VOIP Experience

[LouNY]

I have three Starlink systems. Had them for coming up on a couple of years now.

There are occasional quirks here and there, but never a problems. Based on my experience many of my rural neighbors bought SL. Installed it in some horribly obstructed locations and it still worked. Yes I use my for wifi calls.

The only time SL did not work was in Yosemite. But I was camped up to the edge of a granite wall thousands of feet high that blocked the view to the satellites. Not really the fault of SL.

I have SL and it works, and it works a bit better then my other option which is a point to point wireless which I used for over 20 years before SL.
However I am not that impressed with it while it does work it's certainly not the best thing since sliced bread.
My wife is still working and she works from home using a VPN that her employer requires, it will drop out and loss connection several times a day almost every day.

This is obstructed???? what the h?

Not a very impressive speed test either

My wife worked for the phone company for about 37 years before she retired and my son works for them now. They are 100% fiber now so people that still have “land lines” are really using some form of VOIP rather they know it or not.

Maybe the phone company where you are but not around here.
Still lots of buried and overhead copper cables in use and being worked on daily because of complaints.
I ended up dropping mine over 10 years ago as it was unusable.
Also no DSL as we are to far out from the "hubs" it only extended almost 3 miles from town.

 

[Oaktree]

I jumped in to say this also. I've used WIFI calling before in the same situation and it worked well. Doesn't cost anything, just have to turn on the setting on your phone and be hooked up to the wifi.

The OP mentioned copper, so I think he's talking about a landline phone, not a cellphone.

We use VOIP over Starlink. One downside to our system is that since Starlink reassigns the IP address and it can take awhile before the VOIP system realizes that your VOIP link has moved. Outgoing calls are fine, but incoming are routed to voicemail.

How does that work with the latency of satellite internet?

 

[ultrarunner]

Fiber is coming. They say 2 years out

I did not have a choice as ATT called it forced migration… DSL is no more here.

Since it was forced there was no hookup fee and Fiber is flat rate of $40 for 150 speed.

 

[Furu]

My wife worked for the phone company for about 37 years before she retired and my son works for them now. They are 100% fiber now so people that still have “land lines” are really using some form of VOIP rather they know it or not.

Maybe in your area but not here. At least according to the telephone technicians.

 

[ponytug]

1. How often does Starlink reassign the IP address for your unit since they do not use static address assignment?

2. Did you have to pay for the replacement router since you bought the original unit for $599?

3. yes the RV version is 50% more per month and would be great for RV travel lots of moving around. I am wondering if you can use the home unit in a different location (house 2) or does the system know that is is not at your address (house 1). This would not be a common occurrence.

1) Starlink does it on their schedule, so, it just happens. Not a big deal, but services that require a static IP will need modification or alteration. Really, just use WiFi calling on your cell.

2) The cable and router and the return shipping was paid for by them.

3) the Starlink dishy has its own GPS, and needs to know its exact location to be able to function. So, yes it will know when you have moved.

The OP mentioned copper, so I think he's talking about a landline phone, not a cellphone.

How does that work with the latency of satellite internet?

Starlink runs 20-100milliseconds of latency. That's 0.02-0.1seconds. It isn't the old satellite technology with echos and long pauses.

There is a really nice Starlink thread here, if you want more details and experiences.

Side note: VOIP comes in many varieties and in particular the amount of bandwidth used to capture the audio signal, and its processing varies considerably. Not all VOIP is good, and not all of it is bad, so do your homework before going there. Services like Skype, and FaceTime are also "VOIP".

All the best,

Peter

 

[Oaktree]

We use VOIP over our Xfinity coax connection. The modem/router has a built in RJ12 phone port. I had to sign up for the service (about an extra $10). I use my cell only but the wife is deaf in one ear and she hears better with a corded phone.

The Spectrum modem I have also has RJ12s on it as well as RJ45. I have a separate router since if you get their modem/router there's a rental charge, but the standalone modem is included in the price. Don't really have any need for wifi so a cheapie $25 router does the trick.
Landline phones much more intelligible than cellphones to me as well. I also find the latency in cellphones quite annoying. Some times worse than others, but still too easy to talk over each other.

Not a very impressive speed test either
View attachment 835682

Wow, for the kind of $$ SL charges I'd have expected much better than that!

Maybe the phone company where you are but not around here.
Still lots of buried and overhead copper cables in use and being worked on daily because of complaints.
I ended up dropping mine over 10 years ago as it was unusable.
Also no DSL as we are to far out from the "hubs" it only extended almost 3 miles from town.

Likely only the "last mile" is still copper. Other side of the SLIC is most likely fiber, so even calls made over copper lines get converted to VOIP somewhere along the way.

DSL was never an option here either, as we're too far out. I was a bit surprised when Spectrum pulled fiber down my road about 12 years ago. Not even a main highway.

 

[ultrarunner]

Wanted DSL and got a postcard 20 or so years back to sign up… when installer arrived he said never should have been offered because the lines can’t support it.

Anyway… they made it work by running a new line some 12-14 poles to reach me.

 

[Torvy]

We had no cell service in our metal house. Starlink has an optional ethernet adapter that allows you to run into existing cabling (we built the house wired with Cat6a). Once in the house, I just hooked up a new wifi 6 router. Got just under 200 Mbps through wifi. No VOIP, just use wifi calling indoors. Cell phone just switches depending on where we are. Zero problems with data. Even in heavy rain. We have had occasional mute issues, but they seem to be contained to my wife's phone. As mentioned above, just don't hang up and if comes back in seconds.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

The OP mentioned copper, so I think he's talking about a landline phone, not a cellphone.

I could have misunderstood. I thought post 1 said cell service was not good and the internet service is more reliable than the current land phone line. I was just throwing out an alternative to try in the mean time, to make OP's cell phone potentially more reliable than the land line or at least a workable alternative in the short run.

 

[Furu]

I could have misunderstood. I thought post 1 said cell service was not good and the internet service is more reliable than the current land phone line. I was just throwing out an alternative to try in the mean time, to make OP's cell phone potentially more reliable than the land line or at least a workable alternative in the short run.

You did not misunderstand; but as you stated that would only be a short term solution. Also cell phones just plain suck.
The other point that was not addressed in the original post I made is that while my DSL did not fail even though the phone line is dead, dead, dead; the DSL internet is only 1.5 MBPS download and 400-500 kbps upload. Most of you folks think anything less than 10 MBPS is bad. I am barely better than dial up from 20 years ago. Wifi calling on the cell phone is really not any better than 80 years ago 1930 telephone quality becasue the slow speed does not support it.

I love how some folks keep insisting that our phones are fiber and we don't know it and only the "last mile" is copper. Well in my current house the fiber ends over 6 miles away, then copper that is 50 years old. The house that is being built in Montana has the fiber ending 10.3 miles away. Big push for fiber to rural areas, yes but that is a future plan. Claim by the Montana phone company (thankfully not Century link) is that the fiber will be in place in 3 years. When they trenched in the house phone line (1500 feet) they also trenched in fiber conduit so they don't have to do it in 3 years but there is no fiber to hook up to for 10.3 miles at this time. At least they were looking forward in their plan.

 

[Torvy]

You did not misunderstand; but as you stated that would only be a short term solution. Also cell phones just plain suck.
The other point that was not addressed in the original post I made is that while my DSL did not fail even though the phone line is dead, dead, dead; the DSL internet is only 1.5 MBPS download and 400-500 kbps upload. Most of you folks think anything less than 10 MBPS is bad. I am barely better than dial up from 20 years ago. Wifi calling on the cell phone is really not any better than 80 years ago 1930 telephone quality becasue the slow speed does not support it.

I love how some folks keep insisting that our phones are fiber and we don't know it and only the "last mile" is copper. Well in my current house the fiber ends over 6 miles away, then copper that is 50 years old. The house that is being built in Montana has the fiber ending 10.3 miles away. Big push for fiber to rural areas, yes but that is a future plan. Claim by the Montana phone company (thankfully not Century link) is that the fiber will be in place in 3 years. When they trenched in the house phone line (1500 feet) they also trenched in fiber conduit so they don't have to do it in 3 years but there is no fiber to hook up to for 10.3 miles at this time. At least they were looking forward in their plan.

That is why I suggest the Starlink. I'm getting almost 200Mbps. Fast enough for most uses. I just ran it...this is on my phone using Wifi6. It was 196 yesterday. I'll take 161 on the low end.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

We have fiber and went to VOIP. The old copper phone lines went out frequently, and if there was a power outage the copper would go completely dead after 48 hours. The fiber stays up nicely, and I can power the router and VOIP box with a 200w inverter and a car battery. For house phones we have a 20 year old 5 station wireless answering machine, so we don't have to chase down our cell phone if the phone rings.

We also use WIFI calling on our cell phones, but it is clunkier. WIFI calling does not handle cross talk well. It's handy if my wife is on a long call and I want to use the phone, though.

 

[LouNY]

That is why I suggest the Starlink. I'm getting almost 200Mbps. Fast enough for most uses. I just ran it...this is on my phone using Wifi6. It was 196 yesterday. I'll take 161 on the low end.

View attachment 835826

That's a heck of a lot different then my results, my dish used to point straight north then a few weeks ago it shifted to face North East.

 

[Torvy]

That's a heck of a lot different then my results, my dish used to point straight north then a few weeks ago it shifted to face North East.

Mine is NNW.

 

[2515R Dude]

For over 15 years I use OOMA. $120 equpement from Costco or anywhere else and about $5 monthly payment. Caller ID, no limits, free calls to many countries. In my woods I have a very bad internet, 15mbps on a good day. Never had any problems with the phone. Even more, up to last year we had only 5mbps but the phone worked no problem.

 

[5030]

Boy am I glad we have had fiber for years now. Even out here in the middle of flyover country, everyone has fiber high speed and it always works too. We even get a deal on usage from our local provider and if we have an issue they always take care of it and if it's something we don't understand, they come out and fix it no charge. Has to be the most friendly provider around. When they plowed in the cable, they even plowed it around my pine trees on the front property line so as not to disturb them. Very accommodating and yes, we own stock in the company as well and we always get a nice dividend too.

 

[LittleBill21]

I have SL and it works, and it works a bit better then my other option which is a point to point wireless which I used for over 20 years before SL.
However I am not that impressed with it while it does work it's certainly not the best thing since sliced bread.
My wife is still working and she works from home using a VPN that her employer requires, it will drop out and loss connection several times a day almost every day.
View attachment 835680
This is obstructed???? what the h?

View attachment 835681

Not a very impressive speed test either
View attachment 835682

Maybe the phone company where you are but not around here.
Still lots of buried and overhead copper cables in use and being worked on daily because of complaints.
I ended up dropping mine over 10 years ago as it was unusable.
Also no DSL as we are to far out from the "hubs" it only extended almost 3 miles from town.

its literally telling you there is obstructions, of course if there is a connection drop the vpn will drop, not entire sure what you expect here.

 

[mikester]

Questions
1. After you buy the $599 equipment what happens if it breaks and you are told you need to get a replacement unit since there is no technical support.
2. How does it connect to existing systems. Does it just plug into the RG8 cables that are in the house or is there a rewire required.
3. For VOIP it seems you have to buy a separate unit to plug into the Starlink and then have to buy a VOIP phone.
Can that VOIP pone then power the old phone wire in the house or be plugged into the legacy wireless phone system that was used with copper wire phones?
4. If you have a second "home" in another location (500 miles away) can you pack up the system and take it or do you have to have the mobile RV plan to do that (50% more per month)

1. $599 in equipment? Is that starlink equipment? Elon will tell you to bend over if it fails outside any warranty period

2. Starlink Uses RJ45 ethernet or wifi

3. You don't "have to" buy hardware you can use a "softphone" option. Get one of these

https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-HT801-Single-Port-Telephone-Adapter

And you can plug in and use your existing old phones for VOIP
4. Voip can go anywhere. You have to pay Elon more money to move around.

 

[TN8Man]

If you have a good internet connection then VOIP is a good solution if your service provider supports it and a cell phone can also work using the Wi-Fi calling if your cell phone and service support it. You can get Mint service for as low as $15/month per phone and they support wifi calling.

 

[Oaktree]

We have fiber and went to VOIP. The old copper phone lines went out frequently, and if there was a power outage the copper would go completely dead after 48 hours. The fiber stays up nicely, and I can power the router and VOIP box with a 200w inverter and a car battery.

Do you have fiber directly to your house?
For whatever reason when they ran it here they use the fiber for the trunk line, but distribution to customers is via coax. Not sure why. If the power goes out, all those fiber-to-copper converters go down.
Fortunately, we don't lose power very often.