cable2005
join:2005-05-04
West Haven, CT | reply to vonsen
Re: So you wanna try Voip?
try »www.goodvoip.info for "other" sources for Voip phones. |
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sharpie
join:2006-01-20
Tullahoma, TN | reply to vonsen
found about 6 pages of providers here www.voiphelpforum.com/providers |
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Cyrus255
join:2006-01-20
Plano, TX
| reply to cblakeman
Re: So you wanna try Voip? Not Vonage !
I really feel for ya blakeman 
Vonage hasn't exactly had the best customer service record.
Realize their size has exploded tremendously and they can't even handle their own beast.
They overspend and overmarket their product. They hire a bunch of low quality indian telecommuters to do their work and wonder why they get low ratings. 
--
VoIP Reviews and Comparisons |
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Foxbat121
join:2001-04-25
Herndon, VA
| reply to cblakeman
(1) why not just buy the router or phone adapter at local retail store? It's a better deal. The phone adapter sells for $59 and you get $100 rebate from Vonage plus $25 Gift Card from BestBuy. The router sells for $89 with the same amount of rebate and gift card. You ended up making a few $ using Vonage's equipment and if the device is faulty, you can return to your local store and get a new one.
(2) Why not try it out first before porting your number? What's the hurry?
I just signed up and will try it for a month before I port my landline over. |
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joebunda
@verizon.ne | reply to cblakeman
OMG...
The above type of comment/horror story is exactly what is keeping me from going from landline to voip... |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| reply to cblakeman
I can't comment on the early porting stuff ... but if you haven't done it yet, set up your Vonage voice mail or, if you have a cell phone, maybe set up call forwarding so that any calls go to the cell so you have a chance to answer them prior to adaptor arriving... |
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cblakeman
join:2006-01-07
Littleton, CO
2 edits | reply to vonsen
1) Vonage ported my number last Tuesday, Jan. 2, five days before they even sent me the router to use the service. This was confirmed by McKinsey in the Transfer Dept., Phone ID [removed]. She called the number and received a Vonage voicemail box. I also have been receiving vonage emails telling me their is voicemail in a voicemail box somewhere.
2) I did not receive the router until Saturday, January 7, five days after they turned my service off with Qwest and ported the number. Why would they port the number before they give me a way to access my Vonage service?
3) The router arrived inoperable - would not turn on. Tried it in a number of working outlets where other appliances worked fine. How hard is it to test hardware before you send it out?
4) Was told by Vonage's India call center that I would get another router next week. No apology, no empathy for the situation, no acknowledgement of the trouble it has caused us to be without phone service for five days, simple - "You'll get a replacement router next week." How can this be considered even reasonable customer service?
5) They then told me it would be Wednesday of next week before I got the replacement router. I had to talk to three different people before I got someone to agree to ship it for arrival on Monday (I have no confidence this will actually happen - I get the feeling I was just being appeased). Why wouldn't someone offer over-nite service to begin with when you've already caused me so much trouble as a brand new customer?
6) I received an email telling me to return the broken router on my own shipping dollar. You've got to be kidding! I shouldn't even have to leave my house to do this (Vonage should have UPS or DHL pick it up here), let alone have to pay to return the defective device!!
7) We haven't been able to receive an incoming call since 1/2/06. Qwest and Vonage have both confirmed Vonage ported the number too early (Qwest still has us as a customer through Monday of next week). Your system even today does not show the number as ported, but I have had three different Vonage employees (and two Qwest employees) call the number and they all agree it is going directly to a Vonage voicemail box. My wife has her business in the home - how much busines has she lost in the last week? What other critical calls have not come to us during that time?
8) According to McKinsey, Phone ID [removed] in their Transfer Dept. in New Jersey, the Vonage system still shows [number removed] as not having been ported (even though it goes directly to a Vonage mailbox - how is that possible??). Since the system still shows this as not having been ported, I requested that McKinsey submit a "stop-order" to void the transfer so I could restore my existing service while we sort this out. She put me on hold over an hour ago to do the "stop-order" and provide a stop-order confirmation #, and I am still on hold 3 hours and 8 minutes into the call (I have a call-time on the phone). Why would she put me on hold for over an hour and not come back on the line? Is she trying to get me to hang up so she doesn't have to complete the stop-order? What kind of customer service is this?
9) Is this how you treat new customers?
Caveat emptor - I wouldn't be an emptor with this company if I were you.
Mod Note: laffalot  numbers removed for privacy reasons |
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merc669
Premium
join:2000-08-19
Lexington Park, MD
1 edit | reply to RockyBB
Re: So you wanna try Voip?
Lucky for me, with the exception of two phones, the rest in my house are either the 2.5 or 5GHz phenes which can be expanded. Sounds like the simpliest solution until like you said I feel completly comfortable with VOIP. One other question. Does not the telepone signal go thru the DSLAM and if so would not cutting the input to the DSLAM but allowing the DSL to funtion do the same thing. I assume that once the DSL hits the DSLAM it travels a differnt route than voice? Thanks for the help!!
Bill... |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| reply to merc669
you're getting really warm! even if Verizon turns off the phone line to your home, there is still a closed circuit to their central office. your VOIP adaptor needs to be isolated from that closed circuit, which is why you disconnect the home wiring from the Verizon wiring at the interface box. If you are using the standalone DSL, it wouldn't matter what "line" Verizon brings that in on, so long as the jack that the computer uses is isolated from the other voice jacks. The Verizon installer guy, or any electrician, could make that happen. until the time that you're comfortable going VOIP-only, you might consider cordless phones (Uniden, V-tech, Panasonic and others have multi-station jobs) for general use throughout the house. DON'T FORGET--> your DirecTV/TIVO connection might not work with VOIP. |
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merc669
Premium
join:2000-08-19
Lexington Park, MD
| reply to RockyBB
Appreciate the info. I guess I misread your other post about "If that is the case with you, you might check to see if your DSL provider will install "standalone" DSL, which does not share the voice line.". I assume that if I drop all Voice Type Phone with the exception of the DSL then I could back the VOIP Box right into the existing phone jack since I would not have the phone part from Verizon anymore. But it sounds more like I need a second line into the house that is strickly DSL and then disconnect (Physically) the other line. Would not the DSLAM at the CO only provide the DSL Signal and not the Voice Signal? I was for a matter of convience planning on keeping the bare minimum local service to allow for emergiencies until I felt comfortable about porting my current phone number to a VOIP Service and cutting off the voice phone altogether. Thanks!!
Bill Sends.... |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| reply to merc669
you've added a complicator with the DirecTV/TIVO box. VOIP service is VOICE over IP, not DATA over IP. Many VOIP providers have difficulty handling data streams, especially when the core application has no error correction protocols.
Additionally, if you stick with Verizon DSL with their standalone service, and you want your house jacks to work on the VOIP box, you'll need the Verizon installer guy to do a little wiring work to isolate the jack where the computer is plugged in from the other house jacks.
From your brief messages, I would suggest that you keep your Verizon phone and DSL, and consider VOIP only as an additional line of service into your home. |
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merc669
Premium
join:2000-08-19
Lexington Park, MD
| reply to RockyBB
Thanks for the info!! Currently I have Verizon and they do offer Naked DSL only. So from what I am understanding is if I drop all phone services with exception of the DSL line then I could "In Theory" run a phone line from the the VOIP Device directly to a phone jack and then you plug a phone or DirectTV/TIVO Box in anywhere in the house since the VOIP device would be providing the telephone connection. Is my thinking correct or is this a little too simple? Thanks!!
Bill Sends..... |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| reply to merc669
not a silly question. If one has DSL from the phone company, and the DSL shares the voice line, then you are correct that disconnecting the voice line from the external phone wiring would disco the DSL. If that is the case with you, you might check to see if your DSL provider will install "standalone" DSL, which does not share the voice line. Or you could change your broadband provider from DSL to either cable or to a wireless ISP. If that's too complicated, or not available in your area, then you would consider VOIP to be an additional line of service, used for either the kids, or most of your long distance calls. Some folks will strip down the Bell phone line to no features to save money, and then use the VOIP line as their primary line in and out of the house. |
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merc669
Premium
join:2000-08-19
Lexington Park, MD
| reply to RockyBB
Maybe this is a silly question (And I have asked a few of these!). But if you disconnect your external phone wiring, don't you lose your DSL? Or are you running a second phone line. And then, would not the cost of the second line outway the reason for VOIP?
Bill..... |
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Judy342
@cable.rogers | reply to vonsen
Privacy? is there any privacy with VOIP as it was with Telco, by law... |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO | reply to ThaDark1
wrap them individually so that nothing is connected to anything else. |
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starr7
@comcast.net
| reply to vonsen
All I have to say is bravo.. I'm a new user of VOIP--Vonage and you have put my mind at ease to deal with Vonage for a little longer. Hopefully, they will get rid of some of the kinks soon. I'm glad I read your comments about this service because for me it really shed some light on the matter. Thank you.
Do you think not having an antivirus software on my computer for a short period of time would cause lost/bad connection problems with VOIP service? Because everything was fine for a while then around the time of installing my Mcafee antivirus software and encountering problems that's when I started having phone problems. |
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ThaDark1
Don't Blame Me. I Voted For Pedro
Premium
join:2003-09-08
Newton, IA | reply to vonsen
Rocky,
Do I wrap each wire individually or twist them all together and then wrap with electrical tape? Just curious since some screw terminals have two wires and some have one. Thanks again. |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO | reply to ThaDark1
disconnect all the wires from the screw terminals and wrap in electrical tape. ensure no dial tone in any of the jacks in the house. then plug it in! |
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