Use decent gear. (Score 1)

Gee I really hate that crap like this can be published for people to read all over the world.

We use Nortel VOIP handsets connected to a Nortel BCM400 here at work. The units are brilliant and put the regular digital handsets to shame. Not only that if I can connect the handset at home, VPN back into the office and take calls off a 512K dsl line. Because of this ability we ran the units via Wi-Fi when we were moving offices. That way people in both buildings were working off the one PABX.

The units commented on in the article are crap but you get what you pay for. You have to remember voice over digital transmission technologies has been around for ages and have made telecommunications relatively cheap now. VOIP is a bit like the killer app for ISPs'. If there were decent handset available for home use you could deploy them with a broadband connection and never have to use your local carrier for anything but a copper connection. I know in Australia that'd really piss off Telstra.