crashnburn4u
join:2005-08-04
Houston, TX
|  VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & Voicemail
VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & Voicemail with Online checking?
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VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & voice mail?
Hardphone = Ability to use a VoIP box with an ordinary landline telephone for Incoming & Outgoing
Softphone / Virtual Phone = Ability to use a SoftPhone App on your laptop for Outgoing (and if possible incoming too)
[ This allows you to use the service without having to carry the VoIP box and the landline phone ]
Voicemail
- Via a 1800 number / own number
- Via online interface (if you dont have access to a landline to dial 1800 or anything - Assuming u have highspeed internet in a hotel or cafe)
(MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION FROM ANOTHER FORUM POST)
I want to have a VoIP service that goes through my cable internet connection, that I can use in the following manner for calls within the United States (includes long distance.. not international).
When I am at Home:
- Outgoing: Using ordinary telephone
- Incoming: Ring using ordinary telephone / go to voicemail box
When Outside Home (Travelling.. usually have access to HiSpeed Internet):
- Outgoing: Via some software / online account panel from my laptop over Wifi / High speed internet (since I am not going to be carrying any ordinary phone with me)
- Incoming: Goes into a voice mail box (since there is no one to pick up the phone).
VoiceMail Checking:
- Can be checked using ordinary phone by dialing a Tollfree number AND
- Can be checked using some ONLINE system over the internet.
Its not that difficult to have these services, but I am unsure if any providers have this kind of a combination going on.
GOAL OF THIS?
- I have not had a landline in 2 years and use my cell phone primarily. At times I will use the office phone during the day
- I have a cell phone and tend to go over minutes at times (for work or getting calls from a lot of recruiters)
- I could conveniently use this as a land line when I am at home AND
- I could check the voicemail or call out without burning my cell minutes for this via the "internet" when I am travelling (for work usually).
- It would sort of be like my virtual landline with accessibility from the internet.
I would really appreciate some ideas on this front.
Thanks in advance.
PS:
- I have already tried and use SkypeOUT (over the internet) for dialling out when my cell phone minutes are low.
- I noticed several providers having VMbox services but dont know if there are any that provide the following:
Outgoing:
-Via Cablenet phone
-Via Internet
Incoming:
- Via Cablenet phone
Voicemail:
- Via Toll free
- Via Internet |
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lmjh7065
Premium
join:2001-04-04
Cincinnati, OH
 ·QuantumVoice
| I believe that QuantumVoice would offer what you want with the exception of using an 800 number to check your voice mail. I have their 800 VoIP unlimited service, so I can check my VM by calling my own 800 number. They have a VM DID number, but not an 800 number to check VM other than the above exception, AFAIK.
Packet8 had an 800 number to check your voice mail, but did not offer softphone access when I had them.
QV has Faxmail and VM to e-mail so you can listen to your VM from the web as a wave file attachment to your e-mail.
They even have SIP support for the Asterisk system.
Here is the link: »quantumvoice.com/index.shtml |
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Test99
Premium
join:2003-04-24
San Jose, CA
 ·DSL EXTREME
·InPhonex
| reply to crashnburn4u
Re: VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & Voice
Any VOIP provider that lets you bring your own device (BYOD) and doesn't lock the device to their service should work with either a VOIP adapter or a soft phone. For the purposes of this discussion, a soft phone qualifies as a device.
This thread has a partial list of BYOD providers: »Up-to-date list of providers that have BYOD ? . I've had brief but good experience with »Teliax.com and longer but variable results with »BroadVoice.com .
Some providers won't let you have two devices (such as an adapter and a soft phone) registered at the same time. Others explicitly allow multiple active devices and simultaneous conversations.
There are also providers who supply you with an adapter and lock it, but let you use a soft phone as a second line. »Vonage.com and »VoicePulse.com come to mind.
Voicemail access methods vary from one provider to another. You would need to look at each offering to see if it fits your needs.
--
FWD 50775 |
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crashnburn4u
join:2005-08-04
Houston, TX
| reply to crashnburn4u
Re: VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & Voicemail
Wow! thats a lot of options and research?
Should we have a 'comparison matrix' here? We can have a group of people manage it and a bunch of people contact this group to "update it".
I have some ideas on how we can map it very simply.
I think with all these options a good central point of 'comparative review' will do the following things:
- Bring better clarity into the reality of these services
- Bring about more competition between the providers since things will be clear here. That ofcourse means better service and prices for us the consumers. |
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crashnburn4u
join:2005-08-04
Houston, TX | reply to crashnburn4u
Cany anyone provide some updates on this? |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Castle Rock, CO
| Re: VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & Voice
Vonage will meet all of your carrier requirements ... you would subscribe to Vonage's toll-free number service to point at your Vonage phone to check your voice mail. If you were to give out your toll-free numbers to other people, I would suggest that you get that toll-free number from a different carrier other than Vonage (at the point you want to leave Vonage, it will be lots easier to repoint the toll-free number if it's on a 3rd party carrier). |
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bumpernickle
join:2005-01-04
Palm Beach, FL
| reply to crashnburn4u
Re: VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & Voicemail
Callcentric - »www.callcentric.com matches most of your requirements except I think having a toll free number.
They can do hard/soft phones, in fact they only do BYOD now.
Their VM price is a little steep (their customer support mentioned to me that they plan to reduce it in the next month or 2), but depends on which calling plan you are planning to use. They have the ability to play your VM on their website, and/or receive it via email.
Incoming / outgoing isn't a factor with relation to whether you use a soft or hard phone, and they do allow multiple devices to be registered at the same time, but you may have some issues as are explained in their FAQ under the support area - do a search for "multiple software". I've tried it and it works, mostly you should pay attention to how they bill this and how inbound calls will work. |
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dipswich
Premium
join:2003-06-27
Raleigh, NC | reply to crashnburn4u
And then, there's always Asterisk. Asterisk@Home makes it very easy, and even includes the online voicemail interface. |
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crashnburn4u
join:2005-08-04
Houston, TX | reply to crashnburn4u
Which providers allow you to have multiple devices on and using the service at the same time. ? |
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