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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Vonage/at-home VOIP anyone??

April 7, 2009 4:18 p.m. orphancars New Reader

So I'm looking at my local monthly AT&T bill...........................

Amazing that it's $80 bux -- $50 of that for the phone, $30 for teh intarwebz access...... And me and the missus hardly use the landline!!

Seems like we're constantly bombarded with commercials for Vonage. Seems like a good idea until I google "Vonage sucks" and see some folks complaining about poor performance, but a TON of folks complaining about pi$$ poor customer service.

I hate just forking over cash to AT&T for a phone. Amazing how basic phone service for $17.5 can get spun up to a $50 bill every month. That's just fees, folks, callerID, etc. No LD charges.

Anyone had any real-world experience with dumping the local land-line and going with a Vonage or other IPT provider? I see the MagicJack (tm) at my local Best Buy, see a few other mom-n-pop IPT providers when I google........

TIA,

-jeff d
April 7, 2009 4:24 p.m. carguy123 Dork

VOICE PULSE!

VOICE PULSE!

Nothing Vonage - ever!

I've had both at the same time. Voice Pulse is much easier to use and most importantly has real live people you can call for issues. Vonage does the email I'll call you later thing and 2-3 days later you finally hear from them so you 've been without service for 2-3 days.

I use it for my office as well as my home.

Call quality is great and I have it set so that it automatically rolls to my cell phone if the phones/internet goes out for any reason.

They have a plethora of neat features that are quickly and easily accessed on the web.

Want to make crank calls? Within 30 seconds you have have the caller ID changed.
April 7, 2009 4:24 p.m. cwh Dork

Because I make a LOT of international calls, I have Skype, Magic Jack and Tel3 at my home office. My favorite is Tel3. Clean voice, low rates, just good. Magic Jack can be good, but I do get intermittant momentary drops. Just for a fraction of a second, but noticable. Skype is good too. Best for international calls, but not by much. Overall, FAR better experience than Ma Bell. Nice thing about Magic Jack is that my customer in Trinidad can program his Magic Jack with a Ft. Lauderdale phone number and our calls are free. It's cool.
April 7, 2009 4:44 p.m. curtis73 Reader

Skype. You can even buy a USB phone if you're still hooked on the whole headset thing.

But skype is free to download, free to use, but you pay if you want a phone number or if you want to call a phone number. But skype-skype computers (or skype-enabled cell phones) is free as free can be. Otherwise, just be online when you're at home and anyone can call you.

My wife's best friend just moved to Australia, and we talk to him via webcam every day for 100% free. He also has a skype cell phone and we can call his cell in Australia from our computer for free.
April 7, 2009 4:46 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

What does one recommend if you are out of DSL range (by 1.1 miles so far) don't want a Bell-e-ache and would like a VOIP/fast internet access for little monies?
April 7, 2009 5:32 p.m. orphancars New Reader

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions -- keep 'em coming!!

I've never looked into skype that much -- looks like I have to....

Also looks like Voice Pulse and Tel3 might be viable options.

Does the Magic Jack thing really work? I think the first time I saw it was on one of those "As Seen On TV!" ads..........shades of Billy Mays and the ShamWow! guy

thanks again!

-jeff d
April 7, 2009 5:47 p.m. carguy123 Dork

skype requires a special phone.
April 7, 2009 6:29 p.m. petegossett Dork

If you use a fax machine in your home office, I'd avoid VOIP sytems. Fax technology was never designed to work over those systems & you'll experience communications issues that may be hard to pinpoint.
April 7, 2009 6:47 p.m. walterj Dork

I have Vonage and am more than satisfied. 6 lines, 800 number and 2 dedicated fax lines that run all day long and it costs me about $50/mo. Never an issue in 4yrs. as long as comcrap wasn't down and I have all incoming calls routed to my cell voicemail in that case.

If your internet is good, Vonage is great.
April 7, 2009 6:59 p.m. Chebbie_SB HalfDork

I was using Yahoo but bought a "MagicJack" so I could use my cordless phone ( any phone will work ). The call quality is good, but not stellar, If I was doing a lot of business calls or was Henry Kissinger it might be a consideration, but just fine for blah, blah, blah.....
April 7, 2009 7:41 p.m. Kendall_Jones New Reader

walterj wrote:

I have Vonage and am more than satisfied. 6 lines, 800 number and 2 dedicated fax lines that run all day long and it costs me about $50/mo. Never an issue in 4yrs. as long as comcrap wasn't down and I have all incoming calls routed to my cell voicemail in that case.

If your internet is good, Vonage is great.

Yep, I'm a happy vonage user as well. No problems ever...

Kendall
April 7, 2009 7:51 p.m. bruceman New Reader

We got vonage and got rid of the land line. No problems with Vonage here.
April 7, 2009 7:59 p.m. orphancars New Reader

One thing I'm noticing as I do my re-SEARCH -- wouldn't be searching if I knew what I was doing -- some of the residential VOIP services mention some difficulty with DirecTV, ie., the modems in the receivers can't work well with VOIP.

Anyone?? Bueller??
April 7, 2009 8:54 p.m. cwh Dork

I have Comcast high speed internet and TV. The only problems we have are with the internet, not cable TV. Usually quickly taken care of. Doesn't make any difference which phone service I am using. As far as a special phone for Skype goes, I use a head set for skype and for magic jack. Just prefer it. Tel3 works over regular phone line.
April 7, 2009 8:56 p.m. Tifosi2k2 New Reader

Not Vonage, but I've been using something called TruPhone on my iPhone at home. Works through my wi-fi.

ATT is also coming out with something called "Micro-Cell" later this year, it's billed as a "mini cell tower" in your home. Looks alot like the modem-thing you get with other voip's but allows you to make and recieve calls through your broadband on your standard cell phone #..... pretty cool stuff.
April 7, 2009 10:10 p.m. TJ Reader

T-Mobile at home. Not free, but if you already have a t mobile cell phone it is $10/month.

Skype is scary from a security standpoint IMO. The price may be free, but the cost to you may not be zero.
April 8, 2009 12:43 a.m. curtis73 Reader

carguy123 wrote:

skype requires a special phone.

Absolutely not... I use it every day with my laptop. Microphone and speakers and you're in business.
April 8, 2009 8:15 a.m. cwh Dork

Why is Skype scary?
April 8, 2009 9:12 a.m. 81gtv6 Reader

We have had Vonage for about 6 years and can't complain. Whatever you do do not get the Time Warner VOIP, they charge extra for things that you get for free with most of the other venders.
April 8, 2009 9:38 a.m. carguy123 Dork

curtis73 wrote:

carguy123 wrote:

skype requires a special phone.

Absolutely not... I use it every day with my laptop. Microphone and speakers and you're in business.

If you want to use a phone instead of your laptop you need a special phone. But then again, Walmart sells them.

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