VOIP Tech Chat → [General] VOIP Experiences in Canada

Hi,
I'm thinking of switching to VOIP and getting rid of my landline. Bell Canada in my area has notoriously crappy lines where I lose the dial tone or get bursts of static any time the weather changes (I've had so many Bell Techs thru here, and none of them can see what the problem is). Internet thru Start ADSL and Electronic Box Cable both stable (I have the cable as a back-up ever since a Bell "squirrel" cut my ASDL line last summer).
Questions:
* Has anyone used VOIP thru either Start or Electronic Box and have any feedback on the service?
* Has anyone wired their home phone wiring to the internet? Any caveats? I think I'm good in that I have a POTS splitter already which adds separation between my internal wiring and the demarcation point, plus I have a panel connecting the single line from the POTS splitter to the internal wiring of the house.
* Can anyone comment whether a VOIP service from one provider could work using the connection of another (i.e if my ADSL went out and I had VOIP over ADSL, could the VOIP service go across the back-up cable line)?
* Do VOIP adapters typically plug straight into the modem or do you need to plug them into your router? i.e. does the VOIP adapter go between the router and the modem or does it plug into the router like any other device?
* Anyone have any experience using alarm systems with VOIP? I know you shouldn't but that's the last link that keeps me on landline, except I can no longer rely on the phone line.

-Hugh

>>* Has anyone used VOIP thru either Start or Electronic Box and have any feedback on the service?

Not here... you'll need a solid ISP and LAN/router with generous speed such as typical with lowest tier cable service.

>>* Has anyone wired their home phone wiring to the internet? Any caveats? I think I'm good in that I have a POTS splitter already which adds separation between my internal wiring and the demarcation point, plus I have a panel connecting the single line from the POTS splitter to the internal wiring of the house.

To use your house wiring with traditional phones, you'll need an Analog Telephone Adapter to connect these to your router. It's VoIP/data to the ata, then analog out to your phones. Before connecting the ata, you must disconnect all other circuits energizing your house wiring... so no xDSL allowed on same wiring as ata.

>>* Can anyone comment whether a VOIP service from one provider could work using the connection of another (i.e if my ADSL went out and I had VOIP over ADSL, could the VOIP service go across the back-up cable line)?

Yes, if you switch the connection from ADSL to Cable. All VoIP requires is an Internet connection... you'll have to decide how to provide that.

>>* Do VOIP adapters typically plug straight into the modem or do you need to plug them into your router? i.e. does the VOIP adapter go between the router and the modem or does it plug into the router like any other device?

Ideally, plug the ata (or IP phone) into the router switch. VoIP devices are LAN devices like your PC.

>>* Anyone have any experience using alarm systems with VOIP? I know you shouldn't but that's the last link that keeps me on landline, except I can no longer rely on the phone line.

That's a wrinkle you'll have to investigate from both ends. Traditional analog usage like alarms and fax can be iffy over VoIP.

OE

* Has anyone used VOIP thru either Start or Electronic Box and have any feedback on the service? I think start is using Fongo and both are very good services. Another one
to look at if you don't need alot of support is freephoneline its a part of fongo. I have had it for 4+ years no problems and it works great with my isp Start.

* Has anyone wired their home phone wiring to the internet? If you have dsl you can't
use the same phone lines for DSL and VOIP. But you can run a new line to your dmark to your modem then remove phone lines from dmark and then use phone lines with voip box. also might speed dsl up a little for you.

* Can anyone comment whether a VOIP service from one provider could work using the connection of another? yes its done all the time

*Do VOIP adapters typically plug straight into the modem or do you need to plug them into your router? some boxes do some dont. But you can plug most into router

* Anyone have any experience using alarm systems with VOIP? I would be surprised if
if it worked.

Some of the ISPs are using a special implementation of VoIP by example Videotron. You don't have the username and password, the connection is done only on their internet pipe using their device, internet modem/phone adapter.
Start is talking about a VoIP adapter on their page that means that service should work on any internet connection but better double check with them.
Electronicbox is talking also about a VoIP hardware and is saying their phone service is "Compatible with VoIP Alarm System" but better check also with them about both things. Another approach is to ask the Alarm company about that, they can tell you which providers are OK for their system.

That being said you have a lot of other options, you don't have to narrow your options only to your ISPs.
For the alarm system I asked for a GSM module and I don't need any other phone line. That will cost up to +$10 by month but you can spend less with your phone line to break it at least even if not better.
I was at the end of contract and I've negotiated the GSM module plus few extra window sensors for free while the monthly price was not increased. I told them I found better offers which was true.
For VoIP you can go with other very good providers and spend less than with Start or EB. That will give you also a flexibility to connect the VoIP adapter on any internet connection.
If you will tell us your usage we can make some recommendations.

I think for internet you should be OK only with cable, I have the same with Teksavvy and never had problems. You'll have to check if Start will charge a dry loop fee once you'll cancel the existing phone line, they might need to pay that fee to Bell as part of their agreement. On cable that never happens.

 
When a Cable provider does phone service, it is always by VoIP, but they do not like to CALL it VoIP - instead something like Digital Voice or Digital Home Phone.

It encounters less bandwidth issues than OTT VoIP, because they reserve a dedicated channel or more on the cable for the phone service, so that the Internet traffic cannot hurt it, at least while it is on THEIR network, and as a bonus, no logins etc are needed (simpler setup), but you must use THEIR modem.

IISPs such as START and TSI (and likely eBox) are offering OTT service, which shares the Internet part of their own network, and can be hurt more easily by nearby Internet traffic, including the traffic of subscribers of the upstream TPIA partner such as Videotron, Rogers, or Cogeco.

I am pleased with START as my TPIA IISP (3 years next April), but already was happy with Anveo as my VoIPP (nearly 2 years now), and have had no reason to change when START more recently began to offer VoIP.