Transferring your home phone

If you wish to keep your home phone and number you will need to set up what is called a VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) account. This supplies your home phone service through your B4RN connection. There are many providers who offer this. Some require you to sign up to a call plan with a monthly charge eg. Vonage. Others can work on a Pay As You Go model (ie no monthly fee), eg Sipgate, although Sipgate do offer monthly calling plans as well. Some supply you with a VoIP adaptor so that you can use your existing analogue phone (Vonage), some allow you to connect your home phone directly into your B4RN router (Sipgate) or get your own VoIP adaptor and install it where it is most convenient for you. You can get both wired and wi-fi adaptors. Most providers, if not all, will allow you to port (transfer) your existing home number to their service.

You may also be able to use your new service with your smartphone allowing you to do things like make calls over wifi but using your home VoIP call plan. This can make calling home from abroad easier and maybe cheaper. It is worth having a look around at what is on offer.

Here is a simple comparison of two of the providers of which we have experience. Please remember that whichever provider you go with, do not cancel your existing phone contract UNTIL your number has been ported over to the new service.
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​Sipgate
Pros:
  • Most modern phones can connect directly into your B4RN router so you don't need an additional adaptor
  • Offer Pay as you Go option so good if you don't make many calls from your home phone
Cons:
  • Need to set up the router using the browser based control panel but there are clear instructions on the B4RN website. See below.
Sipgate Setup Guide 
https://b4rn.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/B4RN-router-telephone-guide.pdf     Please note that p.3 of the guide mentions an "adapter with a built-in “ring capacitor”". ​The ring capacitor guarantees that any phone instrument will work, but many (newer) instruments will work with or without it.
Vonage
Pros:
  • Vonage provide an adaptor (ATA) so you don't need to set up the router
Cons:
  • Vonage provide an adaptor (ATA) so you have an additional piece of equipment to power and plug into your router
  • Don't appear to offer a Pay As You Go option

Vonage Setup Guides
​Guide written by a B4RNPR volunteer
​https://www.b4rnpr.org/vonage-voip-set-up-guide.html​
Guide from B4RN's website
https://b4rn.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Vonage-phone-line-help-file-v11-2020.pdf​