Staples have in my local store on clearance the Netgear TA612V for £9.91.
Connect it in after the router & set up one (or even two) free Sipgate VOIP accounts with virtual UK residential numbers. Plug in one (or even two) conventional phones into the box & away you go.
You get free 555 minutes for the first two months then if you want to set up the monthly fee of £5.99 that gets you 17 hours a month of outgoing UK calls.
Then you have your own number that follows you around for as long as you want it.
Irrespective of the fact that Sipgate don`t support\reccomend you connect it to a router here`s how you do it.
You access its web page admin from a PC connected to its own output ethernet port & not from a PC connected to the main router\modem.
Follow the wizard without adding any user names or passwords then register the device with Sipgate & all VOIP settings will be downloaded after a reboot of the device.
The phone lights will flash & should clear after 5 minutes after the setup is downloaded, in practice I found that did not happen & a second reboot after a safe 10 minutes had passed caused it to boot normally & a dial tone was heard with phones connected to both phone ports & I was able to dial out & receive calls with the 555 free minutes.
I consider myself an optimist, albeit an optimist with cynical tendencies and a dark side that Lucifer himself would find a little creepy. (Perhaps you've noticed.) You don't normally associate cynicism with an upbeat pov. But I have exactly that combination and will defend it.
Todays goal is to exceed yesterdays record level of totally unverifable productivity.
I don`t understand why people knock ASBO`s, they are good things as for most of the recipients, these are the only qualifications they will ever have.
This item was edited on Tuesday, 2nd January 2007, 12:54
Exeter is my local branch.
Netgear Broadband Voice Adapter TA612V with free Sipgate 555 minutes is what they should be looking for.
I consider myself an optimist, albeit an optimist with cynical tendencies and a dark side that Lucifer himself would find a little creepy. (Perhaps you've noticed.) You don't normally associate cynicism with an upbeat pov. But I have exactly that combination and will defend it.
Todays goal is to exceed yesterdays record level of totally unverifable productivity.
I don`t understand why people knock ASBO`s, they are good things as for most of the recipients, these are the only qualifications they will ever have.
What I did\found was the phone lights would flash continually after the reboot for the download & the page stated fail at that point.
I decided to wipe the configuration & just before I did so I rebooted & got static lights & a dial tone (& a lot of swearing from me).
I completed the wipe & reflashed it a second time, with the setup for both numbers I wanted. I waited 10 or so minutes rebooted again & got a dial tone, the web admin page then showed success.
I think the key is the second reboot after flashing the firmware, snag is that you are left uncertain when its safe to do so.
Documentation is a bit lacking & Sipgate\Netgear have shot themselves in the foot for not providing clearer instructions or greater support for use with a ADSL router (even their own). There was no real difficulty in getting it to work with my router.
Staples have a 14 day return period so its worth being brave.
I consider myself an optimist, albeit an optimist with cynical tendencies and a dark side that Lucifer himself would find a little creepy. (Perhaps you've noticed.) You don't normally associate cynicism with an upbeat pov. But I have exactly that combination and will defend it.
Todays goal is to exceed yesterdays record level of totally unverifable productivity.
I don`t understand why people knock ASBO`s, they are good things as for most of the recipients, these are the only qualifications they will ever have.