VoiP to conduct business in Finland

Cloudberry · Post by **Cloudberry** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:03 am

I currently operate a business in Australia and want to keep my phone number, business address etc here whilst living in Finland.I'm just wondering how difficult it would be to set up VoiP to receive calls from Australia when living in Finland? Obviously the time difference will be an issue but otherwise I think if I could find a good VoiP system and secure a good internet connection it could work. Any suggestions?

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DMC · Post by **DMC** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:25 am

Do you definitely need to keep the same phone number or would it be OK to have a new number?

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 11:09 am

I know someone here in Finland who does use skype for that kind of thing (freelancing mostly, not a large scale business). If you take skype in, you get a number people can call and only pay local fees. It would not be the same number as you have before, but maybe you can fix some kind of automatic call-forwarding from your current number to the skype in number.
www.skype.com has more info.

Obs, I can not say how well skype in works, I only use skype out and free skype.

DMC · Post by **DMC** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:05 pm

I was thinking of Skype In as well, but it means a new number. You were a step ahead of me by suggesting some sort of forwarding arrangement from the OP's existing number. I use Skype In and it works well - I get calls if I am sitting at my PC with no problems. I haven't tried forwarding Skype In calls to my mobile here in Finland. Apparently that is possible, and would be rather neat. Perhaps I'll test that.

Cloudberry · Post by **Cloudberry** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:30 pm

DMC wrote:Do you definitely need to keep the same phone number or would it be OK to have a new number?

I guess I don't have to have the same number - I just wanted it to at least to look like an Australian number. I only get a few calls a week - most people contact me via email but there are the odd calls here and there that I'd like to still be able to receive. Even if it went to a messagebank where I can have a message that encourages them to email me.

I do use skype with my clients now but I find it very unstable - not sure if it's my end or the client's end but I've found it lags a bit. I've since bought a new laptop so it might be worth me trying it out again.

Are there any Finnish VoiP services that might be worth checking out?

Cloudberry · Post by **Cloudberry** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:34 pm

I should add that I use wireless internet so perhaps that's what affects my Skype call quality?

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:35 pm

Cant help with the stability problems, but I think one of the features of skype in is that you could get an Australian number, so it both costs and looks like a local call for your clients.

DMC · Post by **DMC** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:50 pm

Cloudberry wrote:I should add that I use wireless internet so perhaps that's what affects my Skype call quality?

It could be. Hard to say for sure, but I did notice quite an improvement in Skype when I changed from an ISDN line to ADSL, so (not surprisingly) bandwidth is important. Perhaps it would be worth tweaking the QOS settings in your router, if yours provides that possibility. Most of the time I find Skype call quality is good. Occasionally there are problems. Not too often, but more often than with a conventional phone.
I also have a Skype phone that I rarely use. The other day I used it and the person I spoke with asked where I was because the call quality was apparently better than my normal calls. That may of course just be the headset I normally use.

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:48 pm

Get a separate wireless skype handset so you are not affecting the PC usage.

zeta · Post by **zeta** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:42 am

Are there any Finnish VoiP services that might be worth checking out?

Sonera and Elisa (at least) seem to have voip services. Welho used to have, but have apparently closed it recently.

http://www.sonera.fi/Laajakaista/Palvelut
http://www.elisa.fi/yksityisille/laajak ... apalvelut/

Haven´t used em, no idea about quality.

easily-lost · Post by **easily-lost** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:19 pm

Cloudberry wrote:I should add that I use wireless internet so perhaps that's what affects my Skype call quality?

No, I don't think so. You can try get a good headset instead...at least it solved my problem.

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:39 pm

easily-lost wrote:
Cloudberry wrote:I should add that I use wireless internet so perhaps that's what affects my Skype call quality?
No, I don't think so. You can try get a good headset instead...at least it solved my problem.

hmmmm... Did I hear a "ditto" .... No that was some chatter from 2 posts above...

easily-lost · Post by **easily-lost** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:56 pm

It doesn't have to be wireless, just a normal set but has to be good. I spent 50€ on a "rubbish" pair, so "good quality = +80€" here.

maxxfi · Post by **maxxfi** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:27 am

If as VoIP protocol, instead of proprietary Skype you choose open standard SIP
you have a wider choice of operators and you could do the following:

- find an Australian operator that offers VoIP dial-in numbers (you know better who they are)
- find a Finnish operator that offers VoIP dial-in numbers (like Elisa or Saunalahti)
- choose a VoIP PBX like http://voxalot.com or http://www.pbxes.com
- get a VoIP SIP phone system (full VoIP handset or adapter+analog handset)

In this way you can have Oz customers calling you via your Australian number and Finnish customers and local friends via
the Finnish number on the very same phone (i.e. handset) and you would also have the choice to call them back
using whichever operator your wallet prefers

P.S. Recently Skype offered a 'bridging' service between Skype and SIP protocols, but I think it's still in beta.

maxxfi · Post by **maxxfi** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:42 am

Cloudberry wrote:I should add that I use wireless internet so perhaps that's what affects my Skype call quality?

BTW, why do you go via wireless internet? Is it because you need VoIP access from different places or just because in your office
room (at home) you don't have network sockets?
In the latter case what you could do (with SIP systems

) is to get an adapter (technically name ATA), place it where you have
wired access, and plug it from one side to the network, and on the other side to a regular, plain old analogue, cordless phone,
and bring the cordless handset to the office room.

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