 Review by SterlingJ85 
UPDATED: 188 days ago
member for 9 years, 1851 visits, last login: 14 days ago
 Millville,Cumberland,NJ
 $20 per month
 about 14 days
 "Great Voice Quality and Reliability"
 "FAXing does not work at all, and GrandStream ATA still has some bugs"
 "Best Internet VoIP I have ever used"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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The overall:
I have had every VoIP provider under the sun the past 5 years (Packet8, SunRocket, Vonage, Comcast CDV, COX, etc..). While most provided pretty good service (except Packet8), I had yet to find a reliable one that was also cheap without a ton of extra taxes and fees.
I signed up for PhonePower(.com) last month, when Vonage upset me and I wanted to get away from them.
I have had wonderful voice quality (with the exception of cable VoIP it's the best Internet VoIP yet) and I can't find another reliable provider that is nearly as cheap as they are. My number ported the day they said it would, but Vonage dragged out the port date 2 weeks (10 business days).
Really loving their service thus far
Cons:
I am VERY unhappy that FAXing does not work AT ALL. I have tried EVERY setting, even changing TX Transmission down to 2400 bps with no error correction. I have never had this problem before, even Vonage and SunRocket with the high voice codec did FAXing fine at 9600 bps.
DMZ is also screwed up on the GrandStream ATA (confirmed with tech support), so don't expect it to work. It will just prevent incoming calls if enabled!
Tech Support needs better hours (24/7 would be ideal), everytime I want to contact them to ask a quick question with online chat they aren't there.
The volume on calls is pretty high, I had to turn every cordless/corded phone's volume at it's lowest level. Occassionally, it's still too loud. Hoping they modify the GrandStream configuration to turn down the amplification a little.
Followup comments:  
44402812
Hack The Planet
Premium
join:2006-08-28
Plattsburgh, NY
4 edits | Your complaints In response to your comments. Faxing over VoIp is always been problematic at best. If it was such a concern how come you did not ask them about faxing reliability? If you would have asked they would have told you it is not recommended and if the tech was on the ball would have recommended a service like K7.net, myfax, efax, etc.
Okay, so the DMZ does not work right now? What is the problem other then something to complain about? I'm sure they are working on it?
24\7 tech support is very costly. How many telephone providers have 24\7 tech support, bet you can't think of any? Verizon has 9-5 tech support which PhonePower easily surpasses. You like saving hundreds of dollars right? Sure you can have 24/7 tech support and you can pay 25-30.00 a month for it?
"The volume on calls is pretty high, I had to turn every cordless/corded phone's volume at it's lowest level." Are you serious! I'm sure it makes the techs at PhonePhone wonder what they are in for? I really wish there was a hotline so s#$%id people could just call into complain so it would free up tech support and keep my costs down
Glad you everything is working out for you. 
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SterlingJ85
Obama 2008
join:2000-11-19
Millville, NJ
 ·PHONE POWER
1 edit | Re: Your complaints Dude, seriously. I have been in IT for years, and been a member of this site for almost 9 years... my complaints are valid. Don't be such a fanboy.. This is a newer VoIP company and if no one can speak to the shortcomings of the service how could it improve to be even better?
1) FAXing is not supported by ANY VoIP provider for obvious reasons. My statement was that I have gotten it to work on every single VoIP provider so far except PhonePower, which has me disappointed in that regard.
2) DMZ is something to complain about because it doesn't work. I want the GrandStream between my cable modem and router because I want it to do QoS. Router based QoS will not work on Comcast due to PowerBoost unless you want to limit your upstream bandwidth to less than what you could burst up to (for me that's between 2 and 6 Mbps). I wanted DMZ to be able to be pointed at the router so that UPNP will work correctly with multiple programs, #1 being uTorrent. To port forward through 2 NATs isn't optimal because I would have to assign static IPs in my LAN.. and for 9 computers (most of them being wireless laptops) this isn't an optimal situation. I was able to do DMZ perfectly well with Vonage's V-Portal, and I expect to be able to do the same with any ATA.
3) I said it would be optimal. I understand it does cost money, but at least Live Support on the website could be staffed by 1 or 2 people to handle simple questions with expanded hours.
4) This is a simple setting in the ATA. The amplification level is too high on mine. I was commenting that it should be lowered. It's not a complicated change. It bothers me that I have to hold all the phones in my house (corded and cordless) away from my ear because it's so loud you can hear it from across the room! | |
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Neal Gilbert
@omcastbusiness.net
| VoIP Faxing has been a problem for most companies I wrote a post on this very issue on April 14, 2000 entitled "Fax over VoIP is not ready for prime time". It is actually a bigger problem than most people in the industry believe. Something like 2 out of every 10 faxes will fail completely or have pages missing. This makes Fax over VoIP or VoIP completely unacceptable for businesses.
Here is a link to the article »bit.ly/Pfir
Neal Gilbert
Business VoIP Specialist
AVAD_Technologies | |
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