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Review by ke4pym See Profile

  • Location: Charlotte, Mecklenburg, NC, USA
  • Cost: $7 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 3 days
Cheap. Note, not inexpensive. Cheap.
Giving up on this service. I've had enough of the problems.
Don't waste your time with this company.
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

8/28/15 - My Dad just canceled his account. After unreliable service for the better part of the past couple of months, my family is done with VOIPO. He was paying $185/yr and couldn't get any more discounts. And with all of the problems of people calling and being told his line was disconnected, simul-ring not working correctly and just over all poor service he switched to Ooma.

If VOIPO works great for you then consider yourself lucky. We weren't so lucky.

11/6 - And canceled! I've had Ooma for almost a month. So far, no 1-way audio issues. No dropped calls. No call quality issues. Multi-ring just works (tm) and so far, aside from the slightly higher costs, I'm not missing VoIPO. Hopefully, they can turn things around.

10/13 - I've had enough. Switching as soon as I can.

5/12 - Dropped my rankings on call quality, reliability, tech support and value for money considerably.

On regular occasion, I call my parents. 99.9% of the time, there's a problem. Here lately, I call them, they can hear me, I can't hear them. They call me and get a busy signal. We're both customers of VoIPO.

I will email tech support. They'll fidget with our accounts. For a day or three after that, everything works fine. Then, suddenly, I can't make any out bound calls. So, they'll fidget some more. Then I can make out bound calls but I can't call my parents.

My patience is running very thin with this company at this point.

------

12/11 - Service is okay for the most part. There are some weird issues. Such as if my parent's call me. I can hear them. They can't hear me. Router settings from the last time this happened haven't changed. Sometimes I dial a number and nothing happens - even if I have dial tone. For the price, I tolerate it.

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1/11 - After a year of no issues, my parents decided to switch. We both scored a 2 year deal for $180 (taxes inclu.). Install for the parents went smoothly. However, we weren't able to place calls to each other. If I called them, they could hear me. But I could not hear them and vice versa. Opened a ticket with VOIPo and it was resolved in about a week. I had to port forward 5004-65000/udp to the ATA. Doing that resolved all of the issues.

4/10 - No issues or outages so far. I've sent several general question/comments to VOIPo and they were responded to in a very quick fashion. Even general off-the-wall type questions have been answered quickly and professionally.

Ordered on 12/2/09. Got the adapter on 12/5/09. Ordering was easy.

Thought I had a regular phone to hook up to this adapter. Turns out that isn't the case. Threw them all out after getting used to the Uniden cordless adapter for Packet8.

The Linksys Broadband router they sent me is of used condition. And the warranty tag on the bottom of it is broken.

member for 19.6 years, 8247 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 8.5 years ago


Robert Varel
@verizon.net

Robert Varel

Anon

VoipO

I've had this service for over 5 years. We have had no problems with this service. Excellent reception and voice quality. Never miss a call and I like the fax features.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym

Premium Member

Re: VoipO

I to have been a customer for quite some time. And the problems are getting worse and worse.

I get people who send me emails or call my cell phone because my home line rings or says the number is no longer in service.

I get tons of one way (and here of late no way) audio issues.

Support sucks. They just go over the same script each time I notify them of a problem. I've put the MTA (now on the second MTA) directly on the cable modem and the issues persist. Connectivity to their network doesn't seem to be an issue based on their diagnostics.

So, enough is enough.

Janet
@14.192.210.x

Janet to Robert Varel

Anon

to Robert Varel
Yup. I too use the service after reading some review about Voipo at voipbands. So far so good.

FarmerBob
join:2000-12-21
Littleton, CO
Calix 716GE-I
Netgear Orbi RBK853
Netgear RAXE500

FarmerBob

Member

There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

I ran to them after having many major problems with ViaTalk and several other providers that makes what you are going through pleasurable. What you are going through sounds exactly like what I did in my early days with VoIPO. I think I'm going on 6 years now. Just reupped for another 2 last Spring and am looking to bring the other house line over real soon. And even though they have been around a while, the VoIP biz is still kinda in its fledgling years. As far as VoIPO, their tech support has been the best I have ever encountered and Yes, I had my problems just like yours to the point that a good many Techs know me by my first name. And as you said you eMailed them. I get a response with in 5-20 minutes every time and mostly telling me it's fixed or that they did something, to reboot my ATA and it's fixed. This kind of TS is unheard of and I have never had TS like this anywhere before. And the guys are great, funny and personable. Their CEO VoIPOTim can be seen in many forums with, seriously, about a billion posts from him directly to customers trying to help. Now mind me, I'm not saying they're perfect. None of these services are. They all have their idiosyncrasies. But VoIPO is a lot better, with great features, not as many as some providers I have had - but in time I hope. I think they went for quality over gadgets first. And for the price, you get more bang for the buck than many other providers.

One thing a lot of people don't think about is when you put a service like this on an Internet carrier, VoIPO has to accommodate all their idiosyncrasies to make things work for you. It's not as if all ISP's were identical, only in a perfect world, and they could blanket tune everyone. Still to this day we have issues but nothing that hasn't been take care of in minutes. ALSO a big game changer was when I moved, for this reason specifically, from CenturyLink DSL to Comcast, things got a lot better instantly. And since I have had some erratic problems, but a lot fewer issues now that I have a "better" Internet connection. I have moved over several of my neighbors and see that things do vary as to who they have as their ISP. This is a big kicker with VoIP. It can only be as good as your ISP and personal network.

I would think that if your parents have them there must have been at least some good in this to make you switch over. You are far too new on their service for them to have located your issues and had a chance to address them. Of which is part of getting services like this these days. I have had the same connections issues with one of my neighbors that is still on CL. We use each other as testbeds. He is having the same problems across the board that I did before I moved to cable Internet. So . . . hang in there if you are serious about having VoIP phone service. You'll have to no matter who you have as a provider.

Take Care and Good Luck. It'll all work out.
. . . fb
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym

Premium Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

Far too new? Really? Going on 5 years is too new? How long, exactly should they take to find my issues?

My parents are on a cable provider and have the same issues as I do. Though, not as severe as I have it with regards to local calls. For the record, they followed me to VoIPO.

I've emailed Tim. Many times. And you're right they do return your emails pretty quickly. But the problems never get fixed. Well, they do. For a week or two. Then they break again. And then the T1 techs say its my network or router settings (which never changed) that must be the problems.

When I was a Vonage and Packet8 subscriber, these kinds of issues were *non*existant*. Shame their prices are so crazy high.

FarmerBob
join:2000-12-21
Littleton, CO
Calix 716GE-I
Netgear Orbi RBK853
Netgear RAXE500

FarmerBob

Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

Well then, I guess it's time to cut your losses and move on. If I had all the problems that you still do for this long I would have moved on long ago. As I was looking to do and tried one more thing, moving from telco DSL to Cable and things are 90% better now. My one neighbor that is having the same problems I was is still on the same telco DSL I had. The rest, we have all moved to cable for Internet. I bet the minute he's off it and on a better service things will change. But now that most everyone is offering a type of "phone" over their services, it'd be hard to find an Internet provider that wouldn't favor their service over yours. The same problem I had with SprintION, 1998-2002, when Qwest gave them grief. I lost the best Internet and phone service we'll ever see. I'm moving the rest of my house over to VoIPO at the end of the month. Was just waiting for the family to get settled with the new Hopper before I threw more different stuff at them.

And yes, VoIP service in some respects is very new. Now my ION service, over 10 years ago was perfect so it can be done. These days it just depends on what you get for what you pay for.

Take Care and Good Luck . . .
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym

Premium Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

Consider them cut. In the month I've had Ooma there's not been one issue with 1-way audio (my firewall rules are back to most restrictive). No issues of availability. No issues with multi-ring. No issues with audio quality.

Just none.

I do concede, a bit, that the ISP can impact services. However, after having Vonage, Packet8 and now Ooma - none of the services have/had the problems that VoIPO has.

I called Dad tonight on my cell. He could hear me. But I couldn't hear him. 2 nights ago, his number was unavailable from both Ooma and Verizon. I suspect they'll be losing another account before too much longer.

ymhee_bcex
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Tarzana, CA
·AT&T Wireless Br..

1 edit

ymhee_bcex to FarmerBob

Premium Member

to FarmerBob
said by FarmerBob:

One thing a lot of people don't think about is when you put a service like this on an Internet carrier, VoIPO has to accommodate all their idiosyncrasies to make things work for you. It's not as if all ISP's were identical, only in a perfect world, and they could blanket tune everyone.

I completely disagree with this attitude. VoIP is mature enough that any problem can be troubleshooted (troubleshot?) and the root cause identified. The question is "is it worth the effort at this particular price point". For Google Voice you are completely on your own, and business providers offer strong SLAs. Voipo obviously is much closer to free Google Voice and - by comparison - their support is terrific. But at some point they blame router, internet provider, and California weather instead of additional troubleshooting.

Note: I've had 5 lines with Voipo; very happy with 4 and had to cancel 1 (about which Tim was very professional, and I have nothing but good to say about the process). So, it's not to bash Voipo - it's just you need to understand what you are getting. More expensive providers have more robust troubleshooting andproblemsolving tools.

FarmerBob
join:2000-12-21
Littleton, CO
Calix 716GE-I
Netgear Orbi RBK853
Netgear RAXE500

FarmerBob

Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

It's not an attitude. Wrong use of wording here. It's quantitative analysis from my time having VoIP services since the late 90's and having been part of many sides of the industry. VoIP may have it own level of maturity, but it has a way to go and a battle with ISP's that can and will be real children when you use their pipe for third party VoIP and not theirs. Just read the industry trades.

Of all the services out there VoIPO and company for the money are the best. I love my "Founders" account.

ymhee_bcex
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Tarzana, CA
·AT&T Wireless Br..

ymhee_bcex

Premium Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

said by FarmerBob:

It's not an attitude. Wrong use of wording here.

That's part of the attitude that I am talking about. You disagree with me (which is perfectly fine of course), but for some reason you feel entitled to call my wording wrong. What makes you think that your quantitative analysis is better than mine, or that your read of industry trades is more accurate than mine? You didn't give any reasons, and none come to mind.

FarmerBob
join:2000-12-21
Littleton, CO
Calix 716GE-I
Netgear Orbi RBK853
Netgear RAXE500

FarmerBob

Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

WHOA! Way off on a major tangent. Your the one that used the word "attitude" which it isn't. It's more of an opinion from exposure, if anything else. And I never said my QA was better than your anything. I was just defending myself and addressing your use of the word "attitude".

It anything is of "attitude" it's your poorly worded defensiveness.

Sorry I ever posted.
dsl1234
join:2013-11-11

dsl1234 to FarmerBob

Member

to FarmerBob
Aren't you saying you don't mind poor service? You don't mind emailing tech support and rebooting your equipment, etc. I live near Littleton too and have voip.ms here and don't have to do this stuff working with tech support, rebooting adapter, rebooting router, etc, etc. Evidently the service you have had elsewhere is so bad, it makes Voipo look good, but you are actually getting only fair to poor service quality based on your own description.

FarmerBob
join:2000-12-21
Littleton, CO
Calix 716GE-I
Netgear Orbi RBK853
Netgear RAXE500

FarmerBob

Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

said by dsl1234:

Aren't you saying you don't mind poor service? You don't mind emailing tech support and rebooting your equipment, etc. I live near Littleton too and have voip.ms here and don't have to do this stuff working with tech support, rebooting adapter, rebooting router, etc, etc. Evidently the service you have had elsewhere is so bad, it makes Voipo look good, but you are actually getting only fair to poor service quality based on your own description.

No. Not at all. Just the opposite, I'm getting great service. Why else would I re-up for another 2 years, have brought over several neighbors and am moving all my numbers to their service?

I'm not sure what you are reading?

CuriousGuy
Boom goes the dynamite
join:2002-05-14
Rego Park, NY

CuriousGuy

Member

Re: There is light at the end of the VoIP pipe.

HELP! After loving VOIPo since 2009, I've hit a wall and nobody seems able to resolve it. I've been told my poor voice quality and echoes are due to latency and packet loss. I called my ISP on the advice of James and they claim their connection is fine and send me back to VOIPo. I replaced my old Linksys router and run ping tests. I am so fed up with people telling me I'm breaking up because I can't hearvocal quality issues on my end. Although I'm signed up through early 2015, I'm afraid I'll have to leave and go with Time Warner my ISP. I am severely disappointed and regret ever going with VOIP. Sure, it's remarkably inexpensive, it's not money well spent. As the famous saying goes, if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. Furthermore VOIPo tech support, which used to be available without long waits, now requires listening to music for far too long. And when you do get someone, you end up being a ping pong ball between your ISP and your voip. To you Tim I say, please return your company to the one I was so enthusiastic about. I hope I am taken seriously.