Vonage Now Available In Uk

[ChiangMaiThai]

Now you don't have to be an American to take advantage of Vonage. Remember, it won't work with TSpeed and I don't believe it will work with TOT either. JI-Net, TRUE, KSC, Loxinfo etc. all okay. A great way for friends in UK to contact you. They dial a local number there and your phone (not your computer) rings here and its perfect quality. 10 pounds a month for unlimited calling to the UK. Can't go wrong.

---------------

Vonage Gets Bells Ringing With A UK Launch

On January 06, 2005 - Vonage, the leading provider of broadband phone services in North America, announced its plans for launch in the United Kingdom.

Beginning January 06, 2005, Vonage products will be available to buy through the website www.vonage.co.uk.

"Establishing Vonage within Europe and with a strong central base in the United Kingdom has always been a priority", said Jeffrey A. Citron, chairman and CEO of Vonage. "As a leading provider of broadband phone service, Vonage is rapidly becoming an industry benchmark. We are very pleased to demonstrate our commitment to the European market and to offer UK customers our full-featured, cost-effective calling plans."

Offers start at £9.99 per month which will include unlimited calling to landline phones within the UK and to the Republic of Ireland, as well as calls to mobile phones for as low as 5p per minute and all the same benefits and services that North American customers receive.

For more information please contact:

Matt Rowntree - 020 7413 3037

[email protected]

[bkk_mike]

VERY interesting...

I actually don't mind the cost of calling the UK from Thailand, especially with the 009 service, although getting a separate bill from CAT for the international calls is a bit weird... (Latest one is 7½ baht !!)

But this would let people in the UK call me without worrying about weird dialling plans, or BT's extortionate International rates.

[the scouser]

VERY interesting...

I actually don't mind the cost of calling the UK from Thailand, especially with the 009 service, although getting a separate bill from CAT for the international calls is a bit weird... (Latest one is 7½ baht !!)

But this would let people in the UK call me without worrying about weird dialling plans, or BT's extortionate International rates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mike,

People in the UK can call you from a landline for £0.01 per minute just by dialling an access number followed by yours. Check out Telesavers.

Scouse.

[bkk_mike]

VERY interesting...

I actually don't mind the cost of calling the UK from Thailand, especially with the 009 service, although getting a separate bill from CAT for the international calls is a bit weird... (Latest one is 7½ baht !!)

But this would let people in the UK call me without worrying about weird dialling plans, or BT's extortionate International rates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mike,

People in the UK can call you from a landline for £0.01 per minute just by dialling an access number followed by yours. Check out Telesavers.

Scouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know that - but my relatives usually talk to me on email, or computer-computer video calls (Eyeball Chat). They actually phone me once in a blue moon and every time I tell them they should sign up for OneTel or Superline or use a service like Telesavers they say they can't be bothered with the hassle for that one call.

(It's not like the access numbers don't change from one year to the next as the mobile operators pick up on them.)

Also, I've found those services don't work every time. (Admittedly, I don't expect Vonage on True to be much better - if only because True drops the connection every day).

[klrsmith]

Now you don't have to be an American to take advantage of Vonage. Remember, it won't work with TSpeed and I don't believe it will work with TOT either. JI-Net, TRUE, KSC, Loxinfo etc. all okay.

[email protected]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you want to connect two locations that have existing highspeed internet connections and you don't want to pay Vonage or anyone else a monthly fee, invest in an a couple IP phones (or ATA devices) and use one of the many FREE voip providers like freeworlddialup.com or stanaphone.com (US based), Gossiptel.com (UK) or many others.

You simply put the IP phone/ATA at each end, signup and calling the other side (on-net) is free. For inbound calls from the PSTN some of these services like Stanaphone (US number) or Gossiptel (UK number) give you a real telephone number that can be called from the "off-net" world, and allow you to call off-net to the PSTN for their cheap VOIP rates - using a pre-paid amount, rechargeable via credit card.

Freeworlddialup.com has peering agreements with carriers like Vonage - so you can even call Vonage subscribers via a prefix to the normal Vonage telephone number...

Thought this info might be helpful to others.

Regards,

Kevin

Edited January 19, 2005 by klrsmith

[IsaanAlex]

Remember, it won't work with TSpeed and I don't believe it will work with TOT either

Can you please explain why it won't work TSpeed, or why you don't believe with TOT either?

I just signed up for Vonage in Canada (to use in Korea), but I assumed (and really really hoped ) that it would work with my (soon to be installed) hispeed TOT connection in Thailand also.

I assumed one needed only a hispeed internet connection, their (Vonage's) uniit..and Vonage did all the configuring remotely.

**If you do know an internet service provider (or more than one) that one can use Vonage with, and could pass on their name(s) I'd be extremely appreciative**

Alex

Edited January 19, 2005 by IsaanAlex

[MikeWill]

If you want to connect two locations that have existing highspeed internet connections and you don't want to pay Vonage or anyone else a monthly fee, invest in an a couple IP phones (or ATA devices) and use one of the many FREE voip providers like freeworlddialup.com or stanaphone.com (US based), Gossiptel.com (UK) or many others. 

You simply put the IP phone/ATA at each end, signup and calling the other side (on-net) is free.  For inbound calls from the PSTN some of these services like Stanaphone (US number) or Gossiptel (UK number) give you a real telephone number that can be called from the "off-net" world, and allow you to call off-net to the PSTN for their cheap VOIP rates - using a pre-paid amount, rechargeable via credit card. 

Freeworlddialup.com has peering agreements with carriers like Vonage - so you can even call Vonage subscribers via a prefix to the normal Vonage telephone number...

Thought this info might be helpful to others.

Regards,

Kevin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kevin, would you pls clarify:

- what are those devices "IP phones (or ATA devices)"?

- if both parties have to have this special devices?

- do you know if and where they are sold in Thailand?

and also what is the PSTN?

how the off-line calls are implemented?

[ChiangMaiThai]

Remember, it won't work with TSpeed and I don't believe it will work with TOT either

Can you please explain why it won't work TSpeed, or why you don't believe with TOT either?

I just signed up for Vonage in Canada (to use in Korea), but I assumed (and really really hoped ) that it would work with my (soon to be installed) hispeed TOT connection in Thailand also.

I assumed one needed only a hispeed internet connection, their (Vonage's) uniit..and Vonage did all the configuring remotely.

**If you do know an internet service provider (or more than one) that one can use Vonage with, and could pass on their name(s) I'd be extremely appreciative**

Alex

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

TSpeed is run by CAT which blocks the ports you need for Vonage to work because they think you should pay them for yourlong distance calls.

I think somehting along the same lines happens with TOT, but I'm not 100% on that. In my first post I listed a number of ISP's that do work.

As far as using two voip phones, the advantage with Vonage is huge. Anyone, anywhere can call your UK number from a regular phone and it rings here. They don't need any special equiptment and they don't need to dial any extra numbers.

For business when it is preferable that you have a UK presense, its very, very useful. For friends and family keeping in touch, equally so.

[IsaanAlex]

Hi ChiangMaiThai,

Thanks for the info; I reread the most and saw what I missed, i.e.

JI-Net, TRUE, KSC, Loxinfo etc. all okay

When I'm back in Thailand I'll have to look up these service providers.

And I agree with everything that you're saying.

I'm from Vancouver, Canada and so I went with Vonage Canada. I've already been issued a local (Vancouver) number and when my unit is successfully set up in Seoul (and possibly Thailand) my friends and family can contact me for free.

As well, I'll have an active line for credit cards, etc.

Another benefit, along the lines of what you stated, is that if someone in Korea wants to call me in Thailand they can just dial my Canada number (much, much cheaper than dialing Thailand direct) and get 'patched' through...

Cheers,

Alex

Edited January 20, 2005 by IsaanAlex

[astral]

VERY interesting...

I actually don't mind the cost of calling the UK from Thailand, especially with the 009 service, although getting a separate bill from CAT for the international calls is a bit weird... (Latest one is 7½ baht !!)

But this would let people in the UK call me without worrying about weird dialling plans, or BT's extortionate International rates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I now use

007 TOT International - normal connection

008 TOT International - Voice over IP

The bill then appears on my normal phone bill.

No more wasting 20 baht in petrol going to the CAT office,

or a 10 baht service charge at the Post Office,

on a 10 baht international bill!!

[IsaanAlex]

007 TOT International - normal connection

008 TOT International - Voice over IP

I used both of these as well as 009 (for business) and had massive problems getting through and the voice quality was frequently poor.

It was one or the other with all 3; but moreso between the hours of 7-10pm, rather than 4am-7am, (as I worked through both time periods for more than a week).

I'm considering getting a 'dedicated' line brought in by the telephone company, as they said it's possible and they can cut rates on volume.

The only problem is that they're totally inept and haven't been able to provide the international long distance rates, despite repeated requests, for more than 2 weeks now.

Very poor business culture in Thailand, IMO.

IA

Edited January 20, 2005 by IsaanAlex

[klrsmith]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kevin, would you pls clarify:

- what are those devices "IP phones (or ATA devices)"?

- if both parties have to have this special devices?

- do you know if and where they are sold in Thailand?

and also what is the PSTN?

how the off-line calls are implemented?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, I do this stuff in my real life, I forget I need to elaborate sometimes

The IP Phones would be something similar to a Cisco 7940 (high end), a Grandstream Budgetone (low end) that plug directly into your ethernet connection (like a port on the back of your Cable/DSL firewall/router) - they even have usb handsets, which look like a standard phone handset, that plugs into your laptop or pc's USB port.

Instead of an IP phone, an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter) is a device that allows you to use your regular home phone to make calls over the internet. It is also connected directly to a port on your Cable/DSL firewall/router) and doesn’t require a computer to be on all the time. The name “analog telephone adapter” came from Cisco Systems, Inc. when they made their ATA-186 adapter. Other manufacturers use different acronyms, but the meaning is the same. Examples of ATA's (just like the black box you get from Vonage) - Cisco ATA-186/188, Linksys PAP-2, Sipura, Grandstream HandyTone, etc.

Yes, both sides would need a device (ip phone or ATA) - you COULD use a "soft client" which is just a software version of an IP phone that runs on your PC, but that's the thing we're trying to avoid

PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network (or the Phone Company) - when dealing with IP phones when calling someone with a non-IP phone (old style) we call that an off-net call.

As I stated, to locations anywhere in the world that have a half decent high speed internet connection can set this up and talk for weeks - unless you are charged by the hour...

As for calls to PSTN phones, some of these providers (like Gossiptel.com in the UK or Stanaphone.com in the US assign REAL telephone numbers so that people can call you - for you to call outbound, they offer "prepaid" accounts you can top-up via credit card charging you their cheap VOIP rates.

Where can you get ATA's and IP phones? Country specific EBAY sites are good, and some of the providers have "online shops" that ship almost anywhere - Google the models I listed above, that may provide some other options.

Regards,

Kevin

[MikeWill]

Thank you, Kevin.

[jonboy]

This looks very interesting indeed! Does the 9.99(England) give you FREE local and national calls? as it advertises 'unlimited local and national calls' but doesn't mention the word free....but also doesn't mention any costs(that I can see) for local and national calls. Now I ask this question because on some packages it gives you 500 free minutes.If it was free why would they give you 500 free minutes?

[bkk_mike]

This looks very interesting indeed! Does the 9.99(England) give you FREE local and national calls? as it advertises 'unlimited local and national calls' but doesn't mention the word free....but also doesn't mention any costs(that I can see) for local and national calls. Now I ask this question because on some packages it gives you 500 free minutes.If it was free why would they give you 500 free minutes?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes - and it's calls to the whole of the UK and Ireland are free. (but not calls to mobiles)

The only reference I've ever seen to 500 minutes is on the US Vonage site, which is obviously dealing with US users, not UK users.

By the way, Vonage in the UK is using Linksys RT31P2 routers with two US style phone sockets, with an adaptor to plug in a UK phone. - i.e. Lose the adaptor, and normal Thai phones should work fine...

Edited March 6, 2005 by bkk_mike

[jonboy]

Cheers Mike.

Does anyone have a referal coupon? Don't know if the UK branch does them yet but I have a coupon already off a U.S. customer that give me 1 free month and him 2 free months.......but I don't think it can be used in England from U.S??? Does UK have a referal program yet?

[bkk_mike]

Didn't have any referral forms in the box, so don't think they're doing them in the UK yet.

[jonboy]

I got my mum to post mine from England and it arrived today......but I can't seem to set it up.My BILLION modem uses USB and the Linksys uses ethernet!!How did you guys get around this?I first thought of an adapter but was told that this wont work?

Pulling my hair out at the moment as I want to call NOW?!?

Is this right?....

1, isp cable into Billion modem.

2,cable from modem to Linksys

3,Linksys to computer

4, telephone to linksys socket 1

Cheers

[bkk_mike]

It won't work with a USB modem. (unless, like a Zoom ADSL modem I have in the UK, it also has an ethernet port!!).

i.e. The Linksys has to connect by using a network cable to your ADSL modem.

If your modem only has USB, you need a new modem (or a router with built-in modem). And if your PC doesn't have an ethernet port already, you'll need to buy one of those too. (they're pretty cheap)

In theory, you could set up the ethernet on your PC to port-forward - but that's not really a good idea for voice-quality and other reasons (like needing to have the PC on to make or receive a phone call).

If you can find a standard ethernet ADSL modem in Thailand - fine.

If you can't find a standalone ethernet modem, you can pick up a router with built-in ADSL modem in Pantip, IT Mall, etc. If it's got a built-in firewall, you will need to forward some UDP ports to the RT31P2 for them to work. (UDP ports 5060-5061,10000-20000). On my router that's under the NAT settings (Network Address Translation), not actually under the firewall settings... (Note: I got this working with an SMC Barricade, and with my Zoom modem in the UK.)

The way you should set it up is, get your PC working with the new router / modem using the ethernet connection. This will involve entering your username / password into the router setup, and setting the other ADSL parameters (if you're on True, these are VPI 0, VCI 100, Encapsulation LLC, and use PPPoE.) Anything else you should be able to find in the settings for your existing modem.

Once that's working - use the CD that came with the RT31P2, and it will copy your settings and use them on the Linksys. You then plug your PC into the Linksys (following the instructions that came with the RT31P2).

At this stage, your internet should work. Only issue I can think of is if the Linksys and your router/modem are both acting as DHCP servers on the same domain. (If your internet is working - don't worry about what that means. If it's not, you'll have the manuals in front of you ).

At this stage, if you got a standalone ADSL modem without a firewall, your phone is probably working. IF you got a router, or a modem with a NAT firewall in it, you need to go into the router setup and forward the above ports to the IP address of the Linksys. (This is the IP address of the Linksys router when you go to the Linksys entry screen. If it's not a Static IP address, you will need to change it to be one, as you can't forward ports to a dynamically allocated IP address).

After all this, the RT31P2 should work. - you should get a dial tone, and you should be able to dial out. Final thing is the router can take a few minutes to synchronise properly after the ports are forwarded. Only when it's finished that, that it will actually work.

As an additional benefit after doing all this. - you won't need to login on your PC when you want to connect to the internet (as the modem/router will already be connected when you turn your PC on), and so long as one of the routers has a NAT firewall running, you should be a lot more secure from virus/worms than you were with your USB modem. The downside is, if you're using your PC for Peer-to-Peer stuff like gaming, or bittorrent, you will have a lot more port forwarding to do to get games working properly (unless you're lucky with uPnP doing the nasty work for you...). What the port forwarding is doing is saying that, for these network ports - the router is being told that another device on the network will always get that message, so it doesn't block it, and simply forwards it on to that device.

I would recommend plugging any routers you have into a UPS. This is partly because I had a Linksys Access Point in the UK, and a power spike in the UK blew it. (so I don't think Linksys gear sold for the UK would last long without a surge protector / UPS in Thailand), and partly because I often get power cuts that last half a second or so during rainy season. (If you don't - less of an issue)

Edited March 20, 2005 by bkk_mike

[jonboy]

Wow Thanks alot for that.Just to make it even better it was near exactly what someone else told me(from what I can get my head around!!).This is the router ill try to buy at seri center(pantip is too far away)tomorrow..

http://www.smc-asia.com/index.php?option=d...p=page&SubMenu=

seems the same as what your using bkk-mike.Well thanks again and im sure i'll have more question tomorrow after my shopping spree!

P.s. sorry to pester you but was running out of options....as I know NOTHING along these lines!

[bkk_mike]

Hey - I've got it working, but I still wouldn't guarantee I've got the terminology right. - ie. Where I say domain above, I think I should have been saying subnet.

But if you get the SMC, I know it doesn't use the same subnet as Linksys, so wouldn't cause that issue anyway.

Remember - get your computer working with the router - then once that's working, you can start playing with the RT31P2.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Jonboy, are you using one of the ISP's that don't block the ports? (See first few posts in this thread).

Even once I switched to an ISP that works (JI-Net) I then found that it only works when I set the router to bridge mode and then I enter my JI-Net password and username in the Motorolla device from Vonage. Let us know how it goes.

[Stacker]

I use Vonage in the USA, I love it! It is the best phone company I have ever had, and I never have had a single quality problem. You guys are certainly on the right track.

[jonboy]

Hi all ,

This is what I did(im on true 1meg package in Bkk)....I bought the SMC model i mentioned and im using that in place of the billion modem issued by true.Now I then(from advice off others)diabled the firewall and NAT to make it a dumb modem(i believe).Then (it's just a regualr modem now right?) i connected this to my linksys and that to both my comp and my phone.Didnt work for ages but after a while(the next day) hey presto...It all worked.the telephone and the internet.I forwarded a few ports and cliked upnp and I was awayon the net aswell.Now after the first 2 calls(immaculate quality on both sides)..I went to work.When I came back I could still use the net but the phone had problems.They still could hear me perfectly...but all I hear is big distortion.Sometimes im not sure if they are even speaking....

This is where I still am!! Its worked since then but now it doesnt again!

I have bandwidth saver on full(best quality)....ive upped the voice Qos to 512(from 256)....no joy so changed back..

Any suggestions?

P.s. im not sure what bridge mode is changmaithai...and is this jinet available in bkk?...if so how much?

[waldwolf]

One thing to check, with regard to all these VoiP services, is that many of the basic service plans do not work with the 3 digit emergancy services numbers, such as 911, 999 etc.

The Attorney General of Texas today file a law suit against Vonage for failure to inform customers of this deficiency in their basic service.

[grahamb]

One thing to check, with regard to all these VoiP services, is that many of the basic service plans do not work with the 3 digit emergancy services numbers, such as 911, 999 etc.

The Attorney General of Texas today file a law suit against Vonage for failure to inform customers of this deficiency in their basic service.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, incorrect... Vonage does work with 911 but you have to register for it. Engadget and Techdirt Wireless both cover this pretty well. Looks like the incumbents are trying to fight back against VoIP. Now that would never happen here, right?

This thread is actually a good example of why Vonage et al have problems with 911, etc. - they need to be able to identify where you are but if you've got a phone number from the US or UK but have plugged into an ethernet connection in Thailand, what location do they tell the emergency services? Even if they know that you're using it in Thailand, what about the time when you take it on holiday, business trip, etc. (quite a few US Vonage users do this)

[ChiangMaiThai]

Hi all ,

This is what I did(im on true 1meg package in Bkk)....I bought the SMC model i mentioned and im using that in place of the billion modem issued by true.Now I then(from advice off others)diabled the firewall and NAT to make it a dumb modem(i believe).Then (it's just a regualr modem now right?) i connected this to my linksys and that to both my comp and my phone.Didnt work for ages but after a while(the next day) hey presto...It all worked.the telephone and the internet.I forwarded a few ports and cliked upnp and I was awayon the net aswell.Now after the first 2 calls(immaculate quality on both sides)..I went to work.When I came back I could still use the net but the phone had problems.They still could hear me perfectly...but all I hear is big distortion.Sometimes im not sure if they are even speaking....

This is where I still am!!    Its worked since then but now it doesnt again!

I have bandwidth saver on full(best quality)....ive upped the voice Qos to 512(from 256)....no joy so changed back..

Any suggestions?

P.s. im not sure what bridge mode is changmaithai...and is this jinet available in bkk?...if so how much?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All I can think of is that there is a problem with TRUE. Ji-Net should be available in BKK. I have Ji-Net Compax- 2500 a month. Speeds usually around 200-300k. Works no problem when calling US numbers, but if I use it to call a Thai number, they have problems hearing me and there is a big delay. I don't know if this is a bandwidth issue or what, but its not a big problem since I use it to call the US.

And about the lawsuit against Vonage. What is that about? You can call 911 after you register as someone else said. Useless for us hear, but nevertheless...