Opinions on Voice over IP Services (1 Viewer)

[DonRC]

I've been a Vonage customer for more than a year and a half now. They have been extremely reliable, I've had sound quality as good as (or better than) my old landline, and the value for the money just can't be beat.

911 service is an issue, but only in that you have to intentionally go and register your location so you can get good 911 service.

Don

 

[SarahG]

So then it's not really an issue if people know they have to register. VoiP companies should have some sort of security in place for that which won't allow customers to use the service until they are registered with 911. I registered for 911 with my SunRocket service the day I set it up.

 

[Greg*go]

Verizon FIOS Internet Service Check

With that link you can check to see if FTTP is available in your area. If it is not, you can also put a request in that they bring it to your area ASAP. I don't know if the number of people requesting it actually speeds up them providing it, but it can't hurt. I saw a Verizon crew outside adding an additional wire to my street about 2 months ago, so I'm remaining very optimistic.

Will FTTP make the quality of VOIP a lot better? Will it be better then a regular telephone line?

 

[SarahG]

Seems like it would make it more reliable in addition to better sound quality.

Is this right? Anyone?

 

[DonRC]

I have had many people (guests in my home) tell me that they were shocked to hear that my phone service was VOIP because it was utterly indistinguishable from a regular phone line. As such, if there is any improvement at all, it would likely be better than a regular telephone line. Having said that, I'm not sure we can necessarily assume that fttp will make the quality better.

As far as reliability goes, the only times my VOIP connection has gone out that I've been aware of has been during electrical outages.

 

[Robert_Gaither]

I was wondering if voip could be setup for international calling by fowarding and rerouting calls like a phone switch, for example could I use it such that if I use my mobile to call my voip and then to someone in a foreign country (this way I can still use it away from home)?

 

[Chris Bardon]

The major problem that I've seen so far with IP is that you're really not saving that much. I looked into it, and it's just about the same price for me to go PSTN or IP here.

Actually, a question for those who have the service. If you get an IP gateway from the phone company, does this have to be installed on a master (demarcation point) phone jack, or can plugging it into any phone jack automatically connect all jacks in the house? I'm not really sure how the circuit works.

 

[DonRC]

The VOIP provider gives you a box with a digital to analog converter to go from the IP signal to an analog signal. This box connects through a LAN port on your broadband service (whatever flavor you might have, in my case it connects to a router that is connected to my cable modem). Your phone just plugs into that box.

To get more than one phone on the system, you have multiple options. I use a multi-phone wireless system so I only need the base unit to connect to the VOIP box. If you have multiple phones that need to connect individually, you can connect the VOIP box to your house phone system, but you have to disconnect your phone system from the outside phone network first.

 

[SarahG]

I am def saving money with my service. I only pay about $17 a month and that's for unlimited nationwide (plus Canada, now) and $3.00 worth of international calling per month. Rates are really cheap for international rates if you go over your allotted time for the month. You may have a decent deal with your POTS, though. How much do you pay?

 

[Christo Ramo]

I have the Verizon VoiceWing service. It is really cheap for unlimmited calling. The thing is you lose in quality. I have Comcast High Speed Internet, the upgraded package, and it sometimes breaks up.

As for the 911 issue, I have a cell phone with the 911 gps thingy in it, so you can use your cell phone for that. VoiceWing has been promising to get the data to pass over their lines but still has not come through. Vonage has had this service and is cheaper. Now my Tivo's have to use the cable modem to dial out, boy that was not easy to set up.

If you make tons of long distance calls, make the move and save some money.

 

[DonRC]

Christo,

Just out of curiosity, if the Vonage service is cheaper, has the 911 service, and seems to have fewer complaints about quality (I've certainly not had any) - why do you stick with VoiceWing?

Yeah, this is a pain. I just took mine over to a friend's house and used his POTS line for setting up my Tivo, then took my Tivo back home. (Once set up, it can communicate over the internet.)

I found out later that for the Series 2 Tivos that there is a code you can use to get it to do the setup over your broadband connection, too.

 

[Steve F M]

Greg*go

Where are you located in PA? i will be able to tell you when and if you can get FTTP in your area.

FTTP will make everything better? Data (10MB, 15MB, 100MB) Whatever speeds you want. Video - They will be offering a suite of Video products that will put the cable companies to shame in a few years. Bandwith is a problem for cable but not with fiber.

VOIP will be better with FTTP since there will be no copper involved except for the CAT 5 wiring in your house.

There looking to offer packages for Video, Data, VOIP and Wireless at around $100 and up. talk about cost savings with more festures.

 

[SarahG]

I think I would be a little skeptical about going with a provider that doesn't have the 911 service. I understand your cell phone has the capability, but I gotta tell you, I don't know how many times my stupid cell phone has died on me unexpectedly because of the low battery. Now, I should be better about charging the thing, but still. Our SunRocket service, and I know some others, comes with the 911 capability. all you have to do is register the number with the provider.

 

[Christo Ramo]

DonRC, why didn't I make the jump, well that I guess I really don't know. I somehow got roped into the Verizon, dsl/cellphone/directv combo discount. Then I found that the dsl to my house was just about dial-up, I wanted to cancel the whole deal. Then they mentioned the voicewing and I was able to lose my land line. I want to go over to Vonage, especially because it is cheaper, but then again it might just be that it is a new company? I don't know. Something just makes me feel better about Verizon?

 

[Greg*go]

You have a PM Steve F M

 

[DonRC]

I understand your reluctance to go over to a new company.

On the other hand, I think Vonage has been doing VOIP longer than Verizon has.

 

[Christo Ramo]

I know that Verizon has been doing commercial setups for ever, residential is all new, and all of the service is dependant on the users internet connection really. All verizon or vonage are really doing is providing the dial tone. There are so many new phone companies emerging these days. I actually got a letter in the mail from a company called KISS. Who are they?

As far as Vonage goes, I have a friend on them and he sounds great! I am only with Verizon to receive these promotions...

 

[Steve F M]

Christo, What are your downloads speed with DSL. Shouldn't be lower the 1.5MB and they are raising that shortly to 3MB.

I think Warminister is on the list for FTTP this year or next. Your looking at 10MB download for $39.99 when it becomes available along with better packages that will include POTS or VOIP, Data (FIOS DSL), Wireless, and Video will be released at the end of the year.

The video will the hot item as the bandwith will pretty much be unlimited. Your looking at On Demand, Ala Carte Channels, Tons of HDTV. The trials have been very good on the video portion and should be interesting to see how Comcast and the others compete.

 

[Christo Ramo]

I tried to get the dsl, I was like 11000 feet from the co. I was getting speeds like 600/100, I was not too happy. I went to Comcast and now I am getting 4000/384 and I am thinging about upgrading it to 6000/768.

The FTTP is in doylestown, which is around 10 miles away, I can't wait for that to come to town.

 

[Steve F M]

I'm almost positive your on the list for sale in Warminister for sometime this year. I saw 1st hand the speed tests in Doylestown and all I can say is WOW.

The 100MB download was just sick! Whole files in a second.