OT: Switch telephone to VoIP

I dropped the £9 package and have the basic package at £3.60 / month as my Fritz!Box lets me have multiple connections, has an answerphone and call barring. I connect a "bog standard" DECT base station to this and actually use the Answerphone in that.

Most calls are only 1p/minute so I have only spent 5p so far.

I do have auto top-up enabled. Probably should turn it off... .. my number was transferred from Plusnet without incident...

I am very happy with my voipfone + Fritz!Box combination.

Dave

If IDNET use CGNAT you may have to get a static IP if you go for a proper VOIP package elsewhere otherwise incoming calls may well be a problem in my experience.

That's who I use, reassuringly non-eventful.

If they are a problem, try using STUN settings before forking-out for a static IP

You can set a limit on the per-minute cost of calls separately for UK and international. You can also arrange to be notified when the monthly charge exceeds a value that you choose. If you want to be able to access any UK mobile but block international calls, then a setting of 20p/min for UK and free calls only for international works well. That blocks expensive scam numbers. You can also block incoming calls that do not present a "valid" caller-id. John

The only calls like this I receive tend to come from the NHS ...

Dave

I think both SIP/VOIP and DECT are very much legacy tech. So I don't want to buy any new stuff, DECT or VoIP. If I do, it will be based on being made for the hard of hearing. I think the future is Mobile/WiFi(home WLAN replacing DECT) devices.

Good to know, Mum is also moving from Plusnet.

Thanks.

IDNET automatically gives you a static IPv4 address and a static IPv6 block. No CGNAT.

As an aside, one would have hoped for SIP/VOIP tech providers to embrace IPv6, given how much it simplifies the inherent problems SIP/RTP have with NAT, but it never happened.

IPv6 has been frankly something of a flop. I have had to disable it more often than I have had to use it. IDnet gave me one IP address, but there are 64k *ports* in that space.

Varies per country .fr and .de about 75% adoption .uk approaching 50%

Apart from AAISP.

Some do. A&A for example.

Does she have NHS hearing aids? The latest issue, they tell me, they won't allow me to have another hearing test until next year, when I'll find out for sure, Bluetooth's to moble phones for calls, but not streaming.

Yes Mum has NHS hearing aids,she doesn't use a mobile. She does use an android tablet. She doesn't like wearing hearing aids, so doesn't most of the time. I should investigate what they can do.

I don't really understand hearing aids, they all look fiddly. I wear normal Bluetooth headphones most of the time. Mainly neck band earphones, which I can leave hanging around my neck. I don't know why they don't make hearing aids like that.

There's nothing to understand. Free from the NHS, they seriously boost the frequency range where you have a problem, and restore most normal hearing. Simples.

I got new NHS hearing aids a few months ago. They connect to my phone via Bluetooth for all sounds.

Two drawbacks - phone no longer rings, all you hear is the caller in your ears. And the quality is (understandably) poor for music - but it is heard in stereo.

Connect to Bluetooth. Yes or No?

As far as I know, hearing-aids have to be "medically approved devices" which keeps the price up. Somehow Apple are saying their latest earpods will function as hearing aids.

My point wasn't about the price but about the design. (although the price is of hearing aids is astonishing).

My neckband headphones are comfortable, have a long charge, and are easy to put the buds in and out of my ear for comfort. The hearing aid clip over the ear earpiece is small and fiddly, easy to lose, I would never buy Apple ear-pods either.

I don't care if people know I'm wearing headphones (or hearing aid).