VOIP for a 4-5 phone environment

[BAD311]

I want to move to VOIP. Our small business has one phone line now and we need to get on a path where each employee has the ability to receive/make calls like most offices. We want to go with a VOIP service. A competitor of ours uses a VOIP system where they pay no monthly fees and the software that runs the VOIP is Linux based. They didn't have to spend piles of money to get up and going and they are using Cisco VOIP phones.

What is all the hardware I need for 4-5 VOIP phones? Obviously 4-5 phones, ethernet cable for each line and what else?

What software can I use?

Can we port our company # over to a VOIP provider?? do we cancel our phone service with Comcast? I'd like to learn more plz!! It seems there isn't much out there as far as setup/installation goes. Surely it can't be too hard?

 

[kevnich2]

Best bang for the buck would be www.getjive.com. Good service, good pricing.

 

[dawks]

I've been interested in www.ringcentral.com. They have some pretty neat offerings.

 

[SNC]

I have been using VOIP.MS for some time now. From time to time the service is spotty but for the price and abilities there are few who can beat it. You will need SIP phones, we use Aastra 940i, they can be found on eBay for pretty cheap. Just be sure they are SIP phones. Your Internet service, if not solid, will play a large part in how well the calls sound. What are you using for an ISP now and what speed do you pay for?

 

[QuietDad]

If your phone provider is Comcast, your already using VOIP. Any of the VOIP services from the cable companies (Comcast, Cablevision, TWC, FIOS, ect) is one connection between the VOIP modem and any phone jack in the office in the residence/office and it usually can make every jack work just like they normally do. Some of the software based provider, like Magic Jack are nothing more than a USB dongle with a phone jack that doesn't have enough to power more than one phone and require more equipment or a wireless phone system to work. Services like Jive require IP phones and an ethernet connection to a router for each phone to function.

 

[SNC]

Best bang for the buck would be www.getjive.com. Good service, good pricing.

Not really sure $30.00 per month per device could be called Best bang for the buck, but I guess it would depend on what you are looking for. We spend less than 100 per month for 15 phones that are in use just about all day, and that includes 4 DIDs and 2 TF numbers.

 

[kevnich2]

When it comes to hosted phone systems, yes it is best bang for the buck. Your VoIP.ms is just a sip trunk that requires you to supply your pbx or VoIP box to connect your phones to. Hosted phone systems only require a phone. A lot less hassle. I'd rather pay a company to handle the phone system than me taking care of it. I have other things to spend my time on.

 

[SNC]

When it comes to hosted phone systems, yes it is best bang for the buck. Your VoIP.ms is just a sip trunk that requires you to supply your pbx or VoIP box to connect your phones to. Hosted phone systems only require a phone. A lot less hassle. I'd rather pay a company to handle the phone system than me taking care of it. I have other things to spend my time on.

You might want to look into VOIP.ms a bit more before giving out wrong info.
They provide ring groups, IVR, voicemail, transfer capabilities and just about everything a hosted provider provide.

 

[JackMDS]

The last decade was a decade of invention and new innovation.

As a result, with some knowledge and willing to adopt Entry Level Systems could be used for Pro work.

It is over Now, it is time to "make money" and the Big player "Dumb" down the Entry Level so that people that need the system for their own Business would take the next level (more expensive) service.

It does not matter how much we "Drama Queen" it is Better to understand that it is the Natural progression.

 

[drebo]

I'd recommend for a small office that you buy a Cisco UC320 system with some Cisco SPA508g phones with standard analog POTS lines. For 5 phones, the UC320, and an 8 port POE switch, you're looking at less than $2k, and it's very straight forward to set up.