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Ok, Here are some considerations: Since you are 2nd in line from the actual connection, there is very little you can do in terms of QoS. If you attach a wireless router to the connection (such as a Linksys W54G and such varients) make sure you at least turn on QoS for the connections to the inlaws equipment so their computer(s) and ethernet devices do not create issues for the phone. However, the inlaws are still subject to both the neighbor's network traffic and traffic shaping (or lack of it), and the ISP's traffic shaping or lack of it. Since you want to play with wireless and cable, then you have latency issues that will come into play. Typically, most cell phones will have up to 200+ ms of latency built into the network. Hughes and WildBlue (Satellite) have 500+ ms before any extra hops are considered. If the inlaws are not used to time lag in their phone conversations (where you talk over people because they don't "respond" fast enough to one side of a conversation), then they will need to get used to this, or stick with analog. Cable connections vary with the active IP load on the branch, so typically, you can expect the worst throughput between times like 5p-9p and 7a-9a during the day. If you want to see what the connection is actually doing, you can use a sight like DSLSpeed to make some rough measurements of how the line is performing at that moment. Cable companies tend to watch their DHCP connections rather closely, so unless the neighbor's agreement allows for multiple IP connections, there may be an interruption in service to deal with at some point. YMMV with the company involved. Comcast is typically very aggressive in some locations (like CO), while others don't pursue it, as the problem is not enough to spend the money to chase. Just something to be aware of. As for faxing, there are very few companies that are willing to support T.38. They do allow it but it's mostly your on your own. AT&T does offer fax support, but I would look at E-911 service support in your area very carefully before wanting to sign up, as AT&T has disowned a very large number of their VoIP customers without warning and so much as a "we're sorry", because E-911 support in their area(s) are poor to non-existent. I would start looking at people like Sun Rocket, Packet 8, Broadsoft, Global Linx, or QWEST. AT&T, with the above caveat, is also an option. Some of these providers have hardware they allow on their network and it comes as part of the package. You can also look at hardware providers like Grandstream, Linksys, Netgear, and DLink that have everything from ATA's for analog phones, to full on VoIP phones with business support. When you sign up with an ISP, the best audio quality is with G.711 codec, but that requires at least 80Kbs in both directions to provide MOS scores in the 4's. Any of the other codecs, such as G.726/723/729 use various compression factors to conserve bandwith. The price you pay is a lower quality audio signal, ringing, echo, and other artifacts in the signal - but given the setup you have described, you are subject to that anyway. BTW, no one, not even the RBOC's will guarantee the connection or quality of the call over VoIP, so anyone who says that Company XXX does, I would be suspect of. The companies I've mentioned are good starting points, and there are others you can look to if these don't work for you. Hope that helps. ...Paul Big Daddy wrote:
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