Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip in VOIP Tech Chat http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r15732896 en Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:02:39 EDT Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:02:39 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15737810 raderator : I'd recommend VOIP.net. It is probably the most reliable service out there and very cheap. Free 2nd number too. They have Collegeville numbers. Viatalk would be good if you want to pay by the year. They have a few more features but reliability is not proven. Steer clear of Sunrocket. Reliability is the big problem with them. Your first outage will be traumatic.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15737810 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:12:11 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15734917 christcorp : Excellent suggestion ctylor. For the technically challenged, going with eith the cable company or the phone company for voip is a better solution. I think the reason no one was suggesting it was it appeared the OP was pretty much sold on trying to get them on a 3rd party voip system.

One thing however about the 3rd party voip customers that I have to disagree with. 3rd party voip customers don't really need to read these or any forums. The average customer count for voip that come to the forums is only a little bit over 5% of total customers. The average voip user just plugs it in and away they go. Most of these users probably have 1 computer, which is barely on each day except for email. Their broadband service is probably basic 256k dsl or standard cable. They don't hard wire into their existing phones jacks. etc... We on the forums are definately a rare breed.

I definately think however that a NOOB set of parents not familiar with the technology at all would be better off with the cable company. It's still a little bit cheaper probably than the phone company. They can learn and always switch to a 3rd party voip down the road. Later... Mike...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15734917 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 02:26:57 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15734902 ctylor : I would be extremely reluctant to get non-technical parents switched over to a nomadic VOIP provider like Vonage, SunRocket, ViaTalk etc. VOIP calls going through your high speed internet connection can develop so many technical issues that affect quality (like latency, echo, words being dropped), that although they almost always are able to be dealt with by changing your configuration...they do require someone to read forums like this one and Voxilla's to troubleshoot.

A fixed VOIP provider like Comcast (which doesn't really use the public internet but its own private IP network to connect to the PSTN) will have almost no quality issues and no technical issues emerge by comparison to using nomadic VOIP providers like ViaTalk et al. Since you yourself don't sound like at this point you have the technical know-how to fully troubleshoot your parents VOIP connection when (not if) they run into quality issues, I would highly recommend just going with the cable company's digital phone plan instead even if it is more expensive.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15734902 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 02:18:08 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15734529 Jim K :
1) Do not rely solely on VoIP - have a cell phone or normal landline also.

2) Someone, who is a permanent resident, must have a good knowledge of computers and networking.

3) Spending time on this forum will probably be necessary for tech support.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15734529 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:24:14 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733586 ptrowski : Wise words christcorp. Italian, the best thing you can do is do your homework and research on what options, etc are important to you, what your price range is etc. Then you just start plugging in the qualified providers from there.
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Make a Difference-Join Team Helix!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733586 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:43:41 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733451 christcorp : Yes, you can have all the numbers you desire. Yes you would need to have basically 2 accounts / 2 adapters. The only thing I recommend is that you do a little homework first. I know you are excited about VOIP, and your parents are making a decision, but it is still better to think it all through and know what you are getting into.

Remember, your parents are full grown adults. They made a lot of decisions on their own before you even existed. Just mention to them that there are some options and maybe they should hold off of the cable phone system for a little while until you can gather some information. I'm not talking about 4 or 5 people tonight sending forum messages.

Voip, even through the cable company, is not 100% guranteed. When the internet is down, so is the phone. Fax is not guaranteed to work on VOIP. If all you have is one computer on the internet, then the adapter is pretty easy. If you have any type of network, you want to have this figured out.

You definately need to call as many providers as you can and ask all the questions you can. Cheaper than cable is definately something to look at, but don't automatically think that all voip providers are equal and therefor the cheapest one is the way to go.

No, I'm not dumping on SunRocket, there's already enough people who will tell you that they suck. Just like there will be as many telling you they are great. You will find the same for all providers and their fans. One thing I will tell you however, SunRocket can be a very good choice for voip but the average user needs to be a bit more computer and voip litterate and proactive as compared to other providers. In other words, it's rare that it is a simple plug and play. When it is working however, people are happy.

The point is, there is over 1100 providers to choose from. Many are resellers and many are direct. This forum deals with mainly the top 16 even though they all are welcomed. Jumping head first to sunrocket or any provider in this stage of the game is not a smart thing to do. Later... Mike...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733451 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:28:20 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733436 Italian :
said by estebanj See Profile :

Another idea... switch one to SunRocket and the other to another provider such as Vonage.

Esteban
So I will have 2 separate adapters that plug into my router/modem? Will the two services interfere with each other?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733436 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:26:44 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733397 estebanj : As for the two lines, the $199 plan includes two numbers which allow incoming calls, but only one number for outgoing.

I don't know how SR handles having two separate lines for outbound calls. Two accounts / two phone adapters?

One idea... switch one to SunRocket and keep the other on POTS/Verizon.

Another idea... switch one to SunRocket and the other to another provider such as Vonage.

Esteban]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733397 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:22:38 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733369 estebanj : As a follow up...

3) Make sure you don't connect the phone adapter to the house wiring w/out first disconnecting the outside wire. If you cannot find the steps or have questions feel free to ask.

Also, another source of problems can be your VoIP provider. Comcast and your internet connection may be OK, but your VoIP may be down. For example, I've been with SunRocket for a month now and have on average one problem a week so far. I don't regret the decision as I "knew" this going into it.

4) There are also QoS hardware adapters such as the D-Link DI-102 and the Hawking Tech HBB1. What is your upload/download speed? You can do a test at www.testmyvoip.com. Choose Boston and see what number you get. You're looking for 4.4 or thereabout.

7) Possibly. There is a good chance you may experience problems with VoIP (uptime). If you know this going into it, that's fine b/c the cost savings are greater than the ocassional minor problem. However, if your parents will be upset if one day they cannot make a call b/c the service is down, then you may regret it. Will there always be a mobile phone available just in case?

Feel free to PM for more details.

Esteban]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733369 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:18:10 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733349 Kiwi : To heck with POT's that so retro..Lol]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733349 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:15:28 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733311 Italian : I just got off the phone with Sunrocket. I was inquiring about the $199 annual plan. I am very interested in the service. I didn't hear him mention anything about free phones though, and didn't see that listed on the site. I do have one major problem though. Right now we have two separate phone lines in our house, and need both of them. I asked the guy, and he said that we can only receive calls on the second line(which is free). That won't really work for us. Do all Voips work this way, or only Sunrocket? Is it possible to have two standard two-way lines on other providers? Would it be possible to have two separate Sunrocket accounts in the house, using the same internet connection, or would they interfere. Another $199 a year would still be worth it if we could do this, as right now we are paying $50 a month for each line!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733311 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:11:15 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733231 okieopie : Italian -- I looked up an area code and exchange for Schwenksville (610/287) and it looks like SunRocket is available to you!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733231 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:03:00 EDT Re: Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733158 okieopie :
said by Italian See Profile :

1. Can we keep our same (Verizon) phone number? We would really hate to get a new phone number.
Yes, the porting of the number takes anywhere from 10 to 30 days. It's best to use the number that is assigned by the VOIP provider for a while to see if it works well -- then begin the porting process. When the number is ported over, the service to your POTS line will be discontinued.
said by Italian See Profile :

2. Is there a search feature on this site for VOIP availability(like how we can search for ISPs). If not, does anyone know which ones are available in my area?
What is your area code and exchange. Most providers have an easy lookup to see if their service is available to you.
said by Italian See Profile :

3. Is the reliability of the phone dependent solely on the internet(Comcast). If the internet is down, then the phone is down right? What about emergency(911)?
Yes, phone service is carried over the internet -- so if Comcast is down, so is your phone. That happens very rarely though. e911 is required by all VOIP providers now.
said by Italian See Profile :

4. Will bandwidth usage or any other internet activity affect/interfere with the phone?
Heavy download activity will affect the quality. There are ways to deal with that through QoS settings on a router.
said by Italian See Profile :

5. Is there some sort of wireless router for the phones, so you can have multiple phones?
You can either use cordless phones that connect to a base that is attached to the adapter, or you can feed the phone signal to all the existing phones in your house by connecting the VOiP Adapter to a wall jack. Be sure you research that fully before you do it though!
said by Italian See Profile :

6. Are there any plans that are cheaper if you have a one year(or so) contract? If so, which providers do that?
Yes, the one I use is SunRocket which I like very well. I'm not sure if it is available in your area, however. ViaTalk is getting great reviews here as well.
said by Italian See Profile :

7. Should we switch!!??
Heck yeah! I don't regret going with it for a minute. My cost is only $199 a year -- and that includes free phones... Try it for a while and if you don't like it, cancel and continue with the POTS.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15733158 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 20:52:25 EDT Quick Help: Might Switch to Voip http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15732896 Italian : I came home tonight and my mom and step-dad were on the phone talking to Comcast(telemarketer) about switching to Comcast voip. They gave them a rate of $34 a month for the first year, then $40 after that. I have read briefly before about voip, and I remember some voip plans being as low as $20 a month. They are already scheduling a technician to come out and set them up for comcast!! I told them they can get it way cheaper than that. I never really mentioned anything about voip before, because it is fairly new, and haven't heard much about it. I have a few questions for you experts here. Btw, I live in the Collegeville/Schwenkville area of PA.

1. Can we keep our same (Verizon) phone number? We would really hate to get a new phone number.
2. Is there a search feature on this site for VOIP availability(like how we can search for ISPs). If not, does anyone know which ones are available in my area?
3. Is the reliability of the phone dependent solely on the internet(Comcast). If the internet is down, then the phone is down right? What about emergency(911)?
4. Will bandwidth usage or any other internet activity affect/interfere with the phone?
5. Is there some sort of wireless router for the phones, so you can have multiple phones?
6. Are there any plans that are cheaper if you have a one year(or so) contract? If so, which providers do that?
7. Should we switch!!??]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15732896 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 20:17:39 EDT