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plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb to Melissa2009B

Premium Member

to Melissa2009B

Re: [Rant] I want to add Voice but they won't let me!

I've had CDV now since May of this year. So far, the service is really good. I don't have any issues with call quality, dropped calls, etc. Every one I talk to I can hear very clearly, and they can hear me just as well.

The one downside (and I think this is true with VOIP as well) is that if your Comcast service goes out (no cable tv, no internet), there is a good chance your phone service will be down as well. So having a backup is probably a good idea if that ever happens. For me, that has only happened one time, and it was due to a storm taking out a few telephone poles where the Comcast Line was running, and it cut the lines in the process. It was only out for 4 or 5 hours I believe. But, that of course was no fault of anyone at Comcast..its not like they can control mother nature!

Since it sounds like you already have an eMTA modem, you know that there is a place to put batteries in it (I think one is standard). This allows your phones to continue to work in a power outage (again assuming the Comcast network parts have power).

--Brian
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

said by plencnerb:

I've had CDV now since May of this year. So far, the service is really good. I don't have any issues with call quality, dropped calls, etc. Every one I talk to I can hear very clearly, and they can hear me just as well.

The one downside (and I think this is true with VOIP as well) is that if your Comcast service goes out (no cable tv, no internet), there is a good chance your phone service will be down as well. So having a backup is probably a good idea if that ever happens. For me, that has only happened one time, and it was due to a storm taking out a few telephone poles where the Comcast Line was running, and it cut the lines in the process. It was only out for 4 or 5 hours I believe. But, that of course was no fault of anyone at Comcast..its not like they can control mother nature!

Since it sounds like you already have an eMTA modem, you know that there is a place to put batteries in it (I think one is standard). This allows your phones to continue to work in a power outage (again assuming the Comcast network parts have power).

--Brian

Yes, familiar with all that, and understand Brian, thanks.

This CenturyLink land line has been a nightmare since we built the house in 2006, though, every time it rains or snows. 60 year old lead wrapped paper foil, I'm told. Even squirrels eat it.

And as far as the modem, do they REALLY need to send a tech out to install Voice? I'm a tech myself, in electronics. At one point they mentioned some kind of self install kit, but I think they want the money, not that.

owlyn
MVM
join:2004-06-05
Newtown, PA

owlyn

MVM

They have to send a tech out to make sure it is working to ensure you have access to 911.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb to Melissa2009B

Premium Member

to Melissa2009B
said by Melissa2009B:

And as far as the modem, do they REALLY need to send a tech out to install Voice? I'm a tech myself, in electronics. At one point they mentioned some kind of self install kit, but I think they want the money, not that.

In my case, I already had Internet with them, and was renting a cable modem (Scientific Atlanta By Cisco, model # DPC2100R2). So, when I went down to the local office to add CDV, they gave me a self-install kit, which contained a Thomson Internet Voice Modem, Model # DHG536. They did charge me a one time fee of $20 (or close to that) to add the service. A tech visit was not required. All I had to do was take home my self-install kit, swap modems, activate the new one, and return the old one to them.

It did take a bit to fully activate it, as I had to wait for AT&T to port my number over (I think it was 4 business days). While I was waiting my internet service was not effected, but I could not use the phone part of my modem. When the number port was complete, I called Comcast back, and they finished the activation process.

Since you already have an eMTA, I would think all you would have to do is add CDV to your account, port your number from your existing provider, and call Comcast once that has been complete.

I don't see a way to avoid paying the one time fee to add CDV, even if you use the self-install kit and do it yourself.

By the way, I'm actually on my 3rd modem now (which is why I rent and not buy), as I had an issue with the batteries in the Thomson eMTA. It would not hold a charge. Not sure if it was a bad battery or a bad modem, so I went back to the local office and swapped it out. While I did specifically ask for a D3 eMTA, they told me they would not give me one because my speed package (Performance w/powerboost) did not require it. So, they gave me an Arris, Model# TM402P/110.

--Brian
medbuyer
join:2003-11-20
Memphis, TN

medbuyer to Melissa2009B

Member

to Melissa2009B
said by Melissa2009B:

This CenturyLink land line has been a nightmare since we built the house in 2006, though, every time it rains or snows. 60 year old lead wrapped paper foil, I'm told. Even squirrels eat it.

I'm a tech myself, in electronics. At one point they mentioned some kind of self install kit, but I think they want the money, not that.

I would suppose your with your tech skills that you can call CenturyLink to run you a new line and then create new homerun lines for phone, data etc...

i think that's easier than pulling your hair and maybe avoid dealing with Comcast if that's pulling your wits...

besides, I agree with owlyn See Profile said...
said by owlyn:

They have to send a tech out to make sure it is working to ensure you have access to 911.

Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B to plencnerb

Member

to plencnerb
Thanks for the detailed reply Brian.

I'm looking at that PhonePower site, that was just mentioned. Gotta find out how that works. Hope it would be reliable enough for a small SOHO like ours.
medbuyer
join:2003-11-20
Memphis, TN

medbuyer to Melissa2009B

Member

to Melissa2009B
nvm...found my answer....
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

Electronics Tehnician with an ASET ( Associate in Science in Electronics Technology ) from 1969. LOL I worked as an R&D Technician for 27 years, until it left the country around 1993.
dplantz
join:2000-08-02
Bradenton, FL

dplantz

Member

PhonePower works good for me. Based in California and can port in your number. Cheaper than CDV and very reliable. Good luck. CDV does have better sound quality than PhonePower, but less features as well. »www.PhonePower.com

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

JohnInSJ

Premium Member

said by dplantz:

PhonePower works good for me. Based in California and can port in your number. Cheaper than CDV and very reliable. Good luck. CDV does have better sound quality than PhonePower, but less features as well. »www.PhonePower.com

Plus, you can use your PP account with any SIP client. So your "home phone" can come with you when you travel. Which is neat.
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

1 edit

Melissa2009B

Member

Whatever that is, ok.

I wish they could replace RingCentral for us. We have that for simultaneous ring and fax-to-email, but they're too expensive.
...

Gee, I just chatted with them and this almost sounds too good to be true! They said they can, AND probably port our 800 number for voice and fax, and do simultaneous ring!

Transcript:

[4:32 PM] Melissa:Do you, by chance, offer fax to email, and simultaneous ring?
[4:32 PM] Melissa:cool
[4:32 PM] Courtney:We offer all of those for free
[4:32 PM] Melissa:Seriously?
[4:32 PM] Courtney:there are 40+ free features with our service
[4:32 PM] Courtney:The most popular is our free softphone
[4:32 PM] Courtney:most providers charge $9.95 a month for theirs.
[4:33 PM] Melissa:We currently have simultaneous ring and fax to email with Ring Central and it's expensive
[4:33 PM] Melissa:But we have two 800 numbers
[4:33 PM] Melissa:1 for voice and 1 for fax
[4:34 PM] Courtney:Those features are free with our service. We can transfer your 800 numbers. There is a one time $5 activation fee, it is $5 a month, and 4 cents/min for all inbound calls.
[4:34 PM] Melissa:not sure if we can port those from Ring Central though.
[4:34 PM] Courtney:We can surely try
[4:35 PM] Melissa:We could do without the 800 numbers but all our clients have the
m
[4:35 PM] Courtney:Well, it shouldn't be an issue to transfer them

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb to medbuyer

Premium Member

to medbuyer
said by medbuyer:

besides, I agree with owlyn See Profile said...

said by owlyn:

They have to send a tech out to make sure it is working to ensure you have access to 911.

This is not true.

I did not need a tech to visit my home when I added Comcast Digital Voice back in May of this year. I was already a High Speed Internet and Cable TV subscriber. I had phone service with AT&T. I had a cable modem, but it was not an eMTA. It was a standard cable modem (Scientific Atlanta By Cisco, model # DPC2100R2).

So, I walked into my local Comcast office, and asked them to add Comcast Digital Voice to my account. They looked on the system, saw what I had, gave me a self-install kit, and told me to go home, swap the modems. The modem that was in the self-install kit was a Thomson Internet Voice Modem, Model # DHG536. I told them also that I wanted to port my existing number from AT&T, and I told them what that number was. They said that would take 3 to 4 business day to do. When that was done, I would have to call them back. Finally, they told me to return my existing rented modem to the local office.

So, I went home, powered off my existing modem, and hooked up my new one. Called Comcast, and went through the activation process. I was up and running for the internet side in about 20 minutes. I then went back to the local office, returned my old modem, and said everything is working great.

3 business days later, my existing phone service from AT&T stopped working. So, I again called Comcast, and went through the activation process over the phone to make sure that Comcast Digital phone service was working. That call took about 15 minutes.

When it was all said and done, I only had to pay a one time fee of like $20.

NO TECH VISITED MY HOME for the entire process.

So, unless things are different from market to market, I don't know why people keep saying a tech visit is required when you set up Comcast Digital Voice, even if you use a self-install kit. If one was, then how did I do it without one?

--Brian

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

1 edit

NetFixer

Premium Member

said by plencnerb:

NO TECH VISITED MY HOME for the entire process.

So, unless things are different from market to market, I don't know why people keep saying a tech visit is required when you set up Comcast Digital Voice, even if you use a self-install kit. If one was, then how did I do it without one?

--Brian

They keep saying it because (at least for CDV) at one time it was a requirement. The primary reason was to make sure that if the customer wanted to distribute the CDV FXS connection over the existing inside telco wiring, the tech would make sure that the existing inside telco wiring was properly disconnected. But apparently, Comcast finally realized that other VoIP services were not doing that (and generally had no problems because of it), and so they have now dropped the on-site tech install requirement.

PeteC2
Got Mouse?
MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT

PeteC2

MVM

said by NetFixer:

said by plencnerb:

NO TECH VISITED MY HOME for the entire process.

So, unless things are different from market to market, I don't know why people keep saying a tech visit is required when you set up Comcast Digital Voice, even if you use a self-install kit. If one was, then how did I do it without one?

--Brian

They keep saying it because (at least for CDV) at one time it was a requirement. The primary reason was to make sure that if the customer wanted to distribute the CDV FXS connection over the existing inside telco wiring, the tech would make sure that the existing inside telco wiring was properly disconnected. But apparently, Comcast finally realized that other VoIP services were not doing that (and generally had no problems because of it), and so they have now dropped the on-site tech install requirement.

Could be, but plancnerb's experience was similar to mine (this was last March).

I already had limited Comcast cable tv service, as it is provided free via my apartment complex.

To add Comcast internet and voice, all I did was call in and have a self-install kit sent out. I have yet to have an on-site tech visit, so at least in my area, self-install of voice with an eMTA is not an issue.