their website isn't the most user friendly for folk like me.

If I do go for Vonage I'll get in touch.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

www.sipgate.co.uk

A colleague has the router you can connect a normal telephone to. You can call telephones on some other SIP provider's networks for free. I'm pretty certain you can call an IP address if a router is set up to forward the port to the telephone device. They also do a wi-fi "mobile". I have registered and have a local area code telephone number associated with my account at zero cost. There is a tariff for calling PSTN here and abroad.. Not really used it yet. I tried to get relatives abroad to go for it as they are not computer savvy but they don't have broadband. Skype have a strong market position but a dedicated SIP phone on your router is truly free and does not require a PC to be on.

Sipgate offer a pre-setup Siemens Gigaset A580p for £60 inc vat and shipping. Looking at spec this can be switched between IP phone and normal one and includes a built in answerphone. It's a shame they didn't have these eighteen months ago. I paid £40 for a cordless telephone with built in answerphone.