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VoIP questions...

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Are there any monkeys out there who are using VoIP? There are a bunch of services, specifically I'm looking into Skype. I'm in an area where it costs you $44 for just a dial tone, and I'm not going to bend over for the stupid phone company just because Sprint is the only company that services the area.

How's the service? Clear phone calls? Ever run into lag problems? I have an excellent cable connection (speed tests consistantly turn up 5Mbps or higher).

What are you using for a phone? Any suggestions?

Just looking for a bit more information. I'm going to be using this phone service for consulting, so it needs to be good.
 

berkshire_rider

Growler
Feb 5, 2003
2,552
10
The Blackstone Valley
I have been using Packet8 voip for almost a year through a 3.5-4mb connection, and haven't been overly thrilled with it. I haven't determined if using a cordless phone is adding to the problems or not. I have occasional dropped calls, and "tinny" sound from time to time. It's not a big deal when talking to friends, I can just call back. Different companies may be better, but I wouldn't want this one as a business line, unless things improve.

Other voip threads that might help
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Thanks for the input. I actually did a search and was looking for some more updated information.

I've heard good stuff about the quality of Skype but they offer no "package" like Vonage where you can get X number of minutes or what-have-you. You are on a pay-per-minute basis, period.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,375
12,529
In a van.... down by the river
binary visions said:
Are there any monkeys out there who are using VoIP? There are a bunch of services, specifically I'm looking into Skype. I'm in an area where it costs you $44 for just a dial tone,
Jeezus! Those fu**ers. Our dial tone costs us $24/mo. IMO it ought to be about $9.
 

BUCKET

Monkey
Apr 30, 2004
369
0
Rocktown, VA
binary visions said:
Are there any monkeys out there who are using VoIP? There are a bunch of services, specifically I'm looking into Skype. I'm in an area where it costs you $44 for just a dial tone, and I'm not going to bend over for the stupid phone company just because Sprint is the only company that services the area.

How's the service? Clear phone calls? Ever run into lag problems? I have an excellent cable connection (speed tests consistantly turn up 5Mbps or higher).

What are you using for a phone? Any suggestions?

Just looking for a bit more information. I'm going to be using this phone service for consulting, so it needs to be good.
I think I am still on Binary Visions ignore list, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway. We use VoIP here at work for our remote office. The only issues we have ran into is the occasional echo, and very little but the occasional lag time. I wouldn't think that would be an issue for you since you have such a high throughput. Those issues seem to happen when you have an inconsistent or slow connection speed. I have never heard any good things or bad things about Skype, but I have heard some positive comments about Vonage. We use all NEC phone equipment.
 

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
I actually do marketing jobs for a startup voip company in Canada.

My suggestion - go with vonage. Great quality, good pricing, not a startup (ie: an established company). You really can't beat them...+ you get to use a regular phone with it and get things like voicemail etc.

I use skype computer to computer...and haven't been overly impressed to be honest.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
BUCKET said:
I think I am still on Binary Visions ignore list, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway. We use VoIP here at work for our remote office. The only issues we have ran into is the occasional echo, and very little but the occasional lag time. I wouldn't think that would be an issue for you since you have such a high throughput. Those issues seem to happen when you have an inconsistent or slow connection speed. I have never heard any good things or bad things about Skype, but I have heard some positive comments about Vonage. We use all NEC phone equipment.
Huh? No, there are only two people that grace my ignore list, both of whom write totally illegible posts that are painful to read.

Just did a quick post search and can't imagine why you would have thought you were on my ignore list? :confused: Regardless, thanks for the info. This is looking more and more like a good option for me.

Transcend - that's what I was thinking. Plus, the first month is free and I should only need it for 6-8 weeks, so worst case I'd be out only one month.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Well, I just signed up for Vonage. Seems too good to be true, we'll see if it is ;)

I'll probably downgrade the plan to Basic 500 in a couple months, but I signed up initially with the unlimited plan to get a feeler on how many minutes I'll be needing. Thanks for the input, guys, I'll post again when I see how well it works.
 

berkshire_rider

Growler
Feb 5, 2003
2,552
10
The Blackstone Valley
binary visions said:
Well, I just signed up for Vonage. Seems too good to be true, we'll see if it is ;)

I'll probably downgrade the plan to Basic 500 in a couple months, but I signed up initially with the unlimited plan to get a feeler on how many minutes I'll be needing. Thanks for the input, guys, I'll post again when I see how well it works.
Vonage has different levels of voip? Didn't know that. It's too bad Packet8 wasn't a little better. For $19.95 a month you get unlimited calling 24 hours a day anywhere in the continental US, caller id, voice mail, choose your number and area code, call waiting, call forwarding, 3-way conference calling, and a different ring for virtual numbers.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Yep, unlimited is $25/month, 500 minutes is $15/month.

Since incoming calls are free, I think the 500 minutes will suit me fine. We'll see after a couple months what I'm using for minutes.

You get all those features with either Vonage package, by the way.
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
berkshire_rider said:
Vonage has different levels of voip? Didn't know that. It's too bad Packet8 wasn't a little better. For $19.95 a month you get unlimited calling 24 hours a day anywhere in the continental US, caller id, voice mail, choose your number and area code, call waiting, call forwarding, 3-way conference calling, and a different ring for virtual numbers.
If you go to the D-Link site and look up thier VOIP router, they have a service where for $35 you get unlimited calls in like the US, Canada and Western Europe. Plus all the other normal amenities.
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
binary visions said:
Yep, unlimited is $25/month, 500 minutes is $15/month.

Since incoming calls are free, I think the 500 minutes will suit me fine. We'll see after a couple months what I'm using for minutes.

You get all those features with either Vonage package, by the way.
If you're paying for minutes on VOIP you are getting absoulutely jacked.
 

BUCKET

Monkey
Apr 30, 2004
369
0
Rocktown, VA
D-Link actually doesn't offer anything besides a router, and I wouldn't use a D-Link product because of prior experience with there routers. Regardless - you would still need a service provider such as Vonage or Skype. D-Link does offer a link to service providers such as AT&T and Lingo. Good luck on which ever choice you make, and please keep us informed on the quality of calls, as well as the CS and tech support of the company you choose (if you end up needing to use those options :D ).

Tid Bit: The only thing to remember is - if your net link goes down - so does your telephone. When our WAN link goes down at work I get paged telling me so. The users can still make calls because of the way our phone system is set-up. I'm not sure if that is possible with home VoIP - let me know if I am incorrect.
 

Tenchiro

Attention K Mart Shoppers
Jul 19, 2002
5,407
0
New England
BUCKET said:
D-Link actually doesn't offer anything besides a router, and I wouldn't use a D-Link product because of prior experience with there routers.
No it isn't D-Link's service per se, they just advertise it with the router. I referred him there because I didn't remember the name.

But personally speaking my DI-604 has been a great little router for the price.
 

BUCKET

Monkey
Apr 30, 2004
369
0
Rocktown, VA
Tenchiro said:
No it isn't D-Link's service per se, they just advertise it with the router. I referred him there because I didn't remember the name.

But personally speaking my DI-604 has been a great little router for the price.
Yep - it's just like anything else you buy, it either works for ya or it doesn't. Unfortunatley the D-Link didn't work for me. :(
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Tenchiro said:
If you're paying for minutes on VOIP you are getting absoulutely jacked.
I wouldn't "pay for minutes".

I would pay less money per month if I wasn't using more than 500 minutes.
 

berkshire_rider

Growler
Feb 5, 2003
2,552
10
The Blackstone Valley
Tenchiro said:
If you go to the D-Link site and look up thier VOIP router, they have a service where for $35 you get unlimited calls in like the US, Canada and Western Europe. Plus all the other normal amenities.
Thanks for the info. However, I don't have a reason to call Canada or Europe. Packet8 also offers a similar outside the US service, but for less $$$.

I think I may switch to the Vonage 500 plan. I don't ever see myself using that many minutes a month at home, as I also have a cell phone. Sounds like I may even be able to keep my current voip number as well.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
binary visions said:
I wouldn't "pay for minutes".

I would pay less money per month if I wasn't using more than 500 minutes.

The way Vonage works is there are two plans:
500 minutes for $15
unlimited for $25

I have the 500 minutes because it''s $.03 a minute after your 500, but never more than $25. so best case is $15, worst is $25 for a heavy month. The most minutes I have use in a month is 360 since it only charges you for calls you make, not incoming.

My bill with Verizon was about $70 a month for who the hell knows what. My bill is now $16.50 with taxes and stuff. The quality is better than most cell phones, and the only problem I have is when I call a friends cell number from my house, it says the number is not in service. He can call me, but I can't call him. They are looking into that one. It's only his number too.