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Review by nycityny 
UPDATED: 1 year ago
member for 4.3 years, 1882 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
 New York,New York,NY
 $27 per month (month by month)
 about 4 days
 "Sound quality, feature set, superb customer/tech support, reliability"
 "High international rates, Canada not free."
 "Lots of good features for a fraction of the cost charged by baby bells"
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UPDATE - 12/4/08:
I am upgrading some of my ratings. Service has been great again for awhile now. Any technical glitches I had earlier this year are gone. And when during the summer I was having an audio drop problem the VP folks helped me diagnose it and trace it to my ISP. They provided me the tools to prove the problem to the ISP so I could force them to address it. Once my ISP fixed the packet loss problem (a long process) my VP calls were again pristine.
UPDATE - 2/11/08:
I am unhappily downgrading my VoicePulse ratings due to longtime problems that they are unable to resolve. While they continue to be responsive to trouble tickets by calling immediately, they are unable to fix the issues.
My biggest problem is that in most long conversations I will inevitably have a 5 second period of silence where I cannot hear the other person but they can hear me. I have learned to just let it go and hope I can pick up on what the other person is saying when the audio resumes. VP warmly hears my complaints and just keeps asking if the problem has gone away. It does not go away and I don't have the stamina to keep bugging them about it. They simply show concern but do not solve the problem.
I've also had an issue where my voicemail messages get cut off. The message gets sent to me via an e-mail where I am told that it is 30 seconds long, for example. The attached audio clip ends up being only 6 seconds with the message clearly truncated prematurely. The message I hear via the phone is also the truncated 6 second version.
The voicemail problem occurred a few months ago. VP researched it and asked if it happened again the following week. When it did not they closed the ticket. It happened again in January and the same process occurred with VP. They ask if it happens again and when it does not they close the ticket. They acknowledge that their engineers "look into it" but change nothing in the end.
VP service is certainly usable but not perfect with issues like these.
UPDATE - 2/26/07:
Updating the price again. VoicePulse added 6% to their prices on 1/1/07 to cover the cost of the Federal Universal Service Fund. The $24.99 plan is now $26.49. I'm not thrilled about the price increase but all of the VOIP companies are now adding the add-ons so one has to accept it.
The service remains stellar - I cannot remember the last time I dealt with customer support.
UPDATE - 6/5/06:
Simply updating my monthly cost to $25. I dropped the virtual number and so the cost went down.
UPDATE - 3/30/06:
Just an update to note that 911 is now working on my line. This service is now complete for me. I am still very happy with VoicePulse after 8 months of using it as a complete replacement for a POTS line. The reliability, voice quality, price, customer support and feature set are superb.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I have been using VoicePulse for over 4 months now and it has been wonderful. My callers and I cannot tell that I am using VOIP - the sound quality is excellent.
I ordered the service online on a Friday and the equipment arrived the following Tuesday (four days including the weekend). Set-up was a breeze and it was working within minutes. After a few days I decided to port over my landline number. While VoicePulse said the process would take a month, the number ported over in 13 days. I am using the Sipura SPA 2002 "borrowed" from VoicePulse. The device is small and I have not had to reboot it at all since installation - it just keeps on humming. I am using a cable modem broadband connection at 10 Mbps down and 800 Kbps up.
While I particularly wanted the great Anonymous Call Rejection feature that VoicePulse provides, I have found myself using the flexible and powerful Filters as well.
One of the best aspects of the company is the superb customer support. Phone support is only available on weekdays until 7pm. This is not a problem, however, because technicians respond very quickly to problem tickets initiated through the online support system. Any ticket receives BOTH a telephone call response as well as a follow-up e-mail. It is almost embarrassing to have a rep call me after mentioning a minor issue in online support, but call you is what they do. Problems are immediately addressed and resolved by interacting with just one individual - no need to switch departments or speak with "Level 3" as with other companies. Anybody who answers your call can and will help you.
My monthly cost is $29.98 which includes $4.99 for a virtual number. No taxes are added at all.
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Review by stevech0
UPDATED: 1 year ago
member for 3.2 years, 1171 visits, last login: a few hours ago
San Diego,San Diego,CA
$16 per month (month by month)
about 1 days
"Longevity. Superb Tech Support. Next-day phone call to confirm satisifaction. Easy to admin. DTMF in/out works fine to IVRs"
"Tech Support only during daytime business hours"
"Seems stable and great. FAX@33Kbps worked fine send/receive."
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Merely the local unlimited + 200 Nationwide. This is because most of our calls are to one of 3 adjacent area codes that area all 200 miles away from our new home (calls to our ex-city of residence).
Linksys ATA
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Review by fbruno
Posted: 1 year ago
member for 9.6 years, 2096 visits, last login: 2 days ago
Berwyn,Chester,PA
$19 per month (12 month contract)
about 10 days
"The service is excellent, with numerous attractive features"
"I'm happy with VP as my secondary provider"
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--------------------------------Review posted 11/4/08------------------------
I have been with VoicePulse for numerous years, using them as my seconday provider. The service and features are reliable and robust. I have had only one technical support issue that was solved on the first phone call. The web portal allows customizing the service in an almost overwhelming detailed manner. I am quite happy with this service.
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Review by venk25
UPDATED: 1.1 years ago
member for 5.5 years, 1937 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Nashua,Hillsborough,NH
$26 per month
about 5 days
"Reliable, nice feature-set"
"DTMF tones during conversation,"
"Good service."
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Update Oct 15, 2008
About 3.5 years now - been happy. Like someone posted in the forum earlier, its boring to have VoicePulse - because everything is working !
I did have a couple minor service glitches - but nothing major. Issues are addressed promptly.
Still waiting on CNAM (outgoing CID name), timestamp for voicemail (in the voicemail portal - not email).
Overall - would recommend the service.
Edit: Removed my comment on Call Log display - it was my browser doing it 
--------------------
Update on Oct 11, 2007
Have been with them for about 2.5 yrs now. Overall, service has been pretty good. Had a few incoming/outgoing call issues (once every 6 months !). Resolved quickly by support (not an issue at my end - mostly with their telco).
Though there are a lot of features available, no new features/enhancements have been made.
All the Pros I've mentioned in my original review are still the Pros ! Not going over them again. Some items from my "Nice to haves" are now moving to my Cons ...
Cons:
- occasional calling issues with incoming/outgoing - their telco - once or twice a year
- DTMF tones during conversation (its annoying)
- Outgoing Caller ID Name
- Voicemail timestamps in the voicemail system (not email notifications)
- Call Transfer doesn't work (for over an year since I noticed)
Nice to have:
- Voicemail web access
Still would recommend service to anyone !
------------------ Original approx. Aug 2006
I switched from Packet8 to VoicePulse slightly over a year ago. I've had no regrets. Liked G711 voice quality coming from Packet8. The service has been reliable (some minor issues here and there). Technical support is very good. Would recommend.
Installation was straight forward. Didn't have to forward any ports on router.
I got the $50 Competitive Upgrade credit
Porting from Packet8 to VoicePulse took about 7 weeks
Pros
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- Reliable - been up almost always - sometimes had to reboot Sipura. Had 2 issues with incoming calls recently - fixed within few hours. Mostly minor stuff. No major outages.
- Nice feature set
- Good voice quality
- Support is good and helpful. Have always got a follow-up call for any issue.
- In my case atleast, the second line on my SPA-2000 that is open .. !
Cons
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- No Voicemail time stamp (not emails; in the voicemail portal itself)
- DTMF tones during conversation - been there almost since I subscribed. Support says its a known issue and no fix available. It annoys me sometimes.
Nice to haves
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- Voicemail via web will be good
- There is a little delay in voicemail notifications (on phone - Voice Mail Waiting indicator) - no big deal.
- Remote phone-admin for call forward etc. - like if I forgot to forward calls to my cell just after I stepped out and have no PC access.
- Would be good if they gave credentials
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Review by shealyse
UPDATED: 1.2 years ago
member for 5.6 years, 775 visits, last login: 2 days ago
Lexington,Lexington,SC
$15 per month
"Good, Stable Service. It Just Works!!!"
"Few service enhancements over the years."
"Good, Stable Service, Good price even without having to prepay for a year."
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I have been a VoicePulse user for over three years. The service has been excellent. Very few outages or issues. Whenever I had to open support tickets for issues, I always received an actual return phone call from tech support as a followup.
If you are looking for stable service and good features then VoicePulse is for you.
The price for service is average. They do offer local service plans that include unlimited local calling (for me that was statewide) plus 200 minutes of LD per month. This is the plan I selected. They do lock your adapter, so no tweaking for the techies.
VoicePulse is a rather "quiet" company. Their website rarely changes. Their features and prices have been the same since I signed up three years ago. They don't have their own forum on BBR. It just works!
1/2008- I signed up for Viatalk in 6/2007 to replace my VP line. I liked the 2 for one deal that VT offered. My intentions were to drop the VP service. However, I have found it hard to dump VP and they still "JUST WORK"!!! I took the VP ATA to work and use it as a personal line at work. I may one day break down and return VP, but I just can't let it go. I may wind up bringing up a Trixbox and tie it all together with my landline for a mega home VOIP system. It's been fun playing.
UPDATED 9/2008
I still have my VP line, but rarely use it. I keep it connected at work, primarily for play. My earlier reviews still stand. Their customer service is extremely prompt and their service is solid. I would definitely recommend VP for the plug and go user who may not be technical and wants reliable service. Even though I don't use it very often, I am having a hard time convincing myself to cancel the service. I have even loaned my adapter out to coworkers to take home and try which has resulted in a few more customers for VP.
Followup comments:  PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey | VoicePulse review. Sounds great.
You did say in your review:
...I have even loaned my adapter out to coworkers to take home and try...
I just hope that none of them end up dialing 911 and having rescue folks show at at your house instead. | |
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 Review by gmatta
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 9.4 years, 566 visits, last login: 81 days ago
Newark,New Castle,DE
$11 per month
"use your own FreePBX , 1 number, 4 lines, NO charge on incoming call"
"5th line is $20/mo."
"voicepuleCONNECT $11/month for 1 number / 4 lines"
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3 + years of dial tone, great quality, outages only when servers are being upgraded, upgrade are announced in advance.
Go to »https://connect.voicepulse.com for service details.
Use an old intel pc pIII 500mhz 250 mb 6gig hard drive.
Running Asterisk 1.2.12.1 built by root @ localhost.localdomain on a i686 running Linux reinstalled on 2006-10-18 18:35:57 UTC
Almost 2 years on this pc. $10 zaptel clone modem for pots line.
Providers are Comcast, (*ucks), Fios works great.
NEEDS TRAFFIC SHAPING FIREWALL, fixes most quality problems. Not that I've had any, once I tuned the traffic shaping properly.
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 Review by NjOlds
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 5.9 years, 2106 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Bronx,Bronx,NY
$24 per month (month by month)
about 2 days
"SUPERFAST setup time!"
"None so far."
"They are a rock solid VoIP provider."
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08/13/07 - I placed an order online and received the PAP2 on 08/15/07. I'm forwarding all my calls from ViaTalk while I wait for my number transfer to go through. Hopefully it's as quick as their shipping. Call quality is so far a lot better than ViaTalk with no choppiness. Voicemail works flawlessly. I'll give a more thorough review when the transfer finishes.
UPDATE 10/02/07
As of Monday my number port to VoicePulse is complete. The reason it took so long was because of a ViaTalk mix-up.... »So here's a new one....
I've had zero problems so far with VP and their support is second to none. This is the closest to POTS I have experienced since using VoIP.
UPDATE 08/11/08
I am still using VP but only for a fax line. I started having a few issues with them and could not see myself relying on them when I have two young kids at home. I was having intermittent dropping of calls which carried over to my new apartment even after I tried new equipment. I called their support line but nothing fixed the problem. Two months have passed since I moved my primary line to OV and I couldn't be happier.
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 Review by zoofreak
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 4.9 years, 522 visits, last login: 15 days ago
Irving,Dallas,TX
$16 per month
about 5 days
"Mulit-Ring, No BS Taxes/ Fees, Quality Sound, and Ex. Reliability"
"None, One Year and no issues."
"Big "Local Area" and 200 Long distance for $15.89"
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Tech support should get higher than a 5. Very prompt, the same person handles an issue from start to finish.
I picked these folks because of the good reviews here and because ATT CallVantage couldn't port my SunRocket number. I like that they don't load their monthly charges down with taxes. I think I'm probably saving $10 a month over CallVantage even with the Cingular discount I would qualify for.
Update 08/08/2008 - One year later, nearly perfect service
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Review by eugenegill
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 5.5 years, 972 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Asheville,Buncombe,NC
$40 per month
"Fantastic customer support, many features, open access second line"
"No CNAME"
"Solid VOIP service"
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Update 8/6/08: Rock solid. Cannot comment on support because I never have to contact them. Cost is for two lines, unlimited. E911 activated.
Ordered SPA-2002 from Voxilla, with free VoicePulse activation and first month's service. Once received, almost immediate, easy activation (for me, anyway, a Vonage veteran). Good call quality, but sometimes a faint echo, which seems to disappear after a while.
Billed for first month, in error. A quick email resulted in an immediate credit. Ported number from Bellsouth, which took 4 weeks. I recommend emailing LNP LOA, as my faxed form was not legible and caused a delay.
Activated a second, open access line, using my hacked PAP2. Works just great. $9.99 for 500 minutes. Note that calling primary phone from open access phone counts towards minutes!
A large number of useful user features, which are sometimes confusing, like call fowarding vs. multi-ring vs. call hunting. I ended up forwarding calls to myself!
Customer support is very good - fast response and thorough follow-up.
No 911 is disappointing. I am hoping that this will be rectified soon. When this happens, VoicePulse will be close to perfect.
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 Review by buckeyered
UPDATED: 1.3 years ago
member for 4.5 years, 2104 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Hamilton,Butler,OH
$15 per month
about 4 days
"Great sound and Support"
"None yet"
"I am very pleased with VoicePulse"
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Search for competitive upgrade on the voicepulse web site if you are switching from another provider and they will mail you a check for 50.00 if you keep the unlimited account for two months.
Update 07/31/08
Over three years of rock solid service with only a few hiccups. They are not the cheapest
but they are the best.
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