Details are a little sketchy at the moment, however, as I understand it, Tesco have just lauched a new Voice Over IP service which allows users to call UK landlines from as little as 2p a minute.

So far I know that you can buy the starter kit for £19.97 which includes the software, a handset and £5 credit.

Information is on the Tesco media centre website:

http://www.tescocorporate.com/page.a...12169D96DA8D9B

Other sources, including the BBC, have suggested that Tesco are using the Australian based FRESHTEL company as the VoIP provider.

If anyone gets any more info about this offer, please would you be kind enough to share it with us all.

Thank You.

Source: The Register

Tesco VoIP service flawed, say rivals
Not comparing apples and oranges
By Tim Richardson
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Published Friday 20th January 2006 11:24 GMT
Get breaking Reg news straight to your desktop - click here to find out how

Tesco says the launch of its internet phone service will see the cost of calls "slashed to rock-bottom prices", but according to rivals, the service has too many restrictions and will not necessarily be any cheaper.

Admin edit: Do not repost things on these forums to which you don't own the copyright. Link and a short excerpt is acceptable.

has anyone managed to pick up one of these from tescos yet as i have tried 3 stores in Dundee and they dont seem to know about it and i cant see any in at all

i went to the biggest tesco extra store in the country, and just like you mentioned, none of the staff had the foggiest idea, and there was nothing on the shelf either! give them a little bit of time...

Not good value for money at all is it?

Not when you can get free calls to UK and other counties, and providers that do charge are cheaper than this offering.

Saying that even people have been fooled into wasting money each month with Vonage and Freetalk.

New to this VOIP only use broadband from Telewest and mobile phone from virgin. No landline so the systems ideal for me for my monthly chat to my cousin in Australia or when contacting companies and being put on hold for eons and contacting mobiles when at home all for 2p a min and no monthly fee. No problem getting the start up pack in Newcastle 2 packs for £30. They can also be ordered directly from Tesco via the internet.

I too have broadband from Telewest and no phone line.

I use VoIP and pay no monthly fee and pay nothing to call landlines in the UK, USA, Australia, Ireland and other countries, and have been able to do so for around 10 months.

Tesco's offering is poor value for money.

Also I don't need my PC on to make and receive calls.

BexTech, can I ask which service you are using for free calls to UK/Australia landlines please?

Thanks

John

www.voipstunt.com

You might be able to get away without any credit and get longer than 1 minute calls.

I was able to for a while, but then had to credit with €5 and can then make unlimited calls for free to many countries.

I believe the minimum top up now is €10, but worth trying with no credit first.

So am I right in thinking that voipstunt can only be used from a PC with the software from their website? Can't use like sipgate through a VOIP ATA with a regular phone and the PC turned off?

Thanks

John

You can use it either via their software, via 3rd party software like X-Lite or 3rd party Firefly, or like myself via an ATA with cordless and corded phones and without the need of the PC being on.

On my ATA I have VoIP Stunt on line 1 and Sipgate on line 2.

So, BexTech, you are a mind of information on this subject, so I will keep pushing questions at you...... thanks.

I presume you have the Linksys PAP2-UV (non-wireless). I have been looking at wireless equivalents and have found the following:

Linksys WRT54GP2
Draytek Vigor2100VG

and now this very moment:

Linksys WRTP54G - I presume this is a newer version of the above.

Can you recommend any of these? Also, regarding your two lines, 1 sipgate the other voipstunt, do you physically connect two different phones, one to each port and then answer which ever rings?

Thanks

John

I've heard people having problems with the Draytek Vigor2100VG, even though Draytek are usually pretty good.

Not sure what the exact differences are between the two variants of LinkSys, the one does look a newer design to the other.

Yes, I have a LinkSYS PAP2 connected to a LinkSYS Wireless router, yes you physically connect two different phones, one to each port and answer whichever number has been called.

I have a Cordless and Corded phone on one line and a cordless phone on the other. The Sipgate number is the number I use mainly for incoming calls, and also calls to freephone numbers. You can have a REN of 5 on each of the ports.

can't seem to find anyone actually selling the newer linksys right now, anyway to bed me thinks, will continue with my VOIP quest tomorrow - thanks for all your help

No worries.

That's exhorbitant !!! £30 plus 2p per minute - you wouldn't like to throw some money my way, would you ? VoipCheap for me at 0p per minute plus £5 deposit which I haven't touched - probably the same provider as VoipStunt ?

Yep, VoIP Stunt, VoIP Cheap, SIP Discount, VoIP Buster and NetAppel.fr all from the same company.

got 2 for £30 at our local tesco , and that includes 2 £5 vouchers , cant see how you can be robbed for that ,especially as tesco to tesco is free

My friend uses Vonage, good call quality he as a UK number and a US number as he as friends in the US so they call him for free, and he calls UK landlines for free no time limits

Vonage is fine if you are happy to pay £10 per month for the inclusive calls.

I am happy in the fact €6 has given me over 10 months of unlimited free calls to UK landlines, USA, Australia, and many other countries. That's just €6 and not €6 per month.

I also have for free a USA phone number that links to my UK number.

I am far from happy with the current call quality on the Tesco Internet Phone network.

I feel that their system is a huge disappointment at the moment. The software is also a big let down!

I would be far happier to walk into Tesco and buy a complete system (just like Vonage) and then be able to make and receive telephone calls without the need for the computer being switched on!

It would have been helpful if the Tesco system were sip based... I am yet to find the sip details if it is sip based.

An interesting point to consider at this early stage is that in comparison to Sipgate, I have found the Tesco Net technical support (by email) to be far from helpful.

In summary, as a new alternative to Skype, I feel that it's an ideal solution for the Internet telephone beginner and infrequent user.

Tesco to Tesco is FREE, which means that the system could appeal to experienced computer users and possibly the teenage market, but with the likes of regular computer and internet users becoming confident with the use of instant messaging software, the future release of Windows Live Messenger, with integrated telephone system, might prove to be a possible contender.

Just like Skype, Tesco Internet Telephone does allow you to communicate with other users of the same system by use of instant message.

In conclusion, it’s the sound quality that is proving to be Tesco’s downfall at the moment, although I must stress that I have only tested the system with my own VoIP USB Telephone, and not with the USB package phone, but that’s simply because none of the Tesco Extra stores within my locality are stocking the USB Phone pack! As an established high street supermarket chain, I feel that Tesco should be offering potential customers the chance to purchase air time vouchers at their stores, but instead they insist that the system can only be used by credit and debit card holders as they only offer top-up over the internet. Perhaps this is because Freshtel in Australia are the providers of the service to Tesco.

Want to know more about Tesco Internet Telephone? Perhaps you want semi-exclusive access & a FREE telephone number? For those of you that can't wait for the telephone packs to become available in your local tesco stores, you don’t have to wait any longer… everything you need to get started is here... http://www.tescointernetphone.com/

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On the topic of Voice Over IP, has anyone here ever heard of, or made use of the company called VoIPon Solutions?

I am quite interested in getting a Grandstream GXP 2000 for use with my Sipgate account. Peoples comments and reviews of both the product, and the company in question would be very much appreciated.

Here is the website: http://www.voipon.co.uk/

With this aside, if I order the same model directly from the shop on sipgate.co.uk, does anyone know if it will definately come with a UK power supply?

Alternatively, if anyone knows of any shops or retailers who sell this product, or similar, over the counter, please could you share this info. I would be quite interested in vonage, but their disconnection fee puts me off. I only intend to have my current broadband connection for at least two more years, so VoIP for me is purely a temporary solution - in fact, im carrying out tests for an organisation which is why I don't wish to be hooked into any long term contracts.

Thanks everyone.

Just a quick update:

I managed to get my hands on a Tesco Internet Phone Handset... 2 for £30 and each comes with a £5 e-voucher.
The sound quality is much better with the real thing... I guess that the software was made purely for use with it's own usb phones.

For anyone thats interested, the model number is:
E337

The E337 is light, it does the job and best of all it has an LCD screen with keys which allow you to view your contacts list on the display.

I'm pleased that I bought one of their own phones at long last... it gives me more to experiment with.

I bought mine mainly for the clubcard points seriously though, did any one notice the fourfold hike in 0870 calls?

When I looked on http://www.tescointernetphone.com/ a week or so ago, they were just 1p a minute, now the are 3.95p

This does not bode well for the future if they upping the prices on the most popular rates.

They probably realised their pricing mistake, and couldn't sustain the large loss on the call cost to 0870.

I have bought two of these phones today, and both myself and the person I gave the other phone to are on AOL. When we install the CD to download the software, we get the message 'The file may not be supported by AOL. AOL will try to open it as a text file if you choose to continue.' We then click on yes, and then get the message 'This file is too large to open using AOL. Please open this file using another application.'

Any ideas? Thanks.