What co best for bb/voip (skype)

justagirl

I live in east meath.... currently with BT ... had the 45 euro package with them but cancelled my bb months ago because it would not work in the evening time (had numerous calls with bt customer service/techies but was told no contention problems etc)...

Now use O2 mobile bb which is working fine...

Now, used skype everyday to calls overseas - I want to buy a skype phone that I can have on all the time even if my laptop is off.

Is my best bet to stay with BT (change my package back to include bb and have to pay for reconnection to bb and then buy one of their modems - only then will they admit fault if I cannot get bb in the evening (used old eircom netopia wireless modem with them), go back to eircom ? (will cost me 29.99 euro reconnection for bb) .... and yes, I wasn't thinking when i cancelled my bb with bt

I'd like to keep landline for other callers but open to any other options that might be out there... Thanks.

RangeR

If you can get wireless internet from the likes of Digiweb or cable internet from the likes of NTL/Chorus, you can dump the landline all together. I know you want to keep the landline for other callers but....

Open a Blueface account BEFORE you cancle your line rental. Get Blueface to port your existing phone number over to their service. So when anybody calls your old number, it will actually go over the blueface service, through your internet connection, to your phone [other hardware required which blueface can supply, or you purchase]. This is MUCH better than Skype.

Biro

Check if you can get Smart in your area. If you can, then that's your best option. 3MB uncontended for 15.95 a month plus rental, meaning no more slowness in the evenings or anytime!
Alternatively get Irish Broadband as suggested above, 2MB connection.

RangeR

Biro wrote: »

Alternatively get Irish Broadband as suggested above

To be clear, I DIDN'T suggest Irish Broadband

justagirl

Biro wrote: »

Check if you can get Smart in your area. If you can, then that's your best option. 3MB uncontended for 15.95 a month plus rental, meaning no more slowness in the evenings or anytime!
Alternatively get Irish Broadband as suggested above, 2MB connection.

Thanks, but Smart not available in my area unfortunately.

justagirl

IrishTLR wrote: »

If you can get wireless internet from the likes of Digiweb or cable internet from the likes of NTL/Chorus, you can dump the landline all together. I know you want to keep the landline for other callers but....

Open a Blueface account BEFORE you cancle your line rental. Get Blueface to port your existing phone number over to their service. So when anybody calls your old number, it will actually go over the blueface service, through your internet connection, to your phone [other hardware required which blueface can supply, or you purchase]. This is MUCH better than Skype.

Thanks for detailed reply. I can't get Chorus or NTL. I can get DSL from Digiweb but I still need a phone line - so would pay 24.95 on top of line rental of 25.36 = 50.31.

I have considered Blueface before .. .. but ... I am 'afraid' (:rolleyes:) to get rid of my landline altogether (in case of emergencies :rolleyes:) - this would be a good option because it would mean paying just 24.99 and all calls would be free (I'd call local/national/New Zealand and the States a lot) .....and i'd use my 02 mobile thingy for broadband....

So if I get blue face... is it reliable?... do I need to have my laptop turned on ?...or do you just have to have your blueface modem turned on?.. are there any disadvantages ...?... do the people who call me need to buy any particular equipment as well?... (sorry for all questions). Thanks for reply.

RangeR

justagirl wrote: »

Thanks for detailed reply. I can't get Chorus or NTL. I can get DSL from Digiweb but I still need a phone line - so would pay 24.95 on top of line rental of 25.36 = 50.31.

I have considered Blueface before .. .. but ... I am 'afraid' (:rolleyes:) to get rid of my landline altogether (in case of emergencies :rolleyes:) - this would be a good option because it would mean paying just 24.99 and all calls would be free (I'd call local/national/New Zealand and the States a lot) .....and i'd use my 02 mobile thingy for broadband....

So if I get blue face... is it reliable?... do I need to have my laptop turned on ?...or do you just have to have your blueface modem turned on?.. are there any disadvantages ...?... do the people who call me need to buy any particular equipment as well?... (sorry for all questions). Thanks for reply.

Is it reliable? It's not 100% reliable, but neither is Eircom. I hate to say it but physical phone lines [eircom etc] will ALWAYS be more reliable than ANY VoIP [including Skype].

What I CAN tell you, is about my personal usage of Blueface. I have had Chorus and then Digiweb at my place of residence for over a year combined. I think I've had 3 drop outs in that time. 2 of them were because the broadband dropped [Chorus] and once because Blueface dropped.

It has been VERY reliable other than those times. Other than email, it is our primary means of contact for the business.100% of our calls come oin through our blueface account. We have no landline.

You do NOT need to have your laptop on for blueface to work [but you could if you wanted]. If you don't want to use your laptop for it you have two main choices.

1. Buy a VoIP [not Skype rubbish] phone. This is a network device [which just happens to be in the shape of a phone ] and plugs into your network, just like your computer does.

2. Purchase an ATA like this one [Prices vary and blueface can provide a pre-configured one.]. You then plug your ATA into your network and plug your existing normal analog phone into the ATA. The ATA converts your normal phone into a VoIP unit. Hint : If you go down this route, buy a DECT unit so you can walk all over the house or into the garden while on your VoIP call. Cool.

After dumping my phone line [after eircom screwed over Smart Telecom], I don't think I will EVER look back at not using a normal landline for calls. The only exception is if Smart open up the exchange in Naas. They have the fastest speeds for low money and no usage caps.

Worries : If you have a powercut, your gone. The only way around that is to purchase backup batteries [UPS] and hook up your router, phones etc to it.

Worries : All of the Blueface packages DO NOT include mobile phone calls. If you want to ring mobile phones, you have to top-up your account with some pre-pay credit. This is very easy through paypal, though. And their mobile rates are quite competitive.

I won't hide it, I'm a fan


EDIT : Sorry, just saw your last questions. People would ring you as if they were ringing any other normal number. There is no difference. It's just a phone number.

EDIT2 : Actually, you get 3 "phone" numbers. A Geographic number : This is a phone number you would be used to like 01xxxxxxx for Dublin or 021xxxxxxx for Cork etc. You also get an 076 number. This is [as far as I know] the prefix for VoIP calls. These calls are free for certain VoIP users [I think]. If your friends [whatever] are on Blueface, they can just call your "account number". This is a free call also. For example, if you dialled 33447 from your blueface phone, you would get through to my business for free, rather than dialing our LoCall 1890 number.

RangeR

justagirl wrote: »

Thanks for detailed reply. I can't get Chorus or NTL. I can get DSL from Digiweb but I still need a phone line - so would pay 24.95 on top of line rental of 25.36 = 50.31.

Can you get Digiweb Metro [Wireless]? No land line needed?

justagirl

IrishTLR wrote: »

Can you get Digiweb Metro [Wireless]? No land line needed?

When i put in my area.... only dsl is coming up as an option.... unfortunately.

justagirl

IrishTLR wrote: »

Is it reliable? It's not 100% reliable, but neither is Eircom. I hate to say it but physical phone lines [eircom etc] will ALWAYS be more reliable than ANY VoIP [including Skype].

What I CAN tell you, is about my personal usage of Blueface. I have had Chorus and then Digiweb at my place of residence for over a year combined. I think I've had 3 drop outs in that time. 2 of them were because the broadband dropped [Chorus] and once because Blueface dropped.

It has been VERY reliable other than those times. Other than email, it is our primary means of contact for the business.100% of our calls come oin through our blueface account. We have no landline.

You do NOT need to have your laptop on for blueface to work [but you could if you wanted]. If you don't want to use your laptop for it you have two main choices.

1. Buy a VoIP [not Skype rubbish] phone. This is a network device [which just happens to be in the shape of a phone ] and plugs into your network, just like your computer does.

2. Purchase an ATA like this one [Prices vary and blueface can provide a pre-configured one.]. You then plug your ATA into your network and plug your existing normal analog phone into the ATA. The ATA converts your normal phone into a VoIP unit. Hint : If you go down this route, buy a DECT unit so you can walk all over the house or into the garden while on your VoIP call. Cool.

After dumping my phone line [after eircom screwed over Smart Telecom], I don't think I will EVER look back at not using a normal landline for calls. The only exception is if Smart open up the exchange in Naas. They have the fastest speeds for low money and no usage caps.

Worries : If you have a powercut, your gone. The only way around that is to purchase backup batteries [UPS] and hook up your router, phones etc to it.

Worries : All of the Blueface packages DO NOT include mobile phone calls. If you want to ring mobile phones, you have to top-up your account with some pre-pay credit. This is very easy through paypal, though. And their mobile rates are quite competitive.

I won't hide it, I'm a fan


EDIT : Sorry, just saw your last questions. People would ring you as if they were ringing any other normal number. There is no difference. It's just a phone number.

EDIT2 : Actually, you get 3 "phone" numbers. A Geographic number : This is a phone number you would be used to like 01xxxxxxx for Dublin or 021xxxxxxx for Cork etc. You also get an 076 number. This is [as far as I know] the prefix for VoIP calls. These calls are free for certain VoIP users [I think]. If your friends [whatever] are on Blueface, they can just call your "account number". This is a free call also. For example, if you dialled 33447 from your blueface phone, you would get through to my business for free, rather than dialing our LoCall 1890 number.

Sounds very good.... i'm going to go onto their site now and mill it over... isn't it just so silly being afraid to get rid of my landline..!... crazy stuff!....

So with the 076 number..... I could move overseas and use this number from there?... say for example, my relatives - cud they have a blueface account but not live in ireland and use the voip too (hope that makes sense). Also, if power goes down , I can't just get an old type plug in phone and plug it into the wall... I presume this wouldn't work....

justagirl

IrishTLR...

Sorry...and sincere apologies.... am getting myself all confused (which is not difficult these days!)...

I need an 'internet connection' i.e. broadband to use Blueface?... is that right? and if so, can I used Blueface over my existing 02 mobile bb ?..

SkepticOne

justagirl wrote: »

So with the 076 number..... I could move overseas and use this number from there?... say for example, my relatives - cud they have a blueface account but not live in ireland and use the voip too (hope that makes sense). Also, if power goes down , I can't just get an old type plug in phone and plug it into the wall... I presume this wouldn't work....

If Blueface give you a local number (e.g. Dublin 01) you can also move overseas and use this number.

If both your and your relatives have VoIP accounts (they don't need to be necessarily with the same company) it is possible to set up free calls. Even without accounts it is possible to call specially configured devices directly over the internet.

It is true that if power goes down you can't use the phone unless you have some sort of battery backup powering both the VoIP equipment and the broadband connection. Keep a mobile charged for emergencies.

justagirl

[QUOTE=If both your and your relatives have VoIP accounts (they don't need to be necessarily with the same company) it is possible to set up free calls. Even without accounts it is possible to call specially configured devices directly over the internet.
[/QUOTE]

Txs SkepticOne for answering those questions.

So I could use blueface to call someone on Skype?

Also, I need to have internet access (i.e. broadband) first before I can use Blueface?.

justagirl

justagirl wrote: »

Also, I need to have internet access (i.e. broadband) first before I can use Blueface?.

Sorry, just checked Blueface website... so I get it... I need wireless internet connection/or cable ... in order to use Blueface whilst not needing a landline.....

So basically my question now is can I use Blueface over my 02 3g mobile thingy? ... (If thats the same question... I apologise)...

RangeR

justagirl wrote: »

Txs SkepticOne for answering those questions.

So I could use blueface to call someone on Skype?

I have no idea. If Skype give you a normal Irish phone number [01 for Dublin etc], then yes. If you can call your SKYPE buydies from your mobile or landline, then you can call them from blueface. SKYPE is not real VoIP. It only really works with other SKYPE accounts.

Also, I need to have internet access (i.e. broadband) first before I can use Blueface?.

Yes. You need broadband.

RangeR

justagirl wrote: »

Sorry, just checked Blueface website... so I get it... I need wireless internet connection/or cable ... in order to use Blueface whilst not needing a landline.....

So basically my question now is can I use Blueface over my 02 3g mobile thingy? ... (If thats the same question... I apologise)...

If you're O2 / 3G thingy is connected to your laptop, it SHOULD be able to use Blueface.

Head over to the blueface forums and ask that question. There are a lot of tech savvy users over there that might have tried that.

RangeR

justagirl wrote: »

isn't it just so silly being afraid to get rid of my landline..!... crazy stuff!....

It's not crazy at all. I mulled it over for months before I changed. I still had BT at the time, so tried blueface for a month before dumping BT. It worked great. I've never looked back and saved a fortune for the business.

SkepticOne

justagirl wrote: »

Txs SkepticOne for answering those questions.

So I could use blueface to call someone on Skype?

If skype provides them with a standard phone number (SkypeIn) then you can dial this using blueface. Not the standard Skype account though.

Since, however, it is possible for Skype to call an ordinary number (for a fee) such as one provided by Blueface. But you are losing the benefits of completely free calls.

Also, I need to have internet access (i.e. broadband) first before I can use Blueface?.

Broadband makes the most sense since it is always on and data charges (if any) are negligible for VoIP. You don't need the highest speed line available.

justagirl

SkepticOne wrote: »

If skype provides them with a standard phone number (SkypeIn) then you can dial this using blueface. Not the standard Skype account though.

Since, however, it is possible for Skype to call an ordinary number (for a fee) such as one provided by Blueface. But you are losing the benefits of completely free calls.
Broadband makes the most sense since it is always on and data charges (if any) are negligible for VoIP. You don't need the highest speed line available.

Fab - thanks for questions answered Skeptic one.... got myself confused there for a bit... but think I'm with it now... - appreciate it.

justagirl

IrishTLR wrote: »

It's not crazy at all. I mulled it over for months before I changed. I still had BT at the time, so tried blueface for a month before dumping BT. It worked great. I've never looked back and saved a fortune for the business.

Thanks IrishTLR for answering all those questions.... very much appreciated.

I think I'll keep my BT too, like you did, and checkout blueface for a while before getting rid of BT ... I'll put a thread on the blueface forum as suggested and ask about 02 3G mobile internet and compatibility with blueface....if its not compatible I'll return back to BT broadband as their package would suit me....I'll post back here when I get an answer.

I really like the idea of having an 076 number... being able to 'take it with you' wherever you go to live around the world...good stuff.:)