Confused about 2+ lines.....

Archives
Confused about 2+ lines.....
Posted Mon, 04/28/2008 - 08:55
Hello, I seriously considering trying a VOIP plan (probably PhonePower if it matters..). However, my roommate would like to sign up for a separate line as well. So far Vonage is the only provider I can find who offers this service but I don't want to be responsible for an add. phone on my plan for any amount of time in anyway. I also read a brief statement (on cnet I believe) saying multi line support is sketchy at best Are there any options /services /VOIP phones that support 2 completely different lines sharing 1 broadband connection? A Secondary line via distinctive ring is not an option. No contract would be nice since we both are completely new to VOIP but are willing to spend a little extra on hardware to make this a possibility. Thanks for any helpful insights.
‹ VOIP Software on iPhone Hopeless Search? ›

Comments

Re: Confused about 2+ lines.....

Mon, 04/28/2008 - 08:55 — Archives
You can run multiple "lines" on one internet connection very easily. You could have 2 Phonepower boxes and each of you have your own phone. This is due to the fact that you no longer need "lines" to send the voice traffic. Each phone will send data packets seperate of each other down the same cable connection. For example; we have 50 VOIP phones in our office and we all talk out on the same internet connection and we all have multiple line phones. The key to making VOIP work is making sure you have enough bandwidth to move the traffic. It should be noted that you could have choppy call quality if you are both on the phone at the same time and using the internet. This would be due to limited bandwidth. Testmyvoip.com to see how much bandwidth you have before moving forward. Is this for residential use or business use? If business, you would want to look for a more feature rich offering.... Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of VOIP!

Re: Confused about 2+ lines.....

Mon, 04/28/2008 - 08:56 — Archives
Nice post Runkel. You can also test your speed at www.voipreview.org/speedtest.aspx. Seems to offer a bit more information than the one you mentioned.

Re: Confused about 2+ lines.....

Mon, 04/28/2008 - 09:03 — Archives
This is for residential use. We just signed up for Roadrunner Broadband Extreme. Speed test: Everything was in the green except for the QoS result which was red (32%). I suspect this is because of my router config which has QoS disabled + a pretty restrictive list of allowed open ports. I'll retest later w/ QoS & DMZ enabled for my IP. BTW... the URL to the speed test is http://www.voipreview.org/voipspeedtester.aspx. I'm guessing that when I get the phone adapter it will have it's own code (maybe a MAC) that will be unique to my VOIP account. This would make my VOIP service dependent on that specific phone adapter if I wish to hook it up at another location. Is that right? After rereading the "Learn more about VoIP section". It seems the assumption is that each adapter is set to 1 specific account. However, it would be nice if a quick Q&A about multiple separate accounts on the same Internet connection was added. Despite the possible issues that could / will arise from this type of phone service, I'm starting to get excited about signing up now. Thanks for your help!

2 lines, 1 internet account

Sat, 09/27/2008 - 21:53 — Harry

The cheapest way to accomplish your goal would be to get 2 Magic Jack devices.  If you go this route, you may benefit from a powered USB hub (on Ebay for $9.99).  Another option is to buy your own ATA device, such as a Linksys PAP-2T, and subscribe to 2 VOIP accounts.  The PAP-2T can be configured to 2 separate SIP addresses (as well as being able to "clone" 1 line to 2).  This adapter is available on Amazon for $47 (best price going).  Future-Nine has the least expensive "unlimited" plan ($13.50/mo) as well as a 200 min plan for $7.  Good luck.