Anyone here use Vonage for VOIP phone service ?

[leeland]

How is the service, how many phones can you connect ? we have like 5 phones in the house so just curious if you need other equipment to get that all set up.


Also, I am planning on installing a wireless network in the house...how much would that complicate the install of the equipment ?


Thanks for any input


Leeland

 

[blurredvision]

I've considered looking into Vonage myself, but not sure if it's worth the time and money for me.

 

[EyeMWing]

I have AT&T VoIP. Same equipment, though. The equipment they give you has two phone jacks - AT&T only activates one, I don't know abut Vonage. Probably only one as well, since the other is for a second line. You can, however, connect this to a normal home phone wiring tree and it won't know the difference. That's what I did. If you need example photos, I can provide.

Also, the VoIP unit should be connected BEHIND any other routers. It can act as a router, but it's a TERRIFYINGLY PISS-POOR one. Just plug it in like a regular computer (connect the WAN port on the VoIP unit to the other router's switch). Shouldn't need to forward any ports to it.

 

[jai6638]

well.... i got vonage and voice quality international calls made to United arab emirates and India sucks... The call doesnt go through on 1 try.. usually takes 2-3 tries...

 

[leeland]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I have AT&T VoIP. Same equipment, though. The equipment they give you has two phone jacks - AT&T only activates one, I don't know abut Vonage. Probably only one as well, since the other is for a second line. You can, however, connect this to a normal home phone wiring tree and it won't know the difference. That's what I did. If you need example photos, I can provide.

Also, the VoIP unit should be connected BEHIND any other routers. It can act as a router, but it's a TERRIFYINGLY PISS-POOR one. Just plug it in like a regular computer (connect the WAN port on the VoIP unit to the other router's switch). Shouldn't need to forward any ports to it.

Well the issue I have is that the cable modem is down in the basement....if you could set up some example photos that would be great...if you want to post them somewhere or just email them let me know when you have time



Thanks for the input....

leeland

 

[Pardus]

i signed up with vonage right before xmas, it took me 5 mins to set it up and it works amazingly well. read a lot of people not liking it -- i think its amazing, well worth $25/mo.

vonage sent me a linksys broadband router to hookup 3 phones, i only have one. i was just on the phone for 2 hours to canada and it was perfect all the way, what more can you ask for,

oh yea..avoid packet8, they suck

 

[Nitemare]

It's great for anything but International calls provided you have a good broadband provider

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: ActiveX
oh yea..avoid packet8, they suck

Why? Just curious -but I looked into both but they aren't available here...yet... I'm curious as to why they suck.

Edit - WOOT - just checked Vonage coverage again and they are now available in my area.

CsG

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: ActiveX
oh yea..avoid packet8, they suck

Why? Just curious -but I looked into both but they aren't available here...yet... I'm curious as to why they suck.

Edit - WOOT - just checked Vonage coverage again and they are now available in my area.

CsG

You need a referral?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: ActiveX
oh yea..avoid packet8, they suck

Why? Just curious -but I looked into both but they aren't available here...yet... I'm curious as to why they suck.

Edit - WOOT - just checked Vonage coverage again and they are now available in my area.

CsG

You need a referral?

Sure. That means you get two months free(credit) and I get one - right?

CsG

 

[jai6638]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
It's great for anything but International calls provided you have a good broadband provider

can u suggest a good broadband provider for internatoinal calls?

 

[aircooled]

vonage is great. if you need/want wireless, then just install a WAP (wireless access point) for your computers.

 

[leeland]

Originally posted by: aircooled
vonage is great. if you need/want wireless, then just install a WAP (wireless access point) for your computers.

If you have phones in every room of the house how big of a deal is it to hook them up...to me it would seem impossible to hook up the phones without somehow trying to reconfigure the wiring...

to me I would have the vonage router in the basement with my cable connection and I would then somehow have to get the phone connection to the remote phones in the house which would defeat the purpose

am I missing something ?

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: leeland

Originally posted by: aircooled
vonage is great. if you need/want wireless, then just install a WAP (wireless access point) for your computers.

If you have phones in every room of the house how big of a deal is it to hook them up...to me it would seem impossible to hook up the phones without somehow trying to reconfigure the wiring...

to me I would have the vonage router in the basement with my cable connection and I would then somehow have to get the phone connection to the remote phones in the house which would defeat the purpose

am I missing something ?

Just unlpug the incoming phoneline that comes into the house from the pole at the box. Then just have your telephone adapter plug into any jack in the house. That should do it I believe. Just make sure you break the connection from the lec otherwise you'll fry the telephone adapter.

 

[jonnyGURU]

KK is right. Find the box for your CO and just wire up the jacks from the Vonage to them and then every jack in your house will be hot.

My question.... Voice quality with multiple phones.

I just had somone call me that wants to run their entire business off of 7 phones plugged into Vonage connected to the Internet via Sprint 1.5Mbps DSL. Sounded like a BAD IDEA to me. Told him that the concept was great, and perfect for one or two phones or residential service, but that he should at least have a couple land lines for back up if he's trying to run a business.

What's the most any of y'all have hooked up? I do point to point VoIP all of the time with T1's and PBX's, but I just can't see having good voice quality with potentially seven VoIP calls going over DSL.

Anyone?

 

[aircooled]

I just have 2 phones, but all my jacks are live....

 

[jonnyGURU]

Ok... Maybe I should have started a new thread.

Forget about all of their jacks being live. That's not a problem as the office is set up like a typical office with all jacks making a home run to the demarc. I'm talking about someone wanting to hook up Vonage as 7 analog lines to a key system. It just doesn't sound like a good idea to me given my own personal experience with unmanaged VoIP (and hell.... even some managed VoIP!) I just can't fathom seven consecutive calls working well.

I have nothing to sell the guy as he has no intention of making p2p VoIP calls, so it's not like I'm going to feed him a line just so he'd buy something from me.

 

[imported_Geekking]

I myself was going to use Vonage but found out they do not offer area codes where I live. My second choice was ATT Call Vantage and so far I am pretty happy with it. I would recommend it highly. Now if Vonage has an area code in your city then you may want to try them. Vonage has been in the business of voip most especially for businesses for some time now.
Also check out the following forums for any questions you may have.

TalkAboutVOIP.com

 

[celerygreen]

i love it. i had to get a special phone that has one unit that plugs into vonage router, and the other phones just need electricity. $80 for three phones. My phone service is $14.99 a month. I LOVE it.

 

[Qwest]

i have optimum voice, it's excellent.
i've heard great things about vonage as well.

 

[Abe Froman]

I have vonage, PM me for a referral and 1, maybe 2 free months, It kicks @$$!

 

[dak125]

I have Vonage. There are several good things and several not so good things:

Good:
1) Cheap
2) Sound quality is better than I expected...but not at first

Bad:
1) When dialing a cell phone it "double rings". You hear it ring and then echo's the same ring.
2) The sound quality wasn't so great when it first started, it's since cleared up quite a bit.
3) When you answer the phone and say "Hello" usually it doesn't go through and you have to repeat your greeting.
4) This is just in my situation, I can't have the phone where it used to be because of the router location. Somewhat of a pain.

Overall I like it. I pay $16 a month for phone service and get 500 minutes, haven't used all of them as of yet. Their customer service is alright, some CSR's are great, others suck, same as everywhere else.

 

[BCYL]

Just a word of warning about these VoIP services... I read in an article in USA Today, that on many of them it costs extra to have 911 service... And many times even if you call 911 successfully, they won't be able to track your number and your address won't come up on their computer...

Don't know if this applies to you guy (if you are using it just for long-distance services, it probably doesnt apply)... but if you are planning to replace your normal land-line completely, might wanna check into that...

 

[UDT89]

did they ever fix the 911 problem?

where you couldnt call 911 from a broadband phone service?

 

[spacejamz]

Originally posted by: UDT89
did they ever fix the 911 problem?

where you couldnt call 911 from a broadband phone service?

911 wouldn't be able to pinpoint the location of the call (which they can do with a call made from a regular landline...