Kitz Forum

Broadband Related => Broadband Hardware => Topic started by: Chris P Duck on August 14, 2007, 08:51:07 PM

Title: voip phones- what do I need
Post by: Chris P Duck on August 14, 2007, 08:51:07 PM

Im currently stuck with the BT hopeless hub and hub phones. I must admit that the whole broadband and free (read they charge you) calls was what tempted me to BT but Im currently trying to bail out due to their abysmal service.

Looking around at various ISPs, a lot of them are touting "broadband" phone. What kit do I need assuming I stick with my trusty Netgear DG834gt when I eventually move or is it one of those deals were you have to dial in a number first to access the service/ BT line?

Title: Re: voip phones- what do I need
Post by: kitz on August 14, 2007, 11:30:28 PM

I get free plustalk mins with my account but Ive never used them, not having a broadband phone - despite them being pretty cheap.

IIRC mr_chris uses his PlusTalk mins though with a DG834G and a usb handset he picked up on e-bay for a few £.
He's also got a separate phone number so people can phone him, but I think thats done through Sipgate.
The quality is pretty good and from the *other side* you cant tell its over the internet rather than traditional phone.

Any free calls generally tend to mean VoIP which involves you installing software on your PC and use of either a handset or headset.

Title: Re: voip phones- what do I need
Post by: mr_chris on August 14, 2007, 11:42:30 PM

Yeah, the DG834 has a good SIP NAT helper, which means it takes care of al the SIP NAT traversal for you, so virtually any sip service will work through that router. I presume the GT is the same as the firmware implementation shouldn't be radically different.

I use X-Lite as my VoIP software, which is pretty good.

Title: Re: voip phones- what do I need
Post by: oldfogy on August 18, 2007, 02:57:10 AM

I know things have moved on a little since I got my Skype software installed and find it excellent as quite a few different people I know also have it installed so it is totally free.

However, I did buy a handset from Aldi for I think £11:00 which also included a £5:00 voucher for "e-phone" (of which I will say no more about as I may put myself in jeopardy of being prosecuted for saying defamatory comments with regards to e-phone who also use the name of e-media telecom).

However, the handset works fine with voip, which was why I brought it in the first place.