VOIP, Skype and using an existing Ph No

[danbeebee]

Is it possible to assign an existing phone number to a Skype account?

I've just taken over a business and am trying to bring it into the 21st century and would love to use VOIP but MUST use an existing phone number the company has been using.

Any ideas?

[peppie]

As far as I am aware it is not possible to transfer an existing landline No. to any VOIP service. I may be wrong (I have been before) but my own provider Mynefone say that there is no No. transfer option in place as yet like is done in the mobile phone market.

However, there is no reason why you could not keep the existing landline, downgrade the account to the cheapest possible and only use it for incoming calls. Provided that is, that you are not talking about a 1300 or 1800 No., that might be a bit more difficult. If you have a multi line landline you could aim to reduce that to one line and have that redirect to the VOIP number while you publicise a new No.. You would then use the VOIP number for all outgoing calls.

Does that help, I would talk to a few VOIP providers about the options they offer, they ARE keen to get your business.

[tildavirtual]

I've been using VoIP for some time now for my home phone and so when my office phone bill got a bit out of hand (all my clients are interstate and international) I looked at getting VoIP.

In the beginning DID (direct in dial) phone numbers weren't available in Bathurst so I went with Freecall. You use the original phone number for incoming calls but when you make an outgoing call you are using your freecall account. I'm not sure what it is now but I was paying 1c per minute un-timed and just topped up the account as I used it, no monthly fees.

Then my husband and I played with Asterix (software based PABX system) and we had issues with inferior components. I changed Engin who were able to offer me a DID for my local area and then a DID for Melbourne too. This meant I was able to cancel the second phone line into the house and reduce my monthly phone bills by at least $400 a month (cost savings compared to regular PSTN line). We resurrected the ole PABX computer and haven't looked back.

There are so many options out there but you'll need to check your broadband speeds and make sure you use a good provider. You'll also need to purchase quality VoIP devices. I use the Snom 320. These are the three main factors in determining call quality.

Good luck!

[ahortin]

You can actually get an existing phone number converted to a VOIP line. I doubt it's possible with Skype, but it is possible with some other providers.

It's called NakedDSL. Depending on your area/existing phone line, the broadband provider basically just uses your existing copper lines to provide broadband to your residence and converts your phone no. over to a voip service. iinet is one provider that does it. You can find out more here...
http://www.gonaked.com.au/what_is_naked.php

Cheers,
Anthony.

[David Linke]

Existing phone numbers can be ported to most VOIP suppliers. I moved to Mytel using their hosted PBX service earlier this year taking all my Telstra numbers with me. The actual cut over took a few more days than planned, but it was definitely worth it. Saving significant money each month, even considering a reasonable upfront hardware cost.

The process was a little daunting to begin with! Where to start, what to ask for, how to actually make it happen.

The process I used was:
- Add a new internet connection that was to become a separate VOIP network (this provides good call quality for my office of 2-4 people)
- Have the VOIP provider setup the in-dial numbers
- Ordered and installed the VOIP hardware (router and handsets)
- My supplier setup the call flow amongst a couple of extensions in different states
- Use the VOIP for outgoing calls for a week or two checking the quality
- Transfer the Telstra numbers once really happy with systems
- Spend 5 hours on hold with Telstra terminating services

[danbeebee]

Awesome work guys. Thanks for all that. I'm setting up the office and transfering numbers etc from the business I've just bought so I'll let you know how I get on!

[spm1960]

Yes, you can port a standard landline number to a VOIP line. We have done so with iinet's naked dsl. Kept the (home) landline number I've had for five plus years, and ported it over to naked dsl (which means you have VOIP ONLY -- no landline). Although this does cause issues when the network experiences problems (only once that I recall), we figured we could also lose both ADSL and telephone lines if a tree branch fell on the lines, so the risk was only marginally higher . . . besides we have mobiles if something like that occurs.

Business plans with iinet are also quite interesting. I believe with business plans you can also port a number across, but you also have the ability to have up to ten VOIP lines at a fraction of what you would pay for additional landlines. I haven't done it but I'm sure with the right equipment and call forwarding planning, you could replicate the old fashioned trunk lines where everyone dials in to the business on the main inbound number, then that line forwards to other anonymous numbers (which means the "main number" is never engaged). Worth looking into . . .

Originally Posted by danbeebee

Is it possible to assign an existing phone number to a Skype account?

I've just taken over a business and am trying to bring it into the 21st century and would love to use VOIP but MUST use an existing phone number the company has been using.

Any ideas?