OT: replacing landline with VOIP

[John Rumm]

They did, but they have been offloading all their ADSL customers to TalkTalk and other ISPs IIRC.

[The Natural Philosopher]

When I was using it extensively it was usually BETTER than the landline

- there was always background 'hiss' from the broadband router which wasn't present on the VOIP.

Occasionally it would suffer packet loss that's all.

[Geo]

You might want to check the price of broadband only from VM as it will be about £30 a month instead of your current £17.50(?).

[Dave Liquorice]

That may be an issue, DTMF signalling over VOIP is done as a digital thing not coded audio.

The audio quality of VOIP v POTS via the Gigaset cordless for either is far better on VOIP. Wider bandwidth, I'd hazard a guess at 7.5 kHz, no low level noise, no low level hum, no "a bit on the quiet side". POTS line is 3 miles long. Occasional delayed packets do give short (half a word) dropouts on occasion but that is the only niggle I have with VOIP. I sometimes wonder if it's a function of Sipgate and if another provider wouldn't have the problem.

Delay here is noticeable but not annoying like that of mobiles. The mobile delay is beyond my tolerance level, I only use the mobile if I have to.

Caller ID both ways on VOIP here and I can set what is presented to people I call from the two numbers associated with the VOIP account.

Seems like you had a pretty duff VOIP provider.

[78lp]

Very likely, I never get that with mine.

[Dave Liquorice]

wouldn't

And your VOIP provider is?

[78lp]

Not one that is any use to you, different country entirely.

[Theo Markettos]

+1 Though any SIP client will use data and battery keeping a connection alive if you want incoming calls.

They're quite a useful feature. On an incoming call, all the phones ring. If you're at home, you can pick up a landline extension. If you're not, you can pick up the mobile/laptop/whatever. There's no difference where you take the call from.

Theo

[Nick]

+1. Although with Sipgate I have had audio problems when registering two separate devices through the same router.

One day I hope SIP/RTP fully conquer NAT or ipv6 will make the problem go away. I've only been waiting about 8 years so far.

[John Rumm]

Since you are talking to a wodney sock puppet, it will be Koala comms, in some dust bowl like Jindalee!

[Lobster]

On 01 Nov 2015, Geo grunted:

Hmm. Spot on there, mate: despite the fact that my monthly bill is clearly apportioned into one bundle for cable TV and broadband, and a second for the line rental, it transpires that if I drop the line rental there's absolutely no change in the total sum due. At least I never ported over the number.

Seems bizarre to me - but I suppose from VM's point of view, if I stay a customer it doesn't save them any costs if I switch off my already- installed landline; but if I am effectively compelled to retain it there's a fair chance that someone will unthinkingly use it to make chargeable calls (yes, that would be you, SWMBO!)

[dennis]

Virgin's phones are connected by normal telephone wires and use telephone exchanges the same as BT so it costs them a similar amount to deliver so there is a saving to be made if you don't have it.

However they are like all the others, trying to take as much cash off you as they can.

[tony sayer]

In article , Lobster scribeth thus

IIRC they get a portion of the call revenue on handling incoming so perhaps thats why?.

And landlines are going out of fashion for a lot of younger people who now get their net and phone on their mobile device.

[tony sayer]

Why Dennis?. They have the plant there its installed the cables are there most all use sidecar cable two phone pairs and a co-ax.

They also get a portion of the incoming call revenue so why?.

[dennis]

They don't need as much plant and they don't need to maintain anything.

[Adrian]

No, they aren't.

The virgin cable we had in our old place did telephone, just the same as it did the broadband. We never used it, but it definitely went nowhere near the BT wire.

[Peter Andrews]

Virgin phones ARE connected by normal telephone wires.

The difference is that VM distribute their TV and telephone services to street cabinets using a fibre carrier network. At the street cabinet there is a co-ax cable with a telephone cable (typically two pairs IIRC) built into it that goes to the customers premises, the co-ax delivers the TV and broadband services, the telephone cable delivers the phone line, which has a similar technical interface to that of the BT line, with the possible exception, in some locations, of the delivery of Caller Display Services. VM have similar exchanges to that of BT, i.e. Northern Telecom DMS 100's, Ericsson AXE, Marconi/Plessey System X's, and Nokia. The choice of these depended upon the original cable franchise choice at that time, hence there are significant numbers of NT DMS 100's as there was significant American interest in the original, multiple, cable TV franchises.

Peter