| Author |
Message |
    
mgaloo
Citizen
Username: Mgaloo
Post Number: 17
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 9:35 am: | 
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Has any one tried this Internet phone service? For $25 a month you get unlimited local and long distance calls, including calls to Europe. Seems like a no brainer, but I'm wondering if anyone is using it currently.
Thanks!
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Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 1534
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 9:41 am: |
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I wanted to use it... I wound up downloading Skype and making a few free 'test calls', which sounded like crap. If you have cable internet you should be OK, though. |
davidbuckley
Citizen
Username: Davidbuckley
Post Number: 608
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 10:03 am: |
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Case, on what kind of connection did your test calls sound like crap?
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phyllis
Citizen
Username: Phyllis
Post Number: 515
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 10:04 am: |
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We have Vonage. It's been great. |
Arsenal
Citizen
Username: Arsenal
Post Number: 88
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 10:05 am: |
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Second Vonage. No real problems to speak of. Main issue we have had so far is the Cable went out, Comcast's fault, hence no phone except for the cell. |
mgaloo
Citizen
Username: Mgaloo
Post Number: 18
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 10:19 am: |
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Thanks! I've been thinking about it for a while, but now I'm definitely going to try it. I have Comcast Internet service, so it shouldn't be a problem. I can't remember the last time the cable went out. Plus when I read today in USA Today that AT&T is tracking all of my calls and passing the info onto the NSA, I got a little pissed off! I don't really want to use them any more. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 2611
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 10:22 am: |
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What about 911 emergency calls? My understanding is that VOIP does not support local emergency connections. This is the one issue that has me hesitating. |
shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1245
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 10:36 am: |
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I believe you have to actively sign up for 911 when you have one of these cable phone services. In other words, it doesn't automatically come with the service unless you make it happen. |
John
Citizen
Username: Jdm
Post Number: 51
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 10:45 am: |
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We have it and have for months now.
Total cost is $30.13 now for the unlimited local and long-distance, which just added five European countries. NJ is one of the states that costs more for some reason. That's about 60% of our previous bill.
My wife complains that sometimes she gets echoes, though I've noticed that only a couple of times. We also occasionally get "call could not be completed" and then it's fine on re-dial. Not sure why, but again it bothers my wife more than me. I enjoy saving the $20+ a month.
We have cable internet access and I had trouble at the beginning with my old (5 years) cable modem, so I just got ComCast to swap it for a new one, no problem or charge.
You have to sign up for 911 service, which we have. Or at least you used to have to sign up.
Finally, if you want it, PL me and I'll refer you to Vonage, so we both get some free time. Really. 
Verizon also seems to have a $29.99/month unlimited local and long-distance plan now. Love that competition. |
Handygirl
Citizen
Username: Handygirl
Post Number: 692
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 11:10 am: |
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Keep in mind that, in the case of an emergency or any other power outage, you'll have no phone service (except cell service, that is). That's what is keeping me from signing up for one of these non traditional telephone services. Cell phone service in my neighborhood is still to sketchy and the thought of loosing power and not being able to make phone calls is scary to me. Even cell service isn't a certainty during a blackout or other emergency. |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2407
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 11:51 am: |
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One of the things that kept me from signing up a year or so ago was that at the time you could keep your phone number when switching to Vonage, which is great, but if you didn't like the service and wanted to switch back you'd be assigned a new phone number. Not a major inconvenience but one just the same. Also, the power outage thing was problematic because my neighborhood used to lose power all the time, not so much anymore. |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 1492
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 12:51 pm: |
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Have been using Vonage since January, and love it. No complaints whatsoever. |
Fotboat
Citizen
Username: Fotboat
Post Number: 60
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 1:00 pm: |
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Signed up with Vonage last year, and had a few problems initially (I think that is why they give you the 1st month free), but have had no problems recemtly. I actually signed up for the $15 month for 500 min, wanting to see if my calls would reach up to $25 mark, It never has gotten over $20 and that is with a spouse home full time. |
mgaloo
Citizen
Username: Mgaloo
Post Number: 19
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 4:39 pm: |
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One more question for Vonage users. The hookup runs off the cable near the cable modem. So do I have to have my phone near my computer, or can I have phones all over the house? Does each phone have to run through the cable, or is there some kind of router that hooks them all together? Right now I have two cordless phones that run off one phone line connection and a third regular phone in my basement.
Thanks!
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K_soze
Citizen
Username: K_soze
Post Number: 171
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 5:41 pm: |
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Damn you John, you beat me to it!!!
I've had Vonage for a year now, no complaints............except for the fact that I still haven't been able to do that "referal" deal thing  |
Me
Citizen
Username: 1972
Post Number: 16
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 6:27 pm: |
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Is the connection on international calls good too? |
Megan
Citizen
Username: Megan
Post Number: 106
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 8:23 pm: |
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I have Vonage. I definitely have some quality issues, but to me they're insignificant and rare. I do have a friend who complains that she hears an echo when we speak. And I know a family who had a horrible experience with it. They could hear bangs throughout their calls and missed a lot of what was being said. So they switched back to Verizon. (They kept their phone number with each switch.) |
K_soze
Citizen
Username: K_soze
Post Number: 173
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 8:34 pm: |
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Megan, Do you have DSL or cable? Have the lines in your home checked and test the speed of your internet connection. You can also go into the Vonage utilities page and change the amount of bandwith used for internet browsing/phone use. If all your equipment is in order and there's no issue with your Internet service than Vonage should be clear and free of noises.
One other thing, what kind of moden are you using? Some modems will automatically go into a standby mode if there are lond periods of inactivity, that pretty much shuts your phone service down (or makes is so crappy that you might as well not have it) if this is the case replace it with a modem that does not shut down....the issues you stated above (echoing & choppy reception) are symptoms of this |
John
Citizen
Username: Jdm
Post Number: 52
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 12:19 am: |
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mgaloo,
Multiple phones work by all being on the same circuit, so once you hook up one phone jack to your VOIP router, they all work on it. They recommend you unplug your phone connection to the outside world too, to avoid any interference (you also get the benefit that lightning strikes can't damage your phones or modems).
We waited until we could keep our phone number.
There are so many things that can cause problems, that it's often hard to troubleshoot a house with multiple phones in it. Vonage has lots of suggestions for the echoing my wife complains of. I haven't tried them yet, in part because it's so variable.
For those worried about power, try getting a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) and plugging cable modem and router into it. Mine lasts for at least a 10-15 minutes (as long as my son doesn't keep watching TV), and I think we've had only two real power losses that went beyond that over that past two years. My own view is that the odds that the power will go long enough and I'll need to dial 911 at the same time are not small enough to worry about. Cell phones can also go out if the towers lose power, but that doesn't always coincide with the loss of power on our block, so I figure that lowers the odds even more.
I remain avalibale for referral. |
Darren Say Grrrrrrrr
Citizen
Username: Darrensager
Post Number: 393
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 10:24 pm: |
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We've used Vonage for more than a year now. Soon we'll be switching to Packet 8
www.packet8.net
Better Value for our business. Vonage cuts out every once a awhile, or insert a beep into the phone call which is VERY anoying. My friend's business is using Packet 8 now and the service is just incredible.
I feel Vonage is getting overloaded. |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 1495
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, May 13, 2006 - 12:43 pm: |
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Darren, I have not noticed anything like that with my Vonage. I wonder why it would affect just some customers? |
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