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Review by IzMan 
member for 1.9 years, 5 visits, last login: 65 days ago
updated 65 days ago
 Saint Joseph,Buchanan,MO
 $15 per month- (24 month contract)
 about 3 days "Mobile account page, failsafe, etc..." "Full of features and solid service"
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I came into the service around 4 months ago with my own Linksys SPA2102, which I prefer to use as its served me well in the past. Ive been overall impressed with the service and functionality of the features. For someone that lives on their smartphone such as myself, the phone friendly account portal is a big plus. Living in an area prone to storms during the winter, the failsafe feature is also helpful to auto forward my calls to my cell if our power goes out as it can frequently do at times. I really haven't come across any bad points yet in my experience, but will certainly update down the line. Their knowledge-base is the best I've seen compared to previous providers for learning more about what you can do with the service or answering questions without having to call support. Droid app seems to be next, great!
Update - I've been using the app for a while now and can appreciate the service on the go. There have been a couple times when our power has been knocked out as anticipated, so it's nice to have the backup as well. I've only had to call Support once when I recently had to reset all my electronics up again in a different space in the house and was having troubles. I got through pretty quickly and they got me running again within 15 minutes or so. Not bad at all! The service continues to be a perfect fit for my needs.
Comments:
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Review by topgun
member for 2.3 years, 498 visits, last login: 6 days ago
updated 89 days ago
- undisclosed location
- $16 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 5 days
- "Excellent tech support, Features we love, Saying GBye to Verizon :)"
 "No flux capicator\Mr Fusion to re-do past conversations :("- "Best mix of support, features, and reliability I have found"
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Been a customer for 4 1/2 years now through thick and thin. I have seen the Good, Bad, and the Ugly. The main complaints I have read are dealing with the Incoming Call Manager (ICM) on the newer Aquarius network. That is to be expected because peeps are impatient and even though they were told repeatedly that ICM is\was in BETA they still expect everything to work flawlessly. Of course when it doesn't it; the Taylor Trolls come out from under the bridge and we all know misery likes company on the internet hence the smear reviews.
Got my hands on the new Innomedia MTA-6328 about 6 months ago and have been loving it. Provisions in less the 30 seconds and since PhonePower can securely tunnel into for support issues the End User experience is much more enjoyable. Much better then the old HT-502 which I would almost forget I was using VoIP until I would have to reboot it for my phone service to work every week or two. Not a big deal mostly just a PITA.  Now I don't even think about me using VoIP it just works 
I can usually reach a Tier 1 tech within an 10 minutes and depending how busy they are a Tier 2 within 1-12 hours. It really depends on how swamped they get. Like most businesses the best time to call is early in the mourning or late afternoon.
If I find anything more out I'll add it; as always thanks for reading any comments are welcome!
--update-
Been a customer since 12/3/2008 so I'll be going on my forth year this winter. Originally had a buy one year get a year free deal. Now they keep throwing my peeps & I renewal specials for being a valued customers. 3
Originally ported my # from Verizon and it was dumb luck the port went through within the hour of receiving my Grandstream HT-502. Any problems I experienced with voice quality was do to Verizon DSL (they switched to me another router @ the CO) about a year into my PP service.
Reliability has been outstanding I only remember 2 multi-hour outages, one from a router going bad and the other a major DOS attack. It can\does happen to every telephone service provider I have been with including Verizon (s!@t happens). To bad some jealous competitors try to make a failed smear campaign from it »bit.ly/L4ogIF
I have watched them grow from the older (Capricorn) network to (Aquarius) which has more advanced call routing, filtering, fail-over, etc. Been loving the new Android app (still in BETA) along with many others in the PhonePower forum. Despite all the growth they still make you feel like your not just a number and will call me back just to make sure a ticket was resolved. When I first signed up I knew allot of the staff by name, with their tremendous growth not so easy anymore but hey it keeps my brain working.
Just now got off the phone with support and they answered withing 5 minutes! Since I'm using their new Innomedia ATA I confirmed that with tech support that they can access my device with no problems.  Which is good if they ever needed to Troubleshoot anything related to the intertubes. My ole Grandstream was and still is a great rock solid ATA and served me well but for whatever reason the new Innomedia has cleared up some latency issues.
Rated Website 75% - Although the backend works fine for everyone I know; it could be a little more streamlined\intuitive for newbs but definitely not a deal breaker. I'm hoping the new ICM will include a nice slick polished GUI all geeks\newbs alike want. Aquarius is definitely a BIG improvement from Capricorn!
Ease of Installation 75% - Lets face it 100% Plug N Play Residential VoIP would be like us humans talking to our computers like they do in Star Trek (not happening). PhonePower makes it as painless as possible with clear directions, tech support, FAQ, etc. If you are purchasing PP you may need to get your feet wet doing some trouble shooting, opening ports, etc. I had to call tech support to help me out with above ^ again not a deal breaker. Just be aware when using any VoIP service you may have occasional minor hiccups.
Call Quality 100% - PP does not control the public internet or my ISP I can't fault them for the one in every 50 calls not being perfect. With people using VoIP, cell phones, old aging copper, elusive payphones, rating something so subjective with so many variables just does not seem fair to me. Far as I'm concerned PP has cleared the bar enough times so they get perfect from me.
Reliability 100% - For how long I have been a customer vs. how much downtime I have experienced due to acts beyond their control I'm not complaining. My ISP has many more outages! Every time I had to call 911 the call was routed properly and the E911 worked flawlessly.
Tech Support 100% - Call them yourself and ask them questions, don't take my word?
Value for money 100% - Ask your cable company, Landline, Wireless Carrier, etc. if they can give you all the features PP offers for 20\month or less. That's all I have to say about that..hehe
Comments:
 | | Phone Power is terrible at this point. If they don't fix my problem I'm going to slam them on the internet. Been going on for a week now. | |
| | | | Re: Phone Power is terrible at this point. Can you PM me your account info and I can look in to what is going on? | |
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Review by gworkman7
member for 7.6 years, 1488 visits, last login: 1 days ago
updated 99 days ago
- Tucson,Pima,AZ
- $15 per month
- (24 month contract)
- about 14 days
- "Good Feature Set / Reliable"
- "None"
- "Could be a good thing."
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I had my account hijacked by PhonePower due to Broadvox Direct dropping its customers on them. When I first recieved the e-mail notice, I contacted Phone Power to ensure the equipment would be sent to the correct address. This was on 9/10. On 9/14, I checked the tracking log and it showed that the equipment was sent to my old address. I contacted them again because my original box would no longer work after 9/15. They corrected the information (for the second time) and said it would be shipped out on 9/14. A few phone calls and two missed promises of the box being shipped and we are now up to 9/17 with no equipment and now, no service. I now have a tracking number for an overnight shipment of the equipment.
*** UPDATED 10/5/09
The equipment finally arrived on 9/21. So far, the service has been performing well. The only problem I had is that the volume is too loud. Called tech support and they had to log in to advanced settings (not available to end users) and make the adjustments. Everything is fine now.
Tech support was reached in less than 5 minutes, which was also a plus.
*** Updated 10/25/2010
I"ve had this service running for a year now. They have added enhancements to their website and the service has been very reliable. I have had two occasions where I needed tech support. On both calls, I got CSRs in SoCal within 2 minutes. This is quite an improvement over my BroadVox days.
I converted my plan to two years for $14.95/month.
Comments:
Reviews:
 ·PHONE POWER
| Disappointed with Tech Support Quite disappointed with tonight's chat. At the end, the tech COULD have at least left with courteous apology. Instead, he chose to be arrogant. If he didn't know the "Zippy" drive should be connected to a computer, he should have stopped at the beginning. Instead, he drug out the process for 17 minutes before telling me to go away...
You are now chatting with Bill
Greg W: howdy Bill
Bill: hello, can I have the name, phone number and user name on the account?
Bill: what is the issue with the zippy?
Greg W: Any number I call rings once, then stops. I call 611 and get the prompts. I press three and the entry does not respond, so I can't call tech support
Bill: Ok, let me document this. Please keep in mind we are now closed and my troubleshooting options are limited right now.
Bill: when you dial 611, what prompts do you hear?
Greg W: OK. I've been trying to get tech support online since 8 this evening.
Greg W: new order - 1
Greg W: existing order - 2
Greg W: tech support 3
Bill: OK, well we are closed at the moment, so I will do the best I can.
Bill: so when you press one of the numbers to select an extension you are unable to do so from the zippy?
Greg W: Correct. I tried with two different phones and neither would get past the prompt. They should default to a live human at some point, but they don't
Bill: who is your isp?
Greg W: CenturyLink. My reg phonepower box works fine. I just need this USB device to work in a computer room.
Bill: ok, what is the brand name and model number of your modem?
Greg W: ActionTech Q1000
Bill: do you have a router in your network? if so, what is the brand name and model number?
Greg W: Netgear WNR 3500U
Bill: is the phone adapter connected directly to the actiontech device or the netgear device?
Greg W: No...the Zippy USB is intended to be connected to a computer. It has no software. It is connected to a computer.
Bill: Ok, at this time I can no longer continue troubleshooting, I have created a trouble ticket regarding your issue and a technician will contact you in the morning. Your ticket number is: 1402236.
Greg W: Horrendous. I have been trying to get through for HOURS. I can't believe this is where we land.
Bill: we closed at 10, the chat started at 10
Bill: we are closed
Greg W: Great. That helps. Thanks for the apology. I'll expect better service tomorrow.
Bill: No worries, have a great night
Greg W: To be posted to DSL Reports...not that you care. Good night.
Bill: Ok, have a good night | |
| | | Poor Support Yes, this was handled poorly by the technician you worked with and it is not the type of support that we strive to provide. I hope that the technician you spoke with this morning provided you with the level of support you deserve. We will be reviewing the issue with with the original technician you worked with and corrected his mistakes. | |
| | | | Re: Poor Support This morning's call was much better. It was on par with the service I've had in the past.
Thanks. | |
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 Review by LeeOpines
member for 5.8 years, 63 visits, last login: 126 days ago
updated 126 days ago
- Crestview,Okaloosa,FL
- $12 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 1 days
- "Excellent voice quality - excellent support from billing to technical"
- "Nothing!! The are Great"
- "Definitely worth trying – the price is right and you will be able to live with the voice quality"
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** Updated 01/19/13 **
I have now been with Phone Power for four years. They have provided excellent service and excellent VOIP quality calls.
If you want to save money and receive excellent service, I would recommend joining this company.
In my job, I accomplish performance assessments all the time and yes some of the assessments have been VOIP!
This company’s technical expertise and staff have been great and yes I will be renewing with them again very soon.
** Updated 04/07/09 **
My phone number has been transferred (very quickly and with no pain).
My Grandstream adapter HT502 has been working fine and staying connected for weeks now with NO problems.
The reason I switch from my old VIOP provider to Phone Power was because a telemarketer woke me up at 8:00 on a Saturday (I am on the do not call list). This telemarketer was calling & calling day after day week after week. My old provider had very limited features and did not allow blocking of anonymous calls or any call blocking at all. Within minutes of setup with Phone Power, these calls have stop (they are still calling but all they get is a busy signal)
I have taken the HT502 adapter out of the DMZ and placed it behind the firewall for protection. Once I turned off SIP ALG on my DIR-655, I have not had any more problems.
I am happy; I made the right choice at the right time ($199.00 for two years)
** Original review **
To Date, Phone Power has provided me excellent support from billing to technical and excellent voice quality.
I was able to very quickly utilize my new Phone Power VOIP service and the phone quality was/is excellent.
But I did have a few minor issues;
• On the first day when I tried to answer two of my incoming calls (many other calls work fine) all I received was a fast busy signal. I called technical support to see what they thought (only spent about 3 minutes on the phone with them and their support was excellent). Technical support’s suggestion was to put the Grandstream adapter into my router’s DMZ zone. I did this and I have not had a busy signal since. This issue is not Phone Powers fault, but mine because I am putting their adapter behind my router.
• After four days of flawless service, I went to call my wife and my call went directly to voice mail. So I figure a simple reboot would fix the problem, it did not. I call technical support and guess what; my Grandstream adapter HT502 needed a hard reboot. Worked great since that hard reboot.
Phone Power's technical support team was able to fix my problems very quickly.
I am glad that I have join Phone Power and I know you will be glad too once you join.
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Review by Vortexed
member for 197 days, 2 visits, last login: 99 days ago
lodged 197 days ago
- Las Cruces,Dona Ana,NM
- $14 per month
- (24 month contract)
- about 3 days
- "Easy, knowledgebase, price"
- "Happy customer"
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I ordered through their online process. It was straightforward so I never felt the need to call sales. The number selection in my area was quite extensive. Hardware came ready to go and it was plug and play from there. It only took a couple days to arrive, but I am fairly close to California, where it shipped from. My Panasonic phones have cooperated nicely with the system. Considering the price (I prepaid for two years), which seems to be pretty competitive, its proved to be a good deal. In combing over the knowledge base out of curiosity, I've learned a lot more about the service in detail. I recommend others giving that a look as well for those who want to know a little more about what's available or to answer a question on your own.
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 Review by lineofsight
member for 10.3 years, 3392 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 220 days ago
- East Saint Louis,Saint Clair,IL
- $12 per month
- (24 month contract)
- about 1 days
- "Ultra-Reliable"
- "None"
- "This is the best, cheapest service for the money."
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UPDATE 10-17-2012:
A lot of time has passed. I have nothing but good things to say. I consider this VOIP system to be mature. Reliability is excellent. The only weakness has nothing to do with PhonePower. It has to do with reliability of the connection ot the internet on my end.
UPDATE 03-19-2011:
In my second year now. No outages for months. The reliablility is excellent. Making everything even better is the fact that they now allow you to get the SIP credentials, I have got this running using FreePBX!
I have gotten a couple of people to sign up with PP and I got $10 credits for each of us, this is paying the taxes that get charged on the second year of service on the $199 24 month plan.
My current hardware and service setup is Charter 18/2 Internet, a Motorola SB6120 Modem, a Netgear WNDR3700 Router and 2 FreePBX trunks in a PC using 2 Phonepower accounts. I keep the original HT-502 adapter unplugged but ready to go if my FreePBX system were to go down for some reason.
Original Review:
I have had PhonePower since 11-2009, I started off with a new number cloned to both ports, after a few months I decided to make the switch for my AT&T landline to add it to my PhonePower account. They handled the switchover perfectly. I now have my Original PhonePower number on port 1 and my home number on port 2.
I can't be happier. I put a UPS on my Motorola SB5120 Cable Modem, DLink DIR-825 Router and the Grandstream HT-502 that was supplied by PhonePower, just to add reliability in case of power company outage (this happens every once in a while here)
The features I really like are the voicemails via email (wav file) and the ability to quickly forward these numbers via the PhonePower website. The fax by email feature is a nice touch.
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Review by dkreck
member for 2.2 years, 488 visits, last login: 15 days ago
lodged 236 days ago
- Bakersfield,Kern,CA
 Business customer- $21 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 2 days
- "Very good voice quality. Reliable. Plug and play."
- "Garbles sometimes when line is in heavy use but probably isp's fault."
- "Thinking of adding my home phone."
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Two lines for price of one. Easy setup of options on web page.
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Review by oaks367
member for 2.7 years, 8 visits, last login: 246 days ago
updated 246 days ago
- Greensboro,Greene,GA
- $18 per month
- (24 month contract)
- about 5 days
- "Price and quality"
- "Haven't seen any yet"
- "Looks like I made a good choice"
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The reviews on this site actually tipped me in the direction of this company. I'm impressed with how they seem to monitor for issues that they can contact the customer and try to help with. The quality is very clear, especially for the price. Didn't have any trouble with the set up, I was able to follow the instructions easily enough. My number transfer was free and they have quite a few free features to take advantage of, like cloned line, softphone, fax to voicemail. Bottom line is that I'm happy I'm a customer. Will update later down the road as service progresses.
**I renewed my service with them for two years this time. I haven't regretted it for the past year that I've had service with them so I'm okay with committing! The periodic newsletter they send out that includes any new updates and what they are working on is helpful. Glad to see they are keeping up with, if not ahead of even, the competition with mobile apps and new features.
***Still loving the service. Droid app isn't out quite yet but, eh, not a deal breaker. I've referred a few people to the service over the years and like the credit I'm getting on my account. The features are still above the competition and I'm just waiting for more! I'll be happy to be a beta tester PP
****I figured I should probably come back and update now (9/20/12) after having used the Droid app. It's very convenient to not have to use cell minutes as well as having my home account at my fingertips. I find it pretty user friendly. I have two numbers now, one for home and one for business, and no problems switching between the two. Great app.
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Review by snatale42
member for 9.1 years, 24 visits, last login: 252 days ago
lodged 255 days ago
- Glen Allen,Henrico,VA
- $9 per month
- about 7 days
- "Cheap, Good Service, good customer service"
- "None so far"
- "Good Service for a good price"
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I was originally a BroadVoice customer for years, left and went to come back to notice they sold to PhonePower. I still get the BroadVoice rate but over phone powers network. I ordered my service on 09/04 was told my port date was 09/11. Got my ATA a couple days later and the number ported around noon on the 11th as planned. Call quality is great and customer service is awesome. I had some issues with the softphone and on top of actually answering the phone, and NOT being overseas they worked hard (and for a while) to get my issue resolved. So far very impressed. I've had quite a few VoIP provider and very picky. So far looks like Phone Power is going to keep up what BroadVoice was doing!
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Review by DesertRat45
member for 270 days, 1 visits, last login: 197 days ago
lodged 270 days ago
- Phoenix,Maricopa,AZ
- $20 per month
- (24 month contract)
- about 7 days
- "Support, call quality, features"
- "Good job PP"
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So far, so good. I ordered around three months ago. The sales person offered to place the order for me. They were helpful, but I found it easier just to type it all in myself. Pretty straightforward process even when porting your number. The porting itself was not troublesome. You just need to make sure you don't have your original company shut off your service before the number transfers. I waited until the day after, when I had placed enough test calls and made sure it was functional to call my landline provider and cancel. The call quality is not different than that of my old landline, but much cheaper.
I also downloaded the Andriod app. Had some crashing issues at first, but after new version came out, that problem was fixed. It took some fiddling and some pointers from the support staff regarding star codes for forwarding calls, but I find it very useful. I can only hope this all continues at this level. Good job PP.
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Cloned Line
Glad your a happy camper!
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