FWIW, my wife complained the other day too
my wish list:
- Intelligent Call Forwarding that detects the incoming call originated from the "forwarded" phone and rings the original destination instead
Call History that makes use of CallerID/Custom CallerID+Location. Call History only shows Custom CallerId+Loc. No CNAM look up; Albeitly,it's a step in the right direction!
- Scheduled sim. ring with a twist (see wish #1)
I just had my wife call me on my Voipo line and we counted to 10 simultaneously. Each of us could hear the other and there was no "half-duplex" effect. It is true that some cordless phones do that (I had her call on a corded phone just to eliminate that variable.)
Steve
^^
Hmmm, interesting. Thanks.
I have noticed with Voipo it pops up from time to time, I submit a ticket, they fix it, and then it comes back after a few months. Usually an email to support will get it fixed again.
I think in many cases this issue is hardware related; echo cancellation, VAD (Voice Audio Detection).
Depending on which ATA/analog phone combination or SIP phone your are using you may or may not have problems.
IMHO, the best solution for VoIP telephony is a true internet phone that plugs into ethernet. Note that wifi phones (or your Android or iPhone) can have this capability.
In short, I think this problem is up to the user to solve with the correct hardware. However, as VoIPo concentrates on ATA and not BYOD (understandable for the support issues), one is likely to experience these problems, and VoIPo is contributing by steering users torwards ATA and analog phones, which are more likely to have echo/'half-duplex' issues.
Here is a link to a review of a quality DECT IP phone. One could install this phone, using DECT cordless and a direct internet connection, without rewiring ethernet throughout their house. VoIPo does allow BYOD connections (that is all I use), but does not provide tech support for the device you choose.
An ATA could still connect your house wiring with the associated problems and limitations. Really, cordless DECT phones are so good they are indistinguishable from your house phone wiring (in fact noticeably better in the context of VoIP if you use an IP phone). You could easily place one at each of your normal corded phone locations.
Phone wiring is on the way out. It is somewhat problematic in the context of VoIP and near-useless for high speed internet. The problem is you are making an extra analog-to-digital conversion anytime you use a digital cordless phone with an ATA. One conversion in the handset to send voice digitally over the radio to the base station, convert back to analog to go over the phone cord to the ATA, then converted to digital again to go over the internet. This is very much the wrong way to do things.
You are entitled to your old-fashioned views, of course. I find phone wiring to be of little use anymore, and do not use mine at all. The solution I described would likely be a big improvement over your phone lines. For extra credit, run CAT6 ethernet to a couple locations you are likely to want corded phone/internet access. Use wifi or DECT for the rest. You could still 'light up' your phone wiring with an ATA if you really wanted to, but would probably find yourself prefering the IP phones if you had both available to use.
Last edited by lifespeed; 10-24-2010 at 02:16 PM.
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