Voip phone needed, recommendations?

[dan...]

Hi guys

It's the good old I want what I can't afford

After some great advice on here about setting up a business number, I am back and in need of some more advice.

I am trying to set up my business on a budget and I want to get it all done for practically nothing.

After your advice and deciding to go with voipfone for my service needs, I chose to use a soft phone on my mac and a bluetooth headset to make and receive calls but i'm now rethinking this due to quality and practicality.

I've never actually set the bluetooth headset up but i'm thinking that i don't want my computer on 24/7 and it would be nice to have something visual in front of me that I can just pick up a call and check messages although I want most of my calls diverted to my mobile if i'm out.

Can anyone recommend a handset for me?

I have a number of wants and needs, here is my list.

Wants = Cordless - Call Diverting - Answer phone - Caller ID

Needs = any voip phone - Good sound quality - 1 possibly 2 sip accounts - To be cheap!

I understand that voipfone's website can setup a answer phone and call divert but you just need to log in every time and it would be time saving if i could do it on the phone as i'm going out

So far i have thought about a Linksys PAP2T VoIP Telephone Adaptor which i have seen on ebay for £25 plus a Panasonic KX-TG6422ES DECT Twin Digital Cordless Phone Set with Answer Machine in Silver £40 which comes to a total of around £65 or a Siemens Gigaset C475IP VoIP and Landline Telephone with Answer Machine which i've seen for £65.

£65 is still money i haven't really got and would like to hear about a cheaper alternative but i don't want to purchase a phone only to buy a new one in a couple of months time because the quality is bad and resulting in losing business.

I hear snom 320 are good, almost bought one off ebay for £40 but forgot to bid and now can't see one for less than £70

Please help

Dan...

 

[Shaun_Pearce]

CJD is your best contact here. I'm sur ehe will be along soon

 

[dan...]

Hi

I think it was CJD tat helped me out before.

I also have an iphone, any voip software for this, use it wifi etc?

 

[LightingGiants]

im using nimbuzz on my e71 Im sure there are other softwares out there for my voip calls

 

[spigwell]

I agree with Shaun, CJD is the one you need to speak to.
Gary

 

[Simon-M]

Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AASTRA-IP-PHONE-55I_W0QQitemZ[URL="ada://270459458031"]270459458031QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Networking_SM?hash=item3ef8a3d1ef&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14[/URL]

An Aastra VOIP phone 50 quid. He has more than 1 so email him and see if he will deal.

There is a CISCO one here on buy it now for 40 quid:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cisco-Systems...g_SM?hash=item3a521db1ce&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[cjd]

The snom range are by far the best (excluding the M3, which is both expensive and pants). We generally recommend a snom 300 for a starter phone.

If you need DECT then the Siemens C475IP is the best. Adapters would be my last choice as they offer lower functionality but do work well and are cheap - PAP2T is as good as anything.

Much as I hate to say it (because they used to be real rubbish) the Grandstrean GPX2000 is also ok and can probably be got cheaply.

I'd highly recommend buying it from your service provider if you can stand the extra cost because it will arrive preconfigured with UK ring tones and you own config details and therefore be plug and play. They'll also fully support it.

We'll try to support anything that is SIP compliant but we do have to give up on some of the ebay cr@p I'm afraid.

 

[KM-Tiger]

I'd highly recommend buying it from your service provider if you can stand the extra cost because it will arrive preconfigured with UK ring tones and you own config details and therefore be plug and play. They'll also fully support it.

Echo that.

Configuring SIP devices from scratch is great fun if you enjoy such things, but it'll be a headache if you don't. Particularly the Linksys devices which have some features that only work with other Linksys devices - all very confusing.

 

[Simon-M]

We'll try to support anything that is SIP compliant but we do have to give up on some of the ebay cr@p I'm afraid.

Beggars can't be choosers mate. He was after dirt cheap and dirt cheap is ebay. The brochures and config info for Aastra phones can be downloaded off their site. Been using Aastra phones for a couple of years and they are easy to set up and easy to use. The downloadable instructions are great if you get stuck.

 

[dan...]

Thanks for the replys.

I am torn between the Cisco that Simon-M recommended and the Siemens C475IP listed here

amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0016CMIR4/ref=s9_sima_gw_s1_p23_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0Q1XJNE2471Q5VMG21XQ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294

I know it's ebay and amazon but i like the look of both especially the Siemens and their cheap compared to the snom range and i can't afford much right now and they seem to offer what i need.

I don't mind having ago at setting them up, if i get stuck which i'm sure i will, i'm hoping i can ask the kindness of strangers to help me.

I like the Cisco because it is cheap but i like the cordless of the Siemens and i think that could be useful (maybe?)

Is one better than the other or am i just paying extra because of the cordless function with the Siemens?

Thanks

Dan...

 

[cjd]

We have wizards to set up most phones. That Cisco is probably a rebadged Linksys, which are pretty decent.

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

I'd always choose a wired phone over a wireless for VoIP but the Siemens works fine - you're paying less for the Cisco because it's an ebay used sale of what looks like a job lot. The Siemens is new apparently.

 

[Techy]

I'm an engineer and VOIP confuses me even more than my blackberry, as I don't have the time / inclination to look into it :|

The office has a dedicated line for business phone calls, a dedicated line for faxes (from Telewest) and a dedicated broadband line (from BT), which at a rough guess costs about £60 a month

The office phones are basically loads of wireless handsets working off a master handsets, similar to most homes

When the office phone goes someone answers it and passes the handset to whoever the call is for, which is ok as the office is not massive

VOIP Questions:-
1. Could it replace the 2 x separate (phone / fax) lines, using the broadband line?
2. Would it be cheaper / no extra to run than the currrent set-up?
3. Would it be just as effective (clarity / reliability etc)?

VOIP Needs (if feasible):-
1. Handsets (same as phones) on eveyones desk
2. Call divert to (either / all - not at once) mobile, email or another VOIP handset
3. Call transfer to other VOIP's in the office or thier mobiles, if thier on site
4. Music between all transfers

Optional:-
1. Video conferencing

Many thanks for any feedback, especially CJD as he seems to be the man (although I thought this was mad cow disease, which I'm sure has been raised before!)

 

[cjd]

I'm an engineer and VOIP confuses me even more than my blackberry, as I don't have the time / inclination to look into it :|

Don't worry; you're perfectly normal ;-)

VOIP Questions:-
1. Could it replace the 2 x separate (phone / fax) lines, using the broadband line?
2. Would it be cheaper / no extra to run than the currrent set-up?
3. Would it be just as effective (clarity / reliability etc)?

In this situation I would ask you to have a bit of a re-think about how your office works. With your current set-up you can only make or receive one telephone call at a time, which isn't great for a room full of people.

The usual set-up for a small office like yours is to have two telephone lines and two ADSLs - preferably from different providers. You use one ADSL to connect your office web and email and the other for your phones - that way they can't interfere with each other.

You then plonk a VoIP telephone on every desk and give everyone a telephone extension number. Now all phones can make and receive calls - simultaneously if necessary - and they can transfer calls between them (with music on hold), put people on hold, have call Qs and 'press 1 for sales' stuff etc. You can give each their own number so they can be called directly too. It's all very flexible.

You are not using the telephone lines for anything anymore (other than to carry your broadband) so you can keep your fax machine on one of them. Or bin it entirely and use our Fax to email service. You can cease one line.

You might want to do some reading - it's the Virtual PBX
http://www.voipfone.co.uk/Voipfone_User_Manual.htm#_Toc198781336

There's a diagram of a simple office set-up like yours here:
https://www.voipfoneuserforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2024

Best to give us a call and talk it through - 020 7043 5555 (they're not sales people)

On the call quality front - if you use proper phones (in our case we would say Snom) and the set-up I've described you'll have far better call quality than you have now.

Also worth reading this if you're interested in quality:
https://www.voipfoneuserforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=741

Optional:-
1. Video conferencing

We disabled video by accident 2 years ago - no-one complained! It's one of those things that sound good but nobody wants or uses. We may plug it back in again at some point.

Many thanks for any feedback, especially CJD as he seems to be the man (although I thought this was mad cow disease, which I'm sure has been raised before!)

No, never heard that one before

 

[Techy]

CJD,

Thanks for the response, just one query and then will get in touch to get a proposal from you...

The usual set-up for a small office like yours is to have two telephone lines and two ADSLs - preferably from different providers.

-> 1 x ADSL to connect your office web / email
-> 1 x ASDL for your phones

You are not using the telephone lines for anything anymore (other than to carry your broadband) so you can keep your fax machine on one of them

If the telephone lines are not being used for anything (and the fax can go on one of the broadband lines, assuming it will not interupt VOIP services if in use), why do you need the two telephone lines on top of the ADSL lines (or are these the same)???

 

[cjd]

CJD,
If the telephone lines are not being used for anything (and the fax can go on one of the broadband lines, assuming it will not interrupt VOIP services if in use), why do you need the two telephone lines on top of the ADSL lines (or are these the same)???

In total you need two broadband connections, one for your web browsing and one for your telephones. We recommend that in your case because you are running a small office with a lot of people using the connection - voice needs to work in real time and can't be delayed but other internet traffic like web browsing and email are not as time sensitive. If you try to put too much traffic on one connection, voice will suffer.

At the moment, to get two sets of broadband you need to get 2 telephone lines and two ADSLs (or use Virgin Cable for one of them). I say that the telephone lines aren't used because you're not going to use them for telephony, you just need them for the ADSL.

Fax uses the telephone line bit only so it can't interfere with the VoIP calls. You can use the second telephone line as an emergency landline too - belt and braces failover.