VOIP comparison

I

igmarr

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Hi all

I want to compare various VOIP offerings, having lost way to much down the Telkom drain!

I want something that allows me to have a handheld phone, with base station that plugs into my Wireless router Mega105.

I am interested in VOIPraider and the likes, not sure if they only support calls from your PC?

In any case, I feel it is high time that we put a meaningful comparison together on the subject of VOIP - there are smart people out there that has been using this for some time now......


Igmar
 
The Betamax companies (Voipraider, 12Voip, Voipstunt etc.) probably offer the cheapest international rates. Unfortunately the free/cheap softphone rates on Voipraider and 12Voip increase if you use a SIP based device. There is a comparison of the rates for the different services at www.backsla.sh/betamax.
 
Thanks for your reply, but I struggle to get that link to work.....
There are so may options and configurations out there.I want a SIP set-up, I have a Telkom Mega105WR router, what type of VOIP handset do I need for this?

The Siemens C450 looks nice, but am not sure how this will combine with the router from Telkom? How do I sign up for a VOIP account, if I use the phone directly through the router?

Igmar
 
The Siemens C450 IP will work with any router; you just need one spare ethernet port.

It's a nice, lightweight phone with excellent indoor and outdoor range. With my base station indoors, I was easily able to stroll around my complex whilst mid-call without degradation in call quality. Only downside is it only supports one call at a time, so no call-waiting and no putting a call on hold to take another. It also doesn't support SIP transfers (not an issue for individual use but tricky in an office/switchboard setup).

If you get your Siemens C450 IP from Switch Telecom (www.switchtel.co.za), it will be pre-configured with the SIP account details; just plug it in and start making calls and receiving calls on your 087 number.

If you want to use one of the international providers, the Siemens IP models have a quick-configure wizard with settings for a number of service providers which may help if your service provider is one of those listed. Check the Siemens Gigaset web-site details for info. Remember, it's the "C450 IP", not the "C450". The latter is the virtually identical looking non-VoIP model.
 
@Igmar: I'm not sure what the problem was with that link but it seems to be working again.

Telkom also supplies a Voip router called a Mega 200VWR. I'm not exactly sure whether you can choose between the Mega 105WR and the Mega 200VWR when you take a contract but it seems that some customers are being given this router. You should be able to plug any normal POTS phone (including cordless) directly into the Voip router and configure the SIP settings via a web browser. If you don't have a Voip router you can purchase an ATA (analog telephone adapter) which can be connected to a normal router such as the Mega 105WR. Another option is to purchase something like the Siemens C450 IP phone which can also be connected to the Mega 105WR router and functions like a cordless phone connected to an ATA. The last option is probably the most expensive though as the C450 seems to cost >R1500. Apparently you can buy similar products though such as the Targa 450 for around 36 Euros in Europe.

Another option which doesn't require any extra hardware such as ATAs or telephones etc. would be to use the callback feature offered by the Betamax providers. You can go to their website and type in two landline numbers to connect the call via your standard Telkom phone. You would either need to have a computer switched on or a suitable cell phone to access the web page to connect the calls though. I have been using Voipstunt for close on three years - either via the PC softphone or via my normal landline. The landline to landline option usually gives better quality than the softphone. If you don't need to make a large number of international calls (>5 hours per month) then a service like www.Voipbusterpro.com or www.bopcall.com might be a better choice. Bopcall accepts payment in Rands which is a big advantage.

Before purchasing any additional hardware test out some of the Betamax services to see how they perform. Voipraider, 12Voip, Voipstunt etc. normally provide 1 hour's worth of free international calls etc. if you download their softphone. You need to carefully choose the most cost effective service depending on your requirements i.e. Voipraider only provides 90 free days of service and higher SIP rates for a 10 Euro payment whereas Voipstunt gives 120 free days although the softphone/callback VS rates tend to be higher. Voipbusterpro gives 365 days worth of service but levies a 3.9 Euro cents charge per call and only provides 5 Euro worth of call credit for a 10 Euro payment. There is also an additional 5 Euro cent charge per call for using the callback service on all of the services.

How to setup a SIP device
http://www.voipstunt.com/en/sipp.html
Voipraider SIP rates??
http://www.voipraider.com/en/freetrial.html
Linksys PAP2T ATA
http://www.pcmall.co.za/moreinfo.asp?sku=PAP2T#FullSpecifications
Targa 450
http://www.targa.nl/index.jsp?SID=0&NAV=236&PCAT=4&PTUBE=24&PROD=339
 
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