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RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson

Premium Member

An Anveo pricing question...

I think that I have been paying too much.

I have a phone number, 'Personal Unlimited' ($2.00 per month) and a 'Starter' plan ($7.85 per month) plus $0.80 for E911 & $0.005 per minute for out-going calls

Would I be correct to say that I could simply use their 'Free' plan ($0.00 USD per month) plus a 'Personal Unlimited' and still get a decent home phone set up?

Am I missing something?

Thanks,
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

1 edit

Mango

Premium Member

Yes, you can use their free plan. See »www.anveo.com/service.asp for a comparison of the plans.

RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson

Premium Member

Hi Mango:

Yes, I read that - I don't think much of it matters to just make & receive telephone calls *on an OBI 110*, right?

Am I miss-understanding something that would impact a simple home system?

Thanks.
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

Mango

Premium Member

I believe you're right. I use the free plan as well.
dsl2u
join:2012-05-16
R3L3A1
·VMedia

dsl2u to RobThompson

Member

to RobThompson
Use one company for incoming (Anveo unlimited at $2/mo) and another like Voxox that lets you control your outgoing caller ID number so people see your incoming number when you call instead of your outgoing number, that give you free outgoing calling anywhere in North America.

Anveo also lets you receive text messages for a penny each. This is extremely helpful sometimes if you don't have a cell phone and the calling party doesn't want to use their voice minutes.

Outgoing calling is easy. Its just important to display the right number when you call. I can't understand why anybody pays for outgoing calling these days.

Any unlocked ATA can be used if you want to use something like a cordless phone. Otherwise you can just use a softphone program to handle everything. For a lot of outgoing calling, nothing beats the softphone's efficiency as you can copy and paste numbers to call in a microsecond.

RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson

Premium Member

Thanks dsl2u.

About Voxox, I tried them to forward my GV number to my cell phone and found that the 'voice quality' was not that great - do you think it would be better on an OBI?
Are there good 'voice quality' alternatives for Canadians for free out-going calls on an ATA? GV has this delay that drives some people crazy, me included.

Thanks.

Rob.
dsl2u
join:2012-05-16
R3L3A1
·VMedia

dsl2u

Member

I've never used GV or OBI equipment. Just Gmail calling - not sure if they are the same in quality. I'm using Nettalk and the quality is great. Usually I don't even notice its VOIP. I don't know if I'd recommend Nettalk because I have an internet connection that is flakey and that may be making the device react much more poorly than most people would experience. If you want a cheap, router based system, just buy it because at about $40 including a year of service, its ridiculously cheap. The key to tech support is to get the email address of the rep that helps you the first time. They have to be in Tech Support, not Customer Service. Then you can email them, avoiding enormous on hold waiting times. They reply usually in a few hours.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere to Mango

Premium Member

to Mango
said by Mango:

I believe you're right. I use the free plan as well.

 
+1

Me too.

It includes pretty much everything which matters to ME.

And anything else about which I might care (such as outbound CNAM - aka LIDB listing - , for example) is not in ANY of Anveo's plans yet.
Goliath13
join:2009-07-10

Goliath13 to dsl2u

Member

to dsl2u
Are you referring to Google Voice for outgoing free calls?
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

said by Goliath13:

Are you referring to Google Voice for outgoing free calls?

GoogleVoice is not really in Canada.

He means the GMail voice calling feature which basically uses the same roadway.
nitzan
Premium Member
join:2008-02-27

1 edit

1 recommendation

nitzan to RobThompson

Premium Member

to RobThompson
said by RobThompson:

Are there good 'voice quality' alternatives for Canadians for free out-going calls on an ATA? GV has this delay that drives some people crazy, me included.

Why would you need a free alternative when they're charging you only half a cent a minute? if quality is what you're concerned about, pay for it.
said by dsl2u:

I can't understand why anybody pays for outgoing calling these days.

If nobody paid for outgoing calls, most providers you know would be out of business. And good luck getting support or quality with that $0 bill.
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

1+
PX Eliezer704

PX Eliezer704 to nitzan

Premium Member

to nitzan
Duplicate post!

RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson

Premium Member

Hi nitzan:

I agree with you too - 'quality' is worth paying for!

I have 'paid' Anveo, Voip.ms & Acrovoice accounts for my OBI's because of that. I just don't like the delay in Google.

I used 'paid' US numbers on my Google Voice accounts.

But, some people, want 'free', regardless of quality.

Rob.

mozerd
Light Will Pierce The Darkness
MVM
join:2004-04-23
Nepean, ON

mozerd

MVM

said by RobThompson:

I just don't like the delay in Google

In case you are not aware;
For VoIP to work properly, you do need sufficient good quality bandwidth on the incoming/outgoing --- in real time -- basis to start with.

Most consumer brand routers -- especially 2 - 3 year old generation type devices, offer Quality of Service capabilities but those capabilities are very limited and in most cases do not work well. In the consumer space QoS when its properly implemented only controls what is inside your local area network --- QoS has no control on what your ISP provides you. The newer generation of consumer brand routers do have better control with their QoS stuff. Newer generation gear like the Netgear WNDR4500 for example.

For Google voice to work properly -- reliable bandwidth is needed --- if the bandwidth provided is not reliable delays happen. And Google Voice cannot be in competition with others on your LAN who may be doing stuff like watching YouTube Videos etc. concurrently

What I normally do for my Home based Clients [non-business, family oriented] is make sure that their broadband service provides at minimum [up-to] 10 Mbps downstream and [up-to] 2 Mbps upstream. I Then install a good quality router like the ZyWALL USG100 where I have the ability to segregate the VoIP traffic effectively and give that traffic top priority over any other traffic. All other types of traffic from computers and smart type devices [iPhones, iPads, etc.] are placed on another subnet dedicated to those devices -- utilizing a dedicated wireless Access Point -- and those devices never interfere with my VoIP traffic. My normal family type of installation involves 3 phones using the VOIP application -- and I reserve sufficient bandwidth to cover 3 people using the phone system as the same time --- the worst case scenario.

My KEY point is that for VoIP to work properly [providing a high level of user satisfaction] VoIP must have adequate bandwidth on the downstream and upstream to work effectively.

RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson

Premium Member

Thanks mozerd.

When you say "...and I reserve sufficient bandwidth...", how much bandwidth do you need to reserve per phone?

A $384.99 router!?!?

»www.amazon.com/ZyXEL-Uni ··· 01AZP6O4

Thanks,

rob.

garys_2k
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI

garys_2k

Premium Member

said by RobThompson:

Thanks mozerd.

When you say "...and I reserve sufficient bandwidth...", how much bandwidth do you need to reserve per phone?

80 kbps per line would be enough.
said by RobThompson:

A $384.99 router!?!?

»www.amazon.com/ZyXEL-Uni ··· 01AZP6O4

Thanks,

rob.

That's NOT the same as a typical $100 home router. It can manage traffic better, allow different subnets, all sorts of goodies that a business would almost certainly demand. Something like that could really ensure great service for home VOIP, too, and if you consider the savings over a few months' of POTS bills it's not that expensive.

Still, not likely needed by 99% of home users.
garys_2k

garys_2k to nitzan

Premium Member

to nitzan
said by nitzan:

If nobody paid for outgoing calls, most providers you know would be out of business. And good luck getting support or quality with that $0 bill.

^^ YES!

RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson

Premium Member

Yesterday I installed an ASUS RT-N66U wireless router which I then flashed with Tomato Shibby.

Sounds like I know what I am talking about, doesn't it?

Well, I don't! (as you will see from my questions)

Can and/or should I set up sub nets for my OBI? (see what I mean? )

I think I can do the QoS part, well, atleast I will try.

Should I re-flash with 'Toastman'? Would that be better for my ASUS/OBI world?

Thanks,

Rob.

mozerd
Light Will Pierce The Darkness
MVM
join:2004-04-23
Nepean, ON

mozerd to RobThompson

MVM

to RobThompson
said by RobThompson:

When you say "...and I reserve sufficient bandwidth...", how much bandwidth do you need to reserve per phone?

I reserve 128/128 Kbps per phone .. So for 3 phones that's 384/384 Kbps .... My experience having done over 100 families is that 80/80 Kbps did not work well ...

In most cases where I've installed the gear the payback is inside 6 months so the money spent which also includes my fees is not an issue.

RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson

Premium Member

How do I determine how much bandwidth I have - QoS screen on the Totato says: OutBound - 230 & InBound - 1000.

Does the router 'know' my bandwith & that's how it got these numbers?

Thanks,

Rob.

mozerd
Light Will Pierce The Darkness
MVM
join:2004-04-23
Nepean, ON

mozerd

MVM

said by RobThompson:

How do I determine how much bandwidth I have - QoS screen on the Totato says: OutBound - 230 & InBound - 1000

I do not use 3rd part firmware so I cannot comment on your firmware.

Your ISP contract should indicate which plan your on and how much bandwidth is allocated within that plan.

You can test your bandwidth allocation by using speedtest.net and see the results of the test. If your ISP provides a peedbost technology that for short bursts increases your performance you need to take that out of the equation. It's best to contact your ISP and find out your metrics.
zapattack
join:2012-07-02
CANADA

zapattack to RobThompson

Member

to RobThompson
If QoS is Enabled,then 230/1000 would be the maximum b/w passed through the router.
Typically, you would then allow an Exception or Service Priority, for use by VoIP (RTP/SIP) as an example.
This means anything over 230/1000 could still be accessed by those protocols exclusively.
Of course if your provider speed is 230/1000 then nothing is left for the exceptions anyway.

RobThompson
Caution - VoIP Challenged Alert
Premium Member
join:2012-02-14
J8G 0C9

RobThompson to mozerd

Premium Member

to mozerd
I have Bell Fibe: 15 Mbps Up, 10 Mbps Down & 75 GB usage.

Does that mean that I should change the 'default' values (if that is what they are) in the Tomato settings?

The Tomato gives amounts in kbit/s, Bell gives them in Mbps. So, does this mean that I have 15 x 1000 kbit/s Up from Bell?

Thanks,

Rob.

mozerd
Light Will Pierce The Darkness
MVM
join:2004-04-23
Nepean, ON

mozerd

MVM

said by RobThompson:

I have Bell Fibe: 15 Mbps Up, 10 Mbps Down & 75 GB usage.

I suspect that Bell Fibe is 15Mbps down and 10 Mbps up .... make sure to confirm with Bell and insist on talking to someone at Bell who actually knows .... I am familiar with Bell but certainly not familiar with the plan you've outlined.

And once you've confirmed the metrics TEST is out using the speedtest.net address --- run the test a number of times each time chaging the location of the server .... pick servers in Toronto and New York .... that will give you a good indication of your metrics.

And Yes you should change the 'default' values.

so 15 Mbps converted into kilobits is 15 x 1024 = 15,360 Kbps
and 10 Mbps converted into kilobits is 10 x 1024 = 10,240 Kbps

Very Nice BTW assuming the speed tests confirm that.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

1 edit

Davesnothere to RobThompson

Premium Member

to RobThompson
said by RobThompson:

Yesterday I installed an ASUS RT-N66U wireless router which I then flashed with 'Tomato Shibby'....

....I think I can do the QoS part, well, at least I will try.

Should I re-flash with '[Tomato] Toastman' ?

Would that be better for my ASUS/OBI world ? ....

 
I have a trusty Linksys/Cisco WRT45GL which I flashed with a Shibby build not too long ago.

There is a thread in which I have been participating recently where someone else and I are considering exactly that change of firmware.

They already did it and I still may soon.

Apparently Toastman's newer builds offer better QoS configurability than Shibby's do, including bandwidth management for the DOWNSTREAM data, and there IS a build available supporting my old beast, and of course there should also be for your newer unit.
zapattack
join:2012-07-02
CANADA

zapattack to RobThompson

Member

to RobThompson
As mentioned by Mozerd, do several speed tests.
»speedtest.net/
Put a smaller number in the QoS values and Enable QoS.
Run the speed test again.
The difference can now be made exclusively available for your VoIP service by allowing the proper protocols.

The DD-WRT Service Priority options help file has this description:
Premium - The top bandwidth class. By default handshaking and icmp packets fall into this class. This class should be used sparingly. Occasionally VoIP service may be placed in this class so that voice receives top priority.
Express - The Express class is for interactive applications that require bandwidth above standard services so that interactive apps run smoothly.
Another forum contributor recommended the Express setting.
Tomato options may differ.