Some VOIP questions

Ok Thinking of Blueface

• If I get an 0402 number,what does it cost people to ring me? Is there a charge for me to receive calls on that number?
• if I divert that number to my mobile,is it going to cost me whatever the mobile rate is for the duration of the call?
• can I bring a phone with me abroad and plug it into a hotel laptop broadband connection in the room and make calls to wherever for the standard blueface rates? That would be neat given that I could call an Irish mobile for 16 or 17c/min
• With the fax to email/email to fax service: how do I send a paper document? Do I scan this and does the file size matter? Ie do blueface on the other end mind what size the scanned document is (file size) they'll still convert it into something that will appear perfectly on the receiving numbers fax machine? If the file size does matter,what software would you recommend to reduce the file size.
  Can I attach word documents for faxing to an email?
• Will I see the caller id of all originating diverted calls assuming its not a private number?

I'm also wondering if I divert my land line to my new voip geographical number,am I charged for each diverted call I receive? And if so how much,is it a fixed charge or a per second charge?

Thanks in advance

Villain

Earthman wrote:

Ok Thinking of Blueface

If I get an 0402 number,what does it cost people to ring me? Is there a charge for me to receive calls on that number?

It costs people the same as if you an eircom 0402 number i.e. local from same area or national from outside that area.

if I divert that number to my mobile,is it going to cost me whatever the mobile rate is for the duration of the call?

Yes

can I bring a phone with me abroad and plug it into a hotel laptop broadband connection in the room and make calls to wherever for the standard blueface rates? That would be neat given that I could call an Irish mobile for 16 or 17c/min

Yes using a softphone like xlite, however firewalls may block sip traffic.

With the fax to email/email to fax service: how do I send a paper document? Do I scan this and does the file size matter? Ie do blueface on the other end mind what size the scanned document is (file size) they'll still convert it into something that will appear perfectly on the receiving numbers fax machine? If the file size does matter,what software would you recommend to reduce the file size.
Can I attach word documents for faxing to an email?

It will only allow you send certain type of files, I have tried PDF and it didn't work, I don't believe wod doc's work either, I normally stikc to jpeg, small and pretty decent quality. Fax to email is a great service.

Will I see the caller id of all originating diverted calls assuming its not a private number?

I believe they do send the caller id, yes

Villain

Earthman wrote:

I'm also wondering if I divert my land line to my new voip geographical number,am I charged for each diverted call I receive? And if so how much,is it a fixed charge or a per second charge?

Thanks in advance

Set up charge of 30c (inc. VAT)* each time you set up call forwarding on your phone. Forwarded calls are charged at standard rates.

E.g. if you forward your landline calls to a mobile, the caller pays the standard rate for calling your landline number. You will pay for the call from your landline to your mobile.

So I guess you will pay at local call rates, but if you divert to your 076 number it will cost you nothing, well except the 30c setup fee.

Ah thanks Alan.

So I could probably scan a document and convert it to a down sized jpeg-nice one.

Now if I want more than one phone,ie one in other rooms/offices,It would have to be a dect phone with the base station connected to an ata?

The BB socket is only in one location here for instance.

Are there anyways around that?

Villain

No problem, I don't have personal experience of using a dect phone with an ata but in theory it should be fine. You could look at using a usb phone connected to a laptop if you have wireless in the house or even maybe at the Nokia E series, I'm waiting on a E61 so I can test it out with blueface and VOIP Ireland.

Foxwood

Earthman wrote:

I'm also wondering if I divert my land line to my new voip geographical number,am I charged for each diverted call I receive? And if so how much,is it a fixed charge or a per second charge?

If you keep your existing landline number on a landline, and divert it to your voip number, you'll pay the same charges as if you diverted it to any other landline number. But if you port your original landline number over to VoIP (in other words you cancel the landline altogether, and have your "old" number turned into a VoIP number), then there won't be any additional charges for calls.

But that's a permanent change - you can't port it over to VoIP on Friday afternoon before you head off for the weekend, and port it back to your landline when you get back on Monday.

Cabaal

Foxwood wrote:

But that's a permanent change - you can't port it over to VoIP on Friday afternoon before you head off for the weekend, and port it back to your landline when you get back on Monday.

It also takes about 6 weeks to do and you can't do it if you have a exisiting DSL service active on the line...unless you ceased it and did a re-provide after the number was ported.

Not a ideal setup

So ok,I can only have one fixed VOIP phone then and the only way I can have a phone in another room is either with a dect or if I have a Broadband socket in another room?
Theres little point in me getting an ata then,I'll get the voip phone-do they usually have a socket on them to act as an ata for another phone? maybe I could get a length of cable and do it that way?
I'm thinking the linskys spa942 from Blueface - whats that like? And what do they mean when they say they want to know your isp so they can configure it? What if you change isp's? Will i have to send the phone back to them?

How does the idea of having as many numbers/virtual lines as you want work then,if all calls must come in through the one phone aparatus?

how do you know which number is ringing?


So many questions,keep the answers coming - thanks

Villain

Earthman wrote:

So ok,I can only have one fixed VOIP phone then and the only way I can have a phone in another room is either with a dect or if I have a Broadband socket in another room?
Theres little point in me getting an ata then,I'll get the voip phone-do they usually have a socket on them to act as an ata for another phone? maybe I could get a length of cable and do it that way?
I'm thinking the linskys spa942 from Blueface - whats that like? And what do they mean when they say they want to know your isp so they can configure it? What if you change isp's? Will i have to send the phone back to them?

How does the idea of having as many numbers/virtual lines as you want work then,if all calls must come in through the one phone aparatus?

how do you know which number is ringing?


So many questions,keep the answers coming - thanks

Sorry don't have all the answers, but I have installed a Linksys SPA9000 before and they work very well just put them into your switch then connect any SIP phone to your switch so you can use spa942's connect using cat5 cable or may you be able to use a wireless sip phone like the Hitachi Wireless IP5000. But your looking a good few euros there.

Blaster99

Earthman wrote:

So ok,I can only have one fixed VOIP phone then and the only way I can have a phone in another room is either with a dect or if I have a Broadband socket in another room?
Theres little point in me getting an ata then,I'll get the voip phone-do they usually have a socket on them to act as an ata for another phone? maybe I could get a length of cable and do it that way?
I'm thinking the linskys spa942 from Blueface - whats that like? And what do they mean when they say they want to know your isp so they can configure it? What if you change isp's? Will i have to send the phone back to them?

How does the idea of having as many numbers/virtual lines as you want work then,if all calls must come in through the one phone aparatus?

how do you know which number is ringing?


So many questions,keep the answers coming - thanks

I'm not really entirely clear on what you're trying to achieve, but you may want to keep in mind that you can get multiple extensions with Blueface for free or close to free (not sure exactly). You can then bind your external number to all the extensions. You need one extension per VoIP device, so you can then have multiple VoIP devices that will all ring when the external number is called. I personally have my Blueface service setup this way. One phone in the office, another at home. Both ring, I can pick up in either location.

With regards to the ISP, I'm guessing that Blueface has determined that certain codecs work better on some ISP's.

Before you go and spend any money at all on this stuff, you should make sure that you have an internet connection with no packet loss. The standard VoIP codecs start to fall apart at around 1% packet loss, and latency should ideally be within 150ms. If you're using a wireless internet connection, you are most likely going to be disappointed.

JohnnieM

I set mine up with two different extension numbers so i can call the house from the office for free if some one rings the geographic number blue face gave me (or the 076) it will only ring in the office... (dont want the wife ans my calls etc etc)...

Ps I find that Blueface are a terrific company and will bend over backwards to help sort out stuff..and get your setup right.

Villain

Just to clarify, PDF does work with Blueface when sending a FAX, my previous experience must have been a one off issue.

Do-more

Earthman wrote:

can I bring a phone with me abroad and plug it into a hotel laptop broadband connection in the room and make calls to wherever for the standard blueface rates? That would be neat given that I could call an Irish mobile for 16 or 17c/min

Have a look at www.voipcheap.com calls to Irish mobiles are just 9 cent/min.!
Calls to Irish landlines are free (subject to a 20 hour limit/month)
They also have a nifty dialback facility which means you set up the call on the net and have them dial back your hotel room phone to make the call (assuming it has a direct dial no.)

I use it with a Zoom X5 modem/router/ata and dect cordless at home and it works great.

Also use the dialback facility to make make cheap international calls on my mobile as I travel to work (I set up the call on the net as I am leaving the house)

Villain

Do-More they look impressive, whats the quality like?

Also one thing that is puzzling me,
ireland (Landline) SuperDeal! free* free*
ireland (Mobile) SuperDeal! 8 9.28
ireland [national rate] 15 17.40

What is Ireland [national rate]??

Do-more

irish1 wrote:

Do-More they look impressive, whats the quality like?

Also one thing that is puzzling me,
ireland (Landline) SuperDeal! free* free*
ireland (Mobile) SuperDeal! 8 9.28
ireland [national rate] 15 17.40

What is Ireland [national rate]??

Not sure about the national rate myself, but I think it is 0818 numbers, in any case I have always had free calls to landlines here, so don't think it is some catch...

Call quality is normally excellent, I started out using their softphone and a headset and it was dodgy enough, but when I got the ATA and use it with the cordless the quality was much better. Normally I or the person I am calling cannot tell that it is a VoIP call, occasionally however I get the odd call that is below par, sometimes hanging up and dialing again solves the problem, sometimes not.

Our Eircon calls bill has all but evaporated, but I don't see a VoIP only future in sight as wireless BB seems to be a joke in this country.

Ok I signed up and have the voip phone.

Call quality is great so far and every call I make is getting through but I am encountering a major major problem....

Only one in ten calls to me are getting through to the phone-all else are going straight to voicemail...

I have to plug out the phone and force it to reregister for it to receive calls.
By my reckoning I'd have to be doing that about 20 times in a few hrs...

Thats absolutely no use if it continues and something I'll take up with customer care tomorrow.

Blaster99

Can you change the registration interval? If so, set it to something like once a minute.

I must get onto their customer care about that,thanks blaster.

So far on my 3mb connection, call quality has been variable.A number of calls on sunday and yesterday were crackly and were cut off a few times.

Thats not good - again I will talk to their customer care later when I've time about this.

It's annoying to tell someone that you are talking to that you are using blueface and then the line gets all crackly and cuts it self off and you end up having to ring them back a few times.

It's not a good add for blueface or voip.

It's especially annoying when you are onto another sales department and get cut off in the middle of arranging something...

Villain

Earthman have you downloaded the Blueface network test application from http://qualmon.blueface.ie/downloads/BlueFaceNetworkTester.msi

If so what kind of results did you get?

Have you tried any other VOIP provider?

robert muldoon

I have wireless bb and i find trying to use 'skype and blueface useless.The signal is too erractic,does anyone else have similar probs?