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Review by kenja00 
UPDATED: 8 days ago
member for 284 days, 95 visits, last login: 3 days ago
 Brooks,AB
 Contract price not specified.
 "Easy to navigate website, good quality, good prices, two tier voice quality"
 "Sign up process from some countries can be delayed, slow tech support"
 "Recommended - Looks like they're getting out of their growing pains!"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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Edited initial post - Sign up process did not go smoothly and was later notified it was because of my IP location in Ukraine which has a high incidence of fraud. After being explained the situation, it was not a problem. Be aware that the sign up process can take 24-48 hours from countries that are regularly fraudulent. After customer support contacted me, they were very helpful and accomodating.
The website is very easy to navigate and I think the fact that you can have subaccounts could prove very beneficial and the reports that can be pulled are very comprehensive. It appears they are able to appeal to the business community as well as the the home user.
They have two levels of quality -- Premium and a value. The premium quality of service is crystal clear -- the value has a great savings attached to it if you are willing to sacrifice your quality -- it still wasn't all that bad (similar to a Skype conversation)
They take Paypal (verified) and Mastercard/Visa -- however it would be nice if they had an automatic payment system once your account got below a certain threshold.
They have excellent configuration examples on their system to show you exactly how to set up your system -- and even shows how to make it work with other companies such as Voxalot.com!
Voicemail can be made as complex as you like, with multiple mailboxes which is a bonus.
In summary - The sign up process from some countries can be delayed, this is to protect them from fraud -- which keeps our prices low. If you are in a fraudulent country, be prepared to wait a day or two for a response from support. It's one of those things that's definitely worth waiting for -- the quality is great and the prices can't be beaten. This is one of those "up and coming" in the voip market!
UPDATE: Tech support definitely needs an overhaul, so I've lowered my rating in that area. I've sent an email regarding an issue 3 or 4 days ago, and have not heard anything back. The quality is still top notch, prices can't be beat -- but this area is lacking. For me, it's not a major issue and I'm sticking with them -- but if you are a person who regularly uses tech support and relies heavily on them, then you may want to consider callcentric who seem to really have their customer support system in place.
UPDATE: (Feb 6/09) - One week and no response from technical support. Service is still great and cheap, but waiting for reply from support is far too long!
UPDATE: (Feb 23/09) -- Over three weeks without a response from customer support to both tickets. Apparently they had a problem with their customer support client software or something and are getting back to all their customers. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting -- good thing they weren't serious issues -- perhaps they are dealing with the serious issues first in their backlog.
UPDATE: (April 20/09) -- I've started having problems where I call out and I get an automated message, "You account has been suspended". The first time it happened, support emailed back and said it's NOT suspended. After a day or so, they found the problem to be "in the routing". I mentioned that I still have unanswered tickets, but no response as to that. Now again, I'm having the same message "Account suspended" -- I emailed them -- no response, but began working again... As soon as my credits are done, I think I'll be moving on. When I do connect, the call quality is great -- I would NEVER RECOMMEND THESE AS YOUR PRIMARY PROVIDER!
UPDATE: (June 15/09) -- Still problems with "Account suspended" every so often. Got an email from support immediately this time informing me they are looking into it. Seems they are responding now, I just hope they can fix it. I'm really starting to enjoy some of their features.
UPDATE: (July 9/09) -- Still problems with "Account Suspended" on outgoing calls. Notified them again, and they said they are still looking into it. Apparently has to do with caller id... Going 3 months on this problem!
UPDATE: (July 10/09) -- Quick response from tech support. They don't know what's wrong other than it's something with caller id and the carrier I'm contacting. It's something they won't be investigating further.
UPDATE: (Oct 02/09) -- It looks as though my outgoing calls may be solved! Calls are going through now with their new carrier! YAY! Even got an email from them advising of the new changes. Also on their site they've really upgraded their support structure and they're back on my "impressed" list.
Followup comments:  MartinM
join:2008-07-21
Montreal, QC
| Explanation Customer signed up from Ukraine and provided a Canadian address. This kind of application requires a 24-48 hours review process before we activate the account due to a high level of fraud attempts coming from sign ups from this country.
Account was activated the next day of the sign up. I'm really sorry that the aforementioned circumstances did lead to a delay in your approval process but I do not believe this is a fair review of our service. | |
| | Uberhare
join:2009-02-15 | tech support Try contacting them again. I was able to get help even on a Sunday via email. | |
| Arne Bolen
join:2009-06-21
Denmark
 ·voip.ms
| Terms and conditions of service The following from Terms and conditions of service is important:
"3. VoIP.ms is not intended for end users, and the customer shall understand that the level of support, and the service offered is intended to customers with a higher technical level."
Any end user without "a higher technical level" should be aware of this.
I think it is not fair to expect the same level of support as Callcentric and other providers intended for end users. VoIP.ms clearly is intended for customers with very good technical skills. | |
| | MartinM
join:2008-07-21
Montreal, QC
1 edit | Re: Terms and conditions of service I would like to clarify that it's not a common but isolated case. Basically, customer uses a CallerID number that is not one of our numbers. We have no problems with that, but some of the numbers owned by a carrier that the customer called block this specific CallerID number. Because the number is not with us, we are not able to go further in our investigation. Solution is to use a different callerid number, or contact his provider that owns the CallerID number set with us.
The fact that the problem was his callerid number has been reported to the customers the first time he has contacted us about this issue. | |
| | | kenja00
join:2009-01-28
·voip.ms
·callwithus
·Callcentric
3 edits | Re: Terms and conditions of service said by MartinM :The fact that the problem was his callerid number has been reported to the customers the first time he has contacted us about this issue. Please be honest, I'm just trying to get to the bottom of it, not make you look bad...
-----------------------------
REFERENCE NUMBER: LTK151029939147X
Dear Ken,
I've been able to reproduce the issue when calling from UK Server with CallerID starting with 403 291.
We've changed the route for Canada on this server and this should resolve your issue. Let us know if this happen again. We apologize for the inconvenience.
----------------------------
In all other responses, there was mention of caller ID problem, but each response there was a "We'll look into it" or "We're still on it" Like I said earlier, I like VOIP.MS service when it works - but FOR ME it doesn't work with my caller id... My caller id works perfect with Callcentric, LES.NET and Internetcalls to the same carrier... I'm still thinking it's something on your end... | |
| kenja00
join:2009-01-28
·voip.ms
·callwithus
·Callcentric
1 edit | Further update For those who may be having a similar problem... I contacted DIDWW support and this was their response
-----------------------
DIDWW have nothing to do with VOIPMS provider, Also DIDWW offer only DID numbers for incoming calls.
The issue you are just describe here related only to your Voip provider.
If call failed from any provider the first thing you should do is check with your provider what is the reason for this fail.
We are sorry but your issue is out of our hands and should be investigated by your Voip provider more deeply.
------------------------ | |
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Review by Arne Bolen
Posted: 15 days ago
member for 140 days, 212 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Denmark
$50 per month
"Excellent sound quality, chat support, customer portal, sub accounts, ring groups"
"If you are in Europe this is the best VoIP provider you can get"
| Web-site:
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As I live in the European Union my experience with VoIP providers may be different from those living in USA and Canada. Most of my calls are to/from European phones and that makes it more difficult for a North American based VoIP provider to compete.
I found VoIP.ms when I started to read the Voip Tech Chat. For some years I have been using another good US provider as my primary provider but as the sound quality on outbound calls to European destinations has been poor I was looking for another provider for European destinations.
It was the Premium routing which made me to sign up with VoIP.ms. The sound quality on outbound calls to European PSTN destinations is excellent, so good it is actually better than using a POTS phone. Compared to the best VoIP provider in Denmark the sound quality on outbound calls to European destinations with VoIP.ms is a lot better.
For me the sound quality is the most important thing when making the decision which provider to use. Sadly too many providers are only competing on lowest price possible instead of the sound quality. I do not want lower sound quality just to save a half of a cent per minute. That is the reason I only use Premium routing with VoIP.ms. As I only use Premium routing I can't say anything how the Value routing is.
Inbound sound quality is very good but outbound sound quality is a lot better. Due to the good sound quality, server in Europe and the many features I now use VoIP.ms as my primary provider.
The live chat support is a feature I think all VoIP providers should use. The UK server has had problems a few times and I used the live chat support to report the problem. It was a pleasure to use the live chat support and the staff on duty fixed the problem within a few minutes.
I have used the ticket support system only once for a minor request and it took 76 minutes for my request to be handled. I think that was fast considering my request was very minor.
My experience with support has been very good. However I have never asked the support how to configure a device so I have no experience how VoIP.ms handle such support cases.
VoIP.ms has many valuable features, sub accounts and ring groups are features I can't be without now.
I have been using VoIP.ms for only 4 months but that is enough to recommend VoIP.ms for European voip users. IMO VoIP.ms is the best voip provider in Europe and I believe they will have success in Europe.
I know 4 months is a short time for a review but so far I have only good things to say about VoIP.ms. However I have a feeling that my experience with VoIP.ms will be good also in the future.
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Review by PX Eliezer
UPDATED: 15 days ago
member for 1.2 years, 673 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
New Jersey
Contract price not specified.
 about 1 days
"Good prices, great selection of DID numbers, many features."
"Went through some growing pains."
"Good value but outbound service can be inconsistent."
| Web-site:
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This provider is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, but it has multiple servers.
They have a variety of inbound (DID) services, and outbound (termination) services, at good rates. The selection of DID numbers is quite good, and this is especially true for those looking for toll-free numbers.
I previously had no problems with inbound or outbound service. However, in late 2008 and early 2009, there were some problems with dropped outbound calls. Other customers also reported this. As of April/May 2009 things seemed to be much smoother, but as of October 2009 I am again seeing some outbound calls not going through despite having no problems with my other VoIP providers.
Likewise, some customers had reported slow responses from support. However, Voip.MS appears to be beefing up this area too. They have live chat and recently introduced a ticket system too.
Recently Voip.MS has been offering many new calling features such as IVR and simulring. Combined with its value pricing, it will be an attractive choice for many customers.
ADDENDUM:
Although VoIP.MS has many nice features, some that they lack (that are available elsewhere) include:
Free inbound CNAM with customizable entries.
Speed-dialing including free SIP URI speed dial calling.
*67 and *69 features at their end, not just on customer ATA level.
Better SipBroker access for free calling.
Free iNum calling and iNum numbers.
Calling Cards.
Followup comments: 
kendid
@ukrpack.net
| Agree... Yeah, I agree -- something up with their support system. I was having troubles with one way audio as well -- found it was due to NAT on my firewall. It's not a problem with callcentric as they handle their calls differently. I never did get my firewall completely setup, but in combination with Voxalot.com, I'm now having no problems with NAT as Voxalot handles firewalls similar to Callcentric. Now there's only a couple minor problems I'm trying to fixup on their system -- waiting for tech support though! | |
| Bogtrotter
join:2009-06-14
East York, ON
·Magictalkbox
·FreePhoneLine
·voip.ms
·Versafon
·Callcentric
| Voip.MS is a mature, solid performer You say
One of the newer VoIP companies, making some good progress....
Voip.MS has made a good start, and I am sure they will continue to improve
I think they have been around since 2007 as voip.ms, and considerably longer in the voip business.
Some people might ge the impression from your review that they are a brand-new outfit, still working to get the basics right.
Having used them for over a year, my impression of them is that they have done a lot more than 'making some good progress' or 'made a good start', and that they are, in fact, a mature, solidly performing service.
They are forward-looking, with improvements under testing or development, and, it is my impression, they make changes only when the changes have been well-tested.
They claim to be the most feature-rich voip provider, and based on comparisons with other voip providers I have used or whose features I read about on their websites, I would say they are right. | |
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Review by fallingover
UPDATED: 21 days ago
member for 315 days, 27 visits, last login: 16 days ago
Los Angeles,Los Angeles,CA
Contract price not specified.
"Lots of bells and whistles; low calling rates"
"An outstanding provider. Best I have seen"
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++++
Update October 18 2009
Voip.ms continues to provide reliable, great-sounding service.
I switched from the Premium rate to the Value rate because the Value rate sounds so good, and I get consistently good reports of how it sounds on the other end. The cost of DIDs is as low as I have found, and the per-minute rates are as cheap as anybody, at least within a fraction of a cent.
I am still bowled over that a voip company offering so many features can do it so cheaply and so well. When the additions that are under testing, let alone under consideration, are put into place, Voip.ms will be in a class by itself, if it isn't already.
I tend to agree with what has been mentioned before about Voip.ms, that they charge what they have to charge to make a profit, and are not running the company as a loss-leader. For example, their Premium rate to Alaska is 18 cents. They could probably charge a small amount, as some others do, and take it as a loss leader to get a few more customers, but they do not. And they charge one-tenth of a cent per minute for calls coming in to a sip url, while most other voip providers charge nothing and take it as a loss leader.
I actually like these charges as evidence that Voip.ms is in it for the long run. They will not disappear because they find themselves in debt - they make a profit by being efficient.
++++
Update August 25 2009
Something I forgot to mention earlier is that Voip.ms peers with sipbroker via the *8570 code. I have no problem connecting using it.
This service just keeps getting better and better. If you are wondering which voip provider to go with, look no further.
++++
Update August 18 2009
Voip.ms just keeps rolling along - no problems, excellent sound, unrivalled call routing, cheaper than vosps that don't have half their features.
At this point, I am letting my accounts with other vosps go to zero dollars, and do not expect to have to use them.
++++
Update July 12 2009
voip.ms has added wildcards to the caller id filter list. A very useful addition since some caller ids are prefixed with the country code and some are not. I don't know of a way to predict which it will be.
Now I can specify *2223334444 which covers both 2223334444 and 12223334444.
voip.ms is, so far, reliable, with very good sound, and with unmatched call routing capabilities. I give a lot of weight to the last, and if you don't care who can get through to you, your choices increase a fair amount. If you do care, they may be the best choice.
One other thing: with this said, they are one of the cheaper outfits around: Some US DIDs are $1.00 per month, and 1 cent per minute.
++++
Update June 17 2009
The flexibility of their call routing is outstanding. For example, I can assign an extension to people that need to contact me for business reasons, and route it so that the phone will ring only during business hours and on weekdays, with the call going to voicemail at other times.
If I want to put in speed dial numbers, I assign an extension to my did that only I know, and if I dial the DID and enter the extension, I am sent to a second ivr that routes the call to various phone numbers or sip urls, depending on the speed dial value I input.
For example *01 calls Joe's pstn number, *02 calls a sip url, etc.
++++
Update June 07 2009
Reports of audio on calls I make have been excellent. Incoming calls sound good to excellent. They are sometimes equal to a good landline call, sometimes a bit variable; but are as good as, or better, than the half dozen other voip providers I have tried. These are Premium routes.
I made several suggestions or reports of small problems to support, via email, and was answered within hours on every occasion; once even on Sunday.
Routing of calls through their amazingly flexible call-handling routines is working without a problem: relatives and friends who are whitelisted ring through in a transparent way. DTMF tones almost always work without a hitch; Voicemail as a failover or alternate routing always works.
I understand that they are testing the use of wildcards in the caller id filtering and that they plan to put in a calling card service. This is evidence that they are not resting on their laurels and is a another sign that this excellent service will continue.
++++
It is easy to set up a basic service. If you want bells and whistles, they are there in abundance for the price of a little effort, and provide outstanding flexibility.
It is this as much as anything that makes voip.ms jump in front of the pack.
For example, I can specify filtering by callerid, letting family and friends ring through. Other callers can be sent to an ivr which gives them the opportunity to enter an extension to ring through, or to go to voicemail. This is pretty much a foolproof way to keep out cranks and telemarketers, which, I have noticed, have begun to creep into voip. I don't know of any other voip service that allows for this sort of foolproof whitelisting.
Additionally, time conditions can be added, sending the caller here or there depending on the time of day and/or the day.
The ivr can also be used to allow one DID to go to different destinations, and this can be set up using voice prompts or automatically using the callerid processing.
Support has been quick to respond, and generally good.
Rates are low to very low, depending on whether you choose 'premium' or 'value'.
Sound is at least good (I will need to use this more to get a feel for how good, and how it varies between the premium and value routes).
An excellent value for the money.
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Review by kmjohansen
UPDATED: 30 days ago
member for 41 days, 7 visits, last login: 23 days ago
Menlo Park,San Mateo,CA
$10 per month
"Straight forward website, many features, low cost, easy sign-up procedure"
"poor call quality (g.729), unhelpful customer service, some codecs don't work as well as advertised"
"wouldn't recommend using anything other than g.711"
| Web-site:
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I signed up with voip.ms after reading generally positive reviews on this site. The sign-up process was simple, and I was able to get up and running in a short amount of time.
After using their service for a few days, I encountered intermittent one-way audio problems when using the g.729a codec. I spent a bunch of time trying to troubleshoot the issue, but came up empty handed. After a few days, I filed a ticket with their support staff. Instead of helping me to debug the issue, support's response was that my device probably didn't support g.729a. However, my device is a spa2102 running the latest firmware. When I pressed support to give me a list of devices that they knew to either work or not work with their service, I was told that no such information was available. Apparently, they don't qualify any equipment to work with their service, and are willing to blame the customer's equipment as soon as anything goes wrong. Instead of help, I got a run-around. This was highly dissatisfying.
[edit: 10/9]
Changed to reflect the fact that my problems were with G.729a. G.711u has been problem free.
Followup comments: Arne Bolen
join:2009-06-21
Denmark
·voip.ms
| Use G711u instead of G729a Set Preferred Codec to G711u and Use Pref Codec Only to Yes. Log in to your VoIP.ms account and mark only ulaw under Allowed Codecs. Change your routing settings to Premium.
You will be surprised how good the voice quality is with these settings.
I see no point in using G729a with a high quality provider as VoIP.ms. If you want poor voice quality you could use a Betamax provider. | |
| | kmjohansen
join:2009-09-28
Menlo Park, CA
·voip.ms
| Re: Use G711u instead of G729a said by Arne Bolen :Set Preferred Codec to G711u and Use Pref Codec Only to Yes. Log in to your VoIP.ms account and mark only ulaw under Allowed Codecs. Change your routing settings to Premium. This is how I have been running my configuration. My frustration is that the G729a service that is offered is essentially unusable, and apparently unsupported. | |
| | | kmjohansen
join:2009-09-28
Menlo Park, CA
·voip.ms
| Re: troubleshooting said by crazyk4952 :I can understand being upset about their response to your problem. However, it does not seem like you have eliminated the possibility that your equipment/network setup was the cause of the one way audio issue. Based on previous reviews of voip.ms, this does not seem to be a common issue, so I would be hesitant to blame voip.ms for this. I actually spent a couple of days trying to troubleshoot what I thought were NAT issues with the connection. However, after trying a number of different configuration changes, I wasn't having any luck with g.729a. G.711u worked fine, though. What was frustrating was that even after explaining some of the steps I'd taken, support didn't offer any assistance in determining if the problem was with my equipment or theirs. Despite back and forth, the pronouncement was essentially that my equipment must be broken, sad for me. | |
| | | 
crazyk4952
Premium
join:2002-02-04
united state
clubs: | Re: troubleshooting Oh i see. Yes I see how that would be frustrating! | |
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Review by winsnomore
Posted: 33 days ago
member for 2.8 years, 40 visits, last login: 15 days ago
New York,New York,NY
$5 per month
about 1 days
"Price on the line - no 911 charges -- easy to setup"
"Customer Service - Hidden charges - CNAM I/O"
"OK"
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I have about 2 months of experience with Voip.ms.
Promise of cheaper service and small monthly charge was a good recommendation for it.
Voip.ms allows you to see the full 10 digit number rather than NPA/NPX before you buy the DID.
Voice quality is ok.
CNAM -(incoming)- is charged for each call - though you can disable it
Outgoing CNAM -- to fix it you have pay $10 per (not mentioned with DID purchase)
Otherwise your calls will show up with strange CNAME though you are paying for that Number
Not having a CNAM is ok -- but think what would happen when you call into a conf. call with and porn-star's name pop's up with your # ! --- and you don't even know what it's going on.
This not very nice -- but probably is same with all cheap VOIP providers.
Customer service is subpar -- but functional
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Review by bbtech6650
Posted: 35 days ago
member for 5 years, 545 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Pittsburgh,Allegheny,PA
$20 per month
"Easy to configure, zero downtime so far"
"unkept promises"
"Good service as far as reliability goes"
| Web-site:
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I wanted to try voip again using my fios connection, so I researched who the best voip provider would be for me.
I had previously used Speakeasy voip, but you need to have at least Speakeasy DSL to use their voip service.
I tried CallCentric, while their support was awesome, I was having weird call quality issues, so I decided to try another provider.
I had setup Teliax at my mother's house, they were rock solid, tech support was good.
After reading other reviews and posts in the voip forum, I decided to try voip.ms.
I've been using them for a few months now without any annoying call quality issues as I had with Call Centric. Their service has been rock solid for me.
I have 2 local dids with them, one for my Trixbox, and the other for my pap2 attached to my fax machine. I don't know if it is the fios or not, but my fax reliability has been superb. I can fire off a 10 page G3 fax without failure.
I also have 2 toll free #s, one is assigned to the pbx, and the other routes to the pap2.
One of the requirements of a voip provider was that they provide the ability to support outgoing cnam, whether for free, or for a fee.
Their one-time fee for US DIDs is $10
Voip.ms supports outgoing cnam on 99.5% of Canadian DIDs, and many US ratecenters.
The reason I gave voip.ms a lower support rating is that I was promised on numerous occasions that I would receive an answer via email by the end of the day about whether or not outgoing cnam was supported on the ratecenter that I am using.
I don't know if their support is horrible, or they were awaiting a response from their vendor. Either way, it is NEVER a good idea to over promise and under deliver. I always under promise and over deliver. Good customer service is about properly managing the customer's expectations.
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Review by Bogtrotter
UPDATED: 37 days ago
member for 147 days, 58 visits, last login: 3 days ago
East York,ON
$5 per month
"Excellent sound, reliability. Many Features. Cheap, believe it or not."
"Outstanding value at any price"
| Web-site:
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We subscribed to voip.ms a year or so ago and use it probably 3 hours a week, making or receiving one or two long calls of 30 - 60 minutes each, and several shorter ones.
So far, it has done an outstanding job for us. The calls sound excellent, usually as good as a landline.
We have two DIDs, one that is local for distant relatives, and one that is local to me.
I give out the local DID rather than my landline number, which we still have, and use the caller id processing to block calls after 5pm except for friends and family.
The two DIDs cost about $3 per month - for both!
I am hardly using the features available, but can see how it is possible to fine-tune the call handling so that telemarketers/cranks are completely blocked.
A first-rate service at any price. Amazing at the prices they charge.
Update 1 October
I am using the callerid to sort incoming calls, family rings the phone, everybody else goes to an IVR. If they know a ring-through number that I gave them, the phone rings, else they go to voicemail. It puts an end, once and for all, to telemarketers and cranks.
No problems. Just works.
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Review by diver858
UPDATED: 39 days ago
member for 6.9 years, 209 visits, last login: 9 days ago
La Jolla,San Diego,CA
$8 per month
about 2 days
"Features, quality, cost"
"Requires relatively high level of knowledge, experience with VoIP; limited detailed instructions"
"Very good option if you require added features, are patient, and have working knowledge of VoIP"
| Web-site:
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Approximately 2.5 years ago, we decided to pull the plug on ATT for our 3 home / small business POTs lines, moved to naked DSL and ported all 3 numbers to CallVantage. We were very pleased with the quality, support and features (have yet to find an equivalent replacement), and disappointed when ATT decided to discontinue service.
After some extensive research, we ported the primary personal number to PhonePower, signed up for 2 years with the free ATA and second cloned line. This allowed us to drop one of the paid lines. This has gone extremely well, and we intent to continue this service with PP.
Requiring a more feature rich option for the primary incoming business line, we immediately ported the number to Future 9. While the start-up was very smooth, and initial quality, service was excellent, we soon found that several of the desired features are not available, and began to experience a degredation in call quality.
Unable to resolve the issues to our satisfaction, I continued my search, and decided to add voip.ms as a second line to the ATA purchased from F9.
Stephen did a reasonable job explaining the service and features in my pre-purchase inquiries (online chat - email was never answered), and based on the reviews here, decided to give it a try.
While the website and features are very detailed, they are somewhat confusing for a relative novice such as myself, and the instructions are insufficient. My original post-sale trouble ticket was not answered after 24 hours, but online chat Stephen was there, and helped resolve most of my system configuration issues. Contrary to what he told me in our pre-sale chat, the group ring capability is not yet available, but we were able to make it work using IVR.
The Linksys PAP2 ATA configuration information is seriously lacking, and I spent the better part of a day trying options suggested in the VoIP forum (thanks, all!).
As I paid for a full year of unlimited domestic calls with F9, and still have a few dollars worth of international calls in my account, I held off porting my number to voip.ms, are forwarding all incoming calls to the voip.ms DID IVR, using F9 as the primary outgoing line.
While only up for just over one day, we are pleased with the features and call quality, but will carefully monitor the service for a few months before porting the number.
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Review by docbill
UPDATED: 41 days ago
member for 3 years, 35 visits, last login: 30 days ago
Stoney Creek,ON
$10 per month
about 7 days
"Inexpensive, reasonable quality, very configurable"
"Intended for experts, minor routing problems, billing in USD"
"Excellent value"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I decided to try this service for 30 days before migrating my home phone number. During my trial I used my SPA-3102 to route my all outgoing calls to voip.ms while still accepting incoming calls on my PSTN line. I was up in running in this mode in about 15 minutes. I failed to notice Toronto on the list, so I used NY as the termination point for my calls.
During the trial all my calls were crystal clear, and I ran into no issue. So finally I decided to migrate my home phone number. The porting took about 7 days. On the 7th day, received calls early morning normally. About 11:30 AM I received a call from the vet on my cell, and they mentioned my home phone answered with a message about it not being assigned yet. I checked my e-mail and found a message at 11:30 AM saying my DID had been added to my account so I could configure it, but the port was not yet complete. I then spent the next two hours trying to configure my SPA-2100 to accept incoming calls. (I switched to the SPA-2100 because I could have my acanac business line on the same device.) I finally figured out whenever I called from my Acanac number (line 2) to my voip.ms number (line 1) the call was not correctly routed. However, when I called from my cell phone or such the phone rang correctly. I assume the problem must relate to both lines being on the same ATA device and decided to ignore the problem.
After the DID port, both my step-mother and my brother-inlaw reported that calls to my home sounded tinny, and were hard to hear. However, when I configured the DID, I also switched my termination to Toronto. I notice that when I do broadband tests my connections from Hamilton, Ontario to Buffalo, New York are better than my connections to Toronto, Ontario. I also noticed I could not call Union Gas's toll free number. So I switched my termination back to New York. I hoping that has resolved the quality issue. To avoid problems with unreachable toll free numbers I added the following to my dial plan:
1800[2-9]xxxxxxS0|1866[2-9]xxxxxxS0|1877[2-9]xxxxxxS0|1888[2-9]xxxxxxS0
This seems to work with Union Gas and the other toll free numbers I tested.
I estimated my monthly cost based on the DID+E911 plus 500 minutes per month. It is worth noting that if you pay voip.ms with paypal no taxes are added to the order. If you paying with credit card they charge GST. I question the legality of this. If they Voip.ms is a Canadian company, they must always pay GST on sales to Canadian customers. If they are not a Canadian company, they should NEVER charge GST to Canadian customers.
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