internet phone service

[Tiggeroo]

Does anybody have this. I'm thinking of going with one called Package8. It is $19.95 per month for unlimited local and long distance calling plus all the extras. Another one is Vonage. The only disadvantage is that some areas don't offer 911 but I have a cell also.

 

[Loubon]

Check the Vonage web site. They have a link where you can check the quality of the data transfer to various locations from your site. I was looking into this too until I consistently rated between a "bad cell phone call" and "two cans with a string". (I kid you not.) It is independent of the carrier as well so it is unbiased. And I have a 3mb cable modem connection which consistently rates above average for data transfer.

 

[helenabear]

The major disadvantage I find for this, is if you lose power you lose your phone service in many cases. Before I would even think of getting VOIP installed, I would make sure I would have a battery/power back up for this as well. Even with cell phones, if massive power outages hit, you will lose your phone access as well. The nice thing about a POTS line is that the power is through the phone line and as long as you have a corded phone, you can make a call... data transfers like VOIP aren't the same in that respect. As for the rest of it, this does seem to be a hot item to sell (yep, I'm in telecom) but I am not sure I would hook into it just yet, myself.

 

[Tiggeroo]

The reviews I read rated it better then cell phone service. My brother has vonage and you can tell no difference. There is a free 30 day trial. They recommend that you don't have your home service disconnected during this trial. When the phone rings both the vonage line and your house line will ring, if they are the same number. If you are unhappy with it you still have your main line. I'm not really concerned about a power outage. If we were to have an outage that severe I would have to just find an alternate way to get in touch. It's never happened here. And my cell phone doesn't go down when the power is out, as long as it's charged.
The biggest inconvenience for me is that my number is not now portable. I was actually considering a company called Package8. They have a higher rating then vonage, and require less power from your modem.

 

[helenabear]

Originally posted by Tiggeroo
And my cell phone doesn't go down when the power is out, as long as it's charged.

Sorry, I was refering to black out conditions that have happened here. If the cell towers lose power, you will lose the ability to make phone calls via cell. I've had that happen (or get the all circuits busy) during times when I really really needed it most. Just a sad fact with cell phones and non POTS lines.

My issue with the power going out, is how to call the power company to let them know. Kind of hard to do sometimes and I would rather not waste my cell minutes waiting on hold for them. I just suggest having a UPS or some sort of back up in case you do lose power. We have gone more than a day w/o power and being w/o a "land line" would really stink during things like that (and yes, I do live in the city, but even last year we went w/o power for over 3 days... terrible storms cause bad things to happen)

 

[Tiggeroo]

Wow. Almost the only time that happens here is during a severe tropical storm or hurricane. If it's really bad enough and heading our way we would evacuate. And if it's bad enough to affect our power chances are it affects our phones too.

 

[FonFon]

I just recently got Vonage and I love it. I have had a couple people tell me that there is a bad reception, but for the most part, I haven't had any issues, and it sounds perfect to both me and the people I am calling. I love the fact that I have voicemail, since I work from home, and my home number and "work" number are the same, so that if I am on the telephone, and someone calls in, they can go directly to voicemail. With the cost of telephone service where I live, I am saving well over $50 a month for the features that I receive with Vonage.

The other downfall is that there are only two telephone lines that can be connected to the device. We have split them, and run a line out to each room that we want a telephone in. (But we live in a small apartment, so if the phone rings and we're not in a room with a phone, it's a short walk to find one.)

We got ours from Circuit City, when they were running a promotion for a rebate on the actual device.

We do have 911 access, in San Diego, CA.

I heard about Vonage from the DIS boards originally, so I am happy to pass the info along!