The AusTex VoIP Combined Home and Mobile servcie allows you to set up a home based phone (landline) and also set up a smartphone such as an iPhone, or Android based device that uses that same service. The landline works just as any normal phone service would, and includes many features not found with plain analog or digital service.

This service will also work with an iPod Touch, or iPad as well. The VoIP service on a mobile device works in conjuction with your 3G service if you have it on your device, or over Wi-Fi when 3G service is unavailable. Calls made from your mobile device utilizing VoIP over 3G will not count toward your wireless voice minutes. This could allow you to reduce your voice plan with your wireless carrier and save some money.

When someone calls your home number, both your home phone and your smartphone will ring at the same time. You can answer either phone. When one phone is in use, the other phone can still make or receive phone calls.

AusTex VoIP sets up each of your phones as an extension, similar to that of a business phone system. Extension numbers are generally four digits such as 1011 for example. Your home phone might be 1011 and your mobile phone could be 1012. To make calls between the two, you just dial the four digit extension. Calls made this way are absolutely free, and will not count toward any outoing call limits.

Set up a voicemail for each of your phones (extensions). A voicemail can also be set up for each member of the family if desired. Each voicemail account can be password protected.

Each voicemail account can be set up to send notification to any email account. Email notification can include a recording of the voicemail in a wav file format. You can listen to the recording from any computer that has access to  your email.

You can receive up to two incoming calls at one time. If no phones are busy, they will all ring. If one phone is busy, the other will ring. If both phones are busy, you can route the third call to your voicemail.

There is no hard limit to the number of ougoing calls you can make at one time. If you had 20 phones, you could make 20 calls. You are limited, however, by the number of phones (extensions) you have set up with your account.

It may not sound special, but many VoIP providers will require that you dial at least a 10 digit number even if you are calling your local area code. AusTex VoIP takes the time to program your ATA so that it supports dialing a 7 digit local number, a 10 digit number using an area code, and it will even work if you dial an 11 digit number such as 1 + Area Code + Number. If you purchase one of the SIP applications for your smartphone that we recommend, they have provisions for doing this also. We can help you set that up.

VoIP calls are dependent on you having power and internet connection. If you lose either of these, you will not be able to make or receive calls. While both are highly reliable in most places these days, many of us still experience an occasional outage. AusTex VoIP has a failover feature that will allow calls to be forwarded to another telephone number in the event of an outage. Generally, this would be your wireless cell phone number. Failures can be directed to voicemail too. We will ask you how you would like to set this up at sign up.

A log is kept for all incoming and outgoing phone calls for your account. You can access this log by logging into your account using the "Account Login" menu under the "VoIP Accounts" menu. Your log will look like the image below. Numbers have been scrubbed out. Only international calls should show any monetary charges in most cases.

...and Yes, we do use our iPod as a phone all the time. We have many customers that choose to use this feature on their child's iPod instead of providing an expensive smartphone and adding more minutes to their wireless account.

Your phone service is fully capable of making international calls to destinations all over the word. International calling is turned off by default when you sign up. You may turn it on by logging into your account and making a deposit under the "My Balance" section. There is a payment method in there that is used only to keep funds in your account for international calling.

Once you have funds in this account, you may request that we turn this feature on. You can have it turned on for one phone, or all phones. AusTex VoIP offers low rates for international calling. Rates to any destination may be viewed in our "Rates" menu when logged in. Here is an example of the "My Balance" section:

When you sign up with AusTex VoIP, you can choose to get a new local telephone number, or switch your current number over to us. This is called a "Local Number Port". We charge $25.00 for this process, and you must provide us with additional information. Check our "Service FAQs" to see how to complete this process.

We suggest that you try our service before requesting a local number port. We provide you with a temporary number that can be used to forward your current number over to until you are completely satisfied with our service. Once you are ready, you can contact us to start this process. Never cancel or discontinue your current service until your number porting is completed and you have been notified by us that it is done. You will lose your current number if you do.

Some people like to have incoming calls directed to a recording. This recording can direct the caller to different phones (extensions), or send them to voicemail. As an example, if a caller dials your number, they might hear something like "Hello, you have reached the Jones residence. If you'd like to speak to Bubba press 1, if you'd like to speak to Ethel, press 2, if you'd like to leave a voicemail, press 3...and so on. You might also use this to direct callers to various voicemail accounts.

AusTex VoIP includes one IVR set up in the sign up price. You must record your own announcement and send it to us in a .wav format. It must be PCM Encoded, 16 Bits, at 8000Hz. There are many ways of doing this, but we use the free software called Audacity to accomplish this ourselves. Download it and use a good headset to make a recording. We'll be happy to guide you if needed.

Additional IVRs can be used, or your IVR can be changed later for a nominal charge. Contact us for details.

The analog telephone adapter you receive with our service can be taken to any location where there is high speed internet available. Simply plug your adapter into the intenet with an ethernet cable, and plug in any analog phone. Your service will work just as it would if you were back home.

Although this feature is not as important to those that have their mobile phone on our service, it can still be very useful. Some of our customers choose not to utilize the mobile portion of our service, so having the ability to take the adapter with them is a real convenience. Works perfectly in international locations as well.

For those who use your smartphone with our plan, you will have service anywhere you go, over 3G or Wi-Fi. When overseas, find a Wi-Fi hotspot, dial the home extension, and talk to your family, or call the office absolutely FREE!

Let's say you live in Austin, Texas but most of your family lives in Miami, Florida. You can obtain a virtual number with a Miami area code and let your relatives call that number at no charge to them. Depending on the location, you can get a virtual number anywhere in the US for either $6.95 or $8.95 per month (most are $6.95). We can let you know the exact charges once you let us know the location. There is no set up fee for this option, and you get unlimited inbound calling minutes on this number.

We can provide virtual numbers in over 30 different countries as well. Monthly rates vary from $6.00 to $12.00 per month depending on the country, and include unlimited incoming minutes. If you'd like to investigate the possibility of getting a virtual number, give us a call.

Yes, we have music on hold. Place a caller on hold and they will get to listen to some fantastic (well...pretty good...ok, decent) jazz music. We hope to make other music available in the future, but for now, this is what you get:

Music on Hold Sample

So you answered a call on your iPhone, but the caller actually wanted your wife, who is at home. If your phone is capable of putting a caller on hold, it is capable of transferring the call to another extension on your account. Some SIP applications for smartphones are capable of performing a transfer also. Simply place the call on hold, press ##, wait for a dial tone, then dial the extension or number to transfer to. It doesn't work for every phone, but it can be done.

AusTex VoIP service is a month to month, no contract service. There are no penalties or fees if you cancel your service. You may cancel your service at anytime.

Your service with AusTex VoIP goes where you go. If you move, you only need to plug your analog telephone adapter into the high speed internet at your new location. This works anywhere in the U.S. as well as international locations. You only need to notify us for a change of address for billing and shipping purposes. You should notify us as soon as possible so that we may change your e911 address information.