Ooma Anyone?

Early B.

I pay slightly more than $100/month to AT&T which includes local and long distance, and DSL. Plus, we have cell phones that probably run another $150/mo. This equates to about $3,000/year. I'm very interested in exploring less expensive alternatives.

I just ran across this device today: http://www.amazon.com/ooma-Hub-Device-Monthly-Service/dp/B0010WG2H2/ref=pd_ts_e_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

I'll check out Vonage again, but do you guys have any other recommendations for reducing telephone and DSL costs?

Thanks.

Airplay355

How do VOIPs work? You pay a small monthly fee and then your internet bill? Isn't that the same as paying a phone bill and an internet bill? What are the advantages?

Early B.

With Ooma, there's no VoIP fee at all.

Kris Siegel

I've never heard of that type of device. I would love to switch to VoIP but there are two issues preventing from moving to VoIP:

1. My ISP is unreliable. Comcast in my area is absolutely horrible. Some times my modem can't receive an IP address and our cable goes out off and on. I've known people who have worked for Comcast and they all say Harford county is bad. If your telephone has to be reliable make sure your ISP is.

2. 911. While reliability is key, 911 works differently with VoIP as you have to specify your address when you sign up and I believe it gets routed differently than normal phone calls to 911. I've heard far too many horror stories about getting not being able to get to an 911 operator due to the different routes the call takes. I can't verify this but from what I've read about I'd just rather be safe than sorry. Just make sure you send in the appropriate 911 information as soon as you sign-up so you won't have to worry that the 911 operators can't find your address.

Once FIOS moves to our area I may re-consider VoIP

Airplay355 wrote: »

How do VOIPs work? You pay a small monthly fee and then your internet bill? Isn't that the same as paying a phone bill and an internet bill? What are the advantages?

VoIP is typically much cheaper than your usual phone bill. When I originally tried Vonage I think I was paying about $20 a month for unlimited long distance calling which is pretty nice. Not sure if that's still the same.

Early B. wrote: »

With Ooma, there's no VoIP fee at all.

This is what makes me wary. How do they pay for the infrastructure for their customers? VoIP providers have to hook into the current phone systems so how are they doing this without charging monthly fees? Is it just due to the initial high cost?

haimoc

I recommend Verizon FIOS ($35 Fiber optic internet) and VoiceWing ($30.00 Local/Long Distance/Canada and etc../Caller ID/Messages). They work great for me.

Early B.

I'm free!!!

Finally purchased ooma. Very cool device. No fees for local or long distance whatsover. I should have done this 6 months ago. I also switched my DSL provider from AT&T to Comcast. Tomorrow I'm gonna call AT&T and fire their asses.

John30_30

Kris Siegel wrote: »

I've never heard of that type of device. I would love to switch to VoIP but there are two issues preventing from moving to VoIP:


2. 911. While reliability is key, 911 works differently with VoIP as you have to specify your address when you sign up and I believe it gets routed differently than normal phone calls to 911. I've heard far too many horror stories about getting not being able to get to an 911 operator due to the different routes the call takes. I can't verify this but from what I've read about I'd just rather be safe than sorry. Just make sure you send in the appropriate 911 information as soon as you sign-up so you won't have to worry that the 911 operators can't find your address.

This is a factor. Whenever I've set up businesses with VOIP routers- for Qwest, as it happens, part of the final is to test international and 9-1-1 calls.
The 9-1-1 calls will always go through, but the operators never see the assigned VOIP numbers on their caller I.D. since there is a routing factor.

obieone

JMO, but aren't land lines redundant? I had Vonage for 1+ years, and after taxes, etc. it was $23/ month. All I was using it for was faxing in time sheets and quotes.
Just wasn't worth it to me.