VoIP Telephone Service Options

Serendipity

Anyone here use MagicJack as their primary phone service? How is the call quality, etc.? I remember a thread here where someone posted they were going to try it out, but I can't find it with the search feature.

Also - Will this work with an alarm system for a landline?

This would be much cheaper than what Verizon or AT&T charges locally.

Thanks!

vc69

I have heard good things. No first hand experience. Cell only.
Will not work for alarm IIRC.

Knucklehead

Its amazing how many people are doing away with the land lines, magic jack sounds like a good idea, I was thinking about that option as well.

PhantomOG

most traditional alarm monitoring companies don't work with VOIP.

I use NextAlarm.com combined with my Time Warner digital phone. I like it. Its cheaper than ADT/Brinks and has a few benefits -- namely, it polls my home every 5 minutes so I know if my system is connected or not. Plus I can setup email or text alerts for events (open/close/alarm/etc).

All that good stuff said, it was a major PITA to get it working. I suck at home networking stuff and I didn't know squat about the alarm system in my house (previous owner had ADT, I never hooked it up). All that said, the NextAlarm tech help was pretty good with me and I've been happy with their service.

EDIT: I do have Time Warner digital phone, but NextAlarm is actually just using my Road Runner connection, so the digital phone isn't even necessary.

Knucklehead

PhantomOG wrote: »

most traditional alarm monitoring companies don't work with VOIP.

I use NextAlarm.com combined with my Time Warner digital phone. I like it. Its cheaper than ADT/Brinks and has a few benefits -- namely, it polls my home every 5 minutes so I know if my system is connected or not. Plus I can setup email or text alerts for events (open/close/alarm/etc).

All that good stuff said, it was a major PITA to get it working. I suck at home networking stuff and I didn't know squat about the alarm system in my house (previous owner had ADT, I never hooked it up). All that said, the NextAlarm tech help was pretty good with me and I've been happy with their service.

EDIT: I do have Time Warner digital phone, but NextAlarm is actually just using my Road Runner connection, so the digital phone isn't even necessary.

Yeah, I think they just use a filter on the internet connection so they can use the line as a phone line as well.

Sherardp

Allot of guys are using it in Japan being overseas with military. Excellent service, works anywhere you can get a connection. I personally use Vonage though. Both perform very well, just a matter of preference.

TroyD

I had VoIP line in Korea....eh, it's ok. It was reasonably priced but awfully noisy....

BDT

disneyjoe7

Ok I'm a Telephone tech, also was a burglar / fire alarm tech, and a television / stereo tech. If it's broke I fix it. Now I played with VOIP and my alarm, also listen to alarm panel trying to send a signal with a butt set. Since I know every angle to this, I can say NO GO with VOIP and alarm DSL filter or not.

PhantomOG

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Ok I'm a Telephone tech, also was a burglar / fire alarm tech, and a television / stereo tech. If it's broke I fix it. Now I played with VOIP and my alarm, also listen to alarm panel trying to send a signal with a butt set. Since I know every angle to this, I can say NO GO with VOIP and alarm DSL filter or not.

what is a butt set? how do you feel about alarm monitoring over a cable/road runner internet connection?

my setup is essentially a connection to my home network going through some sort of specialized Linksys VOIP adapter (with nextalarm proprietary firmware) hooked up to my alarm panel. They poll my alarm panel every 5 minutes and email/text me if I'm not connected. I know traditional land lines are much more 'reliable' than TW's road runner, but ever since I signed up for digital phone, my internet connection has been much more stable and reliable. I just assumed its because they give priority to digital phone customers over non-phone customers.

disneyjoe7

There are some devices which I'm aware of, but never played with which are TCP/IP and work fine over digital broadband lines. A butt set is a Telco tool which lets you monitor or make calls like a phone, but come with wire clamp's to connect on the fly.

thsmith

Disneyjoe7, I too am a Telecom guy(32 years) and there is no reason why VoIP service like Vontage will not work with an alarm system. I use it on my alarm and when I had a Tivo to down load the guide. Hell, I have a rotary phone and it works on Vonage.
Son uses magicjack and it works for him but he does not have an alarm.

disneyjoe7

Well tried Vontage with a Fax machine, TiVo, and Alarm. It seemed the anything which is analog in nature being converter to a digital stream back to analog on the other end is a no go. If it worked at all it's was 10% of the time, handshaking just not there for analog data stream.


But for the record also tried AT&T VOIP service, and something else I forget. Either worked concerning Fax, Alarm, or Tivo.

thsmith

Thats weird. I was using one of those RCA wireless power jacks for my Tivo since I did not have a phone jack at the Tivo and it still worked.

I do find that Vonage or anything VoiP is sensitive to the quality of your cables and number of taps you have on the line.

Works for me, YMMV

PhantomOG

I read alot of people had success using VOIP or digital phone with their alarm system, but straight digital phone connected to my alarm system wouldn't work for some reason. I verified the phone jack available in the alarm panel worked (got a dial tone and could make calls), but for some reason the alarm system just couldn't work with it.

I didn't mind too much though, in the end I'm still using my cable modem connection, however, now with the specialized VOIP adapter connected to my home network I get the extra options like the polling and alarm status visibility when I need it.

disneyjoe7

Normal phone service Ma Bell stuff, dedicated link what you say is what's heard in time. VOIP stuff Vontage and others, what's talked is broken into data packets these are sent over the net which are not in sync all the time. Packet 1 could be received after packet 2 voice doesn't really hear these net timing errors. (Error's per say but that's how it works, so not really) When a signal which needs to be in sync packet 1, 2, 3 ect. should be received at the receiver end, isn't done with VOIP.

Now for the record my alarm signal is out of state via an 800#, the Fax was local, the TiVo local #.

bklynNupe

I have not owned a land line in about 7 years, I have no need for it!
I use my cell phone/pda and I have dry-loop dsl for 39 bucks a month flat – no tax!
It has never been down once (knock on wood). My wife uses Skype to speak to her parents overseas every day and the clarity is perfect. I ordered voip for a old job about three years ago through Speakeasy through a T-3 line. We had a couple of outages but the speeds were great. We kept one very basic – no frills Verizon land line ( about $11 dollars per month) for our alarm system. Speakeasy did not recommend using voip for the alarm system in case of a power outage.

disneyjoe7

"Speakeasy did not recommend using voip for the alarm system in case of a power outage."

And the biggest issue, it just doesn't work.

kn505

I have been using magicjack for about 6 months now. The quality is very good, just likes normal land line. You will need to have high speed internet (cable, dsl) in order for it to work. Also, it is connected to a 24/7 computer. Some features I like are caller ID, voice messages are sent to email, and you can use it anywhere there is internet connection.

I dont know if it works with an alarm system.

vlam

If you don't need a landline for an alarm, I'll go with something like GV (google voice).

If you need to drop your land line to reduce cost, just consider this. Most DSL provider such as Verizon will charge you extra for not having a land line. My basic land line is about $16 a month with no features. If I remember correctly, my DSL service is about $10 more if I don't have a land line. I didn't drop my land line cause it wouldn't save me that much.

Depending on your cell carrier, you may not even get a good reception at your home.

When I give out my phone number (CL, online sales, etc..) I just give out my GV number and screen calls that way.

bklynNupe

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

"Speakeasy did not recommend using voip for the alarm system in case of a power outage."

And the biggest issue, it just doesn't work.

Joe, I know you’re the phone tech.
I’m actually agreeing with you.
My point was if Appadv needs his alarm system to work with a land line, he can get a basic land line with simply a dial tone to reduce costs (at least you can here in NY). Ultimately, I added the one basic land line to the system at work, because I realized the alarm system would not work during a power failure.

[Deleted User]

The magic jack works great. I have purchased several of them for relatives in Vietnam to use. The call quality sounded normal to me as a receiver in America and a user when in Vietnam. If your computer has bluetooth, you could communicate using a bluetooth headset as well.

As for the home security system, I have no clue.

Halen

Serendipity

Thanks for the advice!