Peter21

If you have converters for both ways

http://www.minitran.co.uk/images/pro...ters_vanga.jpg

then you can use a UK phone on the VOIP box or a US phone on the UK system.

Some years ago I spent hours and hours trying to get a modem on a US laptop to connect to the UK phone system. Evidently, as I gradually found out, the UK uses the outside wire pair and the rest of the world uses the inside pair. Plug converters weren't available then. They take care of this issue for you.

dunroving

Now, that is what BE is all about - helping others not to have to go through what you went through. Thanks!

Roadster280

US phones will work in the UK, after connector conversion, but not the other way round. The bell capacitor is in the UK master socket, not in the phone, like elsewhere in the world. Hence a UK phone will not ring if taken overseas. Phones from other countries will work fine in the UK, because the ring signal is still on the pair.

As for VOIP, a US supplied Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) will accept a US phone, just needing a change of power supply.

I use Broadvoice, similar deal to Lingo (US & Europe unlimited for $20) except you can use your own ATA, which means you can play with voice amplitude etc. It's a common complaint with VOIP that the audio is too soft. With Lingo, the ATA is not accessible, but with Broadvoice, you can use your own ATA, and fiddle to your heart's content. I use a Linksys PAP2-NA, which is an unbranded version of the common Vonage device. The -NA is all important. Got mine from Voipsupply

Just my 2 cents.

dunroving

Thanks, I'll look into that. It looks like a better alternative than keeping my Lingo account and bothering with all the compatibility stuff.