It's been a while. Who now has VoIP? (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Grall]

I've been with Vonage for several months now, and I absolutely love it. You could not get me to go back to "regular" phone service...

I am wondering if it is worth switching the SunRocket to save a few more bucks...

 

[Drew Bethel]

I used this site to test the speed:

http://myspeed.visualware.com/

I'm looking into cable modem with Earthlink/Time Warner. For $29 (first 6 months) I can get 5 Mbps down and 286 kbps up. Sounds like a good deal to me!

 

[SarahG]

SunRocket is a tad cheaper. I've never used Vonage so I can't compare the two. I am happy with my service. I think part of the reason I've been satisfied is that they are a smaller company and give more attention to customers. At least that's what I've experienced so far.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Do you guys have these 911 issues:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/product...deadline_x.htm

 

[SarahG]

It's mandatory for all VoIP providers to provide sufficient 911 capability by a specific date, which I think is coming up next month. It may have been questionable for a while, but the FCC is mandating it. I just had to acknowledge the other day that I was signed up for 911 with SunRocket. They sent me an email asking me to confirm. I heard that people who use voip providers and do not acknowledge understanding and confirming 911 will be disconnected.

 

[Paul McElligott]

Yes. It was supposed to happen Tuesday, but the deadline was extended to Sept. 28.

 

[Jeff Pug]

does Sun rocket have caller id?? It is not listed as a feature on their site

 

[SarahG]

Yes, caller ID with name is a feature. It works well. Don't know why they don't list it on their web site.

 

[Paul McElligott]

The carriers convinced the FCC they needed more time to get acknowledgements from everyone and the cutoff could permanently damage the VOIP providers' relationship with their customers.

 

[Andrew Grall]

Has anyone had both Vonage and SunRocket? I'm thinking of switching to SunRocket, but I have been so happy with Vonage... Are features virtually the same? Sound quality the same?

Update: I found out that Vonage charges a $39.99 termination fee if you cancel less than a year from when you began... So, I guess I'll be waiting until at least the latter part of December.

 

[SarahG]

Well, it's a good thing Vonage has been good to you. One of the reasons I went with SunRocket is that there are no cancellation fees or any other fees like that. So, If I didn't like it, I could just cancel at anytime. Doesn't matter since I've kept it and been happy.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Good-bye Qwest. Just got Time Warner internet cable installed today, measured 4.92 Mbps down and 368 Kbps up...more than enough for VOIP!! :p)

 

[MickeS]

I'm not even gonna get into the argument about calling connection speeds like 512 kbps "broadband" ... but I've been thinking about getting VoIP from Cox (my cablemodem Internet provider, with the laughable upload speed mentioned above).

But as I was thinking about it, I just couldn't come up with a good argument for getting a (seemingly) still shaky technology (doesn't work during power outtages, relies on notoriously unreliable home networking equipment) when I have a cell-phone that I've never really had any problems with. The only reason I keep my regular land line is that it is proven, old technology, that works pretty much rain or shine. Why would I want to switch to VoIP when I have a cell-phone, instead of just dropping the land line (I don't have a fax)?

Convince me!

 

[Drew Bethel]

Combine our cell phone and land line monthly bill
Multiply this number by 12
Now Subtract it from $199

How much is it? Enough or a small vacation?

ps. What's a power outage?. I may have experienced one back in 1992 for a couple of hours but that's it.

 

[MickeS]

Well, you obviously don't live in Tucson. Normally there are at least a couple of outtages every summer during monsoon season. This year has been extremely bad where we live though, we've had two 6 hour outtages and two 2 hour ones in our part of town in just the past 4 months... :/

 

[SarahG]

How much do you pay per month for your old fashioned telephone line, with long distance, and everything? I wonder because you may even be better off getting the most basic landline service with no features, the lowest cost they offer, and also getting a voip service. The total may end up to be less than what you pay for your long distance now.

I have no idea, but let's just say the most basic phone service is $15. You make no calls on that service, unless there is an emergency. You get a service that costs, for instance, $17/month, and that's $32/month.

Is that greater than or less than what you currently pay?

 

[MickeS]

I pay about $27+tax, I think, for local service (Qwest). And then 2.7c/minute for domestic long distance and 3c/minute for international calls (normally comes to $2-$3/month or so). That's all with landline. I also have a cellphone.

The part about paying $27 for basically local service which I rarely use is what bugs me, and the reason I've been thinking about getting VoIP or dropping the landline altogether. But a VoIP seems like getting the "worst of both worlds" in a way: I have to be at home to be reached (except for call forwarding, which is a good feature, but I could just have people call my cellphone directly ), but I get none of the traditional benefits of a copper landline (reliability during power outtages, easily replacable cheap phones, doesn't rely on my cable modem).

So other than saving $12, is there any benefit to getting VoIP instead of just having a cellphone and save $27?

 

[Drew Bethel]

Mikes, I think it all depends on how much long distance calling you do. My wife's three sibblings are all in different time zones so we opted for Qwest's $15 per month all you can talk - which is extra to the landline cost. I'm signing up for SunRocket tonight. I want to keep my current number so I will have to pay Qwest for two more months even after Istart SunRocket (for the processing to go through).

If you're a single bloke who barely picks up the phone to gab maybe you should just up your minutes on your cell phone and use that as your primary number.

 

[SarahG]

The amount of calling you do should be taken into consideration, for sure. We also do a lot of calling long distance so VoIP made perfect sense. Having a low minute cell plan and SunRocket seems to be working out just fine so far.



Drew - did Sunrocket or Qwest tell you it would take two months to transfer your number? If I recall, I think it was only one month for me.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Sunrocket told me it will take 30-60 days. Maybe I will get luck like you did.