Anyone use VoIP? (Vonage, CallVantage, Skype, etc)

[Alex Franke]

We're seriosly considering it and I wonder if there are any success or horror stories out there to help us make the decision on whom to use...

Contenders:
* Vonage - $25/mo unlimited, or $15/mo for 500 minutes
* AT&T CallVantage - $25/mo unlimited
* Verizon VoiceWing - $25/mo unlimited, or $20/mo for 500 minutes

And some amazing rates that have me very curious...
* Packet8 - $17/mo unlimited (yearly rate / 12)
* via:talk - $8.50/mo unlimited (buy a year, get one free)

Wouldn't call quality depend solely on the connection to the 'net? I've read that CallVantage has the best call quality, but I just don't see how that's possible with IP-based calling...

Any input out there?

[crokett]

We got vonage 2 weeks ago and like it so far. I have a few friends and relatives with Vonage who are all pleased with the service. I am running it over a DSL line.

I've tested conversations while large downloads are running and they were crystal clear. Install was simple - just plug the box into my router and go.

[ChrisD]

I've been a Vonage user for about two years now. Like David said, concurrent use of the broadband connection does not affect the quality of the call.

Overseas calls with the other side of the globe, however, are another story. It's not bad but it's not perfect, either. Sometimes, there's delay.

[whitecobra]

Being from Central Florida where we get unlimited long distance direct from the phone company I can't speak directly as a buyer but I can as a person who calls people with it
I can tell you IT SUCKS

The call quality is FAR from that of the Phone Co

Now I have never been on a call that got dropped but the quality is NO WHERE NEAR AS GOOD as fiber or copper and a dedicated circuit

Dr D

[kzelenakas]

Ive had Vonage for over a year and have never had any major problems. The only downfall is when my DSL goes down (but that is another problem unto itself). I did notice that when our power was down last week due to the ice storm in the Mid-Atlantic we had no phone then, other than cell phones. Both my DSL router and the VoIP router don't work well when there's no power. That is the one superior feature of a traditional "landline." Even when the power is out, normally traditional phone service is continues to work. I would still highly reccomend Vonage to family or friends nonetheless.

Kevin

[jackellis]

I use Skype for work and to talk with a friend in England. It's free for calls with Skype on both ends and it works well about 80% of the time. It does not work well if you're uploading something, and it may not work well if one or both parties don't have connections of at least 40 kPBS up (that's kiloBytes per second) and 1 MBPS down.

If it's long distance you want, AT&T has an unlimited residential use deal (land line) for about $36 per month inclusive of taxes and fees

We have two voice lines, two cell phones, and Skype capability so it's not like we're technophobic in our household. Still, I'm not ready to depend on an IP or a cell phone until the have the same 99.999% reliability of a land line, especially when I can get highly reliable service at a reasonable price.

[SHADOWFOX]

I've been a Vonage user for about two years now. Like David said, concurrent use of the broadband connection does not affect the quality of the call.

Overseas calls with the other side of the globe, however, are another story. It's not bad but it's not perfect, either. Sometimes, there's delay.

I have the same feedback as my twin brother.

[Alex Franke]

when our power was down last week due to the ice storm

I wonder if a simple battery backup on the cable modem, APA and phone would do the trick here. We realized during our last ice storm that when the power goes out, so does our cordless phone (duhh ), so we went out and bought a cheap corded phone just in case.

Unfortunately we don't get AT&T in our county -- we're forced to use Verizon, where the unlimited calling plan is $45 plus some extra fees...

I found another company called SunRocket that has an unlimited calls deal for $200 a year with no strings and a 30 day money back guarantee. That's almost worth trying just to see if it's any good....

Anyone used any of the less popular VoIP providers out there?

[parnelli]

Being from Central Florida where we get unlimited long distance direct from the phone company I can't speak directly as a buyer but I can as a person who calls people with it
I can tell you IT SUCKS

The call quality is FAR from that of the Phone Co

Now I have never been on a call that got dropped but the quality is NO WHERE NEAR AS GOOD as fiber or copper and a dedicated circuit

Dr D

Weird. I can't help but wonder if there isn't something wacky with their setup (or they're using something like Skype).

I've had Vonage for a few years now, and with only a few exceptions, the call quality has been near perfect on both sides.

I will say though, with ISP upload speeds that are a fraction of the download speed, the person on the other end would be more likely to experience issues.

[gerti]

Been using Sunrocket for about half a year, got that great $199 for 2 years deal they had going on occasion. Had some problems when we got traded from RoadRunner/TimeWarner to Comcast (which s*cks), but that was strictly due to a bad Comcast router.

We even get $3/month international long distance free, which is good for 100 minutes to Germany. Usually the quality is outstanding. Every now and then (maybe 1 in 10 calls) the line isn't that great on the international calls, so I just call again and usually get a better line.

Sunrocket gives you 2 phone numbers, we use the second one when you need to sign up for something that requires a phone number. That line is set to go directly to voicemail.

[GaryA]

I've been using Vonage now for 2 years, and use it much of the day as I work from home. 90% of the time, it's great. I have a love/hate relationship with Vonage. When I have problems, they are very annoying (i.e. someone on the other end can't hear me, etc)...overall though, it's a great alternative to Ma Bell if you need to make a lot of long distance calls. If not, stick with your local telco. As far as those that were down for a while because you lost your internet connection - go online (before the storm) to your Vonage account, and have it roll over to your cell phone. I have mine set up for "Simulring" which will ring my cell & office (Vonage) line at the same time, so I get the call no matter where I am, and if my connection goes down, it still rings my cell since it is server based.

[Alex Franke]

Sunrocket gives you 2 phone numbers, we use the second one when you need to sign up for something that requires a phone number. That line is set to go directly to voicemail.

Ha! What a GREAT idea!!!

Any idea if they'll be running that 2-years-for-1 deal again?

-Alex

[footprintsinconc]

sun rocket is what i am using. it goes for 199 for 2 years, you do the math. and for that price (while others charge) you get the second number free.

on top of that, there is no contract and you can cancell at any time.

before you sign up, just make sure you search the net for coupons. you can find codes for free phone set (different ones - get the 5.8ghz), and other ones at times. they dont charge for their gizmo either. definately give someones number as reference when signing up, they just get points for it and i beleive you also get points that way.

good luck deciding.

regards,

[maxparot]

I've been on SunRocket since last May I had problems with the service from my ISP when I first signed on after Cox replaced the download to my home and stabilized my internet connection that ended the problems with SunRocket. If thereis a better deal on telephone service than the $199 a year (2 years when on special around holidays) I don't know about it.

[jp_spins]

I've been considering switching to Verizons Voicewing but the only billing option is a monthly charge to a credit card, it does not bundle with my Verizon bill, so I'll probably end up waiting a while.