Voice Over Internet Phone (VOIP): Anyone use it?

Has anyone tried a VOIP service like Vonage?

I would like some reviews on how clear the signal is and how reliable the service is.

I'm seeking a cheaper alternative to $40 a month for home phone. We use our cell phone for the most part but the wife insists on having a home phone too.

 

its crystal clear from my experience. All i've used is skype though.

 

another option...

$36 a year.
http://www.instantventrilo.com/

we use it for communications while playing computer games.

you do have to use it from a computer, however.

 

A friend has Vonage & loves it as a landline alternative. We speak frequently on it w/ no delay & crystal clear as lifesaflaw123 said. I'm an old lady & can't hear too well

 

Hi, Veccster
What cell phone service provider you have? If you have Tmobile, it will be nice to have the WIFI phone use at home, it only charge 10 dollars per month.

 

Skype is an option I am looking at. I imagine it is the same as Vonage and all the rest.

If I understand you correctly, you need to be sitting at a computer and talking into a microphone. This is unacceptable. We need a phone that can be carried around.

Thank you for the feedback!

I use Verizon and am not switching anytime soon - been with them since 1998.




Do they sell VOIP phones that are cordless?
I assume it is connected to the broadband connection or router?

 

Yeah, I've had Vonage service for several years. Costs like $30/month total with taxes, free long distance, caller id, all the bells and whistles. Very cool in that you can forward your number to any phone easily from your computer, also allows you to pick a phone number with any area code that you choose in case you want to act like you're located in some other city.

Not many problems if you have a stable internet connection, I have cable internet with three routers hooked up so occasionally it will need reset but works great 99.5% of the time.

 

Does Vonage connect to the router or to the computer (via usb)?

Thanks for the review, sbeau. Vonage sounds like the most stable solution. The cheaper options are likely to have reliability issues.

Do you have to use their phone or can I connect my cordless phone to their device?

 

Vonage provides their own router, you can either hook a phone directly into it, or I have mine plugged into my main phone jack so that all my phones in the house work off it. Any phone works on their system.

 

My cel phone provider doesnt allow voip on their 3g equipment, motherfuckers....

 

That's a cool setup.

Maybe I just need to pull the trigger on it. There are soooo many VOIP providers out there but I hate to use a no-name company who will be out of business in a year.

Why is Verizon still trying to sell me home phone service for $57/month? They need to offer a reliable VOIP service for much less.

 

Because they constantly sell their aging infrastructure to other companies? Their track record is not in upgrading existing equipment or forging into new technology. They just cut a huge chunk of their losses on Fairpoint & the cutover was not pretty.