VOIP: Ireland to UK

peejay1986

We're going to be moving home to Ireland this summer and since my girlfriend is Irish I'm looking at ways for her to make calls home (anytime) to her family in the UK.

My mother uses Vodafone's international calls package on her home phone and I found that very good, but we'd be with Eircom (no other choice at the minute) and they don't seem to offer anything similar, without the usage being limited.

VOIP has been offered as a solution but I've no experience of it apart from Skype, and I don't want to have to be by a computer when using it. We'll be on Eircom's 24mb package so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Johnboy1951

I know this is a bit of overload, but were good references when I was making a decision ...

http://backsla.sh/betamax

http://www.resellerjapan.com/voip/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65&Itemid=38

I presently use VoipWise, although there are cheaper ones there. It has never let me down.

I pay about €12 for use on mobile calls and others that are not in the 'free' package, and while some of that remains I have free landline calls for 90 from date of payment.

Most European countries, Aus, Canada, USA are included in the free calls package.

There are also call packages with hardware ..... from the likes of Blueface which might suit you better.

I use a DECT phone for calls ... no PC required ..... the phone plugs into an ATA which in turn is plugged into the router.

I have an Eircom landline supplying broadband and make no calls on their tel service.

You will find much reading on this forum about it.

Good luck with your decision

voipman

Hi there,

You have a number of ways to address this:

Option 1

a) Open a VoIPtalk account - www.voiptalk.org. VoIPtalk's service uses standalone IP phones so you don't need a PC to use the service.

b) Get a standalone IP phone which plugs into your broadband router:

http://www.voiptalk.org/products/Desk+Phones

or get a DECT VoIP phone:

http://www.voiptalk.org/products/Gigaset+N300+Base+and+A510+Handset+Bundle

c) Top up your account with VoIPtalk prepay call credit.

d) Start making calls to the UK at 1.4p per minute.

Option 2

Similar to above but sign up for Prepay Silver which is £3.99 per month and you get to make calls for 1p per minute to most places in Europe.

http://www.voiptalk.org/products/Prepay+Silver+Package

Option 3
This option is useful if you are only ever going to call one destination.
With this option you don't need an IP phone. You still sign up for a VoIPtalk account but you then buy an Irish telephone number from the following link:

http://www.voiptalk.org/products/European+Numbers

You then set the Irish number to divert to your UK number. You then top up your account as specified above. Then when you dial your local number (which is probably very cheap to call) you will be connected to the UK landline number at 1.4p per minute.

Hopefully that all makes sense :-)

Johnboy1951

One additional comment ....

when choosing the hardware for VOIP ..... whether an IP phone or a combination ATA and standard phone (DECT or not), I would advise getting a set up that allows the registration of more than one VOIP service at the same time.

Coupled with a dial plan this will allow you to future-proof your use ....... you can use either service, depending on the charges for different types of calls ...... automatically select the service to use, based on destination.

voipman

Yep, good point. Most IP phones allow registration to more than one service.

Also check if the provider allows multiple registrations. With VoIPtalk you can register up to 5 devices at the same time so it means if you get an incoming call you can have it ringing in 5 completely separate locations.

SimonMcCann

Hi,

There is some good solid advice in the previous posts. What I would recommend is that you use a VoIP phone such as the Siemens Gigaset A510IP

http://eaglevision.ie/xcs/prodshow/Siemens_Gigaset_A510IP/A510IP.html

That will allow you to register up to 6 different SIP accounts (and also use the landline if required). This way you can register with multiple VoIP providers offering cheap UK rates:

http://progx.ch/home-voip-prixbetamax-3-1-2.html

peejay1986

Thank you everyone for the advice. Really appreciate it!

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Been really crazy sorting out the move and just now getting back to sorting this. I think what I'm swaying towards is this VOIPTalk package, mentioned earlier in the thread.

http://www.voiptalk.org/products/Prepay+Silver+Package

Just want to clarify. With this we'd get a UK number we could give to people in the UK? So then they could call at local rates? Then, if we need to phone the UK, we do so at the VOIPTalk rate?

If that's all correct then this sounds ideal! My girlfriend's family would all have inclusive local/national calls in their home phone deals, so we might not need to phone out at all - or at least, very rarely!



**Should also point out that my girlfriend is English and not Irish as I'd previously stated. I should know this by now haha!**

Mr. G

If you oppen an account with voiptalk or anyother uk voip provider, such as sipgate and you get a uk number, you should be able to connect to it here in ireland and dial locally as if you were in the uk. So you wouldn't have to dial +44 before the number at all.

You may need a uk address for a uk number though.

peejay1986

Mr_Grumpy wrote: »

If you oppen an account with voiptalk or anyother uk voip provider, such as sipgate and you get a uk number, you should be able to connect to it here in ireland and dial locally as if you were in the uk. So you wouldn't have to dial +44 before the number at all.

You may need a uk address for a uk number though.

Do you mean I'd have to be living in the UK or just have access to a UK address? Could get one of them no problem.

Mr. G

peejay1986 wrote: »

Do you mean I'd have to be living in the UK or just have access to a UK address? Could get one of them no problem.

Just have access to one.

Mr. G

Just so you know here is the irish regulations for purchasing geographic and non geographic numbers:

Customers purchasing products that include Irish geographic PSTN numbers acknowledge that they are normally resident in the Irish geographic MNA (Minimum Numbering Area) that the number is requested for. It is in contravention of the Irish Communications Regulatory body directives to subscribe to a geographic PSTN number if you are not normally resident in the MNA of the Irish geographic number allocated to you.

Customers purchasing products that include Ireland 076 VoIP numbers acknowledge that they are normally resident in Ireland or have a strong and genuine link with Ireland. It is in contravention of the Irish Communications Regulatory body directives to subscribe to an Irish 076 VoIP number if you do not meet one of the above conditions.

drmcg9

Check VoipYo. It offers 3c for Uk mobiles and 1c for landlines. But there are limitations for its use - could be used only by mobiles with android, symbian, or ios. Also, it works out cheap for mobiles with WiFi and if the same WiFi is used for making calls through VoipYo. You can find out more at www.VoipYo.com. I have been using it since 6 months.

MarkK

My hint is when getting a UK landline number get a Northern Ireland "028 xxxx xxxx" number.

Most RoI phone companies allow you to call NI numbers using the "048" Northern Ireland short code (i.e. 048 xxxx xxxx) and charge at the 'inland' telephone rate.

matt-dublin

or this for €14 a month?
http://www.upc.ie/phone/freetimeworld/

ResearchWill

I am amazed no one has mentioned Skype, with a Skype out and a Skype in number. I have Skype world with a skype in number for my family in Aus to dial a local Sydney number. Skype world I'd currently 9.99 a month while Skype in number is €25 a year I think. Skype Europe which will cover all land line calls to uk as well as all diverted calls from Skype to your landline is I think €3.99. The huge advantage is you don't need a VoIP phone or even s computer. If you have a mobile phone with unlimited landline calls then you can use your Skype out number to ring family.

Solair

Quick question - how come you're stuck with eircom?

You can setup a new line with *ANY* landline provider. Just order it directly from them. Eircom Wholesale will activate it on their behalf.

A lot of people still seem to think they need to order a new line from Eircom then switch, which leaves you stuck in an eircom minimum contract period sometimes, especially if you also order broadband.

For VoIP
Blueface do UK & Ireland unlimited for €14.99/month
& options mentioned above.

Bear in mind that you do actually need to purchase a SIP phone or ATA to plug your existing phone in.

The other really good solution is Tesco Mobile. www.tescomobile.ie
You can call UK landlines for 1 cent per minute on it on prepay.

E-mobile also offer free unlimited landline calls on many of their prepay packages, so you can use any of the dial-in services that use landline numbers at access them.

peejay1986

Solair wrote: »

Quick question - how come you're stuck with eircom?

It's a strange set up here in the house. Without going in to the ins/outs we're stuck in a contract with Eircom. Not that I mind because it's with their Business plan rather than Residential so the standard is far better.

I think we've settled on VOIPTalk's Silver Package

https://www.voiptalk.org/products/Prepay+Silver+Package

What we're going to do is select a Northern Ireland local number when we sign up. That should allow both my family in Republic, and my gf's family in the UK, to call using their inclusive minutes. Unless I've misjudged everything!

Solair wrote: »

Bear in mind that you do actually need to purchase a SIP phone or ATA to plug your existing phone in.

I was under the impression that we could just buy an adapter for our current DECT phone? That not the case?

Solair wrote: »

The other really good solution is Tesco Mobile. www.tescomobile.ie
You can call UK landlines for 1 cent per minute on it on prepay.

E-mobile also offer free unlimited landline calls on many of their prepay packages, so you can use any of the dial-in services that use landline numbers at access them.

Was unaware of these. Must look in to them as we are researching mobile phone options at the minute.

Johnboy1951

Quote:
Originally Posted by Solair
Bear in mind that you do actually need to purchase a SIP phone or ATA to plug your existing phone in.

I was under the impression that we could just buy an adapter for our current DECT phone? That not the case?

That is what the ATA is ...... an Analogue Telephone Adapter.

Mr. G

Just check with eircom to see if northern irish numbers are included in your bundle.

I'm not sure about the number requirements in the uk, technically its possible, legally is another story as ofcom have different regulations over there.

Would it not be easier to get a blueface trial and buy an ata and use that to make calls over there? You can just ring them.

ardmacha

Just check with eircom to see if northern irish numbers are included in your bundle.

All landlines will be in any bundle.

Not relevant to the mobiles, and not relevant if you have a bundle and want to use it, but from landlines Telesaver is a good deal without any setup whatsoever. You can call lots of countries by calling a 1890 local call number
http://www.telesaver.ie/index2.php

peejay1986

Mr_Grumpy wrote: »

Just check with eircom to see if northern irish numbers are included in your bundle.

I'm not sure about the number requirements in the uk, technically its possible, legally is another story as ofcom have different regulations over there.

Would it not be easier to get a blueface trial and buy an ata and use that to make calls over there? You can just ring them.

Checked the bundles in UK and Ireland Northern Ireland seems to be included in both. Happy days!!

Just in the process of looking for an ATA. Anyone any suggestions? Prices seem to vary from €10 to €100+. Really not sure what I need. It's only for home use.

Mr. G

Have a look on ebay. I managed to get a linksys pap2t for €25 and that was from Ireland.

They generally would cost about €35 delivered.

An ata allows you connect a phone to it so you need a regular phone as well. If you don't have a regular landline phone to use, you should get an ip phone. These are like skype phones.

I got an ip phone on ebay for €35 a year ago, I still have it, but you can get better ones like the cisco new business ones which cost more (which really do last).

Blueface sell them for about €75, and you can get them in the Car Phone Warehouse.

What your looking for is a sip ata. Generally they are all sip protocol, but the nortel ones for example are not sip. Its usually in the description.

Grandstream are just crap. Go for linksys or cisco. What you want is a linksys ata, they are all going to do sip and simple to setup.

drmcg9

Take a Lyca sim. Lyca Ireland to Lyca UK is one cent. Lyca UK to Lyca Ireland is currently free. No VOIPS, no internet, etc.