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VoIP service for broadband peeps: 500 mins for $20, unlimited for $40/month

F

foot

Member
Saw this on Slashdot yesterday and figured it was a pretty hot deal -

Vonage is offering VoIP service for $20 a month for 500 minutes or unlimited for $40 a month. Both require a $25 setup fee.

Requirements:
-Must be a broadband user of some type with upload speeds of 90k/sec+
-a compatible router if you still plan to share your connection
(most netgear, linksys, D-link and SMCs supported)

Features:
-MTA (ATA-186) device so you can use your old analog phone
-Area Code selection:
New York - 212 - 516 - 631 - 646 - 718 - 914 - 917
New Jersey - 201 - 732 - 908 - 973
California - 408 - 415 - 510 - 650 - 707 - 831 - 925
-SIP-thru-NAT technology to enable 24/7 behind your router/NAT while you surf the Net
-Unlimited inbound calling
-Caller ID
-Call waiting
-Personalized voicemail:
-Message Waiting Indicator (stutter tone or light)
-Email notification of a new message to your email
-Web-based message retrieval
-Call Forwarding:
Option to have DigitalVoice voicemail to pick up unanswered calls
Basic: direct to another number anywhere!
-Advanced: variable ring duration for both your Vonage DigitalVoice phone and forwarded phone, before the voicemail picks up the call

Rate Plan specifics:
-Unlimited National Calling - only $39.99/month
Our simplest and most popular package allows you to call anywhere in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, for one low monthly charge. National minutes mean local and long distance ? no hidden charges!

-500 National Minute Plan* - $19.99 per month
Up to 500 minutes per month to call anywhere in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. Minutes are debited on outbound calls to non-Vonage phones only!
Add the Unlimited Regional Minute Plan for only $9.99 and save on overage charges!

Caveats:
-no 911 service
-their international rates suck.

Please let me know if anyone has this service, how good their connections are and if they manage to screw you in any unforseen ways. I searched and to the best of my knowledge this has not been posted before.
 
let me get this straight: in order to get the service you have to be within a certain area code but you can call to anywhere?

and that is $40 on top of your broadband connection, so that is really, um... at least $70?

I know better/cheaper VoIP services that do not require me to have special phones, and me bringing my own IP. I think this deal sucks, but that is just me.
 
maybe you should read before you decide to flame:

A) you dont have to BE in a certain area code, you get to choose which area code your number will be in, just like when you buy a cell phone.

B) It is 20 or 40 bucks on top of your broadband, but the average US phone bill was $55 a month last year.

C) You DONT need to have a special phone, an analog adapter is included so you can split the service to all the old phones in your house. If you know of a cheaper service why dont you post it?
 
I do not believe I was flaming anyone, I expressed my opinion and asekd some simple questions for clarification. Now, why you get so worked up about my post I do not know, that is, unless this was not an inquiry but rather an advertisement.

Anyway, I stand behind my statement that VoIP can be had cheaper and without providing your own broadband connection. One other thing to consider: A lot of people using TELCO DSL must have at least one phone line with the TELCO, otherwise no DSL. That is at least the standpoint of my TELCO.
 


<< bits or bytes? >>



Of course it is 90 kilobits. 90kB would require 720kb upstream which is expensive.

I'm interested in this, but what would you do if your DSL ISP is your local phone company? Wouldn't you have to change you DSL service?
 
I think it is expensive and prone to noise on the line. Even though it will be much better than the PC based VoIP, it is still not worth spending the money they are asking for plus a 12 month contract!

If they would slash their prices by 20% and have some sensible international rate with free calls between their subscribers OR no contract, it would fly.

But that's me!!!

Q
 


<<

<< bits or bytes? >>



Of course it is 90 kilobits. 90kB would require 720kb upstream which is expensive.

I'm interested in this, but what would you do if your DSL ISP is your local phone company? Wouldn't you have to change you DSL service? >>

OK, if it's 90kbps, it's just denoted wrong. Anyway, it wouldn't matter to me since my upload is 768kbps.🙂
 
Why in god's name would anyone do this terrible deal. Why not just use onesuite.com for 2.9 cents/min for true digital quality real telephone calls. Seems to me its a much better deal only you need to program one suite's toll free number into your phone.

but it takes an extra 5 secs to make a call who cares.
 
Ok this sounds to me to be hotter than a stinky pile! I am really considering this! the reason is my local telco suuuuccckks! with onesuite.com i still have to pay my telco $31.03 a month (this is their base rate but there is no competition allowed here so i am stuck with them) yes it is a spank me rate! then i have to pay for calls on top of that! so i usually use the cell to make outgoing because i have Sprint PCS 8500min for 85.00 plan this would allow me to cancell my house phone and save that 30+ a month spend the 40 a month for unlimited then drop my cell package to a smaller plan like the 49.00 plan. overall saving me 25.00 a month a and getting unlimited calling from home by adding this to my cable modem! I never call other countries so that is nothing to me! Plus this has calll waiting call forwarding caller id and all the goodies which i curently have none of as my telco wants $5ea!

I see a couple down sides here but they are small!

No 911 (i could use the cell for that)
when att cable goes down once a week like it does i have no house phone (again use the cell)

This will save me 25.00 a month plus unlimited calls!

Has anyone tried this please post if you have i reallly want this !
 
From an e-mail my wife just sent me, after I told her about this thread (she runs a business out of our house)


might want to post this one - this is what I use. VOIP,
$29.99/month unlimited, local access number, no set-up fee, they
prohibit modems, but I use mine all the time:

www.speakzero.com

Bonus, you don't need broadband
 
Kind of humorous...have to have broadband...then switch it to phone...then use that for a modem. I know there are uses but it just sounds funny. Anyhow, I can see why they prevent use of them. As a normal call can only take up like 1/10th of one line using VoIP...but a modem would be constantly noisy...a normal phone call wouldn't....
 


<< anyone else know about this?

Very curious about it and would love more opinions.

Thanks >>



Me too, this is very interesting.
 
One main reason why I got broadband is so my mom won't bitch about me tying up her fone line and she can't call and no one can call in. The 2nd reason is I lowered my fone bill from $55 to $25 cuz I don't have to dial/hang up, let mom dial, then redial to my ISP. I really don't c the point for paying so much for another line unless I can cancel my home line. I am not sure I can do that w/o losing my broadband service. I also can't call 911 with this line. VoIP is nice technology, but there has gotta be better way to take advantage of it. One is the VoIP Blaster from Creative which let u place free VoIP calls if the other person also has the VoIP Blaster. Considering the fact that it's only $20, you can buy 2 or 3 just to talk to your cheap relatives/friends by giving them one. The only 2 problems is this thing only works with a PC, so you can't hook it up directly to your router, which is what Vonage provides. The 2nd thing it don't work behind a firewall, so it won't work behind a router. If Creative or another company makes one that don't have these 2 problems, VoIP will truly take off. Unfortunately, telecoms will probably die from this.
 
get a cellphone with lotsa national weekend/night minutes (3000ish)

do you REALLY NEED that many minutes? I think these are a bunch of BS I'd rather go with net2phone or something.
 
I signed up for a similar service. It was with Road Runner and they called it "Line Runner". Basically it used VoIP, and it had decent LD rates, and worked over your Coax service. It was good for like the first 10 minutes. But it was very horrible. Some times people couldnt call me, I couldnt call anyone unless i reset the modem, etc.
 
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