Absolute curmudgeon cheap home VOIP option

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mobiusnz

477 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#288638 14-Jul-2021 13:44

Ok - I have a tiny bit of VOIP experience but far far far from any sort of expert (I actually setup an asterisk server for a client with voice mail and all for 5 extensions years ago - Bugger if I remember much).

Currently I ported my home phone number to 2talk and I'm on the casual plan - I keep it ONLY because the number is so cool (Not putting it here ;) ) but basically it just rolls of the tongue and the nostalgist in me can't bare to lose it in-case I ever actually WANT a landline again.

So I'm paying $6.99 per month to hold the number and per minute rates for when my wife forgets to pick up her mobile and ring me for free and rings me on the landline. Otherwise it pretty much only rings for telemarketers and fundraising. I have a Linksys SPA112 currently and a couple of Polycom Soundpoint IP 331's lying around - I've setup on of the polycoms at my office for a laugh but don't really use it - Just testing them both but could be used.

Does anyone know of any really simple (Read as cheap) way to hold that number on a casual rate plan or even a good basic provider with a $10 plan that you actually get something on?? I know I've heard talk of 5c per minute mobile calling on SIP plans these days on typical $25 per user business plans.

This is not a technical issue, its not in anyway urgent or even important so feel free to glance past and ignore the tight b*st*rd scrooge but I get bored of watching $6.99 go to 2talk each month to simply bookmark a phone number and allow telemarketers to catch me in a weak moment and take twice the time they promise it will take.

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

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296 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 101

#2744053 14-Jul-2021 13:48

Ask 2talk to convert the line to a 'DDI line' - a $2.50/month plan which doesn't include any minutes or anything else other than just the raw number.

If they tell you they won't convert it (they can be fickle) then port it to the same thing with Hero.co.nz instead.

mobiusnz

477 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 114

#2744061 14-Jul-2021 14:11

speed:

Ask 2talk to convert the line to a 'DDI line' - a $2.50/month plan which doesn't include any minutes or anything else other than just the raw number.

If they tell you they won't convert it (they can be fickle) then port it to the same thing with Hero.co.nz instead.

Thanks @speed thats exactly what I was looking for. One question - Do I register the handset / ATA in the same way for a DDI or do I need inbound 5060 port forward in the firewall.

I'm not completely against the latter and I see hero has DDI number for $2+gst per month with 2c per minute landline and 8c per minute Mobile which is pretty good for a completely casual rate - 2 Talk are 19c per minute for mobile.

This is where I fall over on SIP - The whole Trunk to "PBX" requiring port forwarding and incoming calls pushed to it vs Sip handset logging into a Line over NAT.

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

speed

296 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 101

#2744112 14-Jul-2021 14:42

You don't need to open any ports; it will work fine with standard SIP registration. It's just a different plan type that doesn't have the PBX features associated with it. Eg no call-waiting, voicemail, calling you when the toast is ready etc etc

mobiusnz

477 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 114

#2744114 14-Jul-2021 14:44

speed:

You don't need to open any ports; it will work fine with standard SIP registration. It's just a different plan type that doesn't have the PBX features associated with it. Eg no call-waiting, voicemail, calling you when the toast is ready etc etc

Brilliant - I really don't want telemarketers leaving voicemail ;)

I'll go for Hero - Thanks for the advice as it'll actually be a "big" saving as if ever my wife picks up the phone and dials 99% of the time she's ringing my mobile or one of my daughters mobiles at 19c per minute.

$2 a month to do more than reserve the number is brilliant.

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

mobiusnz

477 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 114

#2744385 15-Jul-2021 09:32

I setup a new account at Hero and I've arranged the number port on the $2 plan - Should be happening tomorrow morning so looking forward to seeing it over. The voicemail is no biggie as I'll just turn the old answerphone back on.

I have heard anecdotally that 2talk are one of the worst to port away from but that was someone in competition with 2talk for cloud phone so they had a vested interest in consciously or subconscious putting 2talk down.

Between this time yesterday and getting firmware updated on two old Polycom Soundpoint IP 321's and testing them to be working I wasted far too much valuable time on saving $5 a month and have a couple of working SIP phones that go for $20 on the second hand market 🤣

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

speed

296 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 101

#2744421 15-Jul-2021 10:09

Nice one. Well at least your new ITSP will be strong, fast, and fresh for the fight!

(sorry, couldn't resist http://www.songlyrics.com/bonnie-tyler/i-need-a-hero-lyrics/ )

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mobiusnz

477 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 114

#2744423 15-Jul-2021 10:14

speed:

Nice one. Well at least your new ITSP will be strong, fast, and fresh for the fight!

:)

(sorry, couldn't resist http://www.songlyrics.com/bonnie-tyler/i-need-a-hero-lyrics/ )

I'm sure they'll be bending over backwards for their new $2 client 😂 - Although its hands on like this where I formulate plans for clients sometimes. I'm not a biggie for providing VOIP as I leave that to the people who do it day to day and can do all of the handset training etc - I'm more of an "I'll put it in front of you working - Now you work it out" sort of a tech but sometimes for a small offering something like Hero might fit very well.

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

shk292

2916 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#2744479 15-Jul-2021 11:26

Apart from the lack of "smart" features, are there any downsides to the DDI option? Can you still use the softphone app to receive calls on a cellphone? My landline is still with ISP (Slingshot) but hardly ever used, I'm thinking I could port it to this Hero option

mobiusnz

477 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 114

#2744535 15-Jul-2021 11:59

shk292:

Apart from the lack of "smart" features, are there any downsides to the DDI option? Can you still use the softphone app to receive calls on a cellphone? My landline is still with ISP (Slingshot) but hardly ever used, I'm thinking I could port it to this Hero option

I'll let you know - I know you lose voicemail and while I like the voicemail to email option we just don't get important calls on the landline so I'll just re-activate the answerphone built into the wireless base station.

Other than that I don't think you'll notice a difference but I'll give it a good test and come back with some feedback on Monday once I've had a play.

One thing I do like about 2Talk is I actually got 3 logins for the same line so I have 0335XXXXX 0335XXXXX-1 and 0335XXXXX-2 which meant I had the first port on the ATA logging in as the main one, port two logging in as -1 so I could plug a phone directly into the back of the ATA in the cabinet in the garage and then when testing I could log a SIP deskphone in as -2 at the office so if I wanted I could answer the homeline there.

I'm picking I'm going to lose that ability but in reality its only the nerd in me that uses that to play with.

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2744547 15-Jul-2021 12:42

mobiusnz:

One thing I do like about 2Talk is I actually got 3 logins for the same line so I have 0335XXXXX 0335XXXXX-1 and 0335XXXXX-2 which meant I had the first port on the ATA logging in as the main one, port two logging in as -1 so I could plug a phone directly into the back of the ATA in the cabinet in the garage and then when testing I could log a SIP deskphone in as -2 at the office so if I wanted I could answer the homeline there.

I'm picking I'm going to lose that ability but in reality its only the nerd in me that uses that to play with.

I believe Hero has this as well, but not for DID.

I'm using DID numbers for incoming calls and a cellular gateway for outbound calls. I'd prefer to use a complete VoIP solution, but 2talk/Hero simply don't compare to unlimited call offerings from cellular providers. If they could do unlimited calls to Australia and New Zealand for $15, I'd be VoIP only.

traderstu

334 posts

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#2746240 18-Jul-2021 13:55

On the back of this discussion, I decided I would convert to a DDI number. I was on a plan with 2Talk, so initially approached them via a support ticket. As expected, they went fickle on me so I opened an account with Hero and ported my number across. The porting process was seamless and only took 1 1/2 days.

We have W52P Yealink phones and they accepted the generic sip settings without a hitch. Later found instructions specifically for our phones on their web portal.

Thanks guys, wouldn't have found out about this without geekzone.

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mobiusnz

477 posts

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#2752529 30-Jul-2021 16:58

Just to come back to this - I switched my home number from 2 talk to Hero. Setup a hero account, requested a number port on the $2+gst plan and the port went exactly to plan and I had my ATA connected and phone running in no time flat. Its been working like a dream ever since.

I must remember to turn the old answerphone on but then who the hell rings out landline these days anyway.

So anyone looking for a very basic SIP offering I personally found Hero a breeze - Fully automated and didn't have to contact them once. They have good information for programming devices online and had all the dial plan and tone frequency information so my rings, busy noise and dial tones etc sound just like a good old fashioned NZ copper phone line.

Matt Beechey Mobius Network Solutions

michelangelonz

125 posts

Master Geek
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#2752531 30-Jul-2021 17:02

I had 3CX setup (free version) on my home server with a 2talk trunk worked quite well.

speed

296 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#2752563 30-Jul-2021 17:51

NZ is such a small place - Hero is backended by the same person who set up 2talk :)

In even kinda obvious - there are codebase similarities in there even if I didn't know by other means; the portals use exactly the same wording in many places etc :)

SirHumphreyAppleby

2939 posts

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#2752616 30-Jul-2021 18:07

speed:

NZ is such a small place - Hero is backended by the same person who set up 2talk :)

That's about where the similarities end. 2Talk was fantastic when it first launched, but the system was left to fall largely into a state of disrepair and some features simply don't work. Support wasn't exactly helpful last time I had an issue. Hero is currently like 2Talk was initially. Hopefully it will stay that way and continue to evolve.

Call costs are still the main issue for me. Even going copper-free, VoIP calls are still a lot more expensive than basic mobile plans.

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