site Search:








how-to block ads



Review of VOIPo (voip)


more information on the company
Six Month Rating

Reviews:
188 reviews (146 good) (21 bad)
Submit a review by email click here
login for new review notification feature

Review by dlarkin_dc See Profile
member for 3.7 years, 130 visits, last login: 10 days ago
updated 243 days ago

  • Alexandria,Fairfax,VA
  • $9 per month
  • (12 month contract)
  • about 5 days
  • "Responsive customer service, great price, great features."
  • "Working on call connection issue for months.. going on years."
  • "Amazing value, but unreliable."
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

My Other Reviews

·Cox HSI
Update 9/21/2012

Ahhh, I'm getting so burned out on these technical issues!

Since the update to the FW I've been getting partial breakdowns every few weeks. What happens is the VOIPo servers loose the registration of my internet/phone adapter. I'm left with a dial tone and can dial out but all incoming calls go straight to VOIPo voicemail.

VOIPo have asked me to take the adapter off UPS in case dirty UPS power is causing the problem. I have plugged it into the outlet direct but the issue reccurs. My UPS logs show the power has been clean and my modem shows the ISP connection has been stable during these "events."

On their part VOIPo have been responsive to support tickets, though the responses are getting more and more terse. In response to the current issue they have changed a value in the adapter firmware that will make the adapter more tolerant of server connectivity fluctuations. Time will tell if that resolves this latest issue.

With so many good reviews of VOIPo I suspect some of these problems are ISP related, so it's not a wholely bad reflection on VOIPo... but it's just one issue after another!

Another update coming in a month, or sooner.

Update 8/9/2012

After raising another support ticket for one-sided calls (even with modem before router) VOIPo support flashed a new firmware in my phone adapter. Since then, a few weeks ago, it's been working flawlessly.

Let's hope this sticks.

Update 7/3/2012

Well , not much has changed. We're still getting one-sided calls happening. Sometimes the rate of this peaks to well over over half the calls, but usually stays lower, about 1/4th of all calls. I've also had disconnects if I'm using the mute on my phone.

Despite the perfect pricing plan that VOIPo has for my usage pattern, the service just hasn't been reliable enough to keep. I can't tell if the issue is with Cox (my ISP) or the ATA hardware, or VOIPo's service/servers but I do know VOIPo service, as responsive as it is, hasn't resolved or pin-pointed the problem.

VOIPo has fantastic plans, pricing, and features, but it just ain't reliable enough. I am shopping around now for alternatives.

Updated 1/17/12

Sorry, this is so overdue!

Been having some issues, like others in these reviews, about calls not connecting and one sided calls. This has been going on for months.

VOIPo support has been responsive to every ticket. I've been put on different VOIPo servers, had two ATA devices, ran diagnostic internet performance tests, moved devices on my LAN, setup porting/routing on my router, had call routes provisioned, traffic switched to just VOIPo servers...

But, I'm still getting call connection issues.

This may not be VOIPo's fault, there is still my Surfboard, Cox Communications ISP, and the Internet at large in the mix.

I will update again... soon.

_______________________________________________________

Had VOIPo for a year now, just renewed for another year.

Well, there's not much to say really. It works, it's reliable if your ISP, modem and router are reliable. (I'll qualify that later.)

They provide a telephone adapter, it goes after the modem/router and you plug the phone line right in, standard phone jack... and off you go.

The package I find suits me best is the 1year, it includes 60mins/month international landline calls, never any charge to any number in the US.

The fax line was additional $25/year, it works using document upload/e-mail and it works great.

Voice mail can be received in e-mail as well as accessed via the phone handset.

The online account management is great, easy to use and all the features are there. And there are tons of features there.

The support is mind-bendingly fast, informative and humane. The best I have ever, ever, experienced.

I have had infrequent trouble with my router that caused the VOIPo service to be unstable,... BUT it was 100% all in my router, not VOIPo.

Porting my old POTS number was messy because Verizon & MCI were pointing fingers at each other. Once I got them sorted out VOIPo porting was fast and easy.

If I had more then two thumbs they'd all be, "Way up!" for VOIPo.

Comments:

djrobx

join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1
Reviews:
·VOIPo
·Verizon Wireless..
·RoadRunner Cable
·AT&T U-Verse

I'm having one sided call problems with VOIPo too

I'm pretty certain my equipment isn't at fault (I've changed ISPs/routers and the problem followed). I created a support ticket, they supposedly switched networks that I'm on, but no difference.

It's so hit and miss. At least if it were consistent I'd be more easily able to get tech support to fix it. Some days I can make lots of calls without any trouble, other days I have to resort to my cell phone.
--
AT&T U-Hearse - RIP Unlimited Internet 1995-2011
Rethink Billable.
rnikischer

join:2002-12-28
Ottawa, IL

Having Difficulties Also

I'm really disappointed with the service. It has become unreliable. I experience the same trouble as everyone else. I have no complaints with tech support. They are responsive. I have followed their instructions for port forwarding but the intermittent problems still exist. Problems started to surface about 6 months ago. Some days I may only get 50% of the incoming calls, the rest of the time the callers - as well as on my end, will get dead air after picking up the phone when it rings. The other regular problem is calls routing to the failover number for no apparent reason. We can't all be crazy. It has to be their service. Prior to Voipo I was with Vonage and had maybe 3 service issues in 4 years. I am running out my 2 year pre-paid plan and if there is no improvement I will regrettably go elsewhere.
ke4pym
Premium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC
Reviews:
·VOIPo
·Verizon Broadban..
·RoadRunner Cable
·Northland Cable ..

Your firewall

is the problem.

I had this problem too and had to spend quite some time getting my FW and NAT rules correct. You've got to port forward most of the UDP ports directly to your adapter.

Want to really rule out your FW? Put the adapter directly on your cable modem for a few hours and see how it goes.

Once my logs were showing clean on no port blocking the one sided calling thing went away on non-in-network calls.

In-network calls were another story.

dlarkin_dc

join:2009-08-24
Alexandria, VA
Reviews:
·Cox HSI
·VOIPo

Re: Your firewall

Yep, tried all those. Different routers, port forwarding and putting the ATA after modem-before router. No difference. Plus, VOIPo have put me on different servers, updated my ATA firmware and swapped out ATAs. Still no difference.

Apart from Cox as my ISP with a SB6120 modem everything has been changed up and tried!

But tell me...
What logs are you referring to that showed no port blocking? Where was your port blocking occuring?
What is the other story about In-network calls?

TIA!
--
Cox Preferred HSI 12/5~SB6120~Grandstrem HT502~FVS318G~WAP54G
OTA (...and proud of it!)
VOIPo
maugott

join:2006-01-27
Sunnyvale, CA

port forwarding did not solve no-ring problem

when outgoing no-ring became a problem, VOIPo support talked me through port forwarding for my 2wire router/modem. It took under 10 minutes. Now, a few weeks later, the problem is back. Also, dialing my VM gets me a busy signal [VM emails arrive, though].

power cycling the Voipo adapter usually makes things work, but not for long. My AT&T uverse internet connection seems solid when I browse the web.

I sent another email to support after hours today.

Ultimately, reliability is more important than saving $$.
AT&T uverse voice was overpriced but reliable
maugott

join:2006-01-27
Sunnyvale, CA

Re: port forwarding did not solve no-ring problem

As usual a VOIPo technician responded promptly to my email and said "I have changed the command ports your adapter is using along with updating the server your adapter connects to in order to fix the busy signal issues. Please power cycle the adapter for these changes to take affect."

I power cycled and VM now works fine.

dlarkin_dc

join:2009-08-24
Alexandria, VA

Re: port forwarding did not solve no-ring problem

That's a laugh! (and I did)

The same old routine... it gets tired after a couple of years.

Hope it sticks this time!
maugott

join:2006-01-27
Sunnyvale, CA

Re: port forwarding did not solve no-ring problem

It's been 3 weeks since the fix and all works well.

Thursday, 23-May 12:21:17 Terms of Use & Privacy | feedback | contact | Hosting by nac.net - DSL,Hosting & Co-lo
over 13.5 years online © 1999-2013 dslreports.com.