Voice-Over-IP Two phones on one VoIP line?

Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Two phones on one VoIP line? jeffgreinert 08-18-06
Posted by on August 18, 2006, 8:36 pm
Please log in for more thread options


I have a small office, just my wife and I. I'm interested in switching
from standard phone service to a VoIP provider. I want our phone setup
to work essentially the same as it does now which is:

* A call comes in on our single line, and both of our phones ring (one
on her desk, one on mine). Either of us can answer the phone.
* If I answer and the call is for her, I can put the call on hold and
she can pick up the call by taking it off of hold on her phone.

My questions:
1) Can I do these with your provided equipment and my phones? Does it
depend on my phone's specifications/capabilities?

2) Can I do these if I elect to use softphones and not physical phones?
Does it depend on the softphone's specifications/capabilities?

I need to be able to have both phones ring and be able to somehow move
a call from one phone to the other.

If it's of any importance, I'm considering BroadVoice VoIP with a
Linksys RT31P2-NA router w/ 2 phone ports and the eyeBeam softphone,
which is basically the pro version of the X-Lite softphone.

A final question: When using a softphone, does the call get to the
computer via the ethernet cable or via a phone cord through the modem
port?

Thanks for helping a VoIP newbie.

-- Jeff


Posted by Pat Coghlan on August 18, 2006, 11:33 pm
Please log in for more thread options


Your existing phones are on the same analog loop. If you subscribe to a
VoIP provider, there will still be an analog loop, but it will be
powered by your VoIP TA (terminal adapter), rather than the phone
company. Your analog phones will work as before.

Residential phones with a "hold" feature really don't put the call on
hold, per se. They simply cut off the sound and microphone, but keep
the line "off hook" so the other phone can be picked up.

jeffgreinert@yahoo.com wrote:
> I have a small office, just my wife and I. I'm interested in switching
> from standard phone service to a VoIP provider. I want our phone setup
> to work essentially the same as it does now which is:
>
> * A call comes in on our single line, and both of our phones ring (one
> on her desk, one on mine). Either of us can answer the phone.
> * If I answer and the call is for her, I can put the call on hold and
> she can pick up the call by taking it off of hold on her phone.
>
> My questions:
> 1) Can I do these with your provided equipment and my phones? Does it
> depend on my phone's specifications/capabilities?
>
> 2) Can I do these if I elect to use softphones and not physical phones?
> Does it depend on the softphone's specifications/capabilities?
>
> I need to be able to have both phones ring and be able to somehow move
> a call from one phone to the other.
>
> If it's of any importance, I'm considering BroadVoice VoIP with a
> Linksys RT31P2-NA router w/ 2 phone ports and the eyeBeam softphone,
> which is basically the pro version of the X-Lite softphone.
>
> A final question: When using a softphone, does the call get to the
> computer via the ethernet cable or via a phone cord through the modem
> port?
>
> Thanks for helping a VoIP newbie.
>
> -- Jeff
>
>

Posted by Tom Ruehle on August 19, 2006, 10:08 am
Please log in for more thread options


jeffgreinert@yahoo.com wrote:
> I have a small office, just my wife and I. I'm interested in switching
> from standard phone service to a VoIP provider. I want our phone setup
> to work essentially the same as it does now which is:
>
> * A call comes in on our single line, and both of our phones ring (one
> on her desk, one on mine). Either of us can answer the phone.
> * If I answer and the call is for her, I can put the call on hold and
> she can pick up the call by taking it off of hold on her phone.
>
> My questions:
> 1) Can I do these with your provided equipment and my phones? Does it
> depend on my phone's specifications/capabilities?
>
> 2) Can I do these if I elect to use softphones and not physical phones?
> Does it depend on the softphone's specifications/capabilities?
>
> I need to be able to have both phones ring and be able to somehow move
> a call from one phone to the other.
>
> If it's of any importance, I'm considering BroadVoice VoIP with a
> Linksys RT31P2-NA router w/ 2 phone ports and the eyeBeam softphone,
> which is basically the pro version of the X-Lite softphone.
>
> A final question: When using a softphone, does the call get to the
> computer via the ethernet cable or via a phone cord through the modem
> port?
>
> Thanks for helping a VoIP newbie.
>
> -- Jeff
>
I found this paper helpful

http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html

Posted by on August 20, 2006, 1:05 am
Please log in for more thread options


Thanks for the great info. Any experience doing this with softphones?

-- Jeff


Posted by Tom Ruehle on August 21, 2006, 3:11 pm
Please log in for more thread options


jeffgreinert@yahoo.com wrote:
> Thanks for the great info. Any experience doing this with softphones?
>
> -- Jeff
>

Sorry. I have no experience with softphones.

Similar ThreadsPosted
Two phones on one VoIP line? August 18, 2006, 8:36 pm
Analog T1 line vs. Digital T1 line May 22, 2006, 7:13 pm
DSL LIne and VOIP February 19, 2005, 3:21 am
VoIP on primary DSL Line? June 26, 2006, 10:03 pm
Voip Updated Howto,New Voip Phones,Voip Conferencing,Satellite Voip,Virtual PBX Solutions May 21, 2006, 11:18 am
Voip On-Line Business Directory March 29, 2005, 9:36 pm
routing VoIP through a regular phone line September 7, 2004, 7:22 pm
Using VOIP Line for Remote Call Forwarding September 10, 2004, 1:48 pm
POTS and VOIP line switching/control March 22, 2005, 3:47 pm
multi-line cordless and voip or skype? September 9, 2005, 9:52 am
Voip at Home,Voip Updated Howto,New Voip Phones,Voip Conferencing, May 26, 2006, 9:42 am
WDECT phones and voip May 8, 2005, 7:00 pm
in expensive VOIP phones August 19, 2005, 7:42 pm
VoIP phones and Gateway August 30, 2005, 8:02 am
VOIP Phones with Fiberoptic October 21, 2005, 7:10 am