VoIP Phone - recommendations

Good Afternoon,

I just wondered if anyone had any recommendations for a decent (but not too expensive) VoIP phone?

I looked at Gigasetand Grandsteam (I know the second link is in USD - easiest link I found)

Which of those two Brands would be considered to be worth while? Do both support PSTN as well as VoIP?

Thanks in advance for any help.

I can thoroughly recommend the Gigaset range. I've been using C47 handsets with a C475IP basestation for years and have just upgraded to C430 handsets with an N300A IP basestation as I need up to 4 concurrent calls.

Note that different packages of handet & basestation are available and that you'll need the N300 (or N300A if you want an answering machine) if you also need POTS integration. The N510IP base doesn't support POTS.

The Grandstream handset you've linked to is only a handset - You'll need the 715 package to get the base as well. This doesn't look like it supports POTS though...

Edited by ferretuk (Fri 27-May-16 21:02:16)

I also have Gigaset C430H(s) with an N300IP.

In reply to a post by ferretuk:

I can thoroughly recommend the Gigaset range. I've been using C47 handsets with a C475IP basestation for years and have just upgraded to C430 handsets with an N300A IP basestation as I need up to 4 concurrent calls.

Note that different packages of handet & basestation are available and that you'll need the N300 (or N300A if you want an answering machine) if you also need POTS integration. The N510IP base doesn't support POTS.

The Grandstream handset you've linked to is only a handset - You'll need the 715 package to get the base as well. This doesn't look like it supports POTS though...

IMHO Gigaset is the way to go but their entry level wireless VoIP phones might be best avoided. simply go up market in their range of available VoIP phones. Answerphone facilities might not be needed if a hosted VoIP service is used.

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

I also have Gigaset C430H(s) with an N300IP.

I have recommended the Gigaset VoIP phones to several friends now and all are pleased with them. But features between various models seem to be very different which I find frustrating.

Examples:
1) Not all have the INT button, so how would you call another handset in such cases?
2) You can set the default line to be either VoIP or POTS but how do you route the call out onto the other service [In my C47H I simply add a * after entering the number but that is not true for other handsets in the Gigaset range]?
3) When the phone is configured with addition VoIP services, how do you route the call out onto the preferred VoIP service?
4) How do you transfer a call to another handset?

If you have got the answer to any of these questions, please post your findings.

Not sure about 1 (possibly a menu entry or a soft key?) but all the other functions you list are basestation settings and have nothing to do with the handset.

Edited by ferretuk (Sat 28-May-16 14:22:23)

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

I also have Gigaset C430H(s) with an N300IP.

Me too, it's excellent.

I'd go for an N300A if I did it again for the answerphone though.

In reply to a post by ferretuk:

Not sure about 1 (possibly a menu entry or a soft key?) but all the other functions you list are basestation settings and have nothing to do with the handset.

Ah, very good I didn't realize that. So which are the all singing base stations in the Gigaset range?

All the functions you list were in the C475IP and are in the N300IP(A) units. I assume that they're also in the N510IP but I haven't used one of those.

Edited by ferretuk (Sat 28-May-16 17:39:57)

This manual seems to cover a lot.

Looks like the Gigaset range get's the Thumbs Up from me!