We have had Switzernet for several years now, and when it works, it's great. We have a real Swiss phone number that people can call us on, and we can call landlines in many countries at their flat rate. Calls to mobiles cost extra, but that's ok.
Over the Summer, the service stopped working for several weeks, and we couldn't make any calls, and couldn't receive any calls. We asked their support for help and were basically completely ignored, we weren't told what was going on or how long it would stay broken for at all. It started working again (again no communication or explanation or apology, it just started working again), but we were happy again.
Now for the last couple of weeks we've got a very similar problem - we can call out but can't receive any calls - this is a real annoyance and again we have no clue what's wrong or when (or if) it will be fixed.
So I'd really appreciate any alternatives that you lot could suggest to us. I'm guessing we could do one of the following:
- switch to another service similar to Switzernet (preferably with a Swiss number, and preferably with a kind of flat rate)
- switch to a traditional phone service like Cablecom, either with a flat package or without
- use a traditional phone service together with something like helvatel to make calls cheaper
- something else?
Has anyone got a setup which allows cheap international landline calls that they can recommend? Thanks!
We've been using italkworld for ages. Swiss number configured on the Fritz box. A buck 99 per month for the number plus calls all over the world. Never gone over ten bucks in a month. There are other providers but this one works well for us.
I've the slowest Sunrise ADSL internet and their flat-rate land and mobile phone calls in Switzerland for about 55,- (btw: it is a voip as well, they give you a fritz box with voip software and a telco socket for a regular phone, but the Fritzbox has also a DECT function. Also the fritzbox can run another voip, so one can configure that this other voip is for all intl numbers.
I have the OVH VOIP for around 1Euro per month with included free calls to nearly everywhere to landlines phones. This with a Swiss phone number included and a free VOIP phone (deposit which is given back if you send the phone back). You can also order the line without any VOIP phone if you want.
And there is no time constraints, you can stop any time.
I used it since now 7 years without any issue, first with Cablecom and now with Sunrise lowest Internet offer.
Been using a netvoip.ch number for incoming, and freevoipdeal.com for outgoing for several years now, no interruption whatsoever, and all free (except for outgoing calls, which are nearly free).
What I find annoying is that netvoip.ch only allows (chargeable!) forwarding in their professional tarrif. I'd like to pay them, but I'm only allowed to pay them if I pay them more? Conclusion: If we're not home people end up on the voicemail, instead of me paying for the diversion to my mobile.
As voicemail in Fritz!Box creates an email with attached .wav, which can then be listen to on the mobile, that's all fine.
Thanks - I'd looked at italkworld already thanks to suggestions on other threads but to be honest I couldn't work it out. The "phone plans" didn't seem to cover Europe and their "DID numbers" page just came up blank, so I couldn't see whether I could get a Swiss number or not.
Aha, now that sounds pretty cool. From their "tarifs" page it looks like 1.1 Euro cents per minute to the UK, which is fine, but then it looks like there's something about 99 different numbers being already included in the 1.20 EUR/month rate.. which seems a little bit too good to be true, isn't it?
The only hiccup is that all the information is only in French, and what French I once had has rusted rather a lot since I was at school, so understanding what's going on might present a problem for me. And similarly it would be nice to know that I could ask them about a problem if I had to, and they'd be able to understand me. I guess you do all your dealings with them in French, right?
I too have used Switzernet for several years now. In fact, I have 2 subscriptions as I now use one in a flat in the UK, as well as in CH. I would say, I have used Switzernet trouble free for the whole of 2016. In fact I reviewed my bills for the year, and on average have 30 minutes per day across all months, and I don't recall any experience with outages.
My configuration is different to yours (and may be an option for you) in the fact that I use my (cable) landline for incoming calls, and Switzernet for all outgoing calls. My (new) IP phones(Gigaset) now handle incoming/outgoing calls automatically - having switched from Fritz! (As a backup) I can easily make a call on the fixed landline, if I wish as a backup, when I make the call by just doing a "long press" on the Call key - however I have never needed to do this other than an initial installation test.
I have also used Zoiper (free Android Softphone App, setup shown on the Switzernet Support page) with my Switzernet account/subscription. I did this for a month. No problem. This could also be part of some further troubleshooting of your service setup.
Also I believe if one mis-enters the outgoing phone number (wrong code), or the phone number doesn't exist, then one can get a misleading message like "all lines are busy". I used to think the problem was with Switzernet, however over time I realized that it was actually my mistake.
I would suggest a bit more self trouble-shooting, and not to give up with Switzernet support. I am a very happy Switzernet user, and the service is saving me a huge amount of money.
Yes you're right, that could be an option. Previously I thought that wasn't an option because it would require a "proper" phone rather than a voip phone, but apparently the phone I've got can do either/both.
I don't need to do any trouble-shooting, Switzernet's incoming calls currently just do not work. If you don't use Switzernet for incoming calls then you won't suffer from this problem, but I think it's pretty unlikely that you were unaffected by their outgoing service also failing over the summer.
According to Switzernet's own web page, the whole incoming calls service has been down since the 18th, that's nearly a month ago. I don't need to troubleshoot that.
So yes I could just accept that Switzernet's incoming calls service doesn't work, and continue to pay them anyway. I guess setting up an additional cable service for the incoming calls might not be too much effort and cost. I just thought that one system which did both incoming and outgoing calls would be simpler.
This is an American "solution" that might give you some ideas but I am not sure if it would be pointing you in the right direction or not since it is very oriented USA.
You are ahead of me (perhaps nor surprisingly, but patience please) ...
You say "According to Switzernet's own web page, the whole incoming calls service has been down since the 18th" ... do you have a URL/reference? I was not aware of such a Status Page.
I like you, would like an "incoming/outgoing, reliable, global/multi-country, cheap solution." Haha. We are not quite there yet, although getting closer! With Forums like this, it allows us to get there a bit quicker on a timeline than the majority enjoys.
Is it just me or is the Switzernet outgoing service getting very patchy:
- service downtime
- often the line just beeps and never connects
- entering PIN numbers for conf calls only registers the tones half the time
I end up spending a fortune on overseas calls with UPC Cablecom on the fixed line (no outgoing package since I just try and use it for incoming calls).
I signed up for freevoipdeal.com and got it up and running no problem, so have a voip backup. I like about switzernet is the fact it caller ID's with my mobile number, whereas freevoip is just unknown caller; Im mostly calling people who let unknown numbers got to voicemail.
For VOIP... just testing the new one before cancelling Switzernet really, as I also found it was easy to set called ID to equal a confirmed mobile number.
I get the landline with UPC. In my experience VOIP can be pretty flaky service, so keep it for now.