Two suppliers on one software package

Is there any problem using two suppliers from one software package?

I currently use ZoIPer and have just applied to port my number to another supplier but would like to continue to use current provider to make calls. It appears only one provider is "registered" the other doesn't have this appended to it even after selecting the option.

VoIP client software or hardware often supports multiple VoIP accounts (from same supplier with different account username OR different suppliers) but not the concept of sharing the same (direct dial) number with 2 suppliers.

When someone from the PSTN calls your number it has to go somewhere (to the VoIP supplier allocated that number or number block) before their server notifies your VoIP client and I doubt that can be 2 different suppliers at the same time.

Nothing to stop you having 2 accounts each with different phone numbers though, or indeed one account with an incoming phone number and the other account that is SIP-only (that can still make calls to SIP and PSTN but only receive SIP calls).

This might be different if you are effectively your own VoIP supplier (like some kind of virtual telco) if it is analogous to how an ISP has multiple routes to the internet.

Edited by prlzx (Tue 21-Aug-12 01:29:00)

In reply to a post by prlzx:

but not the concept of sharing the same (direct dial) number with 2 suppliers.

Yes: sorry should have made it clear that I was just hoping to use old supplier for calls out and new supplier for calls in to my old Virgin Media number.

Problem seems to be "registering" two SIP accounts. Maybe I'm just not configuring the software correctly? New supplier certainly doesn't seem to be as "on the ball" as old one, but it is early days.

Ah, there is a related problem of running 2 or more SIP clients (or registrations) from behind the same NAT router.

When it was just one account had you previously used port forwarding to allow in 5060 (udp)?
(uPnP can also be doing this silently).

(Although in theory as it's to the same software and therefore same IP it should not really be a problem.)

Anyway have a look if your suppliers have alternative settings for clients behind NAT.
Something like "add a setting for a SIP proxy of nat.voipexample.com:5065" where they tend to specify a different port from the standard 5060.

In which case you can turn off any related port forwarding and each supplier will need to have their own SIP proxy added in the software (a per-account setting).

If the the software only supports a single global SIP proxy setting that is more likely to be your problem (then you can have multiple registered extensions but only with the same supplier).

If you have a router providing SIPPROXYD this can usually handle multiple registrations from behind NAT.

Ekiga is another desktop software client you can try (or cSipSimple on Android).

Edited by prlzx (Wed 22-Aug-12 09:14:50)

In reply to a post by prlzx:

(Although in theory as it's to the same software and therefore same IP it should not really be a problem.)

Thanks.

Both registered now after I tweaked some settings in advanced config.