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Community Newsletter: Q&A: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP
- 10/26/07 9:46 AM
My VOIP Pros and Cons
by deltoncbaker - 10/12/07 7:55 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have had my VOIP phone for near 6 years now.
The first year I keep the old system because I was unsure of the technology of VOIP. I switched my old phone number to my VOIP number and I love it. There are a few problem but none of which can't be fixed.
Limitations:
1] I found that it needs an UPS power to keep it running through bad weather.
2] VOIP are not compatible with FAX machines, but most VOIP services offer free internet FAXING and since you got to have the internet to make the phone work anyway I say what is the difference.
3] VOIP are not compatible with HOME security systems, but if you shop around they have internet HOME security systems that work even better than Phone service HOME security systems and for about the comparable monthly pricing as well.
Advantages:
1] Big Plus to me is the instant online configuration
2] I can add an additional phone line just by clicking around on the internet.
3] I can forward my phone calls to my Cell phone just by clicking around on the internet. My service has something called "Follow Me" I list all my Phone Numbers set up a time interval between switching and the phone rings at home first, after the interval it switches to the next number and so on until I am found at one of the numbers. The same function can be tweaked and set to ring at all the numbers at the same time, which is the way I like cause people tend to give up after five or six rings.
4] I can set up multi-way calling just by calling my friends.
5] My service includes Voicemail it is easy to use and they can be emailed to your email address.
6] If certain phone number just want quit calling you can add them to a blocked caller list and you will not be bothered by that phone number ever again.
7] My service includes Call ID, I get the callers information on my TV screen.(Satellite TV System)
8] I can edit my address online which is good cause this information is what makes the 911 service work properly
9] You view a complete listing of who called you at the online portal.
10] My service also offers video phone service at no extra charge but the video phone it self is extra.
I get all the above services are under $30 dollars a month.
($27.43 Sept 2007 that includes all TAXES)
Not all VOIP offer all these services so you need to shop around. You don't have to buy anything to get these systems 99 percent are free with your subscription.
Just do a search for "VOIP providers" to find the deal best suited to your needs. Package deals through you internet provider are looking to be the lest expensive at this time.
If you are interested my provider is Packet8.
VoiP and Home Security
by basirles - 10/19/07 5:43 PM In reply to: My VOIP Pros and Cons by deltoncbakerI actually have an old analog home security system that works with VoiP! The company is called NextAlarm.com. It may be necessary to purchase an extra ATA box, but it works great for us - an I can get real time updates through an internet portal.
VoIP (Comcast version) and Analog Home Security Compatibilty
by mbillimo - 10/19/07 7:48 PM In reply to: VoiP and Home Security by basirlesI have an old analog home security (DSC) system that uses my land line to communicate with the monitoring service.
I considered going with Comcast Digital phone but Comcast could not give me a definite answer whether my existing Home Security hardware would be compatible and asked me to consult with my monitoring service.
My monitoring service was very wishy washy, telling me that the analog security system will need to be updated to digital, which requires changing the security system's circuit board from analog to digital and swapping out all my existing analog keypads(4) from analog to digital. The cost was around $1000.
They claimed that if I did not do that they may still get the signal from my security system, but would not be able to distinguish which zone was violated, which is critical for troubleshooting or resetting.
I would envision that a simple analog to digital converter at the security system should be able to do the conversion. My monitoring service did not know of any such fix.
You mentioned an "ATA" box, what does that do?
mb
Any other experiences or suggestions on this issue?
Home Security System
by GeneKimball - 10/20/07 12:50 PM In reply to: My VOIP Pros and Cons by deltoncbakerAn addendum to your security comment. I have a phone security system with a radio backup. I called the security company that services me and they informed me that VOIP lines are not secure. However, most people are switching to radio frequency for their primary system so it would not be a problem (remember, I already have it) as long as I made contact with the security company prior to the date of the intended switch and informed them of the change.
Home Security
by Remag1234 - 10/20/07 2:44 PM In reply to: Home Security System by GeneKimballYour best bet is to so Radio transmitter as your primary notifier, be sure the radio has a battery backup. I was an installer 20+ years ago and never had any problems with the radios. I imagine they now use cellphones, but my preference would be the radio over the dial up.
I like your answer the best.
by MsIrisMG - 10/20/07 7:00 PM In reply to: My VOIP Pros and Cons by deltoncbakerI don't know how to vote, but I like your answer the best. Very informative. You gave pitfalls, but offered viable solutions to them. Left it up to the user to determine how much hassle he/she can live with. Plus, 6 years of experience with it is nothing to sneeze at! Very good post!
VoIP answers
by gcerny - 12/27/07 7:48 PM In reply to: My VOIP Pros and Cons by deltoncbakerJust like to answer a few questions about VoIP or "Digital Phone".
VoIP will work with most faxes and security systems as long as it is installed correctly. Very important is to have the correct polarity and to be sure to have line siezure with the security systems. This is an absolute must when installing and is required by our technicians. Older analog security systems may need to be upgraded so they work on tone rather than pulse dialing, or a pulse to tone converter can be installed.Faxes can be set up to work correctly by reading the owners manual. Power outages may be an issue, unless your cable provider utilizes stand by power supplies, your MTA (modem) has a back up battery, and you have a corded phone and not a cordless phone. I have survived many power outages and my Digital Phone continued to operate flawlessly, as it has for several years. I do run a separate wireless modem, as my cable company does not offer MTA's with a wireless option. I probably wouldn't switch anyway, because I've had my MTA since installed about 3+ years ago and the wireless for over a year, and have had no problems with either unit. I also have a security system, which was installed by my provider, with a back up. Just in case some clown decides to cut all the wires going to my house. Digital Phone will work with most devices you would have hooked up to your old analog phone lines. It's even being installed in commercial applications. A couple of issues that we do see are IW (internal wiring) issues, such as shorts and corroded lines. These may or may not be an issue with analog phone, but could cause intermittent or no dial tone issues. These can be resolved by a call to your cable provider and a tech with the proper test equipment would be dispatched to find the source of the problem. One more thing. TiVo units require a phone or network connection for programming updates and software updates. You must use the network connection. I've contacted TiVo tech support and they stated that the modems in the TiVo units will not support Digital Phone.
Comcast VOIP
by kws1111 - 10/12/07 8:07 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Have had Comcast Triple Play for about 2 months now. It is different than the other VOIP suppliers in that it goes between its major locations on a private network and so many calls don't use the Internet at all. The one year price is great - the free long distance is great, the voice quality is better than Qwest. It will be a tough decision when the year is up and I have to pay full price. Check back then.
But in the meantime you should do it for a year while the price is so low.
VoIP makes landline service obsolete; Vonage rocks
by Keith in Albany - 10/12/07 8:10 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Vonage is my second VoIP provider and I couldn't be more satisfied. SunRocket was my first, and I was pretty well satisfied with them until they suddenly went out of business. Which is a pretty good argument for not getting into long-term pay-in-advance plans with any of these companies.
I have not had a landline phone in my home for over two years and do not anticipate ever having landline service again. In addition to great service and very low price, the VoIP companies I've dealt with have genuinely good attitudes.
The price is incredibly reasonable at about $25 a month, including unlimited long-distance, free or low-cost international calls, voice mail, call waiting, caller id, do not disturb. Set-up was a snap. Vonage provides the extra equipment you need and clear, easy-to-follow instructions. It takes about 10 minutes to install. Reliability has been 100% so far. Call quality is excellent, comparable to good landline service. Be aware, though, that call quality is dependent on your cable company's performance. Your calls are going through their pipe. I'm fortunate enough to have Time-Warner and they provide all the bandwidth I need for internet access, tv, and for phone service even though I use Vonage rather than Time-Warner's digital phone service. The main reason I chose Vonage over Time-Warner is that Vonage charges $15-a-month less for essentially the same service.
Differences from landline service: A power failure or the cable going out will interrupt your phone service. Where I live, that is not a significant issue. Both electric and cable service are extremely reliable here. However, I do heed the advice of VoIP providers that their service not be my only means of summoning emergency help, e.g., fire, police, medics. My cell phone is my back-up and I make sure it is always well charged, just in case.
And speaking of emergencies, 911 service is a bit different, especially if your community has enhanced 911, where the operator gets a screen pop with your name and address when you call in. The landline phone company can easily provide that because they know where you are. You are at the end of a particular copper wire that they installed and that they maintain. Your number and caller id are linked to that wire. With VoIP, they only know what you tell them as to location, but they have no way of knowing where you are beyond what you tell them. So it is important to give your VoIP carrier an accurate physical address and to update that immediately if you move. You can do that on line. If you fail to update that information, the fire department is likely to head to your former address when your new house is on fire. 911 is not really an issue as long as you accept your responsibility on it.
Vonage also provides several levels of call forwarding, including forwarding automatically to another number (I use my cell for this) in the event VoIP is not working for any reason, e.g. power failure, cable outage, or -- well whatever.
You can port your existing landline number to your VoIP carrier. They may give you a temporary number so you can make outgoing calls and get started until the porting process is complete. You can have multiple numbers in multiple area codes or even an 800 number so people can call you toll free, but these do cost a bit extra.
Account set up and management is done on line and is pretty simple and direct. For payment, you'll have an automatic credit card charge. It works smoothly and I've had no problem.
Vonage / VOIP is GREAT
by jakejr7 - 10/12/07 8:18 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Maria,
I used to have land lines and got real tired of buying in on the $29.95 per month special and then at the end of the month - due to tax this and tax that, a fee for everything else, the bill ended up being over $68/month. So I tried Vonage and their $29.95/month deal and there are no off the wall taxes to pay for. I pay $.99/month for the 911 service and $.99/month for one other service - listing I think - and my bill runs around $32 to $33 / month and that's it. The voice quality is fantastic, all the calls are free (local and long distant)and I haven't had a moments trouble out of Vonage since it was installed - which was a "no Brainer" installation. You can keep you're present phone number in most cases and you get all the same services like voice mail, call forwarding, etc., etc. for free.
The only reason I can think of as to why more people don't have it is because it sounds too good. Well,,,, in this case, it is just as good as it sounds. And if you think Vonage is good, there is a technology along the same lines, soon to be launched, that will even put Vonage to shame. I'll keep the community posted.
Cheers,,, Jake Howard, Newnan, GA.
Telephone Via voip
by ozzieman - 10/12/07 8:18 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had Vonage for about 3 years with no problems at all and with crystal clear phone service. I switched to Charter when they offered their "bundle" with internet, digital TV and phone - again with no problems and very good service. I had Charter service for a year. I went back to Vonage because of price. I do not use a phone all that much so I can get Vonage with 500 minutes a month for $14.99 per month. Charter does not offer such a plan. I have been very happy with VOIP service. Why don't your friends & family have it? Maybe they need to know more about it. Another advantage with Vonage - you get a free month with every friend you get to sign on. Charter & Comcast do not offer this either.
voip and vonage
by ghquick - 10/12/07 8:25 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have Vonage and find the service to be cheap, but only adequate. About 5% of my calls get dropped in the middle of the conversation. I could never get their voice mail service to work, but could check my messages via email. I suspect that Comcast is part of the problem,since the probably do not honor the quality of service requests from my Vonage router.
I will probably be switching to comcast 'Digital Voice' which I beleive is their voip package, but about twice the price of Vonage. A friend of my has it and has been happpy with it.
I currently have Comcast 'digital home' which they are dropping. From what I can tell comcast will require me to rent a new cable modem from them, and get rid of the cable modem I own.
We recently called and found out that we can add additonal line with no extra features to Comcast Digital for $10, or with all the features for $20.
VOIP Phone Service
by frenchtulip - 10/12/07 8:36 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have had VOIP phone for over a year now. My current ISP is Comcast. It is unreliable. Time Warner which I had before was the same way. The phone does not work a lot of the time. I am not the only one experiencing this problem. My friends complain that their phone, on Comcast, is out of service a lot. The reason I went to VOIP was because of the price. I am now considering going back to AT&T because what is the benefit of the low cost when one does not even have a phone? If one calls Comcast, on the cell phone, to notify them that there is no service, they refund your money for the time period of no service. But the bottom line is still no phone. Once it lasted for 3 days.
VOIP hype
by yelnatsleinad - 10/12/07 8:37 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well Maria,I've used VIP in the past. I believe it was great except when my IP was down. If you have a cell phone you'll have to use it. Setup is a snap, but if you want Comcast will hook it up for you. You can use the same telephone jacks that you used before. So there is not a lot involved in the hookup. You just need a modem from Comcast(It's easy to hookup),and your ready to go.
VOIP Opinion.
by AUSSIEANNIE - 10/12/07 8:39 PM In reply to: The advantage and disadvantages of using VoIP by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have had VOIP for several months now and the change in the cost of my 'phone bill is remarkable, (good!)
I am with PennyTel who is the cheapest I could find, $5 month untimed with my own number. The first 50 calls are free, so I really only pay $5.
Apart from that, I only had to buy a set of USB headphones, (optoinal) you could buy a VOIP phone.
There are other advantages as well like PennyTel to PennyTel freecalls , go to the website and have a look!
And yes, it's as good as they say.
I have Wireless Broadband, and I'm very happy with VOIP, I don't know why you're friends don't have it, like you, they probably think it's too good to be true!
It does take a very tiny bit of your usage. No disadvantage.
There are heaps of other VOIP providers out there, have fun:-)
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