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sgt panties
n00b
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2012
- Messages
- 4
Ooort,
I thought I would share my first-time experience with one-step-past-consumer-level VOIP (Voice Over IP). I actually got it working and my call quality is good. I intend this as a quick start for people like me. I am tech inclined, but when you get to be my age you feel a bit challenged by all there is to keep up with.
I recently switched from dial-up to DSL. (Embarrassing, since I'm a retired programmer, but it gives you an idea just how tight I am.) DSL is about $50 per month out here. Anyway, I was reviewing our landline phone bill (required in the mountains of NC since the cellular coverage is spotty) and was bothered that we pay nearly $32 per month, yet make only a handful of calls.
VOIP to the rescue. I found Micheal Bluejay's page http://michaelbluejay.com/consumer/phone.html a great starting point for comparing the popular options. As far as MagicJack and NetDuo, I liked the fact that you can have VOIP without having the computer powered on 24/7, but I did not like being locked into their hardware and service. (So call me a control freak.) As far as Vonage, I did not like their rates. I would describe all these services as consumer-level.
I soon found that you can buy your own ATA (analog telephone adapter) and use it with any of the numerous cheaper (and more hungry) VOIP providers. If you are doing this you can select services for users that wish to BYOD (bring your own device). This is what I mean by one step past consumer level. I selected the Cisco SPA112 ATA. $49
There are up front costs, yes, but I always take the long view. More on that later.
If you take the BYOD route and buy your own ATA you will need a router. The router allows you to have internet traffic on your computer AND on the ATA at the same time. It also allows you to turn off your PC yet still have your VOIP functionality. There is one other thing that the right router gives you (and this is very important): QoS (Quality of Service). Beware, not all consumer-level routers support QoS, or at least not adequately.
I selected the Asus RT-N66U. $160 This router contains its own mini web server used to present the setup pages. On the Traffic Manager tab there are two QoS modes, automatic and user-defined. The user-defined mode allows you to define your own specific QoS rule. For my rule I entered the MAC address of the ATA and give it the highest priority. Now, even if I am downloading a huge service pack, my VOIP quality is good.
My guess is many average consumerse who try VOIP and reject it do so at this point, basically because they either don't know about QoS, or their hardware doesn't support it well enough, or at all.
My nominal DSL speed is 7Mb/s download and 500Kb/s upload. Without the QoS rule, my VOIP call quality, especially at the receiving end, was choppy. If I was downloading something big at the same time, the audio was non-existent. I didn't even have to try an upload to have a problem.
Finally, as an attempt to match landline dependability, I bought a UPS. Take your pick, but I got a Cyberpower CP1500AVR. $158 When our power goes out, often our landline is still up. The UPS will provide power to the DSL modem, router, ATA and analog phone so that VOIP is still functional. This particular UPS has an LCD reading for power output. Using this I deduced that the power used by the router/ATA/DSL modem is about 9W, that's without any wireless traffic.
So what about the VOIP provider? I chose Callcentric without much thought. Later I learned you could perhaps run a ping test. If you live in Boston for instance, you probably don't want your VOIP provider in LA. What really sold me was the layout of Callcentric's web site. It's really nicely organized and the have a large collection
of FAQ pages. They have a separate setup page for each of the dozens of ATAs there are to choose from. I opened more than a few tech support cases in the last few weeks and found they were pretty responsive.
One big negative is that I live in a region of the US where local number portability (LNP) is not available. This means I could not keep my landline number and use it as my VOIP number. So I had to notify the banks, the relatives, eBay, our local bovine enema service, the small private college that my cat attends, etc. Tedious.
OK, here is the big picture on the finances:
landline no longer needed = +$32.00 per month
combined hardware cost = -$367.00 one time
Callcentric charges = -$4.50 per month (includes 911 charges)
Callcentric setup charges = -$5.45 one time
power required to keep VOIP hardware on 24/7 < -$1.00 per month
So it will be 14 months before I start realizing savings, but after that, if all rates remain constant, it's an extra $26.50 in my pocket per month, compared to having only the landline. That's one un-aged 16-oz fillet mignon per month. (Really, have you looked at the prices of steak recently?)
Here is a handy list of tests I ran for my new VOIP setup:
1) Originate call from VOIP phone with FM radio playing near the land
line phone, listen and talk on VOIP phone.
Expected results: The voice or music should be heard OK. This
test never presented a problem. I did notice that here and in
all tests, when I talk, audio coming from the other end gets muted.
2) Start a large download, listen and talk on the VOIP phone.
Expected results: Still good. This test never presented a problem,
probably because of my decent download bandwidth.
3) Stop the download. Put the radio near the VOIP phone, listen and talk on
the landline phone.
Expected results: Without the QoS rule the voice/music is a little
choppy. With the QoS rule it's good. Remember my upload speed
is only 500Kb/s.
4) Start a large download. Go back to the landline phone, listen
and talk.
Expected results: Without the QoS rule and the bandwidth parameters
set correctly, the audio will be anything from extremely choppy to
complete silence. With the QoS rule all is good.
5) From the landline phone dial *82 to allow transmission of caller ID.
Then dial the VOIP number. See if the VOIP phone receives caller
ID OK.
Expected results: VOIP phone displays caller ID OK.
6) Turn off computer but leave the router, ATA adapter DSL modem, and
analog phone on. Dial your VOIP number from the landline phone.
Leave a message. Check your messages.
Expected results: Good, I hear three or four ring tones, then the
answering machine picks up and lets me record a message. VOIP
works without the computer on.
7) Turn off the router to simulate that your VOIP setup is completely down.
Dial your VOIP number from the landline. Leave a message. Check
your voicemail.
Expected results: The message should revert to Callcentric's voice
mail service. The message should record OK.
Actual results: The caller must wait thru 20 seconds of silence to
finally hear Callcentric's voice mail recording. There are no
ring tones. Message gets recorded OK.
Note: I have a open support case on this last test.
miscellaneous:
1) Invest in some black plastic corrugated split tubing to keep the
resulting rat's nest of cables under control.
2) They say that you can experience split-second lags during conversations
over VOIP which can be annoying. I did notice extremely small delays but
not at all like a landline call from here to London. They are not terribly
noticeable, at least with my setup.
3) There can be serious implications regarding 911 emergency service using
VOIP. Make sure you read the FAQs and understand them.
4) There are routers that have integrated ATAs. There are ATAs that have
integrated routers. I'm a component man myself. I like one function per
box. It is always more flexible this way.
OK campers, hope I helped. Gotta go. Bessie is a little constipated.
(P.S. There is one setting Callcentric left out of it's setup page for
the SPA112. OTTOMH I don't remember what is was but I could find it
in my notes. Post if you need it.)
I thought I would share my first-time experience with one-step-past-consumer-level VOIP (Voice Over IP). I actually got it working and my call quality is good. I intend this as a quick start for people like me. I am tech inclined, but when you get to be my age you feel a bit challenged by all there is to keep up with.
I recently switched from dial-up to DSL. (Embarrassing, since I'm a retired programmer, but it gives you an idea just how tight I am.) DSL is about $50 per month out here. Anyway, I was reviewing our landline phone bill (required in the mountains of NC since the cellular coverage is spotty) and was bothered that we pay nearly $32 per month, yet make only a handful of calls.
VOIP to the rescue. I found Micheal Bluejay's page http://michaelbluejay.com/consumer/phone.html a great starting point for comparing the popular options. As far as MagicJack and NetDuo, I liked the fact that you can have VOIP without having the computer powered on 24/7, but I did not like being locked into their hardware and service. (So call me a control freak.) As far as Vonage, I did not like their rates. I would describe all these services as consumer-level.
I soon found that you can buy your own ATA (analog telephone adapter) and use it with any of the numerous cheaper (and more hungry) VOIP providers. If you are doing this you can select services for users that wish to BYOD (bring your own device). This is what I mean by one step past consumer level. I selected the Cisco SPA112 ATA. $49
There are up front costs, yes, but I always take the long view. More on that later.
If you take the BYOD route and buy your own ATA you will need a router. The router allows you to have internet traffic on your computer AND on the ATA at the same time. It also allows you to turn off your PC yet still have your VOIP functionality. There is one other thing that the right router gives you (and this is very important): QoS (Quality of Service). Beware, not all consumer-level routers support QoS, or at least not adequately.
I selected the Asus RT-N66U. $160 This router contains its own mini web server used to present the setup pages. On the Traffic Manager tab there are two QoS modes, automatic and user-defined. The user-defined mode allows you to define your own specific QoS rule. For my rule I entered the MAC address of the ATA and give it the highest priority. Now, even if I am downloading a huge service pack, my VOIP quality is good.
My guess is many average consumerse who try VOIP and reject it do so at this point, basically because they either don't know about QoS, or their hardware doesn't support it well enough, or at all.
My nominal DSL speed is 7Mb/s download and 500Kb/s upload. Without the QoS rule, my VOIP call quality, especially at the receiving end, was choppy. If I was downloading something big at the same time, the audio was non-existent. I didn't even have to try an upload to have a problem.
Finally, as an attempt to match landline dependability, I bought a UPS. Take your pick, but I got a Cyberpower CP1500AVR. $158 When our power goes out, often our landline is still up. The UPS will provide power to the DSL modem, router, ATA and analog phone so that VOIP is still functional. This particular UPS has an LCD reading for power output. Using this I deduced that the power used by the router/ATA/DSL modem is about 9W, that's without any wireless traffic.
So what about the VOIP provider? I chose Callcentric without much thought. Later I learned you could perhaps run a ping test. If you live in Boston for instance, you probably don't want your VOIP provider in LA. What really sold me was the layout of Callcentric's web site. It's really nicely organized and the have a large collection
of FAQ pages. They have a separate setup page for each of the dozens of ATAs there are to choose from. I opened more than a few tech support cases in the last few weeks and found they were pretty responsive.
One big negative is that I live in a region of the US where local number portability (LNP) is not available. This means I could not keep my landline number and use it as my VOIP number. So I had to notify the banks, the relatives, eBay, our local bovine enema service, the small private college that my cat attends, etc. Tedious.
OK, here is the big picture on the finances:
landline no longer needed = +$32.00 per month
combined hardware cost = -$367.00 one time
Callcentric charges = -$4.50 per month (includes 911 charges)
Callcentric setup charges = -$5.45 one time
power required to keep VOIP hardware on 24/7 < -$1.00 per month
So it will be 14 months before I start realizing savings, but after that, if all rates remain constant, it's an extra $26.50 in my pocket per month, compared to having only the landline. That's one un-aged 16-oz fillet mignon per month. (Really, have you looked at the prices of steak recently?)
Here is a handy list of tests I ran for my new VOIP setup:
1) Originate call from VOIP phone with FM radio playing near the land
line phone, listen and talk on VOIP phone.
Expected results: The voice or music should be heard OK. This
test never presented a problem. I did notice that here and in
all tests, when I talk, audio coming from the other end gets muted.
2) Start a large download, listen and talk on the VOIP phone.
Expected results: Still good. This test never presented a problem,
probably because of my decent download bandwidth.
3) Stop the download. Put the radio near the VOIP phone, listen and talk on
the landline phone.
Expected results: Without the QoS rule the voice/music is a little
choppy. With the QoS rule it's good. Remember my upload speed
is only 500Kb/s.
4) Start a large download. Go back to the landline phone, listen
and talk.
Expected results: Without the QoS rule and the bandwidth parameters
set correctly, the audio will be anything from extremely choppy to
complete silence. With the QoS rule all is good.
5) From the landline phone dial *82 to allow transmission of caller ID.
Then dial the VOIP number. See if the VOIP phone receives caller
ID OK.
Expected results: VOIP phone displays caller ID OK.
6) Turn off computer but leave the router, ATA adapter DSL modem, and
analog phone on. Dial your VOIP number from the landline phone.
Leave a message. Check your messages.
Expected results: Good, I hear three or four ring tones, then the
answering machine picks up and lets me record a message. VOIP
works without the computer on.
7) Turn off the router to simulate that your VOIP setup is completely down.
Dial your VOIP number from the landline. Leave a message. Check
your voicemail.
Expected results: The message should revert to Callcentric's voice
mail service. The message should record OK.
Actual results: The caller must wait thru 20 seconds of silence to
finally hear Callcentric's voice mail recording. There are no
ring tones. Message gets recorded OK.
Note: I have a open support case on this last test.
miscellaneous:
1) Invest in some black plastic corrugated split tubing to keep the
resulting rat's nest of cables under control.
2) They say that you can experience split-second lags during conversations
over VOIP which can be annoying. I did notice extremely small delays but
not at all like a landline call from here to London. They are not terribly
noticeable, at least with my setup.
3) There can be serious implications regarding 911 emergency service using
VOIP. Make sure you read the FAQs and understand them.
4) There are routers that have integrated ATAs. There are ATAs that have
integrated routers. I'm a component man myself. I like one function per
box. It is always more flexible this way.
OK campers, hope I helped. Gotta go. Bessie is a little constipated.
(P.S. There is one setting Callcentric left out of it's setup page for
the SPA112. OTTOMH I don't remember what is was but I could find it
in my notes. Post if you need it.)