[Hold My Own]

I've been learning more and more about this. I currently dont keep a home phone but this might be a good option so I dont always have to be on my cell and maybe down grade my unlimited plan.


Skype seems to be the way to go. Only $3 a month. They even have WiFi phones that you can use anywhere you go with an open wireless connection. From what I read they havent perfected this yet but it seems to still be a pretty good option and they have eliminated most of the echo's and other problems they had when this was first introduced to the market.



Anyone else use this? Anyone have the WiFi phone?

[flamesbball84]

obviously this doesn\'t apply to you, but anyone who ahs dish network (i\'m not sure if this is the same with direct tv, by the way), but if you ditch your regular home phone for voip then you will have to pay more on your satellite bill since you need an active phone line to download programming and updates to your satellite tuner.

overall I don\'t really know much of anything on VOIP stuff, I just know that I don\'t trust comcast internet enough to rely on it for VOIP phone service. it\'s too spotty and if im in the middle of an important phone call (let\'s say a phone interview for some job I want), I don\'t want to run the risk of my internet not working and then my phone call being all screwed up.

[Hold My Own]

Dont believe all that...when I had my Tivo unit (before I had DVR) they said the same thing, that I would have to get updates...I didnt have a phone line for 2 years and never missed a beat....I would get an annoying message saying it's been over due but that's fine...anyways back to VoIP!

[flamesbball84]

and the stupid \\ thing has come back for me! arg!

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

My neighbors have Vonage and my aunt does too and they both love it and apparently from what I hear its cheap.

[jcmanson]

My neighbors have Vonage and my aunt does too and they both love it and apparently from what I hear its cheap.

Note to self: Don't get Vonage

[flamesbball84]

whats wrong with vonage?

[jcmanson]

whats wrong with vonage?

TBGB endorsing it

[Hold My Own]

Come on....Sly? LUconn? One of you surely has this...it's right up yall alley!

[LUconn]

I hear most people hate Vonage. Although there's already been some anecdotal stuff in this thread that says the opposite, so I guess some people like it. They've come pretty close to going out of business many many times over the last few years. They're known for some pretty horrific customer service and a lousy contract.



http://reviews.cnet.com/voip/vonage/450 ... 74765.html
CNet gave them a pretty good review but if you scroll down to the bottom of that article, the user opinions aren't so hot (4.4 out of 10)
http://reviews.cnet.com/voip/vonage/485 ... 74765.html


Here's some notes from Clark Howard who is a big user of VoIP stuff
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/155/156/297/

I noticed he mentions MagicJack which I've seen an infomercial for a few times. I thought it looked like a scam but he seems to really like it.

[Hold My Own]

I dont like Vonage either...I would go with Skype when it comes time for me to make the move...although MagicJack was just on QVC

[Hold My Own]

Once I get my desktop I think MagicJack will be what I go with until a good Wifi phone comes out:


http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-9818928-58.html

Get unlimited local and long-distance calling for 20 bucks a year
Posted by Rick Broida 50 comments
(Credit: MagicJack)

Need a second phone line? How about a dedicated business line for your home-based enterprise? A cheap way to make calls while traveling the world? Look no further than the MagicJack, quite possibly the coolest gizmo of 2007.

All you do is plug the little guy into a USB port. It automatically installs its own software: a nifty little dialer/address-book app. (During the initial setup, you get to choose your own local number for inbound calls.) Now just plug any corded or cordless handset into the MagicJack's standard RJ-11 jack and presto, you've got a dial tone. And voice mail. And three-way calling, caller ID, etc. You can also use a headset if you're traveling and don't want to schlep that bulky old Princess phone.

The MagicJack costs $40, which includes a year's worth of unlimited local and long-distance calls. (Free international calls to other MagicJack users, too.) After that, you'll pay just $20 per year. I've tried this thing, and let me tell you: It rocks. It's way easier to use than Skype, way cheaper than Vonage, and way cool to boot.

[RubberMallet]

the bad reviews people give vonage is because they are morons...

we dealt with this maroon who uses our sister companies wireless internet service...1.5 meg guaranteed....he came in to tell us how stupid vonage was and how terrible the voice quality is...

so we start asking him some questions....hes running a diablo 2 server out of his house and he also spends all day downloading and uploading torrents...

when you have vonage problems you are most likely having bandwidth problems in that case you are at fault, not vonages...

i use skype for international calls and calls for when i'm on the road...i can forward my work phone (nortel voip phone system) to my skype when i'm working from a hotel room.

i love skype. with good bandwidth it works great. i like it because it doesn't cut out when you don't give it enough bandwidth, the quality just gets worse.

we've developed our own phone system a while back using asterix but decided to scrap it because that wasn't a route we wanted to go.

i also have an aptella account that i'll use from time to time using the program X-Lite.

here is the headset i use

[ALUmnus]

I dont like Vonage either...I would go with Skype when it comes time for me to make the move...although MagicJack was just on QVC

I will now picture my mom every time HMO posts something.

[Sly Fox]

I use Skype but not for a landline. I just use it for video calls and I love it. It even worked tremendously well when I was in the Middle East a few months ago. Everytime I use it on my laptop in a public place I generally have Oooo's and Ahhhs from folks.

Right now I am back using AT&T phones via their fiber U-verse system. I've been with them a couple of months and have had ZERO issues. We had cable-based digital phone using VOIP for several years and it was unreliable.

We need a landline for Mrs. Sly's work and for international calling. Otherwise we wouldn't even bother anymore.

As for Vonage, my uncle who is a professor at a university in Tokyo uses it so he can have an American phone number. He doesn't use it a great deal so he is relatively pleased. But everyone else I have talked to withe the service has major complaints. Their customer service issues are legendary and there has been a slew of lawsuits and news stories. I would shy away from them as a result.

[Hold My Own]

I dont like Vonage either...I would go with Skype when it comes time for me to make the move...although MagicJack was just on QVC

I will now picture my mom every time HMO posts something.

Haha yeah my mom is the one to tell me! She gets like 2-3 packages a day from them....she admits she has a problem

[tinytim]

I've got skype and I use it over the internet. I talk to my parents across the country. It's great. I like it.

[TDDance234]

My dad has MagicJack and swears by it. It's a one time $20 charge, if I remember correctly for the Jack itself and something like $10 a year for the actual line.

[tinytim]

Skype online, is freeeeeeee!!!!

[Kolzilla41]

I have Magic Jack, it is awesome

[tinytim]

I have Magic Jack, it is awesome

Is Magic Jack Freeeeeeeeee?????

[Hold My Own]

LOL....When I see yall talking back and forth on here it really makes me think of two people in the same room texting each other....I never have understood that!



NOOOOO MagicJack is not FREEEEEEEEEEEEE but you are not limited to only Skype users as you are for the free version of skype...call any number you want!

[tinytim]

It's better said online, than in person.