Might be making the switch to Vonage.

[PCTech]

I also read the reviews at dslreports, that were posted earlier, and they really helped. I just feel like sinse vonage has been around longer, kinda like the "granddaddy" of voip, I just trust them more than I would packet8. However you are right, reviews are needed, because I would've thought AT&T would be good, but the reviews I read, just said that were fair to good (at best), and call quality sucked, and very hard to setup! but then again no one company can be perfect, if you find one that is or is close let me know! until then I will keep looking and anything I can dig up I will post it here in this thread!

~PCT

[SlickVic78]

Hello PCTech,

I agree with you - no company is perfect. You are always going to see reviews of bad service, bad customer service, but then again, there are millions of people out their using their services and are quite happy with them that haven't posted reviews.

They both offer the same services, but like you said, Vonage has been around a little longer - so they may have worked out most of the kinks in their system. So if I have to pay the extra 5 bucks a month, so be it. Packet8 requires a year contract, and if you cancel, you owe them $60 bucks. I'd rather go month to month anways...

I also see that Packet8 has been encountering problems porting over numbers to their system... I've only heard good things with Vonage - where it takes them about 10 days to port your number...

[EDIT] - I also read that Packet8 only accepts credit card payments... What payments does Vonage accept? Do they bill you and then you have the option to cut them a check, or charge your credit card?

[EDIT2] - Just found out the answer to my own question... They only accpet credit card payments as well...

Please continue to post info you find. Of course, I'll do the same!

Thanks!
-SlickVic78

[Firefox]

Hey Guys I have been using Vonage nearing a Year, ( I was the First when they entered the retail store market; I got mine from Circuit city with 2 months free, no activation fee and a $50 MIR. My whole phone home network is on Vonage, all the Jacks in my house are vonage jacks. So all the rooms in my house with a Jack have phones that ring when a call comes in. I disconeccted my copper wires from the Local phone, and use the old jacks in the house from the phone company I.e there old phone network. I think that we have about 8-9 phones that ring when a call comes in. I have my phone adapter & Cable modem on a UPS for power outages. I have ditched going with a back up local telco line we have two cell phone lines instead ( and car adapters for cable & power outages)

I have gotton to talk with vonage Customer service several times. I am pleased. The MIR took a little time to get and I ran into a hitch but I got credits equal to the MIR as welll as the MIR finally.

There is also LINGO as a VOIP company. I am unfamilar with them.

In nine months of use, I have only had a few hiccups with the system, at first I had to reset the power on my phone adapter once a week ( although I have'nt had to do in quite some time)

With 2 price drops since going with vonage. It is a refreshing change.

The other thing I love is the incoming and out going phone log, (we have to track calls with our bussiness) Although sometimes I have had trouble logging on to the website.

The biggest difference I have seen, is that vonage has there act together they are the biggest and the Oldest.

AS for AT&T
I have Sworn off anything with the Intials AT&T & ME (enough is enough ) Bad wireless, bad cable, bad High speed, bad long distance, just plain BAD SERVICE, last spring 30 -45 minutes waits for wireless customer no-service rep.

The other decsion point is we do a lot of international calling, There plan to HK, UK, OZ, Phillippines, etc, is the cheapest among the VOIPs. .03 -.05 per minute. Lingo has Asia free call plan but is $80 and Cell calls are not includeded.

Comcast has been working on a VOIP system and has rolled it out in 4 markets. I know that when they bought out AT&T that they highly recommend cable or you got a $10 surcharge for high speed. ( BTW we spend $9.80 for the basic cable no biggie be cause we get clear stations we live in a valley, and about 20 other channels) We were at almost $115 for high speed & phone service before switching to vonage not including long distance and the junk charges that get wrapped into all those plans.
Now around $75 per month. Anyways I think that it only a matter of time before comcast does like the Telco with DSL you gotta have there phone service .

[SlickVic78]

Hey Firefox,

Thanks for your review - very helpful. I am still leaning towards Vonage. I guess I can deal without the Anonymous Call Blocking. It is a nice feature though, and it would be nice if they could implement it being that Packet8 offers it.

I am still hesitant about going with Packet8, and I really dunno why. They offers the same features and then some over Vonage, and is a bit cheaper, but they are new and I know of no one who is actually using their service. I don't even think their hardware is all that good in comparison to Vonage that give you a LinkSys adapter.

Another neat feature that Vonage offers is that you can take your adapter anywhere and use your service. So if I were to be away for a few days, I can take the adapter with me and never really miss a call... That is pretty sweet.

-SlickVic78