Don't want to interrupt any of our PC usage to make a call, so figure I'll use an ATA (right?) to plug in an existing cordless phone.... and stick it directly into the broadband router.

Also want to be able to take calls on it fairly cheaply for the other caller.

I take it this is feasible?

Who's best?

And who's best to avoid?

What you want is possible with an ATA, if VoIP is used at both sides then calls are free between users (usually!)

Below are a list of VoIP providersin the UK.

www.ukvoiptalk.com is a good place to ask questions about VoIP related things,and has good reviews etc.

You can also PM me with any questions, my job is VoIP tech support

AQL - http://www.aql.com/
Voipfone - http://www.voipfone.co.uk
Vonage UK - http://www.vonage.co.uk/
Voiptalk - http://www.voiptalk.org/
VoIP User - http://www.voipuser.org/
Gradwell - http://www.gradwell.com/
Freetalk - http://www.freetalk.co.uk/ (Dixons Stores Group) [They've been bought by Vonage]
Tesco Internet Phone - http://www.tescointernetphone.com
SipGate - http://www.sipgate.co.uk/
Gossiptel - http://www.gossiptel.com/
Voip 4 U - http://www.voip.co.uk
Devil7 - http://www.devil7.com
Go Talk VoIP - http://www.gotalkvoip.co.uk
Orbtalk - http://www.orbtalk.co.uk

OK, registered with SIPGATE, got a number and everything....

Don' they charge at all let people call me on this number? Can't see a charge for that anywhere!

Calls to an 020 Sipgate number cost the same as a 020 BT number... Same with all other area codes too!

Excellent. Need to find a headset now, test it out.... but using it into our hub directly is now the longer term plan.

Yeah. If you're a serious VoIP user and want a very good phone, i reccomend Snom hardphones. Can't get much better than them! For home use Linksys/Sipura ATA's do a rather good job

Will have a look at those.... before mums friend goes to the states, they'll be ringing each other locally - anyof those services off hand you know of provide free local calls?


EDIT: Snoms ain't cheap!!!!

Another EDIT: I've cornered it down to GoTalk, VoipTalk and Vonager, for between £8 and £10 per month for unlimited UK calls.

ONe, GoTalk, even provides a free ATA when you do this....

Any thoughts on any of those?
Last edited by belfast-biker : 21-10-2006 at 18:40

Yes, Snoms are not the cheapest in the world!

Free calls can't happen forever, if calls are going to landlines. They cost the provider, you can get 'unlimited' for x amount but if you use it 24/7 you will be told where to go.

I've never used GoTalk, and don't know much about them or their services. Voiptalk are expensive, and I don't know what their reliability is like. Vonage lock there hardware, and you have to use theirs.

Think I'm narrowing it down further... ain't heard of gotalk either. Might discount them as a choice.

I don't mind spending a small monthly amount for free calls to UK, and a slightly higher amount for free call to US too.

Vonage is looking to be the front runner, for me at least. Hidden in the text is the fact that they provide a free ATA. Whoever designed the web page shoulda made that more prominent.

Actually looking closer, I won't even need to buy a hub - for a tenner, they provide an ATA, the Motorola VT2442, which has 4 ethernet ports.

Any other caveats, apart from the lock-in of the hardware?

A 12 month contract, and also they are a closed network and don't allow you to make and receive free calls from VoIP users on open networks. With you being tied to their hardware you cannot use anything of your own, like a softphone, this can be handy if you have a laptop and wish to you use your account out and about.

Good man, for getting back so soon, you should be on commission.

12 month contract is fine, closed network is a pita, but if I'm calling normal numbers for free, that's fine, I'll do well with thrir hardware and/or softphone.

There's a tenner activation fee and a tenner delivery for the ATA, but those are small, taken over a year.


And their website is the most professional and easy to follow. I'm a geek. I rate such things.

Just signed up there to Vonage (got through right away near as dammit at 9pm on a saturday), asked for the international for free offer, and asked her "If I ask nicely, will you take off the activation fee too?" which she did with a laugh.

Lovely american lady too.

As someone who works in the quality department of a call centre, it was refreshing to hear a call like this go 100% smooth. Excellent rapport, knowledge, pitch, everything really. I won't disparage my company online though in detail....

Getting an ATA with 4 ethernet ports for a tenner is an added bonus.

Free UK and US calls anytime for less than £8 a month? I'll take two.

Cheers to Sean2003!

Update - router/adaptor delivered today already - nothing to configure, nothing to load, simply follow basic instructions re: turning everything off and turning on in order.....

Piece of Pie.

Why everyone who has broadband is not ditching landlines is beyond me.

£8 per month is an awful lot of money to pay each and every month for Vonage.

The calls aren't free, they are inclusive, you are paying £8 per month for them.

Yes, with Vonage you get all the VoIP feature free, because it's VoIP, they are standard so whoever you use, you don't pay for them anyway.

That £8 is lost on paying for the inclusive calls, and only a very very few people ever make enough calls to make a service like Vonage pay / be value for money, especially if you have to have a landline when you can get free evening and weekend calls for NO fee and pay only 4p per call during the day.

As I have cable broadband I dumped the BT landline 14+ months ago, so that saves £11 per month, but the thought of throwing £8 per month away on an inclusive calls package just wouldn't enter my head.

I'm happy paying less than £1.80 per month for 300 mins per week to many countries including the UK and that £1.80 is lost like Vonage on the 'free' (Inclusive with Vonage) calls as I can use the credit on chargeable calls too.
Last edited by MadMulla : 25-10-2006 at 02:19

But why would I want to pay for a landline at £11 a month, when I use vonage and get all those free calls for £8 a month?
Last edited by belfast-biker : 25-10-2006 at 02:04

You aren't getting free calls.

How is £8 per month free?

You are paying £8 per month for inclusive calls.

I never said you had to pay £11 line rental. I don't pay line rental as I have cable broadband so use VoIP, but I want to save money and paying a rip-off £8 per month to Vonage defeats the object.

Now if it was cheaper than it might be worthwhile.
Last edited by MadMulla : 25-10-2006 at 02:08

"Free", "inclusive", merely semantics. Don't let my poor use of the terms distract you.

I was referring to:

"That £8 is lost on paying for the inclusive calls, and only a very very few people ever make enough calls to make a service like Vonage pay / be value for money, especially if you have to have a landline when you can get free evening and weekend calls for NO fee and pay only 4p per call during the day"

£8 a month with all those calls free, sorry, "inclusive" to UK/europe/US, is better than paying £11 a month to BT, for whatever BT offer at that price point.

Yes, BT are a rip off too, I can't argue with that. As you say paying BT £11 per month and you get nothing, though you could CPS the calls to Primus 2 and for that £11 per month you pay BT and ZERO you pay primus you could get free (free as in free from Primus) evening and weekend calls.

I dumped my landline last year, and was using VoIP Stunt when you only had to pay a one off top up and got over a years worth of free calling, now you have to top up TEN EURO for 120 days of free calling, though they TEN EURO can still be used on non-free calls. For me 300 mins per week of 'free' calls is enough any over I can use my credit at 1c/min.

For other Vonage maybe a real alternative, but you'd have to have a pretty high calling volume, and most people don't fall into that category, this is where they make most of there money.

The ten euro thing is value.

Me, I got this sorted so mum could ring people in the states and scotland LOTS without worrying about how much it costs.

I really think that vonage is going to take the lead soon. So far, apart from the value (for us), their web site, the buying process, the kit, the setup process, the lady on the phone, all of it screams quality, reliability and reputation.

The sites like voipcheap, while good value, LOOK second rate, and they need to get it in their head that buying this sort of thing is driven by emotion as much as logic.

Anyhow, it's 2:20 and I'm off to bed. Good chatting.

I find the VoIP Cheap / Stunt etc websites fine, never had a problem.

Have a good night, I'll still be up and around until I go to bed around 11:00am - 12:00 Noon, just hope I get no call outs tonight as the little ones aren't well and my other half needs some rest as she ain't well either!
Last edited by MadMulla : 25-10-2006 at 02:29

I also have cable internet and VoIP and therefore pay no line rental. I have trouble seeing the benefit of switching to Vonage/VoIP if you pay line rental for your ADSL internet. Paying another £8 on top of £11 line rental and then £15 for internet seems too much for me.

I get internet and phone for £18 per month plus I pay VoipCheap.com €10 every 3-4 months (average about £20 per month total). That's all I spend and that gives me free calls to US and UK at anytime with quite a few inclusive mobile calls (using the $10 credit). Now that is good value in my view. I use Sipgate for incoming calls at no cost.

I can also see the other point of view. If you want hassle free, easy set-up with good customer service, then use Vonage. I would say there is little difference between a company like Vonage and BT. VoipCheap has NO customer service but it is good value if you look after yourself and know a bit about VoIP or are willing to make the effort to learn.

I think it's fair to say that most VoIP sign-ups to date are more logical than emotional people. Maybe the tide is turning now as it becomes more mainstream. Maybe Vonage will win out with its all inclusive, all-smiling customer service and BT type pricing stuctures. Most of my friends ask me if I use Skype or Vonage as soon as I tell them we have an internet phone, so the advertising obviously works. I soon set them straight with what I think of both those companies!

You should look at how many calls you are making, add up the cost through BT or Sipgate and see if it comes to £8 per month. If it does then Vonage is saving you money. If not then your 'free calls' are actually costing you more than they would if they were not free!!
Last edited by tomblandford : 25-10-2006 at 13:28