I am sick of the local phone company and all the expensive add-on costs so I am checking out various companes who provide VoIP.
Anyone using http://www.broadvoice.com/ ??
Anyone using http://www.broadvoice.com/ ??
Anyone using Voice over IP for their telephone service?
- Thread starter N8 v2.0
- Start date
Try www.vonage.com I know a couple of people that have them and they seem to like it.....
Don't know anything about broadvoice
Don't know anything about broadvoice
No, but I'm using Packet 8 $20.00 a month, and a bunch of free crap-caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, etc. I do have calls "drop" once in awhile. I'm not sure if it's the connection, or the cordless phone I'm using. But with unlimited calling in the USA for the $20, I just call people back when it drops.N8 said:
www.skype.com
roughly 1 dollar an hour for calls anywhere in the US and europe.
roughly 1 dollar an hour for calls anywhere in the US and europe.
www.skype.com
roughly 1 dollar an hour for calls anywhere in the US and europe. no maintance, just pay for what you use.
roughly 1 dollar an hour for calls anywhere in the US and europe. no maintance, just pay for what you use.
My next door neighbor uses Vonage, and loves it . One thing that is cool is he takes his equipment to Chicago when he goes to visit family, and hooks it up there, and he gets all his normal phone calls like he was at home. One thing I still haven't found out is if you can have more than one phone. Does anyone know. Also my neighbor said for every person you refer, they knock that much off your bill. His first three months were free. He's trying to get me to sign up too.
I'm so sick of these stupid fees too. My wife and I have cell phones but she won't cut the land line for some reason.
I'm so sick of these stupid fees too. My wife and I have cell phones but she won't cut the land line for some reason.
That's why I changed. After I moved to Massachusetts from NYS, I was looking at the plans in the area, and the cheapest one was over $35 a month, plus at least another 5 bucks in BS fees / line charges. With the IP phone it's $20 a month unlimited calls in the US. Plus a bunch of free services that would cost you another $10 or more a month from a phone company.JSB said:
I am doing some work for a startup VOIP provider now. The services are pretty cool. They provide you with the hardware (about the size of a usb memcard reader) and a plan.
You pay your fee (about 30 usd i think) and you can get unlimited calling to and from canada and the usa. The best part is you can carry the box anywhere, and plug it into ANY broadband connection. You get calling to the usa and canada, unlimited, from anywhere in the world you travel. You can also receive calls at the number.
Pretty awesome, I have one arriving for myself next week.
You can move as many phones as you have boxes. Each box is tied to one line.
You pay your fee (about 30 usd i think) and you can get unlimited calling to and from canada and the usa. The best part is you can carry the box anywhere, and plug it into ANY broadband connection. You get calling to the usa and canada, unlimited, from anywhere in the world you travel. You can also receive calls at the number.
Pretty awesome, I have one arriving for myself next week.
You can move as many phones as you have boxes. Each box is tied to one line.
Definetly. The european call termination should be setup in about a month I am told. They have to bring in partners with established switch networks in each local calling area, so it is quite alot of paperwork.JMAC said:
Vonage kicks ass, but is fairly pricey in canada. These guys are based in Montreal, so it should be awesome.
I've been seriously considering it for a while. We've got cell phones but my wife won't give up the land line. The only catch if you want to call it that is the uptime is not in anyway a guarantee, though my cable modem has been fantastic, and there is no link with 911 yet. The FCC is pushing the 911 thing real hard so I think that will happen in the next year.
I'll have to go dig up the consumer reports article on voip phone companies.
I'll have to go dig up the consumer reports article on voip phone companies.
Vonage registers your number with the local 911, so it works just fine. Not sure about other providers tho.Mike B. said:
That said, most land lines, even when disconnected, will still dial 911 and 0 when you plug a phone into them. In other words, you could use it to call 911 in an emergency if the power/dsl was out
If anyone is interested, i may be able to hook you guys all up with a special monkey deal.
I use skype and stanaphone, mainly to call family long distance. It's PC to PC, but stana offers IP A-to-D converters and IP based handsets that use your PC's USB. Google "VoIP WIKI", you'll find a listing of hundreds of VoIP retailers.
That would be awesome, I never call europe but my rents are always calling europe, asia and all over the US. Only other thing is, my mom is often calling Trinidad & Tobago ( she has work there) would it be able to work there? Either way still sounds totally worth it.Transcend said:
I have vonage at home. I LOVE it. Many great features.
911 works fine. I'm saving over $55 from my previous "bell" carrier {Verizon}.
BTW - I had an interesting conversation with fellow work friends, and they were arguing that vonage is not a good idea - b/c what happens when the power goes out. Well, for me, I lose my vonage phone, and dont mind - I have a cell phone and neighbors to use as backup. But it was interesting to see the expression on their face when I asked what kind of phones they had at home. A couple had base station phones with ALL wireless handsets and NO batt backup...in other words they lost their use of a phone when the power went out too, b/c they didn't have a POT that would have worked fine. {POT=Plain old telepone}
I highly recommend vonage as a way to save a lot of cash.
Oh yeah - it was so easy to set up. Also Circuit City and similar type stores have the vonage linksys adaptors for 59 bucks with a 50 rebate and 10 rebate - which means you get the adaptor and .01. Great incentive to go I believe many of these offers end this month.
911 works fine. I'm saving over $55 from my previous "bell" carrier {Verizon}.
BTW - I had an interesting conversation with fellow work friends, and they were arguing that vonage is not a good idea - b/c what happens when the power goes out. Well, for me, I lose my vonage phone, and dont mind - I have a cell phone and neighbors to use as backup. But it was interesting to see the expression on their face when I asked what kind of phones they had at home. A couple had base station phones with ALL wireless handsets and NO batt backup...in other words they lost their use of a phone when the power went out too, b/c they didn't have a POT that would have worked fine. {POT=Plain old telepone}
I highly recommend vonage as a way to save a lot of cash.
Oh yeah - it was so easy to set up. Also Circuit City and similar type stores have the vonage linksys adaptors for 59 bucks with a 50 rebate and 10 rebate - which means you get the adaptor and .01. Great incentive to go I believe many of these offers end this month.
*bump*
what's voip do for you that a cell phone doesn't? (assuming you already have a cell)
Also, if two people have hi-speed access, you can just chat with 'em for free. Or at least you used to. Back when I was heavy into online gaming, we'd set up a voice chatroom using Roger Wilco or one of the other.
Also, if two people have hi-speed access, you can just chat with 'em for free. Or at least you used to. Back when I was heavy into online gaming, we'd set up a voice chatroom using Roger Wilco or one of the other.