# Advice on voip setup please



## fimel (2 Sep 2013)

Hi everyone

looking for some advice re home phone setup.  Just had satellite broadband installed and looking at using voip.  Has anyone any recommendation in regard to dsl router and voip ata so i can use traditional phones and avoid eircom for good.  Been looking at a TP-link TL-WR841ND router and the cisco ata 186 just not sure that their compatible etc  any advice gratefully received!

thanks for any help

Fimel


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## dam099 (2 Sep 2013)

DSL is completely different technology to satellite (DSL is over Eircom phone line or their resellers) so a DSL router is not what you need, you need something with a WAN port you can connect to your satellite modem. By all accounts VOIP is flaky at best over satellite due to latency although I've no personal experience to confirm.

Edit: I think the router you mention isn't actually DSL at all so would possibly do the trick, latency issues excepted.


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## fimel (2 Sep 2013)

Thanks for gettin back to me, sorry to pick your brain but I've just been told about dual purpose devices, specifically a cisco spa122 which is both ata & router and was wondering would this be a viable alternative.  Thanks for your help

Regards


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## dam099 (3 Sep 2013)

fimel said:


> Thanks for gettin back to me, sorry to pick your brain but I've just been told about dual purpose devices, specifically a cisco spa122 which is both ata & router and was wondering would this be a viable alternative.  Thanks for your help
> 
> Regards



Not familiar with the devices so can't comment though should be a viable option. Before shelling out for any hardware though I'd try using a soft phone and trial VOIP account on your computer to test whether its possible on your satellite connection.


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## fimel (3 Sep 2013)

Hi

Sorry for delay in getting back to you, I've already tried ekiga from machine plugged directly into modem & its certainly workable, yep there is some lagtime but its usable.  To be honest just need a traditional phone setup so others can just pick up the phone as they do now, helps as well with the bonus of no line rental, sipgate account doesn't charge for incoming calls and has seriously cheaper call rates anyway, plus can have a UK number so no more international calls for buddies over there to call me.   Theoretically win win situation if i can get it working-hopefully!!!  Ordered it now anyhow so will let you know how it goes

cheers for your help!!

Regards


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## Floorplan (4 Sep 2013)

Not sure if it is any use- but have you looked at Maxroam? You can get a sim for an unlocked mobile with a landline number attached. The number can be Irish or UK number for example. Google them- they are Irish based.

No connection.


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## dub_nerd (5 Sep 2013)

fimel said:


> Hi everyone
> 
> looking for some advice re home phone setup. Just had satellite broadband installed and looking at using voip. Has anyone any recommendation in regard to dsl router and voip ata so i can use traditional phones and avoid eircom for good. Been looking at a TP-link TL-WR841ND router and the cisco ata 186 just not sure that their compatible etc any advice gratefully received!
> 
> ...


 
Hi fimel,

I’ve been using voip for years and years, including over DSL, over satellite, and over 3G. I’ve used standalone ATAs, combined routers and ATAs, dedicated voip phones, apps on smartphones, and soft phones. I’ve used a couple of different voip providers. And I’ve set the stuff up for myself and family in three different countries. Here are a few pointers.

Your broadband connection.
-----------------------------------
It sounds like you have already checked this out. I would normally advise to run a few speed tests (www.speedtest.net) and line quality tests (www.pingtest.net) at different times of day to check the reliability of your line. Without a reliable connection, voip will be a pain. Some providers actively scramble voip. You said you have a new satellite connection which I presume is the new Ku-band probably branded as Tooway? In that case, voip will probably work fine and reliably, but with a noticeable lag that will be a tiny bit irksome but usable. (I've been using it since it launched two years ago, but I wouldn’t like to be doing telesales over it, mind; also I've recently added a very good 3G connection and the lower latency is a noticeable relief). Check it out with a softphone. I recommend X-Lite from www.counterpath.com (it’s tucked away at the very bottom right of their products page – they prefer you to buy one of their paid products, speaking of which, their Bria app for iPhone or Android is good). Anyway, I think you have done all this and it works?

Your hardware
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I like to keep my telephone and router hardware separate, so I prefer to plug an ATA into whatever router I’m using. If you have any problems it’s easier to replace one or the other. For instance, a combined DSL router with ATA ports is no use to you in future if you switch broadband connection types. Nevertheless I’ve done it with that sort of router (I hacked a Belgian router which was preconfigured to talk to Belgacomm, to use a different vsp). For the absolute simplest ATA to configure, with the most basic function, I’ve always liked the Linksys PAP2, which is now Cisco … have a look at http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009WKZMZC . Plug in an analog phone, five minutes configuration, and you're up and running. If you want added functionality such as being able to select between voip and normal PSTN line, and also router functionality, there are things like http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000TSJ5JK/ . But you will need to be happy doing much more complex configuration. If you want to deal with a supplier in Ireland, blueface used to sell what you need ( http://www.blueface.ie/our-hardware.php ) but I’m not sure if they sell just a plain old ATA anymore. For something more snazzy you can look at IP phones from amazon or pixmania. I have dealt twice with this crowd: http://www.ligo.co.uk/ and found them good. I’ve bought two sets of twin Siemen’s Gigaset IP cordless DECT phones (about €120) and have been very happy with them for several years. The model I bought has been replaced – just make sure it’s got IP in the name, since there are also Gigaset phones that are not voip. The IP phones have a base station that plugs into your router via Ethernet, and also optionally into your PSTN line. There are from 1 to 6 cordless handsets. At one location, I’ve configured mine to route outgoing mobile calls via my UPC landline (because I have an “Anywhere 150” package which I make sure to use only on expensive mobile calls) and everything else via another vsp which gives me landline and international calls practically for free. Anyway, there are many, many different IP phone brands ... I've only tried the Gigasets.

For routers, I guess you have already figured out that your satellite modem gives you plain old Ethernet, so any old wireless router + 4 port switch will do. I don't know your TP-Link model, I always buy Linksys/Cisco, but I'd imagine yours is just fine. Also I'm sure your Cisco 186 ATA will be fine, but again I don't know the specific model. The PAP2 replacement is even cheaper if you want basic functionality.

Your vsp
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Which provider you use depends on whether you need an incoming number to receive calls. In all the setups I’ve done bar one, there’s been a separate incoming line for receiving calls, whether eircom, UPC, or other. If you do not have a PSTN line and rely on voip alone, be aware of possible restrictions such as not being able to dial 18xx- and other special purpose numbers. Also you will have no phone in the case of a power outage, whereas with a PSTN line and old-style analog phone, you will. With a decent IP phone or ATA you can set it up so that your incoming PSTN calls ring on the same handset as you use for Voip. With the very simplest ATA that might not be possible. However, if you use a vsp that gives you a number, then both incoming and outgoing will be over ip. The problem is, I’ve found that the cheapest vsp’s are ones which don’t do phone numbers in Ireland. You’ll have to decide based on your needs. (I will point out, completely anecdotally, that I had call quality issues over satellite with blueface.ie that I didn't have with other providers. I never got to the bottom of why, unless it's something to do with the fact that the satellite earth station, and hence first point of routing to internet, is in Italy. May have been completely specific to my setup, no disrespect to blueface intended). The ones I’ve found the absolute cheapest are the plethora of services operated by a weird Swiss/German firm called Betamax. Here is a complete list of the call rates on all their services, updated regularly by a helpful hacker: http://backsla.sh/betamax . Just bear in mind, some of their services can only be used via a downloadable application and not configured as regular SIP. Also some don’t allow automatic top-up using a credit card. After experimenting with a few, I’ve been using www.poivy.com for years. The rates are simply crazy cheap. I used to get two-monthly Eircom bills of €200-300 for call charges alone (plus another €150 for line rental and broadband), which included dozens of hours to the UK. I now spend about one euro per week on calls. I have no idea how a Swiss provider can provide Irish mobile calls for a half to a third the price that Irish mobile providers do (and I mostly don’t even pay that because of the UPC routing thing I mentioned). If you want to use poivy you’ll have to download their application to create an account initially, but thereafter you can configure it on your SIP device. I should point out that their customer support is practically non-existent, but I've only ever had one or two problems which I was able to resolve myself.

Hope this helps. Any questions, just shout. (P.S. I have no connections whatsoever to any of the companies I mentioned, other than as a customer).


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## Leo (5 Sep 2013)

Great post dub_nerd!


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