Which phone should I buy?

This section is for general discussions surrounding digital phone service.
danny54
One Hit Wonder
Posts: 1
Joined: 11/08/2011

Which phone should I buy?

Post by danny54 »

Looking to purchase the service, which VOIP phone should I buy? Looking for one that will be easy to set up... Where should I buy it in the GTA? Thanks for your help!
Ice
Lightly Seasoned
Posts: 151
Joined: 01/21/2010

Re: Which phone should I buy?

Post by Ice »

This is a very broad question so I'll just touch on the different options and you can decide which direction you want to go... I'm not sure if you've already considered all this but will mention it any way.

First, is it safe to assume that you're happy with the free service and want to buy the config file?

There are basically 3 ways to go:
(1) VoIP Softphone/service: a lot of people use some sort of software, some aren't free but many are. I know people who love using the software instead of a real phone because they travel a lot (sometimes just between home and work) and love the portability of it. There are many free and paid options out there... X-Lite, 3cx, Phoner, etc, etc, etc are only the start. Some have linked it to another VoIP service to enhance FPL's service.

(2) ATA: this is probably the most popular way people go. It's basically a phone-VoIP-internet adapter so you can use any phone with VoIP and your internet connection. I know a few people who love it because they can hook up any phone (including cordless phones) and use it. I've personally haven't had any problems with Linksys products, and FPL sells/suggests Grandstream. You can check the Device Configuration forum too to see what sort of discussions are floating around.

(3) VoIP Phone: I only know of a few people going this route, but it's a regular phone/handset that plugs directly into your internet connection. The great thing about a physical VoIP phone is its ability to interact directly with FPL. I've found that features are more seamless with VoIP such as Call Waiting, conferencing, configuring, etc.

:)
User avatar
bridonca
Technical Support
Posts: 1225
Joined: 11/16/2009
SIP Device Name: Netgear WGR615V
Firmware Version: latest
ISP Name: Eastlink
Computer OS: XP

Re: Which phone should I buy?

Post by bridonca »

Judging your experience level, I would strongly recommend getting the ATA from freephoneline, and then use your favorite telephone. SIP devices are not the easiest to configure, it usually work, but a lot of work is sometimes required to get them working.