Neufbox: VoIP telephone calls take 3 or 4 attempts to get through. Is this Normal

[Blossom]

We have recently switched our FT landline and Orange Internet over to SFR Neufbox.  We now have VoIP only for our telephone calls.  The internet works well but the VoIP calls are not as good as the ones we made through the Orange Livebox.

When we call numbers in France or the UK it usually takes around 3 or 4 attempts before we get through. Before we make a connection, the numbers in France usually have an engaged tone, whereas the ones in the UK have silence.  Once connected, there are not problems.

We don't use the phone that often and I suppose the 250 Euros a year saving may be the price we have to pay for this minor inconvenience!  However, I wonder if anyone has had similar problems and if so did they manage to find a solution?

PS: we are in a non dégroupée area.

[Martin963]

I think the operators vary in the quality they devote to the VOIP side of things.   

When we were with Club Internet the phone (and indeed internet) went off most nights for varying periods but when it worked the phone quality back to Britain was very good.

With Alice the system drops out much less overall,   but the quality of lines back to Britain is not quite so good.

Neither were any good at all for local French calls,  we keep our FT line and use it for the cheap local comunications.

[Maricopa]

I have been with Neuf for 2 years (nearly) now and don't have any of the problems described by either poster.  I am VERY happy with them.

[jyvais]

We've had similar problems for several months. There was some information about it in a news letter I received from the dordogne-on-line.info site as follows;

Possible refund for SFR customers.

---------------------------------------

SFR have had a problem for over a month now affecting many (but not all) customers with phone numbers starting 0553 52 and 0553 62. The symptoms are:

When you dial a number it often rings engaged when it is not. It can take several attempts to get the number to ring.

When dialling UK numbers no ring tone is heard but the phone you are calling does ring and the person picks up even though you have just heard silence.

Sometimes calls do not connect and you just hear an echo of your own voice.

This is a known problem that SFR are working on. Also people who have been affected can get a refund from SFR for the period that the problem persists.

I find that the basic ADSL connection is very good but the quality of the VOIP telephone service is getting worse to the point now where it's unacceptable. My other half will be ringing SFR this afternoon with her best French...

I will post again with the results.

Incidentally, I know there's a lot of folks out there who do not have any problems with SFR. And lest you were wondering, I have no connection with Dordogne Online.

[jyvais]

An update on the Neuf box saga. A friend of ours said that they were having similar problems but they found that if they used an old style corded phone and dialled slowly, the telephone connection was a lot more reliable.

As it happened, we had an old UK phone in the loft complete with a BT to RJ11 adapter. Sure enough, so far we have been able to use the phone again without any problems so far. But we are dialling manually and really want the convenience of a cordless phone.

Our cordless phone is a Siemens Gigaset C455 but I want to replace it with something more compatible with the Neuf box. Would anybody who is using a cordless phone with Neuf / SFR box without any problems be kind enough to let me know which model it is?

Thanks in Advance

[Maricopa]

[quote user="jyvais"] Our cordless phone is a Siemens Gigaset C455 but I want to replace it with something more compatible with the Neuf box. Would anybody who is using a cordless phone with Neuf / SFR box without any problems be kind enough to let me know which model it is? Thanks in Advance[/quote]

Well, as I have said already, I have been with Neuf for over 2 years now, and it has been very reliable with none of the reported problems.  I use a Siemens Gigaset C450, and two A140's slaved to it without any of your problems.  

[Clair]

[quote user="jyvais"]

Our cordless phone is a Siemens Gigaset C455 but I want to replace it with something more compatible with the Neuf box. Would anybody who is using a cordless phone with Neuf / SFR box without any problems be kind enough to let me know which model it is?

Thanks in Advance[/quote]

Neuf are selling the Alcatel Versatis... Worth a look? (you'd probably find it cheaper elsewhere).

[jyvais]

Thanks Clair, yes I saw that Neuf are selling the Alcatel Versatis D150 Voice Duo and it states that they've been specially adapted to work with the Neuf box but it doesn't say in what way.

Is anybody out there using these phones? Are they any good?

Opinions appreciated on these or other Neuf 'compatible' phones.

(Must go and cool off now, its soo hot here - not that I am complaining :-))

[Racerbear02]

I also am considering making the change to SFR / Neufbox

From what has been said, I understand that you do not have a fixed phone in the traditional sense but only a VOIP phone through the box, is that correct?

Accepting the vagaries of VOIP, I have been using different systems for a number of years now, what is the situation with this if you have a power cut, as happens quite frequently here?  with a fixed line and a non hands-free phone, you can still dial out, with a VOIP only system, do you still have this possibility??

I ask this as mobile reception here is patchy to say the least. :(

Are there any drawbacks, not withstanding the previous comments, that anyone has encountered with this service, what about repairs, problems etc.

Any help in will be greatly welcome

[BJSLIV]

100% Neuf means no phone calls if you have no electricity.

That's why many people, me included, prefer to maintain their FT line at 16 Euros a month for a bit of added security.

In addition burglar alarms, remote heating controls, and some fax machines either work badly  or not at all if tied to a VOIP service.

Others have encountered problems with fault reporting. There can be arguments as to who is to blame ;the line (FT) or the VOIP service (Internet provider). This can get frustrating if it becomes a long drawn out dispute, and costly as your point of contact is your Internet provider who can only be contacted at a reasonable cost if you call using their own service.Calling on  a mobile can be very costly indeed.

 

[jyvais]

[quote user="jyvais"]Thanks Clair, yes I saw that Neuf are selling the Alcatel Versatis D150 Voice Duo and it states that they've been specially adapted to work with the Neuf box but it doesn't say in what way.

Is anybody out there using these phones? Are they any good?

Opinions appreciated on these or other Neuf 'compatible' phones.

(Must go and cool off now, its soo hot here - not that I am complaining :-))[/quote]

Any Neuf box users willing to say which model of cordless phone they are using and whether they work okay with the Neufbox?

Thanks

[Bob T]

Dragging up an old thread here, but. My SFR box was connected and activated yesterday. The internet works fine, but the FT landline is now dead. The SFR box is not yet live for making calls. I assume that it will become live within the next few days. The phone light is off on the SFR box. Have others had the same?

[Maricopa]

When we changed to neuf, we were without phone for about 24 hrs I seem to recall (but it was well over two very happy years ago).

[Bob T]

Thanks for the info, Maricopa, I will wait a day or two longer to see what happens.