Not sure if this is allowed here or not but been looking for a VOIP provider that is essentially free (excluding paying for call costs). I've looked around at a few but most of them seem to be rip offs; I came across this one - VoiceHost.co.uk, just wondered if anyone else uses them and if they're any good? Just mainly want one VOIP line so I can have clients contact me (as I'm a web developer) over the telephone, and having a proper telephone number would be more professional.

The 1p per minute on calls to UK numbers both on/off peak sounds too good to be true, so I'm really not sure?!

They provide a free 0843 number (unusual!) and then you can purchase optional premium rate numbers or geographical numbers at your own desire. Not sure if there are any other service charges other than those besides the calls you make and how easy it is to set up or if possible, to run through my PC with headset. :)

Anyone any ideas on cheap providers?

Sounds like an advert to me..

and what’s a free 0843 number?

s375d wrote on Jan 15^th, 2011 at 12:54am:

The 1p per minute on calls to UK numbers both on/off peak sounds too good to be true, so I'm really not sure?! They provide a free 0843 number (unusual!) and then you can purchase optional premium rate numbers or geographical numbers at your own desire. Not sure if there are any other service charges other than those besides the calls you make and how easy it is to set up or if possible, to run through my PC with headset. :)

The 0843 prefix is an extension of 0844. As a member of this website, I would have thought that you would wish to use such a covert-premium number.  :-?

There is another thread called Getting your own 03 number in which some VoIP providers have been suggested, which also offer geographic numbers.

You can get a free geo number at http://www.sipgate.co.uk/ which is much better than an 0843 number.
I have an 020 number with them, and there's 1p a minute calls there as well.

For INCOMING calls Sipgate will give you a geographical number free of charge. You can also make outgoing calls at reasonable rates, but can receive incoming without ever giving your payment card details.

For OUTGOING calls Voipcheap give up to 300' per week free calls to many destinations (including landlines in UK, US, Argentina, etc.) if you have bought credit in the last 60 days. So if you make a lot of calls you pay no more than €10 every two months, more if you often call non-free numbers such as mobiles, 0871, etc. Voipcheap don't give you a number for incoming calls, but if you get a number elsewhere you can register it with them. Sipgate in, Voipcheap out works.

Another way to make calls at low cost without setting up your own VoIP is to use services such as 18185, 18866, 1899; calls to geographic numbers cost a flat ~5p (varying with provider and over time) plus zero p/minute.

As this appears to be an up-and-coming area, it would be useful for saynoto0870 to start listing VoIP "numbers" for companies. Calls between two parties both using VoIP (without an ordinary phone number) are free. You typically have to call something like 123456@sip.gradwell.net from a computer or set up in the phonebook of a VoIP adaptor (you can't dial letters from a phone handset).

samwsmith1 wrote on Jan 15^th, 2011 at 4:32pm:

You can get a free geo number at http://www.sipgate.co.uk/ which is much better than an 0843 number. I have an 020 number with them, and there's 1p a minute calls there as well.

I did look at these guys but after reading some reviews I wasn't so sure, and that they're not ITSPA registered providers, unlike the ones on this list: http://www.itspa.org.uk/members.html - not sure if that makes a difference but I think the ITSPA has standards that VOIP providers must conform to, which is probably what makes them good.

As for the 0843 number, it might be free for me, but I'd prefer a geographic presence. The issue with VoiceHost is that there doesn't seem to be much information on their site; i.e. is it pay and go or is there monthly calling plans? I've sent them an email asking a few questions as it's easier than making a telephone call and trying to explain it all, and it says they'll respond within 24 hours, but that was on Thursday and I've not received a reply! Plus they don't show the available geographic DIDs prior to registration, which could mean I'd end up with a rubbish number that I don't like!

I came across Soho66.co.uk, not sure if they're any good but they seem to have a wide range of geographic DID's available and cost around the same as VoiceHost for outgoing calls.

Gradwell is a well respected provider although I do not use them my self because I call mostly 01 02 03 numbers when I researched  them all the feedback was very good

I liked them but their cost-per-minute for outgoing calls was like £1.50 a minute!!!

s375d wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 11:18pm:

I liked them but their cost-per-minute for outgoing calls was like £1.50 a minute!!!

Other telephone providers should take a leaf out of Gradwell's book by making the rates easy to find. I went to the home page, and a link near the bottom goes to the call charges page:

http://www.gradwell.com/phoneservices/callcharges

Geographic call charges 1.5 pence per minute peak (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm UK time) and 1 pence per minute at all other times.

Jajah, http://www.jajah.com You dont even need a computer.
I have used it abroad too (USA) although most countries do work. Used in conjunction with a local payg mobile for no roaming charges with cheap and sometimes free calls too if you use a web browser.
There is an i-phone app. for this too I think. :)

Mark_s wrote on Apr 28^th, 2011 at 5:28pm:

Jajah, http://www.jajah.com You dont even need a computer. I have used it abroad too (USA) although most countries do work. Used in conjunction with a local payg mobile for no roaming charges with cheap and sometimes free calls too if you use a web browser. There is an i-phone app. for this too I think. :)

It does work in UK too on standard landlines and mobiles.