I have been asked to find a voip provider.
possibly one that connects through the router and can receive calls through the normal landline.
can anyone help
thanks

What you need is an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) this connects to you router and you connect your regular corded or DECT cordless phones to it. This means you can make and receive calls without your PC on.

A LinkSys PAP2 is one such device there are others.

Then you need to find and register with a VoIP provider and then enter the details into your ATA.

For those testing the water or even using for all their use, www.sipgate.co.uk is excellent. They offer for no monthly fee an incoming number of any area-code you like, you can make free calls to other Sipgate users and to many other VoIP providers they have peering agreements with, no charge to call 0800/0808 and you then just pay for the calls you make that are chargable.

There is also http://www.orbtalk.co.uk , http://www.voip.co.uk/res_products.html , http://www.voiptalk.org/products/index.php , www.voipstunt.com, www.voipcheap.co.uk , www.sipdiscount.com all you just enter the required details in to the ATA.

I use Sipgate and VoIPStunt.com on my PAP2 ATA.

Another ATA is a LinkSys SPA3000 this allows you to use the same phone to answer/make both VoIP calls and those to the PSTN.

I have no landline, so a VoIP only device is fine for me.
Last edited by SmegSnot : 12-07-2006 at 19:45

That's just about every provider then except the dreaded Skype who use proprietry software. Any SIP based provider can use a standard VOIP router, and some can accept incoming calls without you crediting the account if you wanted to see how you got on first; like Sipgate who I use and have already been mentioned.

Draytel are selling 2 of their ATAs for the price of one http://www.draytel.org/vigortalk_2for1.html . That's £15 each. Each one should come with a £2 voucher to use when you sign up, bringing the cost down to £13 each. And if you quote 836612 as a reference when you sign up, you'll get another £2 of credit. For £11 each, no monthly charge, it's a quality service with a normal telephone number, for anywhere in the UK, answering machine and many other benefits. Not a bad way to trial VOIP. (IMHO of course!) www.draytel.org is the main website.

Following my experience of Draytek VOIP, I'd never touch them again. Their dedicated VOIP routers, particularly 2100 and 2600V/VG series are known to often drop calls and randomly reboot. Truth is their engineers cannot find the fault, they do know about it!

I'd go with Linksys or something along those lines for hardware. A Draytek in my experience would be a bad introduction to VOIP and may leave you wondering about keeping it.

I've moved on from the little Draytel ATAs, after good experience, and bought a Draytek 2900VG wireless cable router/VoIP. I was a bit worried after reading comments such as above, but I've honestly had no problems after setting it up, it hasn't rebooted to my knowledge and the Draytel VoIP has been fine. The missus went on holiday to Egypt, leaving me to man the trawlers, and the phone quality was as good as calling next door. Which was 100 times better than when I tried the landline.