dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
693
asinshesq
join:2014-12-28
New York, NY

asinshesq

Member

connect SIP phones to voip service w/o adaptor (as extensions)?

I have five yealink SIP phones (T20s, T46gs and W52s) that I am currently using with a local 3cx server and a patton gateway connected to a POTS phone service. However, my POTS phone service is very noisy and I am wondering whether I should ditch that service and sign up with a VOIP service. However, I really like being able to intercom to my SIP phones (which are each configured as a separate extension in 3cx).

So, if I open an account with a VOIP service like VOIPo, Phone Power, voip.ms, Vonage, Callcentric, etc.), can I just plug my SIP phones into my regular router and provision those for my VOIP service account or do I need a special adaptor or gateway (even though I am only using SIP phones)? And if I can do that, can I provision them with the VOPI service as separate extensions so that I can still call directly from one extension to another in addition to making and receiving calls from the outside via the VOIP service?
Stewart
join:2005-07-13

Stewart

Member

Assuming that the 3CX system is (or can be) connected to your router, just set up one or more trunks on the PBX that register to your favorite provider(s). With VoIP.ms, Callcentric, and many others (though not VOIPo, Phonepower or Vonage), you can set up your outbound caller ID to match your present POTS number, so you can use them for outbound calls immediately. Once the system is working well, you can consider porting your number and dropping POTS. If your POTS has a call forwarding option, you could get a temporary VoIP number and forward calls to your PBX, allowing you to test incoming (and also avoid POTS while the number is being ported).

You won't need a special adapter for voice, but if you want to connect a fax machine, alarm system, satellite receiver, etc., then you'll need an ATA. There are often issues with non-voice devices over VoIP, so you might consider keeping one POTS line, which will also give you reliable access to 911 in case of a problem with ISP, provider, PBX, etc.

However, if your line is noisy even when a corded phone is connected to the test jack on your NID, you should be able to get the POTS provider to fix it. What happened when you tried?

toro
join:2006-01-27
Scarborough, ON

toro to asinshesq

Member

to asinshesq
If you already have a 3CX PBX why not just add a SIP trunk to the PBX from one of the providers mentioned above ? That way you keep the current functionality of the PBX and compare the quality of the VoIP connection vs POTS.
Then if you like the quality, you can even port your POTS number to VoIP.
If you want to get rid of the PBX, then voip.ms offers much of the PBX functionality for free right on their platform. You wouldn't need any adapter for them, just pure IP connectivity. Hover, please note that the configuration may not be as plug and play as it is with 3CX (which I believe it can provision the phones almost automatically).
As far as other providers, I am not so familiar with them. Some may have PBX functionality except for Vonage which I know for sure it doesn't. Also, Vonage will not give you the SIP credentials, so you can't use it directly as a SIP trunk.
asinshesq
join:2014-12-28
New York, NY

asinshesq to Stewart

Member

to Stewart
Thanks for your answer! A few follow ups:
said by Stewart:

Assuming that the 3CX system is (or can be) connected to your router, just set up one or more trunks on the PBX that register to your favorite provider(s).

Actually, one of the attractions of going to a VOIP service is that I would love to drop 3cx so I don't have to keep running a local 3cx server. If I drop 3cx can I provision my five SIP phones as separate extensions on most third party VOIP services? And would that include VOIPo, Phonpower and Vonage or just voip.ms and callcentric?
said by Stewart:

With VoIP.ms, Callcentric, and many others (though not VOIPo, Phonepower or Vonage), you can set up your outbound caller ID to match your present POTS number, so you can use them for outbound calls immediately....Once the system is working well, you can consider porting your number and dropping POTS. If your POTS has a call forwarding option, you could get a temporary VoIP number and forward calls to your PBX, allowing you to test incoming (and also avoid POTS while the number is being ported).

Interesting...thanks for that info.
said by Stewart:

You won't need a special adapter for voice, but if you want to connect a fax machine, alarm system, satellite receiver, etc., then you'll need an ATA.

Ah, I wondered what I would need to do for my alarm system...thanks.
said by Stewart:

However, if your line is noisy even when a corded phone is connected to the test jack on your NID, you should be able to get the POTS provider to fix it. What happened when you tried?

I'm in rural Vermont and I think the service provider thought it was amusing when I suggested that maybe the line was too noisy
Interestingly, it's the same copper wire that carries my dsl signal and that seems to work fine.
Expand your moderator at work
asinshesq

asinshesq to toro

Member

to toro

Re: connect SIP phones to voip service w/o adaptor (as extensions)?

And thanks for your reply too, toro. As I mentioned in my reply to steward, I would love to stop running a 3cx server and outsource everything. It sounds like you and stewart are both suggesting I consider voip.ms, which I gather is not as user friendly as the other services (the usual tradeoff of power for ease of use). I don't actually use most of the 3cx features...the only things I really need are:

- each sip phone is a separate extension

- they all ring when an incoming call comes in (and whoever picks up first grabs the line)

- each extension can call any other extension (and do so as an intercom call)

With those requirements, would pretty much any service work?

crazyk4952
Premium Member
join:2002-02-04
united state
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-LR
Polycom VVX300

crazyk4952

Premium Member

said by asinshesq:

And thanks for your reply too, toro. As I mentioned in my reply to steward, I would love to stop running a 3cx server and outsource everything. It sounds like you and stewart are both suggesting I consider voip.ms, which I gather is not as user friendly as the other services (the usual tradeoff of power for ease of use). I don't actually use most of the 3cx features...the only things I really need are:

- each sip phone is a separate extension

- they all ring when an incoming call comes in (and whoever picks up first grabs the line)

- each extension can call any other extension (and do so as an intercom call)

With those requirements, would pretty much any service work?

voip.ms and Callcentric will meet the above three requirements. You will have to configure a ring group with voip.ms OR "Simultaneous ringing" with Callcentric. Once this is set up, all phones will ring with an incoming call.

Both of these providers will allow you to call each extension from your other SIP phones (the extension will ring, but not auto-answer). However, I don't believe that the intercom feature of your sip phones will work without a PBX.

Also, you will (likely) lose the ability to transfer a call from one extension to another without using a PBX.
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1 to asinshesq

Premium Member

to asinshesq
CallCentric and Voip.MS (and some others) could do that.

You can set up a free account on CallCentric called an "IP Freedom" account. Then within the account set up subaccounts (which CallCentric calls extensions), register one phone on each subaccount (extension).
»www.callcentric.com/products/
»www.callcentric.com/supp ··· /device/ (Includes Yealink info)

- each sip phone is a separate extension

- they all ring when an incoming call comes in (and whoever picks up first grabs the line)

- each extension can call any other extension (and do so as an intercom call)

Certainly easy to do on CallCentric.

On CallCentric the main account will be called 1777xxxxxxx which is the same as 1777xxxxxxx100, then extension 101 would be 1777xxxxxxx101, and so forth.

Call back and forth by dialing the whole string or just the extension number (such as 101).

CallTreatments can be used to do simultaneous ringing on inbound calls, or if you like, sequential ringing.

The thing is, try it, muck around with it, it's free to try and you can see how you like things which you probably will.

If you like it, then you can add paid services such as inbound DID's and/or outbound calling.

-----

Voip.MS is a good provider too, and they have subaccounts, Ring Groups (simultaneous ringing), etc but I am not as currently familiar with them.
bw5745
join:2014-03-14

bw5745

Member

Since all of your Yealinks can handle multiple SIP accounts, you can try voip.ms or Callcentric without disturbing your current setup at all.

If you use some fancier PBX features, like call parking and intercom, you might lose them when connecting directly to a provider.