 Review by JE 
UPDATED: 1.9 years ago
member for 7.6 years, 1413 visits, last login: 68 days ago
 Brooklyn,Kings,NY
 $27 per month
 "Stable Service."
 "Expensive To Others I Have Used! Want a Str8 ATA? You'll Have 2 Buy The PAP2."
 "It Works! Nothing Special about this service. Just like any other."
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I had been without VOIP service for all of 2006, so ireally was not considering getting any, since my Sprint cell phone was all I needed.
I got an advertisement in my email, more like SPAM from Vonage offering a month free. I decided I would take the plunge, since I had not tried them yet. I attempted to 2 years ago.................ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, so I ordered Vonage service on March 9th, 2006. Called up and spoke to the Indian. He was fairly easy to understand (because I specialze in understanding those with heavy accents). He took my order and told me what I would be receiving....That turned out to be WRONG!
Other than that everything was ok, or so I thoguht.
So, the time comes for delivery: Monday, March 13th I get the Linksys RT31P, instead of the Linksys RT300 the Indian told me. I was not expecting a router, I was expecting what was to be sent.
I had the hardest time with the RT31P. I tried all kinds of concoctions to get that damn thing to work with MY ROUTER-WRT54G. NOTHING worked, so I was pissed off for a few days.
I called Vonage and explained to them that I did not want this damn RT31P crap, to send me a plain old ATA that I could plug into MY existing router. They flat out refused and said what they have is what they will send.
I told the rep that the Indian told me I would receive the 300, and not this ATA/Router combo, and I was very unhappy with this, being that it would not connect.
I also told them I called into support too many times and tried all kinds of ways to get it to connect and nothing would work.
I explained that the tech guy told me to do it this way and thata way, and it just did not connect. Yes the connections were CORRECT, but my router would not connect, etc.
The nice american male rep explained that I would have to go out and spend even more money and buy a PAP2 ATA, If I wanted something to just plug in and go.
The guy said that that's what it is, and basically I could deal with it or leave.
I was FURIOUS that I would have to spend more money for something that they should have sent out initially.
The bastards make you go to the local Electronics outlet to buy a PAP2.
I did go out to Circuit City downtown Brooklyn and buy the PAP2 for $60.00.
I was hesitant to plug it up, because I thought it just would not work, so I called in and initially wanted to cancel the Vonage service. The rep on the other line went into cancelling, and cancelled my PORT.
He explained that BEFORE I would get my money back I would have to return the BOX. I explained that they sure didn't see it that way when I ordred. IThey took a payment before sending me the POS box. This went on and on for a while, and even threatening to hit them with a fraud charge on my card. I got no where. I had no problem sendin' them their junk back AT MY EXPENSE (luckily I have a DHL account) once I received my money back.
Then he asked if I wanted to give it one more try. I explained I had not taken the PAP2 out of the BOX yet, and I would just rather have my money in my pocket...............OK, so I went to give it one more try with the PAP2 this time. The guy transferred me to a nice lady in support or wherever she was and she helped me get it together and took the MAC address of the PAP2.
Well, needless to say the PAP 2 worked! I can say being that I did not have the correct ATA, that the service was hooked up instantly, had I been able to get a connection with that damn RT31P2 POS they send out. Thank the Lawd for the PAP2!
Ok, so it's now April 17th, 2006, and I really have not had time to test the service call after call, since I use my celly most of the time.
The FEW times that I did use it, it was ok. Voice quality was good, and the service did not have any bad noises.
I have Optimum Online cable service (WITHOUT the damn upgrade), so my upload is pretty sufficient (1Mbps). Although when I was using my upload for some things, and Vonage at the same time, there were hiccups and pauses, as if my connection was pretty bad.
I should also note that I have the quality of the service set to the highest.
(90kbps), per the Vonage user portal.
I will try to keep this updated monthly or so, so that people can know what is going on with Vonage.
As a former user of Packet8, and AOL VoIP, and OptimumVoice, I thought I would give Vonage a try since more people do use them.
As for price, Vonage is an expensive product copmpared to the others I have used, such as Packet8 ($19.99). OV is the most expensive @ $34.95, but if u have all 3 services (iO, OOL, and OV), it only costs you $14.95, which makes it the LEAST expensive of them all. The AOL was a beta service that I left P8 for, and I had that for FREE for approx. 1 year and a few months, before the beta ended, and AOL introduced "AOL Total Talk". Currently, TOTAL Talk Unlimited package sells for $29.99.
I do think the prices of $24-$30 will become standard in VOIP until some company proves otherwise and overtakes Vonages userbase (before they are bought out or sold).
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VOICE QUALITY
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Optimum Voice = Very good. 8.5/maybe 9
AOL = Superb {If I could have stayed on AOL TT, I sure wowld have, but price point, I don't think so). 10
Packet8 = Good. 7
VONAGE = Good. 7
NOW, I am waiting for my port from AOL to be completed. I started my port on March 9th, but remember the other rep earlier cancelled my port, so I had it reinstated on March 14th.
It's been a month already with no updates and am pretty upset about this. I have had to resort to giving out the temporary number, because the port is not completed. I have a feeling that either the port will not complete, or I will have to go through 3 months of porting hell as others have had happen.
If u r considering porting to Vonage, be prepared to go thru hell in that department.
Of the ones I have tried, I think people are sleeping heavily on AOL. Give it a try and I bet their quality beats many. The ones to really go with are (AOL & OV)
Price wise on AOL, NOT A CHANCE!
Only reason I am not with OV is because they give out cheesy 347 area code numbers, and they only port from Land Lines. THEY DO NOT port VOIP numbers.
Thanks a lot,
JE
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UPDATE: June 4, 2006
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Service is great. Have had no outages thus far.
Still waiting for my number to be ported. It is stated that my port from AOL was approved on May, 12th....Ummmmmmmm it's now June 4th???????
TERRIBLE PORTING!
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UPDATE: August 12, 2006
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Updated Date: Number Transfer Progress History: Required Action
March 14, 2006 Awaiting Letter of Authorization
March 14, 2006 Letter of Authorization (LOA) Received
March 14, 2006 Letter of Authorization (LOA) Accepted
March 14, 2006 Transfer Sent to Carrier
May 8, 2006 Carrier Approved Transfer
August 10, 2006 Completed LNP Transfer
Well, would ya look at that! That says a lot. Vonage and AOL port together, SUCK! And to top that off, I'm going to take my number somewhere else, if they can't compensate me for the 5 month port nightmare.
JE
Attached images and files
Followup comments:  | 
Jahntassa
What, I can have feathers
join:2006-04-14
Conyers, GA
| Yeah, wierd. I can agree that Vonage, for some reason when you sign up online, wants to send you their Router/ATA solution, which is a PITA.
I got the ATA adapter when Vonage came out, paying around $95 for it (no rebate). No problems with it, and it's worked flawlessly for about three years now, even when I took it to Costa Rica with me.
Their number port takes FOREVER, but once it's done, it's great. | |
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