[davelissa]

I'm a newbie in VoIP of sorts; I've used Lingo and ATT but rejected both because of call quality and monthly cost respectively.

I considered Vonage but couldn't get through to them after waiting 20 minutes.

This website http://www.dslreports.com/gbu seems to be a good forum for information on VoIP companies.

I'm posting this for newbies like me:

To use any VoIP, you need a router (I didn't realize this at first because the other companies I used had a router built into their adapters). If you use the Sipura 2000, you need a router (you can get it for about 30 bucks). But the Sipura 2100 has a built in router.

To sign up for Broadvoice, you will need to spend about 80 bucks (as of Dec. 2004), and if you cancel you'll have to return the TA to them to avoid the disconnection charge of 50 bucks.

I think it's far better to spend 10 bucks extra and buy an SPA 2100 that you don't have to return so you can use it with other VoIP companies as well :wink:

That is my 2c worth...

Dave

[rizsher]

It is possible to use an Adaptor without a router as well if you PC has spare network port. This can be quite useful specially if your existing modem is a USB one, in which case, along with the router, you'll either need to change your modem as well, or buy a usb-ethernet converter to connect the modem to the router. You can keep the USB modem, and run Windows ICS on the computer, and connect the ATA to the PCs network card using a crossover cable.

Going this route DOES mean your ATA will be relian on the PC all the time.

[davelissa]

Thanks for the info, Rizsher.

That's a useful tip, but, as you said, the ATA will only be able to use what bandwidth the PC gives it, and you can only use the phone when the PC is on (unless you are unusually agile and enjoy reaching behind the PC every time you turn it off...).

My cable modem has two outgoing ports - one USB and one ethernet. I was wondering whether I could connect the PC to the USB and use the ethernet to power the VoIP, but the last time I checked, it won't give a signal to both the USB and the ethernet.

As of now, I believe Broadvoice, VoicePulse and QuantumVoice support BYOD; hope other companies will follow suit!

Dave

[rizsher]

Davelissa, The bandwidth issue will always be there even with a router; though now more and more vendors are coming out with home use routers with atleast basic QOS capaility, or there are 3rd party firmwares (like sveasoft for e.g) which give you really robust QOS along with a host of other features. About keeping the PC on, I actually prefer to keep mine on all the time, sometimes weeks at end.

I would think you'd be able to use the USB port and the Ethernet port concurrently. Don't know which ISP u have, my brother is in IL and has Verizon DSL. HE got a Westell modem bundled with his package, we were able to use both ports, one for his laptop, one for the desktop. I can't recall if the machines recevied public IPs in this setup, or if they were internal 192.168 kinda IPs. In anycase, most 2 interface modems have built in router functionality to allow simulataneous use.

I signed up with Broadvoice in the UK cos their unlimited international plan is jsut mind blowing, but, the sound quality is really atrocious. I use a British VoIP provider out in Egypt and the sound quality is as good as a normal PSTN call, BV has been a really bad experience though.

[davelissa]

Aha, an Englishman in Egypt?

I didn't experiment fully with the modem; I'll certainly try and see whether I can use both the USB and the ethernet on the modem; I use RoadRunner in Houston, TX

Thanks for the tip, and I keep the PC on all the time too, but block the internet at night for security purposes. There is a free firewall (I think it's Sygate) that blocks internet access when the screensaver comes on, BTW.

Dave

[mberlant]

Rizsher,

Are you self-provisioning or are you letting BV provision your SPA? One of the advantages of letting BV do the provisioning is that they can re-home your SPA to the cleanest access point whenever they see the need. So, you would never be more than 30 seconds away from a cleaner call. If you provision your own ATA you are stuck with the same access point until you change it to another by yourself.

BV has three access points. You may want to try out each of them to see which one gives you the best performance.

Michael

[davelissa]

By "provisioning" I guess you mean allowing BV to "setup" your SPA, as in

http://www.broadvoice.com/support_in...od_sipura.html

Would that mean that the device is "locked" to them?

What would happen if I do a factory reset (****73738#)...can I then use it with another company?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

[PhoneBoy]

I believe BroadVoice allows you to factory reset your device when it is locked, or at least that's what the threads have reported here.

[rizsher]

I initially went for BV's provisining. From what I gathered, there is only one SIP proxy, sip.broadvoice.com, there are multiple Outbound Proxies, In Chicago, LA and more. I've forwarded all the relevant ports to my SPAs ATA, so I don't really need the OB Proxies, I've now setup the device myself, w.o a OB.

I contacted BV and they said my ISP is having too many issues and there is nothing they can do to improve the routing to their servers.

Anyone else in the UK using BV with good results?

PS: Dave, its actually a Paki in Egypt with the rest of his family in Scotland!!!!

[mberlant]

BV has three access points - Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles - and uses its once-every-30-seconds reprovisioning of your ATA as a means of affording you the best connection available. These access points are bothway interfaces. Your ATA registers with one of them and makes and takes calls with that access point until BV redirects you to a different one. Of course, if there is congestion between you and the US there is nothing either you or BV can do to improve that.