Simple VOIP solution to replace landline

My sister-in-law lives way out in the countryside in Wales and ... can now signup to fibre broadband. But she doesn't want to be without a landline. What would be the simplest solution to this? A VOIP phone where she has one deal with the broadband provider that covers both? Or is it best to get the broadband and VOIP separately? She needs something that's straightforward as neither she nor her husband are techies. Some examples would be helpful. Thanks!

Does she actually want to retain the physical landline, or does she want a "PSTN" number and handset rather than a moblie service?

Requirements for it to be straightforward to me says get the phone and broadband from the same company, where the phone line plugs into the router. Coming up to Black Friday as well so it's a good time to be shopping.

Requirements for it to be straightforward to me says get the phone and broadband from different companies, where the phone line plugs into an ATA rather than the router. Get the phone service from a VOIP only provider.

Doing it this way, you can change phone provider easily and also you can change ISP without worrying about losing your landline.

Ok, what do you do if you have problems and your VoIP provider points to your ISP because the router took a firmware update and changed how it processes SIP packets.

The latter - just a handset. It doesn't make much sense to me - she has a dumb mobile phone but wants the comfort of a landline.

Do you have any examples of where broadband and a VOIP phone are offered by the same company?

The two simplest routes are

sip ata, where you can use your existing handsets and just configure or get a preconfigured ata, so plug in and go.

or

something like an isp based service built into the router so its just a case of new handsets.

Some years ago I wrote up how I replaced all the VOIP phones in my office. How I chose handsets etc. All the basics are still the same. I am even paying the same monthly price! Hope this helps:
https://www.sheffnet.co.uk/2017/05/29/voip-phone-sys...

1. Get fibre Broadband installed and working.

2. Buy a Gagaset N300A-IP with handset

3. Migrate the old landline number to a VoIP provider - I use https://www.voipify.net/ who I would recommend and then cancel the existing broadband. Migrating the number may trigger a cacncellation - but just make sure.

In reply to a post by MHC:

1. Get fibre Broadband installed and working.

2. Buy a Gagaset N300A-IP with handset

3. Migrate the old landline number to a VoIP provider - I use https://www.voipify.net/ who I would recommend and then cancel the existing broadband. Migrating the number may trigger a cacncellation - but just make sure.

Great solution but may be not the best for a technophobe.

No one seems to have replied to your question. The obvious and probably the most straightforward way to get a VOIP phone service is to get BT broadband with BT digital voice.
However it does lock you into BT as their DV service is a non-standard proprietary system which only works with a BT hub (router). EE also offer something similar as they are a BT company.

It may not be the most flexible way and certainly not the cheapest as their call charges are pretty high.

The separate VOIP supplier is a more flexible method as your are not tied to either the ISP or the the Voip provider.

In reply to a post by clarkac:

can now signup to fibre broadband.

With which company? That affects what services may or may not be available. If it's Openreach-based then they could take service from BT, EE, Sky, Zen or Vodafone and have an included voice service where they just plug in the existing handset into a router. There's a single bill, and a single point of contact if there's any issue.

Other fibre providers may or may not offer a voice service - most don't.

In reply to a post by clarkac:

she doesn't want to be without a landline.

Does that mean "I want people to be able to call me on my landline number?" Or does it mean "I want to pick up a physical handset even if my mobile phone is misplaced / battery is dead"? In the latter case, does she want a wired handset or a DECT-style wireless handset?

As for the option of broadband and VOIP separately: it's worth considering. and I don't think adds significant complexity after a one-time setup. You can get the VOIP service for about £1.20 per month (AAISP) for incoming calls. If they already have mobile phones then I'd suggest using those for outgoing calls; you can get packages with unlimited calls for under £5 per month (e.g. Lebara). If mobile phone coverage is poor, then Wifi Calling might be the solution, if supported by the provider.

If they do already have mobile phones, with reasonably modern Android or iOS, then I'd suggest buying Acrobits Softphone (one-off cost of £6), and ditching the old handsets entirely. Then they can receive "landline" calls wherever they are.

Another option is simply to divert the old landline number to a mobile - services like numberpeople.co.uk - although I don't know if they're able to forward to two mobile numbers simultaneously, so that the first one to pick up answers.

In reply to a post by jpm:

Ok, what do you do if you have problems and your VoIP provider points to your ISP because the router took a firmware update and changed how it processes SIP packets.

Obviously, you have your own router and you don't let your ISP mess with it in the first place. But it is an unlikely scenario unless the ISP is out to sabotage independent VOIP.

Edited by DFScale (Sun 29-Sep-24 10:57:41)

In reply to a post by DFScale:

In reply to a post by jpm:

Ok, what do you do if you have problems and your VoIP provider points to your ISP because the router took a firmware update and changed how it processes SIP packets.

Obviously, you have your own router and you don't let your ISP mess with it in the first place. But it is an unlikely scenario unless the ISP is out to sabotage independent VOIP.

It feels like you haven't taken into account the "nobody in the house has any technical skills" requirement from the first post in the thread.

In reply to a post by jpm:

It feels like you haven't taken into account the "nobody in the house has any technical skills" requirement from the first post in the thread.

Whatever. The reason I suggest separate ISP and VOIP provider is precisely the question of technical skills. If you want to move ISP and you have the same provider and you lack technical skills, you are going to take no end of a runaround from the call centre if one is completed and not the other, whereas with a separate voip provider and you change ISP there is exactly nothing to do to to transfer the phone service.

I know there are many techies on here and lots of wannabe techies but when someone says they need a solution for someone who is not technical, people need to remember the acronym 'KISS'

Edited by PCJM40 (Sun 29-Sep-24 12:36:21)

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

I know there are many techies on here and lots of wannabe techies but when someone says they need a solution for someone who is not technical, people need to remember the acronym 'KISS'

OK, don't go on the internet.

Otherwise you have to face technical demons.

All I am suggesting is to face up to the technical demons in a way which allows you to do it at your own speed and limits the extent to which you have to face them.

In reply to a post by Realalemadrid:

No one seems to have replied to your question. The obvious and probably the most straightforward way to get a VOIP phone service is to get BT broadband with BT digital voice.
However it does lock you into BT as their DV service is a non-standard proprietary system which only works with a BT hub (router). EE also offer something similar as they are a BT company.

It may not be the most flexible way and certainly not the cheapest as their call charges are pretty high.

The separate VOIP supplier is a more flexible method as your are not tied to either the ISP or the the Voip provider.

This is the solution I would give to anyone who wants to KISS, I myself have a VOIP number from a company which is separate from my ISP, but would never advise those with less technical knowledge to go down this route as when it's working it's fine, when it's not you are on your own.

I agree for a simple, no technical knowledge solution get phone and broadband from the same company.
You dont say who is offering the fibre service ?

The N300 and handsets could be bought by the OP, configured and tested and then sent on?

I've used an N300 for years and my family have no knowledge of how it works - It's just a DECT phone to them. I have the N300A so it has an integrated answerphone as well - no need to call numbers to pick up messages!

VOIP ISPs such as Voipfone and A&A can provide preconfigured VOIP hardware.

For VOIP I like using a Gigaset N300 Dect base station with Gigaset Dect phones.

For a wired phone there is a Cisco ATA 191. Alternatively there is also the Grandstream HT801 which is likely to cost less, You might be able to order a preconfigured one.

In most cases any problems with VOIP after its all set up and working will be an ISP issue as once the ATA has internet it will just log in. If there was an outage at the provider then they wouldnt blame the ISP
but rule of thumb is if internet works but VOIP does then its the VOIP problem if no internet you would have other problems not just voip

Many voip providers can provide preconfigured hardware that you just plug in and go.

The advantage I see in having seperate providers is if you change internet provider you dont have worry about moving your landline I have an issue with sky business where they badly ported the number for a company and all the lines were down. that wouldnt of been a problem with VOIP as a mobile dongle would kept the line up (and the internet) while shy were fixing the internet problem.

I would always get then separately.

Edited by pyarwood (Tue 01-Oct-24 02:31:29)