I'll try not to confuse, but as I'm not sure yet I've caught up with
all the information I've been chasing in a similar area, and it's a
complicated area, I'll throw in a number of things I've been
discovering
that may or may not be relevant.
1. VOIP quality does seem to be improving, and some forms of it can be
quite cheap. I've experimented with a Skype Out account which allows
connection via laptop with good noise cancelling mike and speaker. It
connects to the landline phone system if necessary and the cost is a
massive
0.2 cents per minute. You pay in advance $16 minimum and can top up
the
account. Have used it for extensive conference calls to the US and it
was
better than using our landline phone... and at local (VOIP) call
rates.
2. Looked at options and they're expanding in all kinds of different
directions.
I'd like to be able to move away from the computer and take advantage
of either
"free" VOIP Skype-to-Skype and also be able to be connected to the
PSTN system
and/or mobile. ("Free" Skype does still mean you check your monthly
download
ceilings to fit, but if you have a few Gig a month, that shouldn't be
a problem.)
3. Looked at the newest mobile phone from 3 Mobile, which boasts a
direct Skype
connection.. and free Skype-to-Skype calls (up to 4000 or so ). But
when you
consider you then have connection costs on the mobile phone to get to
the
existing mobile or PSTN networks, it didn't look all that
convenient/cheap.
The mobile can be a paycard one -- not a locked set -- but you do
need to have
the paycard topped up to use it effectively. May be horses for
courses, there.
4. There are some portable handset phone setups that allow you to
connect a Skype-type base station for the handset to something like a
DSL router and simultaneously your phone connection. These look
interesting -- they don't require
that you have a computer actually turned on -- this variety will
handle the VOIP
protocol directly with the router and can also connect to and receive
from, the
PSTN landline.
5. Others give you a base station that connects to the phone line and
also
to your computer -- and can handle VOIP only if you have your
computer on and
it's running something like Skype for you. Could be a bit awkward for
the
particular uses I want / need. Still others just provide USB
handsets for the
VOIP connection function.
Along with all of these, there's a need to have some broadband
connection and
some "normal" phone system connection. That doesn't mean you have to
stay with
Telstra because they have the (populace-granted) monopoly (gawd help
us) over the
hardware of the phone system -- you can switch to other service
providers who
will package phone and broadband services together -- and they are
then the ones
who have to deal with Telstra when things go wrong -- on your behalf.
They just give Telstra a fee for the hardware use somewhere (albeit,
according to the
ACCC, an inordinate fee on occasions).
My likely choice is homing in on a base-station portable handset
combination
mentioned in 3 above. I've seen costings of $140 - $170 for the base
and one handset
(an extra handset might be handy and costs more). This then has to be
matched up
against a packaged phone / DSL broadband package that will handle any
VoIP upload/download
burden within the broadband limits. Looks feasible, and I'll
probably switch to
my current broadband provider and dump Telstra phone. They really are
getting to be
a pain in the bum, as is their overpaid CEO.
Bit more than 2c's worth...
HTH someone, somewhere.
--Peter M
>
>
>---- Original Message ----
>From: christine_kent@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: atw: FW: Phones and all that stuff - seriously off topic
>Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:07:45 +1100
>
>>Guys
>>
>>
>>
>>I can?t stand Telstra for another moment. I have gone past angry.
>I have
>>been threatening to move on for several years now, so today I bite
>the
>>bullet after being kept on the phone for 32 minutes to get a faulty
>bill
>>corrected ? their fault, my 32 minutes.
>>
>>
>>
>>I am stuck with my Telstra mobile ? only Telstra service this area,
>so
>>that?s that.
>>
>>
>>
>>But how to move on for the rest. Obviously I want VOIP. But VOIP
>still
>>requires my Telstra landline and my Telstra broadband, (no wireless
>here).
>>So first I have to get rid of them and move on to another provider.
>>
>>
>>
>>Does anyone know where I can find composite information that ties
>landline,
>>broadband and voip together, and even, if possible, a composite
>product? Has
>>anyone researched it lately and what conclusions did you reach?
>>
>>
>>
>>When I call companies, their sales staff are only trained to ?sell?
>their
>>own products using sales scripts. They cannot answer questions and
>give
>>high level advice, so when I ask voip people about broadband
>options, they
>>cannot tell me ? etc.
>>
>>
>>
>>Regards, Christine
>>
>>
>>
>>No virus found in this outgoing message.
>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.5/1190 - Release Date:
>19/12/2007
>>7:37 PM
>>
>>
>>No virus found in this outgoing message.
>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.5/1190 - Release Date:
>19/12/2007
>>7:37 PM
>>
>>
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