Anybody use Vonage?

[ewagner]

How's the quality?

How's the service?

Are you satisfied?

[Roland99]

1. Ayup...and I love it

$27.xx for unlimited usage including unlimited long distance throughout the U.S. and to Canada (have a friend in Toronto.)

Some people complain my voice is a too quiet but it could be my cordless phone (hadn't used it in over a year)

[ewagner]

2. I wonder if my fax

will still work? I can keep my old phone number right?

[Roland99]

10. I think you can keep your #

I had 'em pick a new one considering I hadn't had a landline in over a year.


But, you can also pick an area code from anywhere in the U.S. If you live in Denver, you could have a Miami area code. The neat thing with that is if you have a lot of friends/family in another part of the country, it's a local call for them to call you. Or so I assume.

[jobycom]

13. That's right, it wold be local for them, but long distance for neighbors

Depends on your needs.

[GirlinContempt]

15. You can pick an additional area code

So, you'd have your local one, and then also one from somewhere else

[Roland99]

16. Yeah...the routers have two phone jack ports.

[GirlinContempt]

18. You can also get a virtual number, which is a lot less

$$ (like, $5) and it rings to your normal phone line, but can only be used for incoming calls (so Aunt May can call you at 414 555 4444, but you have to call her from 916 555 4432)

[jobycom]

11. You can keep your number. Don't cancel it, the phone company has to switch

it for you.

I don't know about the fax. I'm sure it's one their web site. I would think so.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. Since I'm not a big phone talker, I got the 500 minutes plan

which gives you 500 minutes of any time calls, including long distance in the U.S. and Canada ($14.95) plus a separate line for my fax ($9.95).

I left Qwest, which was charging me nearly $50 for just a phone line. I was able to keep my same phone number, although I needed to get a new number for my fax, but they gave me one in the same area code.

The quality is fine. The only disadvantage is that you can't have extensions, but I plan to get one of those cordless phones with two handsets, and that will solve the problem nicely.

Vonage gives you all the stuff that a regular phone company gives you, including voice mail, call forwarding (I have calls forwarded to my cell phone), and call waiting (which I don't use, since I think it's rude), included in the price.

The only difference is that you have to sign up for 911 service instead of getting it automatically, but there's no extra charge.

Service may go out in an electrical outage or if your Internet connection is down, but you can set it up to have calls forwarded to a cell phone if that happens.

[Misunderestimator]

3. Well, yes... but the router they give you for "free" sucks

I just bought a new one, and now have no problems. Before, every time I used the telephone, my connection would slow down excrutiatingly so that I could not work and talk on the phone at the same time. Sometimes the person on other side couldn't hear me talking. Now, those problems are gone with the new router.

The router they are sending right now is the Linksys RT31PT. I upgraded to a combination wireless/phone router, the Linksys WRT54GP2. I've heard they have lots of complaints about the model they provide. They were probably refurbished and obtained for little cost by Vonage.

Other than that, I love paying $25 a month for unlimited nationwide calling.

[SoCalDem]

20. Does it work for local calls too, or do you still have to

pay to call people in your town?

[Misunderestimator]

22. Yes, is covers all calls in the country, including local.

[SoCalDem]

25. I just signed up..they have a $9.95 w/ 1 month free deal

Figured I might as well try it :)

[Lars39]

21. Thanks for posting that info!

I had been wondering what you were finally going to have to buy.
We're thinking of making the switch soon. :)
Are there any taxes added on to the $25/month charge?

[Misunderestimator]

23. Yes, with taxes, it's $27.24

[Lars39]

26. Still a good deal. : - )

[Avalux]

4. I use it and love it

Have had it for a couple of years and have had no problems with the service or the modem. My cable provider is Roadrunner. :hi:

[IChing]

5. I use Packet 8

It is cheaper by 1/3 there are other players on the market

Vonage is the most advertised but it's rating is below average

do a search

VoIP phones rock.....

[jobycom]

12. I pay about $24 a month for Vonage

Is Packet8 cheaper, and is it unlimited?

I did a lot of research at the time, and Vonage was the best for me, based on usage, package plans, and price. I remember thinking Package8 had a problem, but I don't remember what.

[IChing]

14. I pay 19 a month and no problems

Unlimited on the plan I got
plus the phone router was free

[jobycom]

6. Yeah, I like it

Never had to call service. The quality is good. The only problem is when cable cuts out you have no phone to tell them.

One other thing--might not have anything to do with Vonage--my phones get really staticy sometimes. It could be my handsets, or vonage.

It is a little harder to hook phones up in a house, though. You have to get a central base, and use wireless phones that can work through that one base. Which means you have to buy a 5.4 Meg digital phone system, or you are limited to a couple of handsets.

But long distance is free, you can choose your own area code--which would mean people calling you locally would have to pay long distance, but it can also mean someone calling you from that area code wouldn't--you have all the normal services (though read up on 911), and you can use their voicemail and check it from the internet.

[gollygee]

7. I love it

quality isn't as good as regular phone service but it is certainly good enough to have a conversation. It isn't a great difference in quality.

The customer service is tons better.

I'm very satisfied.

[underpants]

8. Kick

:hi:

[ewagner]

17. Thank you sir! n/t

[radwriter0555]

9. LOVE IT. We're using it for international as well. It ROCKS...

just the best...

[tjdee]

19. Love it, and no bullshit FCC charges (um, I think, LOL).

One thing that used to make me so angry was having a phone plan that cost 39.99 or 49.99, and then paying friggin 70 bucks because of this charge, that charge, etc.

Screw that--switched to Vonage, never looked back. Don't get telemarketers either, which is a nice side effect.

[lavenderdiva]

27. We use Time Warner Digital Phone...

$39.99/month, as we also have Time Warner digital TV, and Time Warner Roadrunner broadband internet access. I think its around $45/month, if you only have the phone. We absolutely love it, and have had no problems at all. No difference at all in phone call quality. Also, no taxes, no $120/month Ma Bell phone bills, with unnumerable taxes tacked on that you have no idea what on earth they are for... Just one low price, for unlimited calling, unlimited long distance, including fax, caller id, call waiting, etc.

The main difference between Vonage and Time Warner, is that Vonage does NOT provide emergency 911 service. Time Warner does. This could be very important if you had an emergency. Something to think about...

[Missy Vixen]

28. We're thrilled

Our phone bill has gone from $100-300 per month (yes, I'm serious,) to less than $30.00. After a few minor glitches at the beginning, our Vonage service has been excellent. Call quality is just dandy.

I'm more than satisfied, and (hopefully,) will never have to go back to the vampires at Verizon.

Julie

p.s. Funny little story about Verizon. They're offering the same deal, except it's $85.00 per month. When the Verizon rep called to badger me about it, my response was, "Gosh, would you rather spend $25 or $85 of your household budget per month?"