How can I setup a VoIP phone line for my houses landlines?

[HeroRareheart]

Currently I live with my grandparents and we can only get Comcast in our area. Lately the phones have been failing but the internet and cable has continued to function fine during these phone outages. I have decided for several reasons that I want to replace the modem router combo rented from Comcast with my own, preferably one without extra "smart" features, and setup a old computer I have kicking around so I can use something like Google Voice for the landlines. Problem is I have 0 idea where to start, I could use some advice here. Our internet plan caps out at something like 120mbps down and 12mbps up and we need the cable service still.

[Lurick]

Look into porting the phone number to google voice or similar and then getting something like an ObiHai 200 or similar. This will allow your local device(s) to use RJ11 cable and convert the analog signal into ethernet frames to be sent over the internet.

[HanZie82]

Another option is to get a (cable) modem with RJ11 connectors that handles VoIP inside the modem.

You jsut plug your main phone jack in there, and voila VoIP.

(altho limited, cant call each other etc.) It's the easiest option.

 

Seeing you live in the US, Google voice might be a good option.

But for long time here in our little country it was worth it to go with a local VoIP provider, lowering latency, increasing quality and most importantly lower costs.

But this last part all depends on your own wishes.

 

 

ps yes latency is quite important you don't want to have to wait saying something cus you not sure if the other side stopped talking yet. (don't think that will be an issue with google, but i've had VoIP systems do that and there's nothing more anoyying. imho.

[HeroRareheart]

38 minutes ago, Lurick said:

Look into porting the phone number to google voice or similar and then getting something like an ObiHai 200 or similar. This will allow your local device(s) to use RJ11 cable and convert the analog signal into ethernet frames to be sent over the internet.

I would rather use something I already have kicking around if possible.

[HeroRareheart]

19 minutes ago, HanZie82 said:

Another option is to get a (cable) modem with RJ11 connectors that handles VoIP inside the modem.

Any personal experience with a good modem that allows this? if not I'll just look at a bunch and check the reviews. Also assuming I can't find a modem with this built in how else could I go about setting up a VoIP connection?

[markwoll]

If you want to continue to use the existing house wiring and phones, I would get an ObiHai ( a terminal device ) and port their number over to another service.

I use callcentric with an obihai, it took a couple of days to port my number from cox, setup was pretty easy. 12.90 per month for a single line. Local, long distance, 911, voicemail, optional ( requires some set up from your web account ) spam call filtering.

The ObiHai ( or other terminal device ) connects to your internet and plugs into a spare house jack ( after you have disconnected the current land line service ) and provides dial tone to the phones in the house. There are also VOIP phones that will just plug in to your lan and provide a phone instrument ( probably wifi connected too )with fewer extra hardware bits but more expensive. The obihai is

From the user standpoint there is no difference, but from a management/admin point of view it adds a lot of features, whitelist, blacklist, call handling flow, SMS, etc.

https://www.callcentric.com/support/ lists compatible devices and features.

 

Most of the cable modems that support voip are available from the cable company, comcast usually would provide this if you went with them as a carrier.

[Donut417]

On 7/26/2021 at 12:14 PM, HeroRareheart said:

Any personal experience with a good modem that allows this? if not I'll just look at a bunch and check the reviews. Also assuming I can't find a modem with this built in how else could I go about setting up a VoIP connection?

 

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/list-of-approved-cable-modems click the My Device Info link. Log in to your Comcast account. This will show you what modems are compatible. With voice service with Comcast, you HAVE TO use a device on the supported device list PERIOD. Your specifically looking for a Docsis 3.0 or 3.1 eMTA (Which is just the version of the cable modem that has voice). I would heavily suggest getting one that does NOT have a built in router and buy a separate router. 

 

OR as others have mentioned there are a number of VoIP options. One thing to consider however, I see your in Massachusetts, as you know Comcast has caps every where else in the country. You guys got temporary stay of execution. Eventually you will be under the 1.2 TB cap, 3rd party VoIP providers will count against your cap. 

[HeroRareheart]

On 7/28/2021 at 7:11 PM, Donut417 said:

Comcast has caps every where else in the country...Eventually you will be under the 1.2 TB cap.

I shall add this being legal to the ever growing list of reasons I wish to leave the USA.

On 7/28/2021 at 7:11 PM, Donut417 said:

as others have mentioned there are a number of VoIP options.

I think I'll have to go with one of those unfortunately, Google Voice no longer works with FreePBX because of a change Google made.

 

On 7/28/2021 at 7:11 PM, Donut417 said:

I would heavily suggest getting one that does NOT have a built in router and buy a separate router.

That was my plan, the combo ones suck.