VOIP phones

I'm looking at setting up a Voip system with 2 lines.
Are all Voip phones standard ?
I'll probably be running this off a Draytek Vigor router. Would the Cisco 7960G phone be suitable for this ?

They all tend to support their interpretation of standards, yes.

I would recommend you use a phone that is supported by your preferred VoIP supplier, as it can be a royal PITA setting them up if you don't have instructions that match what you see in front of you.

It is quite common to see the same thing described with different words on different kit, which can be confusing.

The router at best doesn't affect VoIP, at worst it breaks it. So if you can find someone saying "I use a 7960G phone through a Draytek Vigor using XYZ VoIP and it's great" that helps. Do Draytek still have Draytel ?

Thanks Yarwell,
Yes Draytek still do Draytel.
I am planning on using Enta's Voip service though.
Maybe I'll ask them, as you suggest. I've had some good quick responses from Enta on this before.
To be honest, I only mentioned the 7960G as that was the only one I could see anywhere, with two lines, at a decent price.

CISCO and decent price normally in the same sentence

As CISCO have their own VoIP protocol I would be a bit wary (RTFM) of how good their support for SIP is. I may be being over-cautious.

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/default_ShopGroup.as...

If you have access to the Enta docs and download relevant manuals for target phones you can see how it's going to be setting it up. A lot of Enterprise VoIP is provisioned from the switch via TFTP whereas you'll presumably be doing it manually.

In my (limited) experience the SIP application gateway layer in routers can do more harm than good and I would start with it off, if there is one.

Thanks Yarwell,
I have made an enquiry to Enta about IP phones.
Somehow I had missed the broadbandbuyer site for this stuff ...
Yes, ref Cisco support - I spent a lot of last evening researching that. I really don't want to end up with product that gives me a headache, life's too short.
I've seen some Grandstream phones advertised that look fine - on the face of it. Would you have any knowledge of them ?

Your desires can mean many things and you don't say if you have a preference for a wireless handset or desktop phone. What do you really mean; one phone that supports two VoIP numbers or two phones each with a VoIP number? But first you need a decent broadband connection if you want quality phone while extreme internet activity is in progress.

You can use Draytek routers that support VoIP and use any ordinary phone or VoIP desktop phones, say the snom range, or wireless VoIP phones where the Gigaset range is particularly recommended. It all depends on your budget.

As for hosted supplier, you need to decide whether you wish to deposit a non refundable deposit against future call usage or have a credit account, but that usually means a monthly subscription. Your choice of hosted supplier may mean that your choice of geographical location exchange may not include what you would like. Support is either excellent or virtually non existent.

Not every hosted supplier supports features that your phone could use or even give you free VoIP to VoIP calls. VoIP is not a replacement for a traditional land line but more an add-on facility if only because a power source is essential.

You are generally on your own to configure VoIP phones with considerable differences with the GUI to achieve a registration. All the foregoing doesn't diminish the overriding benefits of VoIP once the system is up and running with very noticeable savings in call costs and feature rich add-ons that will be found to be very useful.

Thanks Trolleybus, quite a full list of advice.
At the moment, we're thinking along these lines :
Hosted on Enta's Enrich system, with two lines. Fibre is already installed, 40 MB connection, on a Draytek 2850. Note there can be heavy internet use already during the working day.
Calls will generally be to/from UK, but also some international.

In the office will be two wired handsets, each able to access both lines. Also a third handset, but wireless, DECT.
On top of that another three occasional users, for home use, etc. They might use headset type things, from their home laptops, or maybe handsets, or maybe want the option of both - handset for both lines at home, and the laptop/headset for travelling.
All these users will presumably have their own extension number for transferring calls, and inter colleague calls.

Budget will be important, as in all decisions. It's a good business, but not made of gold.
I do want to have some good support, because I'll be the one installing and taking care of this system, and then taking whatever flak might come. I'm hoping Enta have a good track record on this side.

Any further advice or comments will be most welcome, thanks.

If your budget is tight Ebay can be a source of cheap IP phones from time to time. But do make sure you are buying a SIP compatible phone not an older standard.

I managed to buy a brand new Nortel LIP-6812 for £12 a few weeks ago. Nortel, of course, is defunct, so not one to choose if you want good support, but I like it.

In reply to a post by clyde123:

Thanks Trolleybus, quite a full list of advice.
At the moment, we're thinking along these lines :
Hosted on Enta's Enrich system, with two lines. Fibre is already installed, 40 MB connection, on a Draytek 2850. Note there can be heavy internet use already during the working day.
Calls will generally be to/from UK, but also some international.

In the office will be two wired handsets, each able to access both lines. Also a third handset, but wireless, DECT.
On top of that another three occasional users, for home use, etc. They might use headset type things, from their home laptops, or maybe handsets, or maybe want the option of both - handset for both lines at home, and the laptop/headset for travelling.
All these users will presumably have their own extension number for transferring calls, and inter colleague calls.

Budget will be important, as in all decisions. It's a good business, but not made of gold.
I do want to have some good support, because I'll be the one installing and taking care of this system, and then taking whatever flak might come. I'm hoping Enta have a good track record on this side.

Any further advice or comments will be most welcome, thanks.

Since we are heavily into using something very similar to your desires, and also unable to draw upon unlimited funds, I thought you might like to read on.

What you will find from an original conceptual idea of usage of VoIP will develop a strong sense of why the hell you had not had the system installed much earlier because every day you will discover the strengths, and the few weaknesses, of using VoIP and discover just how much better VoIP is over traditional small office systems.

You have two good building blocks already to give you a perfect service, FTTC and Draytek. Now get your head around terminology and forget about "two lines" and learn about identities. VoIP uses your local area network and therefore each desktop phone needs a dedicated circuit back to the switch/router. Snom phones do have an inbuilt mini hub to aid installation but it is best to ignore that feature.

I don't know anything about Enta but assume it provides similar features and facilities available from our hosted VoIP service. If you have an established business, then I guess you have a phone number you wish to retain and while there are no issues in moving that number over to VoIP, you may be in contract with your existing supplier which could invoke early termination charges. In general each VoIP phone has an identity linked to POTS numbers, in our case it is the published number for the company and its own DDI number.

Outgoing calls from any one of our five VoIP phones has the presentation number of the company. Incoming calls to that number ring all five phones in the office with the ability to transfer an answered call to another VoIP phone. We also have teleworkers, some where the phones are setup in a similar manner allowing incoming calls to be answered whenever the office is unstaffed.

Forget about softphones, there is no substitute for a dedicated handset and for the home environment the Gigaset IP phones are ideal. These phones have the ability to connect the existing home telephone line to the control unit and also an internet connection for the VoIP service. Use of one service continues to allow the other service to be available for use, perhaps from another handset.

The travelling user can have a call received in the office transferred to him either to the mobile number or in some cases to VoIP identity in the phone. If there is no one in the office the process can be automated.

Setup costs are high but running costs are low but ROI in under six months is achievable. You need to buy the VoIP hardware, and maybe beef up your LAN,
but that's it because everything is self install including configuring the phones in a manner required by your hosting provider. Unpacking the phone often takes longer than the physical install!

Whereas previously we had six BT landlines we now only have one and that provides the broadband service, supports RedCare, the fax machine and a backup POTS service.

We have a credit account for calls made and get a monthly bill for the entire running costs irrespective of where the phone happens to be. Saves teleworkers the need to claim for the calls they make and makes the recovery of VAT easier.

So your budget might look like this:
VoIP desktop phones; 2 snom 370s at £175 each
VoIP wireless phones. 3 Gigaset twin sets at £100 each
LAN infrastructure upgrade and cabling, say £100
Setup costs, £0 although you have to factor in some costs for your time.

You should be able to get it all up and running in a day using new POTS numbers but the transfer of an existing number could take a week or more to move across.

Thereafter an identity cost of £5-£10 each per month, say 5 * £10 in your case, with 01/02/03 numbers costing for a call anything for 0.7ppm to 2ppm with no call set up charges. Non UK calls not a lot more to many countries.

VoIP is not for everyone, but we are well pleased that we use it. I have run out of time to wax lyrical in the many ways we have found it most beneficial but any specifics you want to know, just ask.

I've used a few different phones for short periods helping people out or experimenting, no experiences worth replaying.

Always handy to get a test account from a potential supplier, fire it up on a softphone to prove it, then move on to a hardware phone. Baby steps