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Broadband: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home?
- 10/18/07 4:56 PM
No, I only use cellular service.
by prince10bee - 10/19/07 5:03 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Whats the point of home serveice if you have cellular service?
(NT) Cell phone charges are very high for international calls
by howardjs01 - 10/21/07 7:40 AM In reply to: No, I only use cellular service. by prince10beeYes I have SkypePro and I love it
by Jezemeg8 - 10/19/07 5:04 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi all, when I switched to wireless broadband I rid myself of my landline as I only had it to have access to broadband. I never made phone calls before because I couldn't manage the handsets, being severely disabled means punching little buttons, even just to answer it was too hard.
However, SkypePro enables me, for just $3.20(AUD)per month to make untimed calls to ANY residential landline in Australia for free, and at a greatly reduced cost to 1300 and other premium numbers. I just use my voice recognition software already on my computer to access Skype and bingo I can make and answer calls without having to try to coordinate to hit the right button at the right time. I recommend it for anyone that finds using handsets (even TTY's) impossible and for those wishing to save themselves the costs of having a landline.
Yeah, I use it. V.O.I.P. isn't at all perfect, but...
by Sarahcatt - 10/19/07 5:05 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The voice quality is consistent because since it's digital, it's unaffected by analog transmission losses. It's a bit more secure because wire-tapping a V.O.I.P. call is a lot more difficult that for analog. I have the flexibility of local phone numbers in multiple cities. For instance, I have a local number in Dallas and Chicago and that is convenient for friends and family in both places. I like the administrative dashboard and the ability to check my voice mail from any Internet browser. I can also view caller ID history on line going back several months.
It's a relatively inexpensive ($24.95 including unlimited long distance) add-on to my existing broadband connection. I'm paying about the same for cable-delivered broadband plus Vonage V.O.I.P., as I was for a fully-featured analog telephone service without DSL. Add DSL and I am saving $40 to $50 per month.
VOIP - Not any more
by Smiley5 - 10/19/07 5:11 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had Mediacom internet service for a couple of years when they offered phone service. I had the service for four months and couldn't stand it any longer. Mediacom's service was bad, the internet service would go down for sometimes long periods and the phone would be out. Would have to call on my cell phone. Also, I could not use my fax machine on this service or have an alarm system tied to the phone. I don't recommend this service, particularly if you live in north Alabama.
Comcast Triple Play
by avbfree - 10/19/07 5:13 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had Comcast cable tv, their so called highspeed internet, and telephone service. When they were working, they were fine; however when cable is down (which is common here in Detroit) I had nothing! NO TV, NO INTERNET, and NO PHONE. I now have three different services and although it may cost a little more I'm never alone.
Vonnage is great
by DDT3 - 10/20/07 11:39 AM In reply to: Comcast Triple Play by avbfreeLove my Vonnage, been using it for years, can't remember having to worry about a long distance bill and especially like the simulaneous ring feature and the ease of setting forwarding...all the extra features like call waiting and ID and no extra charges. Can't beat it...and the quality is just as good as land lines, in all the years never has one person question the quality.
Stay with landline !
by marion50 - 10/19/07 5:39 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'll stay with a landline instead of using Comcast's VoIP service here because when the internet goes down, you can't call in to complain aboput the service being down! ! ! !
Voip Vs Landline
by DonnaLutheran - 10/19/07 9:05 PM In reply to: Stay with landline ! by marion50Good Point. I know what you mean
Why no VOIP
by slheider - 10/19/07 5:55 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We used to use VOIP (Vonage) for our long distance and a fax line. We started having major trouble with the fax (noise on the line?) which required looking for another fax solution (myfax.com). We switched to a free long distance package with AT&T and myfax and pay less for those two things than we were paying for Vonage.
There is one very important reason that I will never use a VOIP line as my sole home telephone (will always have a landline)... If the power goes out, unless a phone line has also gone down, I still have phone service in the house, an important consideration when there are children or teens in the home. If the power is out for an extended period of time (longest was over 24 hours) we could quickly exceed the storage capacity of our cell batteries with no way to recharge them. This is a real world scenario in which a home could be left with no phone service if the electricity were out for an extended period of time. That's why we won't use VOIP...
Yes!! And I love it!!
by ebscnet - 10/19/07 5:58 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have VOIP services for over a year and had no problem. I'm paying $31 with all taxes and i get unlimited calls to usa, canada and 35 countries. The company name is BROAD VOICE, my wife can talk to her mother in brazil for hours and i can call my family as well, the only down side is the charge when i call a mobile number outside usa or canada, but i always call a land line, of course.
VOIP
by leocwa - 10/19/07 6:54 PM In reply to: Yes!! And I love it!! by ebscnetI now use VOIP for about 8 months from from Time warrner cable, Got the whole bundle ISP, TV and VOIP Phone Unlimmited calls and long distance can't tell the differance from a land line except an ocasional beep beep I think the bundle costs around $120 per month. We have three cordless phones , work off the router, remember you have NO PHONE SERVICE during a power failure.Thats when we go outside of the house , stand in the driveway and use the Cell phone the only place we get a signal.Up until building this house in the Texas hill country where cell phones have spotty signals we were streight cell phones no land line for years and loved it the only way to go.
Undecided: Verizon Is Too High; Comcast Stinks
by whbos - 10/19/07 6:28 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've thought about switching to Vonage, but I would have to dump Verizon DSL--which is not a real problem for me. Verizon phone and DSL service has gotten too expensive. I make very few long distance calls and my bill, every month, is over $100. I'm not on the DSL contract anymore since it really saves nothing here in Pittsburgh since all the taxes they tack on jack up the bill more. It's the phone service alone that has been gradually getting more expensive.
I already have Comcast cable and have had their high-speed internet, which stinks because there were many days the service is down. P'burgh sucks as it is, but the electrical/cable (and most everything else) is antiquated and flawed. I used to live on a street where most people had Comcast Digital phone service, but when they called my Verizon phone number they would get a message that the phone number was disconnected. It wasn't disconnected. It is a flaw with Comcast's phone service. My mother, who lives in Texas, called from her Comcast phone line and she got the same message.
From what I've read on this thread so far, it seems Vonage still has a way to go.
Vonage
by rtweedle - 10/19/07 6:29 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have Comcast internet and decided to try something other than ATT for a land line to contain costs. A friend told me about Vonage so I checked into it online and decided to try it. It's GREAT. The only times I've had trouble with it has been when my Comcast connection went down. Even then it switches to my cell phone automatically.I save $10-$15 per month and get more services.
I also like the ability to listen to my voicemail online. My cell phone carrier should have this.
Voip Rocks!!
by derekgaus - 10/19/07 6:40 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you use VoIP service at home? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am connected to Cable broadband. For the past year I have been using Voip for all my national and international calls. I installed a Draytek Vigor 2100 Rouuer with analog voice adaptor so that I can make VOIP calls with my normal analog telephone. My VOIP service provider is Freshtel and the call quality is excellent. National calls cost me 10 cents per call untimed and unlimited (including 1300/13 type calls). Calls to mobliles are much cheaper than normal Telcos. For special calls eg 1900 type I have to over-ride VOIP (simple process)and use my normal Telco. Free 1800 calls are handled by my VOIP provider with no problem. Since going VOIP I have save lots of dollars.
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