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Digital Phone Service.
- Thread starter Vicious
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relentlessflame
Member
Well, for what it's worth, I've never had any trouble with my Digital Phone service. Never really noticed any difference compared to "real" phone service, actually. I suppose it may depend on the area in which you live, but the technology itself seems to work okay.
Amused_To_Death
Member
Vonage doesn't own their own network and they've been getting blocked by certain RBOC's.
Lingo and AT&T own their own networks.
Lingo for $19.99 ugives you nlimited local and long distance and free to Western Europe.
AT&T Callvantage $29.99 unlimited local and long distance.
Lingo and AT&T own their own networks.
Lingo for $19.99 ugives you nlimited local and long distance and free to Western Europe.
AT&T Callvantage $29.99 unlimited local and long distance.
Just to be clear, there are tradeoffs:
1. VOIP service is probably no good during a power outage or other emergency. Likewise, there is much lower quality of service guarantee on VOIP vs a real land-line run by the phone company.
2. Your phone service is now tied to your broadband. So if your cable modem goes down, you lose both. If you have a cellphone this probably doesn't matter much to you.
3. Dialing 911 works differently on VOIP. Because you don't physically have a land-line, the 911 call center does not know where you are. You must be able to give them your phone number and physical location at the beginning of a 911 call because your VOIP provider is unable to pass them this information.
If you're ok with these limitations, VOIP is a great choice. I'm currently seriously considering switching myself, since Verizon (those bastards) want to raise the phone bill to $20+ a month for just local service with no features.
1. VOIP service is probably no good during a power outage or other emergency. Likewise, there is much lower quality of service guarantee on VOIP vs a real land-line run by the phone company.
2. Your phone service is now tied to your broadband. So if your cable modem goes down, you lose both. If you have a cellphone this probably doesn't matter much to you.
3. Dialing 911 works differently on VOIP. Because you don't physically have a land-line, the 911 call center does not know where you are. You must be able to give them your phone number and physical location at the beginning of a 911 call because your VOIP provider is unable to pass them this information.
If you're ok with these limitations, VOIP is a great choice. I'm currently seriously considering switching myself, since Verizon (those bastards) want to raise the phone bill to $20+ a month for just local service with no features.
aaaaa0 said:
Well I know that Vonage actually encourages you to set this up at the beginning of your VOIP service(I had Vonage previously), but make no mistake this is a big acknowledged problem that VOIP and phone company's are trying to resolve.
what is the general consensus on vonage? through work i can get it in my house for $20 a month with unlimited local/long distance calling so im very inclined to subscribe.
1) does being on phone slow your internet connection?
2) how do you hook up phones that arent near the phone/cable modem?
3) is there a delay when talking?
4) how is the quality?
1) does being on phone slow your internet connection?
2) how do you hook up phones that arent near the phone/cable modem?
3) is there a delay when talking?
4) how is the quality?
Joe said:
I use Packet 8, but...
1) Not that I've ever noticed. The phone should taker up very little bandwidth. 30-40k I'd say.
2) Disconnect the phone system in your house from the box outside and then just plug the box directly in to any jack in your house. All the other jacks will now have a dial-tone.
3) No, there shouldn't be.
4) Just fine. No one has complained when talking to me.
Crag Dweller
aka kindbudmaster
I switched to digital phone last week. The only problems have been that my router doesn't seem to be compatable with the new modem that they gave me to use, and the light on my phone the used to let me know when I have a message in voicemail doesn't work anymore.
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