Interested & Investigating VoIP service

moonpie

Greetings.

I am seriously considering porting out my phone service from Optimum to a VoIP provider and I have some questions and concerns about VoIP. My main reason for porting out is the current price I’m currently paying is higher than I want to pay due to living (surviving) on a tight, fixed budget. I do not make many calls and most of the calls that I receive are SPAM/SCAM calls. And yes, I’m in a minority group who still has a landline phone. I do not have a cell phone anymore and to be honest I do not want one as cell phones are just tracking and surveillance devices.

Are there any disadvantages to using a VoIP provider compared to using Optimum? Optimum uses VoIP but is Optimum considered to be a true VoIP service provider?
My phone number goes way back to the original ILEC in my area. If I port out my number to a VoIP provider will my number be considered to be a VoIP number instead of being an old ILEC number?
I have several online services that will call me to give me a validation code to validate so I can continue to sign in to use the service and right now it works as it should while using Optimum voice service. If I were to port out to a VoIP provider will I have issues receiving validation codes or would it work like it should due to continuing to use my current phone number? ( I do not know how a business/service tells the difference between VoIP numbers and ILEC numbers.)
Pardon me for asking what some would consider to be a stupid/ignorant question. If one sets up an IVR to tell the person to push a certain digit to ring my phone, when will the incoming billing start for the call? Will it start when the IVR answers or when I answer the call? ( Just wondering due to many incoming SPAM/SCAM calls that could increase the overall price of the service.)
If I wanted a turn-key solution which VoIP company would you recommend?
If I wanted a DIY/BYOD solution which VoIP service would you recommend? (I’m a DIY person and somewhat of a Techie person. I like to make it work on my own but with guidance when needed.)

Enough questions for the time being, don’t you think?

Thanks,
jj

nightwalker

Hello.

Questions 1,2,3:
I can answer most of these, I’ve used VoIP for about 15 years. I ported my Verizon ILEC number to VoIP. Your number works like a regular landline with a few caveats: VoIP needs an internet connection, so if your internet goes down your phone won’t work. However, most VoIP providers will route calls to voicemail when your connection is offline. You will still receive calls just like your landline previously.

Question 4: IVR
Depending on your provider, IVR functionality might vary. I use voip.ms which is a Canadian provider, and they have a simple ₁₀ second timeout, with a menu that you configure from their website. So if you set a ₁₀ second timeout, you would only be billed for those ‘10 seconds’.
See: https://wiki.voip.ms/article/DigitalReceptionist_IVR

Question 5: Unsure, I use a DIY solution.

Question 6: DIY/BYOD - Hardware / Software.
You don’t need a separate device anymore unless you want a physical phone. Most people use softphone apps on their phones. I have an Android app for one of my numbers that runs over Wi-Fi.

I recommend a softphone: it keeps your ported number on your mobile device so you can place and receive calls like any other phone. That way your “landline” is available everywhere, and you can access both your ported number and your mobile number on the same device.

See:
https://wiki.voip.ms/article/Softphones
https://wiki.voip.ms/article/ATA_Devices

I use voip.ms for my phone service. They’re a Canadian company with excellent support and no monthly taxes. I pay a $1.50/month line fee for my ported number, and then usage of 1 penny per minute ($0.01/minute) with 6 second billing increments. My average usage is about $4 per month with the line fee. I add $20 every ₆ months and use that balance. The big benefit is the low price (and no taxes); the downside is needing reliable internet, though outages are rare.

I hope this helps! This forum has a few VoIP users who can help you if you get stuck.

Cheers

OzarkEdge

moonpie Are there any disadvantages to using a VoIP provider compared to using Optimum? Optimum uses VoIP but is Optimum considered to be a true VoIP service provider?

Many services use VoIP technology… Optimum appears to be an ISP with various services including digital phone service that is delivered over a digital data network… Voice over IP… VoIP.

My phone number goes way back to the original ILEC in my area. If I port out my number to a VoIP provider will my number be considered to be a VoIP number instead of being an old ILEC number?

I’m not familiar with the backend of number porting, but I’ll simply say that your number doesn’t change, it just routes calls through your new service provider.

I have several online services that will call me to give me a validation code to validate so I can continue to sign in to use the service and right now it works as it should while using Optimum voice service. If I were to port out to a VoIP provider will I have issues receiving validation codes or would it work like it should due to continuing to use my current phone number? ( I do not know how a business/service tells the difference between VoIP numbers and ILEC numbers.)

A few services (login.gov) may refuse to use an Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) number (perhaps what you want to call a VoIP number) for authentication because ITSPs have been popular with criminals. When this happens, you must use another, non-ITSP number or other contact for authentication… perhaps a hardship if you do not have a cellular number in the household to fall back on.

Pardon me for asking what some would consider to be a stupid/ignorant question. If one sets up an IVR to tell the person to push a certain digit to ring my phone, when will the incoming billing start for the call? Will it start when the IVR answers or when I answer the call? ( Just wondering due to many incoming SPAM/SCAM calls that could increase the overall price of the service.)

The billing starts when the call is answered. It doesn’t matter who/you or what/IVR is answering the call.

If I wanted a turn-key solution which VoIP company would you recommend?

Bundling digital phone service with your ISP/Internet service is one turnkey option.

If I wanted a DIY/BYOD solution which VoIP service would you recommend?

I use VoIP.ms.

If you decide to try a DIY BYOD ITSP, fully commission the new service and equipment using a temporary number. If you are satisfied all is working well, then port in your existing number (this will cancel your existing phone service).

If you decide to keep the new number, you may discover that it suffers much less spam calls than your old number.

px_eliezer_

moonpie

moonpie Are there any disadvantages to using a VoIP provider compared to using Optimum? Optimum uses VoIP but is Optimum considered to be a true VoIP service provider?

People debate that point. Technically using a product such as Optimum Voice or a similar service provided by a cable company, there is less exposure to the broad public Internet, but that’s not a big issue in practical terms these days in terms of the end result.

My phone number goes way back to the original ILEC in my area. If I port out my number to a VoIP provider will my number be considered to be a VoIP number instead of being an old ILEC number?

It WILL be considered a VoIP number. There are databases for these things (including both paid and free databases).

I have several online services that will call me to give me a validation code to validate so I can continue to sign in to use the service and right now it works as it should while using Optimum voice service. If I were to port out to a VoIP provider will I have issues receiving validation codes or would it work like it should due to continuing to use my current phone number? ( I do not know how a business/service tells the difference between VoIP numbers and ILEC numbers.)

In SOME cases this does matter.

For example, ID.ME used for many government logins.

Voice-over-IP (VOIP) numbers cannot be used
For security reasons, Voice-over-IP (VOIP) phone numbers are not accepted.
https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/articles/1500004615921-Technical-requirements-to-verify-your-identity

Pardon me for asking what some would consider to be a stupid/ignorant question. If one sets up an IVR to tell the person to push a certain digit to ring my phone, when will the incoming billing start for the call? Will it start when the IVR answers or when I answer the call? ( Just wondering due to many incoming SPAM/SCAM calls that could increase the overall price of the service.)

Unless you chose for your inbound service to be pay-by-minute (etc) instead of some sort of flat rate this should not be much of an issue.

If I wanted a turn-key solution which VoIP company would you recommend?

Possibly 1-Voip.

If I wanted a DIY/BYOD solution which VoIP service would you recommend? (I’m a DIY person and somewhat of a Techie person. I like to make it work on my own but with guidance when needed.)

Callcentric or Voip.MS

I’m a happy and long-time user of Callcentric.
https://broadbandbulletin.com/d/565-review-of-callcentric

By the way there is NO NEED to port your number UNTIL you are happy with your new VoIP service. Callcentric for example recommends that—they are proud of their offerings but want to be sure their customers are fully satisfied.

You need to re-adjuast thinking from landline.

With VoIP you can easily have multiple phone numbers—and with Callcentric you can get a “Dollar Unlimited” plan with phone number for unlimited INBOUND calling for one dollar a month. Those discounted numbers are mainly from a few states (NY, NJ, MA, IL) but you do NOT have to live there. And such a number can be used EITHER as a temporary number to try out the service, OR to keep as an extra number (just a buck as noted).

With Callcentric (as with Voip.MS) you pick an inbound plan (with phone number) and outbound plan, separately.

As far as Callcentric outbound, for $1.95 per month the “North America Basic” plan comes included with E911, 120 minutes of outbound calling to the United States/Canada/Puerto Rico, unlimited calling to Toll-Free Numbers, and full features.

iahawkeye83

Tried Ooma, it’s garbage. Went with Vonage instead. Rarely use it but I have a home phone for the times I’m stuck on hold as cell phones tend to drop calls.

telcodad

moonpie Are there any disadvantages to using a VoIP provider compared to using Optimum? Optimum uses VoIP but is Optimum considered to be a true VoIP service provider?

px_eliezer_ People debate that point. Technically using a product such as Optimum Voice or a similar service provided by a cable company, there is less exposure to the broad public Internet, but that’s not a big issue in practical terms these days in terms of the end result.

One possible disadvantage is that some VoIP services don’t support alarm and medical alert systems that use landline communication. If you use a Fax machine, there can be issues with that too.

I know Comcast’s (and I also guess Optimum’s) phone/voice service does support most of those systems:

From: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/troubleshooting-xfinity-voice

Most equipment works fine with Xfinity Voice, but there are a few devices that do not. For a list of devices that don’t work with Xfinity Voice, see equipment incompatible with Xfinity Voice: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/incompatible-equipment-phone

px_eliezer_

telcodad

Good points, though most modern alarm systems (fire, burglar, and medical too) are moving towards cellular hookups.

telcodad

px_eliezer_ Good points, though most modern alarm systems (fire, burglar, and medical too) are moving towards cellular hookups.

Yes, that’s why I said “… systems that use landline communication”

btlman1980

telcodad If you use a Fax machine, there can be issues with that too.

Yeah, well, there’s not much use for Fax machines these days. I can’t remember the last time I needed to use one.

With email and Docusign eSignature available now, there are few occasions where one would still need to Fax anything anymore.

chpalmer

We use these guys at work. And I decided to use them for the home phone we have here now. I am billed monthly with taxes under $18. And now my Zoom app on my desktop has a sign in and integrates with my phone.

https://zoom.us/pricing/zoom-phone

Just throwing them out there. 😉

andre2

px_eliezer_ I have several online services that will call me to give me a validation code to validate so I can continue to sign in to use the service and right now it works as it should while using Optimum voice service. If I were to port out to a VoIP provider will I have issues receiving validation codes or would it work like it should due to continuing to use my current phone number? ( I do not know how a business/service tells the difference between VoIP numbers and ILEC numbers.)

In SOME cases this does matter.

For example, ID.ME used for many government logins.

In the case of ID.me, there’s the option “Code Generator Application” for MFA, so you can avoid using phone/text for that, and it’s more secure as well.

KurtLandis

btlman1980 Don’t tell the medical community that fax is passe, they won’t want to hear it. I have Ooma, $8/month. Don’t know about their fancier services I mostly just use them for a dial tone. I have sent and received faxes without any additional services, my speed was limited to 9600 but it did work. I send and receive fewer than 10 faxes/year but it can be handy when I need it and am able to do so in a private setting, not from some place like Fed Ex Office or Staples.

moonpie

nightwalker Hey. Thanks for posting. I like your suggestion of using a softphone on a mobile device but unfortunately I do not have a mobile phone and I have not had one for many years. I’ve been thinking of getting one but I really do not want one and the added expenses that comes with ownership. A landlne is all I want. If I could get by without having a phone I would not have one.
I will investigate the IVR functionality of voip.ms. You mentioned that a timeout could be set, When does the timeout start? When the IVR answers or when a custom recording stops?

Person calls: my IVR answers and says “Hello. To complete your call press 7”. I have a 10 second timeout set. When does the timeout start?

moonpie

px_eliezer_ Thanks for telling me how a number is designated. I really did now know.

From reading here about how some online services handle VoIP calls for authentication/verification purposes, that could throw a monkey wrench into my thinking of porting out. I’m already setup for id.me and login.gov but there could always be another service that I may need to signup for and the need to be called to verify and authenticate. Something to think about.

Question: How will my phone use be less exposed to the broad public network while using Optimum Voice services?

Most of the phone use at my home is inbound SCAM/SPAM calls, approximately 90-95% worth. I rarely make long distance calls and if I do I make sure to use an 800 number if the destination has one. If I were to go with a VoIP provider I would be somewhat worried with all those annoying incoming calls increasing my total bill. I need to keep my bill as low as possible. The inflation train is really eating into my SS salary. Would it be possible to have a monthly phone bill of less than $10 for the majority of the months of a year?

I’ll keep in mind to do a test run before porting out my number if I do decide to go with a VoIP provider.

Thanks.

moonpie

iahawkeye83 I will check out Vonage. Did Vonage send you a preconfigured device?

If I could get by with “2 cups and a string” I would, especially if the 2 cups had less/no SCAM/SPAM garbage. I have gotten to the point that I hate to hear the phone ring.

moonpie

KurtLandis Hey Kurt,
You mainly use Ooma to send/receive faxes?

moonpie

andre2 It’s way past time for online services to stop using SMS/texting for 2FA/MFA and update. I use Yubikeys as often as I can when the service supports them. My banking institution is lagging behind the update train and still uses SMS but we have been told that updates are coming.

nightwalker

moonpie

In my example, I used “10 seconds” as the timeout. For voip.ms, you can set any timeout value, I just picked “10”. The call is billed as soon as they connect to the IVR. If they don’t press any key, the call will disconnect after your timeout, and you are only billed for that time. Since they have 6 second billing, the amount charged is in micro-cents.

For example:
2026-03-26 09:15:27 SPRINGFIELD IL <217xxxxxxx> xxxxxxx Inbound DID 00:26 0.0090 $0.0045
2026-03-23 16:10:22 MINUTECLINIC <210xxxxxxx> xxxxxxx Inbound DID 00:19 0.0090 $0.0036
2026-03-20 09:58:38 MILL VALLEY CA <628xxxxxxx> xxxxxxx Inbound DID 00:10 0.0090 $0.0018

The amount is so small, For example 100 spam calls, (10 seconds timeout) = .18 cents billed

Cheers

Stewart

IMO, the right tool for the job is a cell phone. The call screening on modern devices is awesome. I’ve not had an unwanted caller ring my phone in months. My US Mobile service with unlimited talk/text and 2 GB of data costs $10/month, taxes and fees included.

moonpie I do not have a cell phone anymore and to be honest I do not want one as cell phones are just tracking and surveillance devices.

Do you have good evidence that a mobile phone that never leaves your home would somehow track you more than your desktop or laptop (which is unfortunately a lot)?

If you want to limit communication costs, have you looked at the 300 Mbps offer from Optimum at $25/mo?
https://www.optimum.com/internet
What are you spending with them now? Do you also have “cable” TV with them? What streaming subscriptions do you have? In what city is your home?

KurtLandis

moonpie No, I rarely use fax. I use it primarily for outgoing calls and as a “spam trap”. I have an answering machine that stays on all the time. If someone requires a phone number and I can’t see a good reason that they need it, they get the VoIP number. If I’m home and I see an area code or phone number I don’t recognize the call goes to the answering machine. Most calls hang up before the outgoing message finishes. If I make a call where I expect to be on hold for a half hour or more I use the VoIP line with a speaker phone. For $96/yr. I figure it’s worth it. I think there are other services …… Magic Jack perhaps? …… that are cheaper than Ooma.