What's VOIP?

[Solarian]

I have recently been spamming multiple internet sites with a pathetic attempt to promote a VOIP telco.

I wonder if this site is stupid enough to fall for it?

Thank you.

I have recently received a telemarketing phone call from a lady who stated she works for Puke Telco, a new phone company on the market. She also said they have low rates to call Europe and a very good connection by VOIP (Internet). The conversation was in may native language which is German, that's why I was amazed. She also gave me her phone number to call back if I would like to sign with Puke Telco. I wonder how this VOIP works, cuz I don't have any idea what does it mean. And by the way, do you have any reviews for this provider?
Thank you.

[ORAC]

Voice Over Internet Protocol.

It's Skype and it's equivalents. Some just have software to put on your PC, others provide handsets/adapters to plug into your router.

I worked abroad for about 10 years and had a Vonage account with a box I could plug into any network router and a mobile for joining any available/free WiFi net. Gave me my own UK local phone number usable from anywhere in the world and also had voice mail.

[green granite]

Be aware though that with VOIP if you have a power cut you have no phone. Also dialling 999 is a problem (or it used to be)

[call100]

Originally Posted by Solarian

I have recently been spamming multiple internet sites with a pathetic attempt to promote a VOIP telco.

I wonder if this site is stupid enough to fall for it?

Thank you.

Looks like they might be!!!

[Saab Dastard]

Don't worry Call100,

I'm just having a little fun. Not that I expect Solarian to ever grace us with his / her presence ever again.

I found that text (apart from the name, of course - changed slightly) on at least 4 other internet sites.

I call it spam.

SD

[mixture]

gg,

Be aware though that with VOIP if you have a power cut you have no phone

Most people have a mobile phone these days....so your disaster recovery plan is thus :

(1) Put down VoIP phone that you are temporarily unable to use
(2) Pick up mobile phone



Of course in a business scenario, fancier solutions exist.

Also dialling 999 is a problem

I think there are now legislative requirements in place to the contrary in most countries.

solarian,

stated she works for Puke Telco

I trust you have just edited the company name to protect the innocent ?


(edit. Just re-read Saab's post .....nice sense of humour there !)

[rans6andrew]

Vonage VOIP has sorted the 999 (911) issue as something in their set-up fixes your geographical setting and does the appropriate thing with these calls.

I guess you might cock it up if you take your VOIP hardware and plug it into someone else's router. What surprised me is that they were prepared to offer me any dialling code area I want so I could appear to run my business from Edinburgh (or even somewhere outside of the UK) even though I am, in fact, in Berkshire. Sneaky or what?

Rans6....

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Sneaky or what?

You've been able to do that for landlines for several decades. At a price.

[green granite]

Most people have a mobile phone these days....so your disaster recovery plan is thus :

(1) Put down VoIP phone that you are temporarily unable to use
(2) Pick up mobile phone

That's no good for people who only have the voip number, I'm fussy who has my mobile number.

[OFSO]

Slight thread drift: if you are in Spain, dial 700500700 on any mobile or landline, Spanish lady tells you to dial the full number you want (i.e. access code*country code*area code*number you want) and after a bit you get connected over a VOIP. Cost is 4.6 cents a minute world-wide, any time of the day. Works to any land-line but NOT to any mobile. Extremely reliable, good clear connections every time.

[batninth]

That's no good for people who only have the voip number, I'm fussy who has my mobile number.

The good providers will soon be letting you redirect your landline (ie VoIP or POTS) number to your mobile anyway. Look at what Microsoft are doing with one of the major carriers in the US where they are using the Microsoft LIVE services to set your presence information & then route calls accordingly.

Voice over IP includes the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) mechanism for setting up & tearing down calls via IP. SIP enables all of the presence & rerouting stuff so it becomes part of the package once we move to IP across the piece

Sneaky or what?
You've been able to do that for landlines for several decades. At a price.

I'm not sure it's decades, but it's been around a while in the POTS world. The whole VoIP piece drives us away from being known as a number, to being known as an SIP end-point, rather like a domain. As such it's you VoIP will ultimately be trying to contact, not your 01234 567890 number.