Skype / VoIP for a business line?

[Martin MGA]

As I am working from home, I have currently only got 1 line which is my home line.

Does anyone use Skype In/Out services and a VoIP phone here?
It would be much cheaper (£20 for 12 months) but not sure how well it works in comparison with a standard phonline.

Calls would also be cheaper although the quality is likely to be slightly worse.

MGA

[DuaneJackson]

I've just started playing with www.voipfone.co.uk and quite like it. The quality is surprisingly good.

[duenna]

Skype works for me! Although it is from the same people that brought us the peer to peer filr sharing network KaZaar, I have seen new PC's shipped with Skype pre installed.

Quality is not that bad, even on a 512 connection it works ok. Sometimes the connection goes a bit goldfish bowlish. Then you can just reconnect.

The chat aspect of Skype is a bit yuk. Put your client on Skype me Mode and if you have a female profile then you will find many a Turkish or Egyptian chappy asking if you have MSN or a cam. Although I have had some wonderful conversations with people from Poland and India wanting to practice their English. No Tong Ting from Tooting sadly!

Headset and speakers is the basic stuff you need to use the telephony aspect. I also have found that handsets vary in quality. All usb handsets will alter your speaker setting on your PC so you will need to be mindful of that. They do come with instructions.

www.forvoip.info for more details or www.voipfone.co.uk

[KM-Tiger]

Worth knowing that you don't necessarily need to use a phone connected to your computer to use VOIP. You could buy a device called an ATA which will then connect an ordinary (including DECT) phone to your internet connection.

Skype uses a proprietary protocol, where most of the other VOIP providers are using the open SIP standard.

If you go for SIP, you will have a choice of providers - choice means competition, means lower prices in the long run.

If you want to try out VOIP, you take a look at www.voipuser.org, this is a community that exists to provide free VOIP -> PSTN phone calls, precisely to let people try it out at zero call cost.

[confused]

I use skype a lot for outgoing calls, I considered getting a "skype in" number but my local area code isnt available, the nearest was 0161 manchester which I thought might put some people off.
I also use voipbuster which WAS free to landlines, they now have a 0.01€ charge /min. I find that connection is better with voipbuster than skype. Neither of these require connection to a phoneline, beware of the "el cheapo" usb phones, I got one and it was naf, got a better one for £20 and its perfect.

[cjd]

Skype works fine but if you're running a business I think in the end you'll move to a real VoIP provider with a real telephone and voicemail, music on hold, call divert etc etc.

But I would just advise you to try a few different services - most are free and no contract, pay as you go so there's little to risk.

[krooga]

I have 3 skype in numbers and use them to increase my business coverage (US number etc...) !

I would recommend you get a bluetooth headset, if configured correctly it works like a charm...

Sam

[Martin MGA]

cjd, do you provide adapters that can connect to an existing hard phone/fax?

MGA

[DarrenC]

I used Skype, but I didn't have anyone to talk to :( but I just wrote a post http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=7363 about Wanadoo, where you get a separate line, and 0845 number within it's broadband package.

I'm currently trialing Google Talk.

Darren

[confused]

cool marketing from wanadoo, but what if you leave them ?

[DarrenC]

If you leave them, you have to send the livebox back, and you loose your second line, and 0845 number etc.

You can get this cheaper with Wanadoo, but I am going for the 'heavy user' package, so that is £27.99 for 8GB, and an extra £4 for the extra line, free calls, and 0845 number.

Darren

[cjd]

cjd, do you provide adapters that can connect to an existing hard phone/fax?

MGA

Yes - you find them here. They come preconfigured to our network but you can change them to work on any other (except Skype which doesn't talk to anyone else!)

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/shop.php

[Chris Martin]

Voip is okay but if you want a free solution with no rentals you should check out www.switchboardfree.co.uk it gives you the ability to route calls from a non-geographic number to your home/office number (without having to advertise your home number) and it manages your outbound calls.

Features include on hold music, custom or recorded intro, voicemail to email functionality, multiple call routing and lots of other features.

Have a look its completely free to use with no rental and you don't need to worry about hardware.

[Martin MGA]

Voip is okay but if you want a free solution with no rentals you should check out www.switchboardfree.co.uk it gives you the ability to route calls from a non-geographic number to your home/office number (without having to advertise your home number) and it manages your outbound calls.

Features include on hold music, custom or recorded intro, voicemail to email functionality, multiple call routing and lots of other features.

Have a look its completely free to use with no rental and you don't need to worry about hardware.
Hmm, only concern with that is I currently have an 0845 number and they only offer 0870 / 0871 numbers :(

[Asteeleleith]

I must admit i use www.quicktele.com its convenient, you can switch numbers easily. It is where i got my number from!

Oh yes, and its FREE

Al

[cjd]

Oh yes, and its FREE

Al

Well, of course someone is paying somewhere. With 0870 the person who is paying is the person dialling the number; about 8p per minute. They have their uses but they can appear to be customer unfriendly.

There's some stuff on numbers here:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/EP_UK_Telephone_Numbers.php