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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
2 edits | reply to fiberguy
Re: Tri-cities?
Fiberguy.. what you failed to point out, it might be "priority" on Comcast's network, but at some point, and trust me, it's a lot of points, they have to hand off to a IXC or other telco to get it through the other people who don't have VoIP, therefore, they no longer go to the head of the line. And as far as QoS, Comcast is a BIG monster therefore should provide nothing less.
VoIP is overrated. I just dumped SR and going back to SBC. WHY? Your battery backup isn't going to do you much good after a few hours of no A/C.. While cell users and VoIP users will see service drop like a rock after a few hours, my 34.00 a month POTS line will be working just fine, thank you very much.
As I work for a LARGE IXC who has both wireless and wireline, I remember seeing the MAJORITY of cell sites die after a few hours (except for the golden sites) due to the few hundred sites we have in this area, not all of them had generators. This was back during the big blackout about 2/3 years ago.
As far as the 40.00 for VoIP compared to POTS costs, it's WAY too much and after having it for a year, it's not a service I want to depend on. My family is worth more then the 15.00 I was saving each month by having SR. Till the FCC regulates or takes control and labels VoIP for what it really is or wants to be, a telephone service, in every word, people don't understand that VoIP providers can do what they want and when they want without having to answer to anyone or pay fines like a regular telco would have to (i.e., do upgrades on a friday afternoon knocking down 100% of the network). VoIP just isn't for everyone and for those thinking they are getting something for nothing will realize real fast that what they got is a fad gone wild full of bugs but is getting better but slower then they are growing. People see it as a way to stick it to the "Bells" but they find out over time that it's they who got stuck. One outage in the middle of the day might be ok, but 2 or more a year is unacceptable. Granted POTS has been around for years and people say VoIP is new. It's been around since the late 80's/early 90's. I use to use it in California back in 93 using my PC, microphone and headset. Sounded like crap but it worked and was free. 
You post a good case but I'm here to tell you.. From a user and someone who has had to work with it's shortcomings. When that CISCO 12000 series router hick ups on a Friday afternoon, the one that's carrying cables customers tfc, and it has to be powered down and rebooted, a few thousand customers are not going to have service till the problem is fixed. And your right, if CC can fix the problem in 24hrs, it only takes me a few seconds to reboot the router, and maybe 45minutes for everyone to figure out what went wrong or the system is restored. It happens, has happened and will continue to happen. Short of a tornado, I've never had these kinds of issues with POTS. That's another reason I'm going back. CC, WOW, they are both charging for what you can have POTS for. Long distance? Who here doesn't have a cell phone w/Free long distance? My 1 or 2 calls a month on LD wasn't enough to keep me on the wagon. You will see these issues with just about ALL VoIP providers and CC will be no different. Rant off. 
- Call clarity: sure. Good service most of the time, but not always. I have vonage. Works good most the time, sometimes the clarity sucks. (Hint: I don't use the TAD, I do call forwarding to my land line for my vonage calls. I have the out of area numbers to bring long distance callers in. Their calls simply get forwarded to land line and never touch my broadband connection yet the calls STILL sound crappy sometimes and with echos. Explain that?) Ok, It's because your call is still traveling through a Network controller, to a network gateway, then back out to a ILEC or IXC to your lec. It's simple. Don't try to tell these people it doesn't travel without SIP because it does. It has to go through route lists, route tables and route plans, SS7, the works, all controlled by some Lucent box or Sycamore switch in some providers network center or telco CO. I wouldn't would be so quick to write off your quality problems to not being caused by your VoIP or the IP path. I was amazed by the handing off, path and process that makes this all work till I just completed a class on a Plexus 9000 »www.tmtelcomm.com/Products/telic···A900.htm . | |
fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| tc1usg,
The ONLY part of the VOIP call I am talking about is the part that actually travels as a call as data. There is nothing traveling over any telephone call that any one carrier can give a QoS. Again, I am ONLY talking about the portion of the call that is actual data packets. Comcast, and I only speak of Comcast, can control the quality of that data packet. 3rd party can't control any of the last mile packets from the customer's home.
Further, you and I agree largely on VoIP in general. I do not care for it, want it, and I think it's a toy! I think everyone is trying to shove everything through the internet which is bad bad bad. I have Comcast digital Phone, classic switched. It's network powered and stayed up for 2 days when we had storms last year. I do NOT beleive that a $15 savings is worth the safety of my family, home, and health. Others do. If you read my other posts, I have been saying the same thing as you all along.
HOWEVER, my post was LARGELY comparing the two flavors of VoIP on those merrits alone. If I HAD to choose between Vonage and Comcast Digital Voice, I would take Comcast over Vonage anyday. In our system, Comcast DTS is going to go away and everyone will have to take CDV or drop service all together. I will be heading back to Qwest when this happens, even as much as I HATE Qwest, I will NOT depend on ANY VoIP unless I HAVE to.
Also, my point on how my vonage does work and how the quality is still not good EVEN when it doesn't hit my broadband was to further prove my point. People will blame the poor call quality on the last mile broadband connection. My point is that it's not just the local broadband carrier that is the cause for poor voip quality. The fact that Vonage DOES carry calls from out of areas over the public internet STILL comes into play. People continually look at their local broadband provider as the cause of poor phone call quality. My point was simply that taking out the local last mile broadband, and VoIP calls are still not up to par to that of a traditional phone service. I AM, in fact, blaming the phone quality on the VoIP carrier ALONE... nothing more. That's my whole point. VoIP carriers can't control the quality of their calls. | |
tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI | That's true. People also forget that the eqp they are using, modem, router and even the punchdown block inside the house, can cause as much a headache as the ISP.  | |
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