who has vonage?

i am somewhat interested in vonage telephone service, but the main thing holding me back is that the area i live in has somewhat frequent power outages(at least twice a month for no reason).

so my question is, do the vonage "routers" have an internal battery?

are there any other downfalls of the service? i know the 911 goes through a different system. is there a lot of hidden costs that would make the price way more than the 25 a month(i do expect some taxes and surcharges)?

looking for all the info i can get...
thanks
speedy

ps i have a battery back-up for my computer that i can plug my cable modem into so that is not an issue...and there is only one open plug on the battery so...

[honda8&3]

My buddy has it. It cuts out all of the time. Fing sucks DO NOT BUY VONAGE.:mad:

[Colby@C&DRacing]

We have also been looking into this service. I called them and they said the system will automatically detect when your internet service is down and can be set up to forward to any other phone number. We have also read mixed reviews on there customer service they said the service was fine but it was a hassle once they disconnected.

thanks colby, i just found out that my parent neighbor has it and spent a few minutes talking to her about it. she seems lo love it. she says she has had no problems with service at all, although there have been some echoing issues. she also mentioned that when she has had to call customer service, the english was very poor. that is normal these days, unfortunately.

as far as having phone when electricity is out, i can plug my cable modem and the vonage box into my computers battery back to make a quick call or go outside and use the cell phone. so i think i am going to try it...

it may only save 15 dollars, but that is just that much more $$$ in my pocket instead of someone elses

[MOFO]

I have some great experience with Vonage. Its this simple - the people who have problems with Vonage have a poor ISP.

I had Vonage when I had Comcast cable for my ISP. I always had GREAT transfer rates, but there would be periods of bad delays in transmissions (the nature of using cable for ISP). Vonage did not work very well with this setup. I had Comcast out at my place several times and they said I am getting the best service they can offer (quality of service).

I now have Verizon FiOS (fiber optic) for my ISP. Since I've switched over, Vonage has been 100% - not one issue in the past 6 months. Each call is loud and clear!

If you search, you can find an ISP tester that will specifically test your connection based on the requirements for VOIP. Your overall transfer rate is not the only specification required for quality VOIP service.

As for the battery backup on the Vonage router, you will need a small UPS for this.

Hope that helps!

thanks mofo...i'll have to look for a site to do the test...

i already have a backup battery, but since i am planning on going this route, i think i may upgrade...it is nearing time to replace my existing one in the next few months anyway

[rtm1216]

I'd be leary of Vonage. They lost a patent infringement lawsuit to Verizon recently that could threaten to shut the company down. If memory serves me right, they are currently operating under a temp stay until the appeal process is finished., They could very well end up like Sunrocket.... out of business.

If you have broadband internet service you might want to check out Skype.

[quad2xtreme]

Problem with any VOIP solution is it requires QoS to run properly. Because your ISP isn't going to run QoS for Vonage, they can't guarantee your service. Vonage will say your phone company isn't delivering packets reliably (probably use the terms jitter and packet loss). While true, that doesn't help you. Your ISP will tell you the issue is with Vonage and they don't support VOIP on the network. Granted it will work with fiber grade connections and even some DSL.

I run TimeWarner's phone service. They run the QoS for the VOIP so it works great all the time. I can download a Gb file while talking on the phone and no problem.

My advice, see if your ISP has a VOIP solution. Buy it. Stay away from Vonage. If you do try Vonage, make sure you are prepared to shut it off in the first month. It will take 10-14 days to transfer your phone number to another provider so that only leaves about 16-20 days to make a decision unless you don't mind changing numbers. After that, you will pay about $175 to cancel your service. You are committed to a 1 yr term.

/jon

my isp has will be offering a voip service soon, that is what got me started on this...anyway, their service is more than my phone bill, even with the discount for having both internets service and telephone...i wanna go cheaper...