Review by dlarkin_dc  - Location: Alexandria,Fairfax,VA
- Cost: $9 per month (12 month contract)
- Install: about 5 days
Good "Responsive customer service, great price, great features."
Bad "Call connection issues occasionally, but fine 7 months now."
Overall "Amazing value, getting more reliable all time."
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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Update 9/21/2012
Woah! Sorry, an update is so overdue!
A serious tech issues came back in November 2012, sometimes incoming calls were immediately directed to voicemail. VOIPo worked with me and in late November updated the firmware. Since then there's been no instance of anything not working correctly.
I've update the ratings to reflect the new reliability and the support.
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.
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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.
member for 4.1 years, 136 visits, last login: 1 days ago
updated 125 days ago
Comments:
 | | | 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. | |
| |  | 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!
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Cox Preferred HSI 12/5~SB6120~Grandstrem HT502~FVS318G~WAP54G
OTA (...and proud of it!)
VOIPo | |
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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. | |
| | | | | 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. | |
|
 linicxCaveat EmptorPremium
join:2002-12-03
United State
 ·CenturyLink
| The biggest problem I biggest problem I ever had with a VOIP phone is the uplink.
1 Mbps is barely enough to support it most of the time. 2 Mbps is much better.
I firmly believe the VOIP phones work much better in large cities than it does in rural America where the Internet is not nearly as dependable.
A engineer friend in Dallas had a 3 year pre paid contract with VoipO.When it started the same problems you talk about he disconnected. Now he is using Straight Talk for home. There are some volume issue but it works.
I had Vonage. It was okay until their equipment failed 9 months into the contract. For 90 days I had a wannabe phone. It wasn't until I quit they offered to replace it. I gave them a scathing review that is now missing. .
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Mac: No windows, No Gates, Apple inside | |
| | Reviews:
·Cox HSI
·VOIPo
| Re: The biggest problem 1 MBPS could be enough, but if it's not stable then, yeah there's nothing you can do. The location of these service providers servers can be critical, and can directly affect stable connection speeds. I have used VOIPo's east and central servers and never had a bandwidth or jitter problem with either.
The issues I got have always been some systemic technical glitch that got fixed, eventually. | |
| | | linicxCaveat EmptorPremium
join:2002-12-03
United State | Re: The biggest problem The only time my provider cares is when I mention my Commerce Commission. Otherwise they hope I will die or blow away.
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Mac: No windows, No Gates, Apple inside | |
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