Best Voice-over-IP Providers in 2024 (blog.thenewoil.org)
from BrikoX@lemmy.zip to privacy@lemmy.ml on 23 Jul 2024 12:20
https://lemmy.zip/post/19601353

There are many ways to describe Voice-over-IP, or VoIP. I’ve seen it called an anonymous, internet, alias, or throwaway phone number (and more). Regardless of the name, I personally consider VoIP to be a healthy part of a good privacy and security strategy. The advantages are endless. For one, VoIP is harder to SIM Swap compared to a normal SIM phone number. VoIP can also help provide you privacy since most SIM numbers can easily be Googled or looked up on any number of the hundreds of people search sites and return information about the carrier and who the number is registered to. On the day-to-day, VoIP – combined with other strategies I recommend on The New Oil – can help reduce spam calls/texts, prevent would-be stalkers, create healthy work/life balances, control what information people (like prospective employers) can find about you, and help compartmentalize or reduce tracking by big corporations. Sadly, VoIP is a tool that’s not widely available in many countries, but for those with access to it, VoIP can provide numerous benefits and should at very least be considered. So this week let’s explore some of the best VoIP options currently available for consumers.

#privacy

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PropaGandalf@lemmy.world on 23 Jul 2024 12:50 next collapse

thank you for sharig this! The New Oil es a great informateon source.

solrize@lemmy.world on 23 Jul 2024 13:04 next collapse

This is a pretty bad article imho. It only recommends voip with their own special apps. Nothing about standard SIP services. I’ve been using Vitelity and Twilio and others are out there. The article mentions voip.ms as “honorable mention” but says it’s hard to use. That’s kind of silly. Linphone is pretty easy to configure, for example.

iturnedintoanewt@lemm.ee on 23 Jul 2024 17:09 next collapse

I actually got lots of pain to get linphone to connect to voip.ms. is there any up to date guide on how to set it up?

solrize@lemmy.world on 23 Jul 2024 19:06 collapse

The main non obvious thing I remember is saying it to use a faster codec even with slow Internet. Otherwise it made awful static over the conversation.

mox@lemmy.sdf.org on 23 Jul 2024 22:51 collapse

Also Localphone, Callcentric, Anveo… the list goes on.

And if you don’t like using a SIP app on a cell phone, you can always buy a desk or cordless SIP phone. Panasonic is a well known brand.

There are quite a few options (and feature sets, and pricing structures) available if you’re willing to learn.

solrize@lemmy.world on 23 Jul 2024 23:15 collapse

Linphone is the only one I’ve tried, because it’s on F-droid. It’s not great but I do use it sometimes. There is also a device called an ATA that is basically a SIP adapter for a standard analog phone.

mox@lemmy.sdf.org on 23 Jul 2024 23:31 collapse

Yes, analog terminal adapters do exist, can be found for cheap, and can be handy if you must keep your old phone or fax machine. In my experience, though, native SIP phones work and sound better.

solrize@lemmy.world on 23 Jul 2024 23:59 collapse

Can you recommend a cheap model? I need something that is absolutely butt simple to operate, for my elderly mom. An old fashioned analog phone had seemed like just the thing.

mox@lemmy.sdf.org on 24 Jul 2024 00:09 collapse

I haven’t shopped for them in years, and even then, I wasn’t looking for simple ones. You might try asking on this forum:

www.dslreports.com/forum/voip

If she isn’t good with tech but is already comfortable with a particular style of analog phone, an ATA (that you set up for her) might be a good choice.

solrize@lemmy.world on 24 Jul 2024 00:11 collapse

Thanks. I have also thought about customizing Linphone or something similar to make it simpler, then putting it on an old Android phone in Kiosk mode (phone only runs one app) and wrapping a box around it. Maybe I’ll look into that a little more too.

Blizzard@lemmy.zip on 23 Jul 2024 13:37 next collapse

Recommending Google or Microsoft services does not belong in Privacy sublemmy.

BB_C@programming.dev on 23 Jul 2024 14:37 collapse

sublemmy

Lemmy communities. Mbin/kbin magazines.

delirious_owl@discuss.online on 23 Jul 2024 19:48 collapse

which of these allow you to pay privately (eg with monero)?