What sort of setup do I need?

murphaph

Hi all,
I'm based in Germany and my phone is VoIP only (many ISPs here selling bundled VDSL and telephone only provide VoIP telephony, no PSTN line back to the exchange) and I'm perfectly happy with it.

I'd like to set something up so I can more easily call my family in Ireland on their phone and vice versa.

I've heard from English friends here that they get sipgate VoIP local German numbers and add them to their family's router back in England and then they can call the German number (usually for free with most landline flat rate packages) and the phone in England will ring (and the same in reverse).

I'm wondering, can I get an Irish local number for free to install in my router (my router is a FritzBox 7390 which supports DECT phones directly and also allows you to add several VoIP numbers/accounts) here which my family can call from their Eircom landline?

Mr. G

murphaph wrote: »

Hi all,
I'm based in Germany and my phone is VoIP only (many ISPs here selling bundled VDSL and telephone only provide VoIP telephony, no PSTN line back to the exchange) and I'm perfectly happy with it.

I'd like to set something up so I can more easily call my family in Ireland on their phone and vice versa.

I've heard from English friends here that they get sipgate VoIP local German numbers and add them to their family's router back in England and then they can call the German number (usually for free with most landline flat rate packages) and the phone in England will ring (and the same in reverse).

I'm wondering, can I get an Irish local number for free to install in my router (my router is a FritzBox 7390 which supports DECT phones directly and also allows you to add several VoIP numbers/accounts) here which my family can call from their Eircom landline?

Yes that's possible. But you can only get a non geographic number, so your family in Ireland could call that number and get connected to you as if your in the country.

Here is the technical part:

If you subscribe to a Irish geographic PSTN numbers you need to be normally resident in the Irish geographic MNA (Minimum Numbering Area) that the number is requested for. It is in against the Irish Communications Regulatory body directives to subscribe to a geographic PSTN number if you are not normally resident in the MNA of the Irish geographic number allocated to you.

For 076 VoIP numbers you need to be normally resident in Ireland or have a strong and genuine link with Ireland. It is against the Irish Communications Regulatory body directives to subscribe to an Irish 076 VoIP number otherwise. These numbers are usually given away for free, Blueface will give one if you top up a minimum of €5.

Technically it is possible to do the above very easily, however getting a local number when it is not being used in the area is against comreg regulations. 076 VOIP numbers are non-geographic and so can be used once you have a strong connection in Ireland - which of course you do!

To obtain a geographic number from but not limited to, Ireland, Germany, France, Hungary, or The Netherlands you need to have an association/address there. This also applies here in Ireland.

Of course you could get an ATA or IP Phone (or a softphone on your computer) and use it to call home cheaply. If your family gets VOIP phone and you get a VOIP phone you can call eachother online usually for free. There are Skype phones out there also, which you may find easier.

murphaph

To be honest I want to get away from Skype's closed protocol. Thanks for taking the time to give a detailed response. If I may, a couple of further questions...

Is there a downside (for personal comms, not business etc.) of an 076 number compared to a geographic number? My family has flat rate national calls on their Eircom package any way, so I assume there's no difference to them?

Mr. G

murphaph wrote: »

To be honest I want to get away from Skype's closed protocol. Thanks for taking the time to give a detailed response. If I may, a couple of further questions...

Is there a downside (for personal comms, not business etc.) of an 076 number compared to a geographic number? My family has flat rate national calls on their Eircom package any way, so I assume there's no difference to them?

Calls to 076 numbers must be treated as a local call. Eircom don't include them in any call plan so you would be charged to call an 076 from an eircom lanldine at local rate. There is no other downside. It is usually free to call another 076 number, calling from a landline will be the same as calling any other number.

You could get a Blueface pay as you go account and get your relatives to call a Dublin dial in number and enter your Blueface extension to get through to you. This way it wouldn't make a difference at all to them.

gerryk

A cheaper way would be Freespeech http://www.freespeech.ie
It would be incoming only though.

murphaph

Thanks for the input folks. I'm thinking it would be better long term for the family to ditch Eircom completely and switch to a cheaper broadband only product and get all their telephony through a VoIP provider like Blueface or Freespeech. My mother qualifies for free line rental as she's an OAP. Thoughts?

Mr. G

murphaph wrote: »

Thanks for the input folks. I'm thinking it would be better long term for the family to ditch Eircom completely and switch to a cheaper broadband only product and get all their telephony through a VoIP provider like Blueface or Freespeech. My mother qualifies for free line rental as she's an OAP. Thoughts?

Landline line rental is €20.96 + VAT per month. Remember Freespeech won't do number porting. Blueface, Goldfish etc will port however. From a setup point of view, once its setup there shouldn't be an issue. With regard to Household Benefits you would need to take the Cash Telephone option and it would be paid as cash (it is now €9.50, this is the same for the landline option, it changed in the last Budget) as per below:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/extra_social_welfare_benefits/household_benefits_package.html

The Telephone Allowance is a payment towards your mobile phone or landline phone bill. You can get only one Telephone Allowance per household which can be used for either a mobile phone or landline but not both.

Landline phone: if you use the Telephone Allowance for your landline phone, it is generally paid as a credit on your phone bill. However if your telephone supplier cannot facilitate this it can be paid as cash to an account in a financial institution or a post office. The telephone account must be in your own or joint names. If this is not the case, you should contact your supplier to have the name changed. If your house is divided into flats or apartments, you can only qualify for a Telephone Allowance if the telephone is registered in your name and is located in your private flat/apartment.

Mobile phone (Cash option): if you use the Telephone Allowance for your mobile phone, you can use it to pay your mobile phone bill or to buy credit for your phone. It is paid as cash to your account in a financial institution or through a post office.

The Telephone Allowance does not cover the installation charge for the telephone.

People aged 70 or over living in nursing homes who have their own telephone account or mobile phone may also qualify.

Johnboy1951

murphaph wrote: »

Thanks for the input folks. I'm thinking it would be better long term for the family to ditch Eircom completely and switch to a cheaper broadband only product and get all their telephony through a VoIP provider like Blueface or Freespeech. My mother qualifies for free line rental as she's an OAP. Thoughts?

If they have option to get a broadband only service and arrange their own telephone set up then that would certainly be a good solution.
Who supplies the telephone service can be chosen at ease ..... there are lots of options out there.

They could also add an ATA to the present set up, get a free SIP VOIP account from any of the providers, which would allow them to make and receive free SIP VOIP calls to other SIP VOIP users such as yourself.

This would be a good interim arrangement I believe.
The ATA could be used with any broadband service they might decide to use in the future.

If going this route I would strongly suggest an ATA that can simultaneously register two or more SIP VOIP accounts.
That will give the best options for the future ...... maybe one totally free account and another PAYG account for receiving calls and making calls to landlines and mobiles.

murphaph

We're gonna hold off until UTV release their VDSL product and see what router it comes with. If it's half decent it'll surely support VoIP with multiple SIP accounts so no need for an ATA. Once they have that installed we'll get them set up with Blueface for calls out I think.

I have already gotten an 076 number from Blueface (the PAYG account, but strangely I didn't have to add any credit for it to work for incoming calls) for calls in to my router and it works well. I have already got the SIP/local Berlin VoIP number to add to my mother's router when it gets there.

Johnboy1951

murphaph wrote: »

We're gonna hold off until UTV release their VDSL product and see what router it comes with. If it's half decent it'll surely support VoIP with multiple SIP accounts so no need for an ATA. Once they have that installed we'll get them set up with Blueface for calls out I think.

I have already gotten an 076 number from Blueface (the PAYG account, but strangely I didn't have to add any credit for it to work for incoming calls) for calls in to my router and it works well. I have already got the SIP/local Berlin VoIP number to add to my mother's router when it gets there.

It will be costly (relatively) for your mum to phone an 076 number if she is using Eircom ...... they change the full cost of a call for such numbers.
I mention it just so there is no surprise when the bill arrives

For outgoing calls to landlines & mobiles you should check out alternatives like freeVOIPdeal and such (there are a bunch of providers under the Betamax banner offering various packages).
Presently I have free calls to landlines (EU & USA, Canada & Aus) and calls to mobiles as low as 1c per minute or part of a minute.

(It is cheaper for me to phone an Aus mobile on VOIP than it is to phone an 076 number from the Eircom tel line)