VOIP Tech Chat → Re: Small office starting with VOIP (hardware)

Rather than "router", I think you mean "ATA".

Traditional handsets would plug into an ATA, which then gets plugged into your router (not to be confused with your modem unless you have a combined one).

IP phones plug directly into your router....

You have to have some sort of router, either way.

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Unless you have a big investment in your existing phones, go with IP phones.

I use this at my office:
»www.panasonic.com/busine ··· 550.aspx

I have a base and two other handsets, you can add more.

It handles several lines on one VoIP account, and/or several different VoIP accounts, with aplomb. (That means, really well).

It's my understanding that we could get a router including modem and voip like the Fritzbox - »www.fritzbox.eu/en/produ ··· LAN_7390 which would allow us to connect a standard handset for VOIP use.

I appreciate we need a router either way, I'm looking for some hardware suggestions for said router but more importantly, the actual handsets. Are there any advantages for going with dedicated IP phones rather than regular handsets for example?

look at the features of regular handsets

look at the features of a VOIP handset in your price range

look at Grandstream for example at the link I gave you - they sell them all and other brands as well - they can tell you more about what features you can get

with CallCentric, they offer voicemail per line, etc. if you need something more complex than what configuring you can do with CallCentric lines will offer, you will need a VOIP PBX - basically a phone system that takes VOIP lines and gives you the features you need - they can connect to regular handsets or VOIP handsets

router? you need a router just to provide internet to your network and bring VOIP in - yes, you can get combo-router/ATAs if you want to or you can have a dedicated router that connects to ATAs if you need them, or else a dedicated router that connects to your VOIP handsets via ethernet

talk to some people because you won't understand it all from this thread