#159862 - 07/05/2003 17:30
Anyone have or have had vonage.
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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Has anyone had any experience with Vonage
I am thinking of getting their 25.99 plan I don't call long distance much so 500 minutes is plenty.
The advantage would be it is much cheaper than my local phone service not including long distance.
The only thing that is scaring me is they charge 30 dollars to connect it and for the hardware but they also charge 40 dollars if you want to disconnect the service. Also if the hardware fails you have to buy another one for 90 dollars.
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Matt
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#159863 - 07/05/2003 17:46
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I called them they do have a 14 day trial period.
But another bad thing they told me is that for the caller ID only the number shows up ? I wonder how good the caller ID works. I have to have caller ID too many calls from the roommates wacky family.
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Matt
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#159864 - 07/05/2003 18:14
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Don't know how it works in the US but all of the number lookup for caller ID is done locally here. Your caller ID box/phone would need to have a database of all the numbers you know programmed into it.
The Cisco ATA 186 is a normal H.323 & SIP VoIP adapter according to it's specifications. So if you can get the configuration details out of Vonage then you can use whatever adapter you want. (Assuming it supports H.323 & SIP and whatever codec Vonage actually uses)
- Trevor
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#159865 - 07/05/2003 18:22
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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In the US (in minnesota at least) the caller ID info usually provides the name and number the info comes over the phone line. Sometimes I just get the number. I could do like you have to though I think the phone I have now supports that even.
Thats good to know that it is just a VoIP adaptor and not some goofy custom thing.
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Matt
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#159866 - 07/05/2003 21:55
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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old hand
Registered: 17/07/2001
Posts: 721
Loc: Boston, MA USA
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I have Vonage. Just moved and decided that I wanted to have my home phone as cheap as possible, since I don't use it much. So far so good with the service, it was super easy to set up and get working and the calls are clear. The caller ID works just fine as far as I can tell. It even works on my Audrey that I have hooked up to it.
Advantages:
1. $26/month gets you all the calls you need to make
2. All the features too: call waiting, voicemail (online), you can even get an email telling you that you have a voicemail
3. Take your phone number with you if you move (I couldn't care less though)
4. You don't have to pay Verizon a damn thing.
Disadvantages:
1. No electricity = no phone
2. Your crappy internet provider goes down, so does your phone.
3. Questionable 911 service. I say questionable because you have to call Vonage to tell them your physical address so that when you call 911 they can tell the cops where to find your dead body. (or something like that)
Oh and about the $30 start up cost...
Go here and it will sign you up as a referral and you get your second month of service for free (I think. That's how I signed up)
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//matt
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#159867 - 07/05/2003 22:22
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: ithoughti]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Questionable 911 service All phones lines in the US, to my understanding, are required to be able to dial 911, even disconnected lines.
So keep a phone plugged into the disconnected circuit for emergencies.
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Bitt Faulk
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#159868 - 07/05/2003 22:47
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: ithoughti]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I went ahead and singed up for it. Thanks for the reassurance that it works ok. I'm in about the same situation as you I don't use the phone much so I want it cheap. Except I get to avoid qwest instead of verizon. Also I hate all the asinine taxes on the phone service.
How long did they take to send the hardware to you ? I will probably wait awhile before canceling the qwest phone service.
The 911 stuff sounds pretty crappy but I have a cell phone too so I can always just use it. They must be pretty worried about getting sued over that because there are at least a half a dozen warnings about 911 service throughout the sign up process.
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Matt
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#159869 - 07/05/2003 23:02
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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old hand
Registered: 12/01/2000
Posts: 1079
Loc: Dallas, TX
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How good is the voice quality on vonage?
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#159870 - 08/05/2003 07:05
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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old hand
Registered: 17/07/2001
Posts: 721
Loc: Boston, MA USA
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They sent the hardware to me in 3 days I think. So far the voice quality is great. I've heard that if you have a slowish connection, and tons of activity on the line at the same time you are making a call, the quality might be a bit off, but my connection is great so I'm not too worried.
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//matt
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#159871 - 08/05/2003 08:09
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: ithoughti]
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enthusiast
Registered: 06/03/2003
Posts: 269
Loc: Wellingborough, UK
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I have a friend who had this service, but cancelled it because their ISP didn't prioritise voice traffic - so this might be something you want to check.
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#159872 - 08/05/2003 11:23
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: ithoughti]
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enthusiast
Registered: 05/09/2000
Posts: 210
Loc: Ipswich, MA
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I just signed up as well.
The referal service is a bit shady, and I'm not sure who I just gave a free month to.
But I just got a free month!
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John Turner
"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission"
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#159873 - 08/05/2003 22:23
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: jwtadmin]
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old hand
Registered: 17/07/2001
Posts: 721
Loc: Boston, MA USA
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Ok, if anyone else is going to sign up for this, PLEASE email or PM me so I can get a nice referal too.
thanks
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//matt
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#159874 - 04/01/2005 17:36
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: ithoughti]
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enthusiast
Registered: 15/02/2002
Posts: 314
Loc: New Hampshire, USA
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I'm considering doing this. I see this thread is a bit dated. Have any new info on quality, service, etc.? I don't use the phone to much so this seems like a good deal. At this point you can get the hardware for free, not sure about costs when signing up.
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Doug
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#159875 - 04/01/2005 17:41
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Quote:
Questionable 911 service
All phones lines in the US, to my understanding, are required to be able to dial 911, even disconnected lines.
So keep a phone plugged into the disconnected circuit for emergencies.
Just to add, this is why I keep my 6 year old Sprint cell phone in the glove box. I charged it about 6 months ago, turned it off, and stuck it in my car. It's good to know that I can have access to 911 if I need to, in case my usual phone is dead or isn't on me. i just turned it on the other day, and it still had full power.
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Matt
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#159876 - 04/01/2005 18:47
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: phi144]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Recently I cut-off my house from the public telephone network and wired the whole thing with Vonage on the $14.99/month plan. The voice sounds fine and I was able to get my Series2 DirecTivos to make their daily call over Vonage. The Series 1 units wouldn't do it though, not even when throttled-down to 19.2k. I had to hook them up with TurboNet to make the daily call over ethernet. Overall, I am very happy. $16 (tax inc.) per month for 500 minutes + all calling features is much better than $50+ per month for 0 minutes and caller ID.
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-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159877 - 04/01/2005 18:57
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: robricc]
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enthusiast
Registered: 15/02/2002
Posts: 314
Loc: New Hampshire, USA
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I didn't think of my Tivos. Both are wireless at the moment but I was planning of going back to the phone line for one of them. What do I need to think about before doing that? I have Series2 Tivos.
Edited by phi144 (04/01/2005 18:58)
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Doug
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#159878 - 04/01/2005 19:04
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Pardon me, but I don't really know how this voip stuff works. Would I be able to connect via dialup modem over it? Every third week of my job I'm on call, and during that time I have a laptop on me that I can use for remote access to my company network. Sadly, I have to do this over dialup, so it's going to suck that I'll need to pay for a landline service that I'll never use, just because there's a chance I may need to connect from this laptop to a toll free number.
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Matt
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#159879 - 04/01/2005 19:27
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: phi144]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Quote:
I didn't think of my Tivos. Both are wireless at the moment but I was planning of going back to the phone line for one of them. What do I need to think about before doing that? I have Series2 Tivos.
This worked for me and others. I don't think it's guaranteed to work, but there is something with this dial-in number that is VoIP-friendly. Before taking your house off of POTS service, change your dial-in number to 212-920-3005 (Manhattan North). That should be it. No other * or ,# codes are needed with that number and has worked every single time for me. The old number in New City, NY I used to call didn't work and neither does the toll-free number tivo calls to get dial-in numbers for your specified area code. The ~monthly call to DirecTV should work since it's always placed at only 9600bps. I don't know if this call was made yet though, so I'm not 100% on that. If that call doesn't go through you will have to order PPV from directv.com.
Quote:
Pardon me, but I don't really know how this voip stuff works. Would I be able to connect via dialup modem over it?
Probably as long as you can lower the modem's speed. 14.4k should work everytime if you dial *99 before the number. It will definitely work if you pay an $10 per month for a fax line with Vonage. If it doesn't you can yell at them. 14.4k should be the highest speed you can hope to accomplish though.
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-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159880 - 04/01/2005 19:42
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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addict
Registered: 29/06/2002
Posts: 531
Loc: Triangle, VA
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I purchased the linksys box for VoIP for Vonage at bestBuy. No setup costs for the account and I think I got a free month as well. The quality I had to knock down using their bandwidth saver to the middle option cause I would get calls randomly drop but after lowering it I have had no problems. Now the calls sound like a very good cell phone call. and I get caller id information (name and number) for just about everyone think i have had only one that was hidden cause someone did the whole *something code to block it. Over all I like it and will stay with it. Oh and I have comcast cable internet. I also have been on the phone while 2 computers are playing internet games and had file transfers going at same time. I would highly suggest using it.
_________________________
-D
Modifying and Tweaking is a journey,
not a destination................................
MKIIa : 60gig - 040103286 - Blue - v2 + PCATS tuner
MKIIa : 20gig - 040103260 - Blue - v3a8 + Mark Lord Special Edition Cherry Dock
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#159881 - 04/01/2005 19:56
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: phi144]
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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I have AT&T CallVantage, which is almost the same as Vonage. I had a few problems at the beginning with packet loss - turns out my cable modem was a bad model. It can be difficult to work a problem with two companies (VoIP provider and ISP) but if you keep on top of things it turns out ok. Some cable companies are bundling voice deals in with internet service, Time Warner and AT&T have this deal in my area. Just compare prices and features, I especially like the web-based controls for my phone service. I can get my voicemail e-mailed to me, or have all my calls forwarded to my mobile, etc.
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#159882 - 04/01/2005 21:59
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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I was just researching this today, but this thread didn't come up in a "+voice +over" search...
Has anyone heard anything about www.lingo.com ? They seems a bit cheaper - $19.99 unlimited (+tax) and have the same features... They say that includes unlimted calls to US, Canada and Western Europe.
Quote:
Western European subscription includes calls from Lingo subscriber to the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Luxembourg, Vatican City, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. Calls to mobile phones, premium and special service numbers in these areas are not included. US includes AK, HI, PR, USVI and calls to cellular phones.
Edited by SE_Sport_Driver (04/01/2005 22:01)
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Brad B.
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#159883 - 04/01/2005 23:24
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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BroadvoxDirect $19.99 Unlimited usage for all North Americsan exchanges, with all calling features (plus a second number in the same or different area code) and no tax. At least no tax for me because I'm in Canada and they're out of a specific state. Very well-prices long distance for the rest of the world too.
The biggest thing to be careful about is QoS (Quality of Service) management on your network. If you follow their instructions and connect the ATA to your modem and the rest of your network behind it, there shouldn't be a problem. It handles QoS and doesn't do Double-NAT (I was worried about this at first and went with a different configuration). If you connect the ATA after your broadband router then you really have to make sure you have QoS on your router. Otherwise other traffic over the router *WILL* interfere with the voice packets.
Bruno
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#159884 - 05/01/2005 00:19
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: phi144]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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Well I have had it since posting this thread and it works fine. The complaint I had about the caller ID has been fixed and now they show the name and number.
I have it set on the highest quality setting and I have road runner for my ISP. I currently have the unlimited plan but I probably could get by with the 14.99 one. Time warner sent me an ad for their VoIP service and they want 40 dollars a month for unlimited calling good freaking lord who would pay that.
For the series one tivo there is a hack you can to to make it connect via the serial port connected to a pc.
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Matt
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#159885 - 05/01/2005 00:29
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Quote:
Has anyone heard anything about www.lingo.com ? They seems a bit cheaper - $19.99 unlimited (+tax) and have the same features... They say that includes unlimted calls to US, Canada and Western Europe.
I first heard about lingo in this thread. Most poor experiences seem to be with customer service.
My housemate has Packet8 and likes it. He had that before I moved to Vonage, so I considered signing up with them. Unfortunately, I was totally unable to get any Tivo to dial over thier service. It's unfortunate because for only $20 you get unlimited calling from them (US and Canada).
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-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159886 - 05/01/2005 05:04
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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After doing some research, I found that VoicePulse is the best thing going right now, at least for my needs. I found this table useful in comparing the services, though the metrics towards the end overstate the case for how much better it is than Vonage. In terms of pure value, I think VoicePulse has the edge, especially when you look at all the features they throw in. They sent me a Sipura SPA-2000 ATA at no charge, though I think I have to return it to them if I don't keep it for like a year or something, and it's "locked" to their service (though the 2nd port is free for some other service.) Caller ID shows up name and number (which you can customize if you don't like what the phone company is sending) and it displays fine on my Caller ID phone and DirecTV receiver. Faxes and modems tend not to work over VoIP, but some people have had success after dropping fax/modem baud rates and tweaking codecs of the VoIP connection. FWIW, my service has been good so far, but I would only use VoIP as your only phone if you're confident in your ISP. If your broadband connection is flaky or inconsistent, your voice service will be also.
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#159887 - 05/01/2005 05:49
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: Dignan]
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member
Registered: 09/06/1999
Posts: 106
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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With vonage's settings adjusted to the highest speed, I connected at over 40Kb/s on a modem. From the middle east to the US. So, I'd say it works fairly well.  I'm extremely happy with the quality otherwise, btw.
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Fly me to the moon...
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#159888 - 05/01/2005 12:54
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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addict
Registered: 24/08/1999
Posts: 564
Loc: TX
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The scary part about TimeWarner pricing is that the 40 bucks doesn't even include voicemail ! They want to charge you another 5 bucks for that.
I too have vonage and have not had any problems.
Two friends have tried lingo.
The first tried it a while ago and had all sorts of problems and cancelled.
The second tried it in October and still has it now. But he is like me and frequently calls England so the free western europe pricing is unbeatable.
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the chewtoy for the dog of Life
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#159889 - 05/01/2005 14:02
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: rmitz]
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addict
Registered: 23/12/2002
Posts: 652
Loc: Winston Salem, NC
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Quote:
With vonage's settings adjusted to the highest speed, I connected at over 40Kb/s on a modem. From the middle east to the US.
I'd be interested in that. I was wondering about making calls from the Middle East.
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#159890 - 05/01/2005 16:18
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: Cybjorg]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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A lot of people don't even pick up on that. The "phone line" is portable. Your number exists anywhere you connect the ATA (the phone adapter). If you know you need to make a lot of regular calls to a specific place, get multiple subscriptions and then send one of the ATAs to that place. Calls between customers of the same VOIP service are typically free, so you can get that second subscription on the lowest plan too. Get it with your current local area code and you can even call it from an outside line without long distance charges. Take it with you to the hotel and plug it into their broadband. Now when someone calls you at home, you still get the call. Doesn't costt them anything extra and it costs you only the broadband connection fee at the hotel (which you'd already be using to surf for porn, etc. ) Bruno
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#159891 - 05/01/2005 18:11
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: Cybjorg]
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member
Registered: 09/06/1999
Posts: 106
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Well, it's just a connection to a server over the internet, essentially, so anywhere in the world is fine. however, you do need to make sure your provider isn't filtering it (typically they do here) or you can VPN back to somewhere in the US first...
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#159892 - 05/01/2005 19:16
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I just got an interesting article emailed to me. I've attached it to not make this post insanely long.
Attachments
244844-wifivonage.txt (1086 downloads)
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Matt
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#159893 - 05/01/2005 20:42
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: Dignan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Stupid *%$#*& <INSERT BROWSER OF CHOICE HERE> (firefox) not wrapping text....good article once I got it into Ultraedit.
-Zeke
edit: yeah yeah....
Edited by Ezekiel (06/01/2005 15:24)
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WWFSMD?
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#159894 - 05/01/2005 21:15
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: Ezekiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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No no, IE does it too
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Matt
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#159895 - 05/01/2005 21:37
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: ashmoore]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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Quote:
The scary part about TimeWarner pricing is that the 40 bucks doesn't even include voicemail ! They want to charge you another 5 bucks for that.
Good lord they are insane. I didn't read it long enough to get to that point.
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Matt
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#159896 - 06/01/2005 15:57
Re: Anyone have of have had vonage.
[Re: hybrid8]
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addict
Registered: 24/08/1999
Posts: 564
Loc: TX
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the last time I visited England, I added the $5 softphone to my laptop. Then all I needed to make US based calls was plug my laptop into any broadband. I even made a call using the wireless lan card in the airport lounge. Waaay cool. It sure beats lugging an ATA and telephone around, or worse, PAYING for access
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the chewtoy for the dog of Life
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#159897 - 08/01/2005 20:19
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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How do you guys handle hooking up multiple phones to a VoIP service? Do you need an adapter for each phone? I was thinking about waiting until the next house to do this, but if I can install the adapter near my main phone line coming into the house, I'd consider getting it now. My family makes a lot of calls to Italy, so the Lingo plan looks like the way to go (for the 30 day trial anyway).
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Brad B.
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#159898 - 08/01/2005 20:26
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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addict
Registered: 29/06/2002
Posts: 531
Loc: Triangle, VA
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From my understanding if you unhooked the house wiring from the phone box and just ran a cable from the phone adapter to a wall outlet that should allow you to hook up phones thru out the house..
_________________________
-D
Modifying and Tweaking is a journey,
not a destination................................
MKIIa : 60gig - 040103286 - Blue - v2 + PCATS tuner
MKIIa : 20gig - 040103260 - Blue - v3a8 + Mark Lord Special Edition Cherry Dock
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#159899 - 08/01/2005 22:32
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SonicSnoop]
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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Quote:
From my understanding if you unhooked the house wiring from the phone box and just ran a cable from the phone adapter to a wall outlet that should allow you to hook up phones thru out the house..
This is what I do, it works fine. The phone adapter probably wouldn't have enough juice to drive a lot of analog bell ringers though, but if you have modern phones with digital ringers you should be ok. I just have two phones hooked up, a desk phone and a multi-handset cordless phone.
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#159900 - 09/01/2005 01:13
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I just use a splitter and it works fine. I only have three phones connected to it.
_________________________
Matt
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#159901 - 10/01/2005 01:23
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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For mine, I use one of those cordless phones that supports multiple headsets. Right now I just have two but I could add another headset if I wanted. Running extra phone line was impractical in my apartment, but if I wanted to, I could have split the ATA output as others are mentioning here.
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#159902 - 02/03/2005 18:56
I'm lovin' Lingo!
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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I've had my Lingo service for a few days now (still using a temporary number) and I'm really impressed with it. Calls are crystal clear. Faxes work great (had to throttle down the start speed of the faxes to 14kps). I've sent faxes to local numbers and an office 3 time zones away. Groovy. No faxing would have been a deal breaker for me.
I plugged the adapter between my cable modem and my router and had a dial tone within a few minutes. You can hook it into your LAN too, but I wanted to let the adapter grab bandwidth whenever it needed it so that my calls wouldn't have dropouts. Even with this setup, my ping on my favorite Desert Combat server went from a 26 to only a 38. 
I still can't believe that I can get unlimited local and long distance calls to the US (PR and USVI included) plus Canada and Western Europe (Europe does not include cell phone calls) for $19.99 a month! Even after taxes, it'll be under $25 a month. Sweet. Having the first month free is cool too because I wasn't afraid to try it out first.
If anyone wants to try it out and get an additional $25 credit after 90 days, I set up a little site. Yeah, I'm fishing for referrals because I get $25 too, but I had to Google "lingo referrals" to find some guy I never heard of just so I could get the deal. So at least my page has some info on the service!
The only thing I'm mad about is that I didn't try this earlier. I guess I missed out on the "buggy" phase huh? It's just kinda weird how I personally hate talking on the phone but I can still manage to be excited about this! lol
EDIT: Lingo includes unlimited calls to cell phones in Canada too...
Edited by SE_Sport_Driver (02/03/2005 20:26)
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159903 - 02/03/2005 19:05
Re: I'm lovin' Lingo!
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 31/08/1999
Posts: 1649
Loc: San Carlos, CA
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Do any of these services have a cheaper metered option? I made three phone calls for a total of about 12 minutes on my home phone line last month (use my cell for everything). I hate giving SBC almost 20 bucks for that. I'd love to replace SBC with a pay as you go or metered VoIP plan.
-Mike
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#159904 - 02/03/2005 19:07
Re: I'm lovin' Lingo!
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3584
Loc: Columbus, OH
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I just got VoicePulse. I went with them over Vonage and Packet8 et al because they are the only ones who claimed they could port my existing number. They did and it works great. No 911 service at all, but I just put the local police dept. on speed dial. Works for me. Sound is clear and support was great when I called. Talked to a real live person right away and he was able to actually solve my problems within seconds while I was on the line. Pleased so far. Screw BellSouth!
Am using the $15 200 min. long distance and unlimited local account.
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#159906 - 02/03/2005 19:17
Re: I'm lovin' Lingo!
[Re: JBjorgen]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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If you still have a line from the phone company, even if you're not paying for service, it's a requirement that they provide 911 service from that line. So even if your internet goes out, you could call the police. Just hook up a regular old phone and leave it in the corner somewhere.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#159907 - 03/03/2005 00:29
Re: I'm lovin' Lingo!
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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addict
Registered: 29/06/2002
Posts: 531
Loc: Triangle, VA
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If anyone is interested in Vonage I can send a referal to them for a free month for both of us when you sign up. Im currently unemployeed so all the help i get with my bills is great.
_________________________
-D
Modifying and Tweaking is a journey,
not a destination................................
MKIIa : 60gig - 040103286 - Blue - v2 + PCATS tuner
MKIIa : 20gig - 040103260 - Blue - v3a8 + Mark Lord Special Edition Cherry Dock
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#159908 - 03/03/2005 21:46
Re: I'm lovin' Lingo!
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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If anyone wants info on how to do faxing over a VOIP (or at least Lingo), I added a new section based on the trouble shooting I've been doing the last few days. Might save you some of the trouble I went through!
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159909 - 06/03/2005 17:27
Help needed testing FAX
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Grrr... I'm pulling my hair out here trying to figure out if my fax machine works with Lingo. It works calling most numbers, but I'm not sure if it is failing because of trouble on my end or not. Is there anyone with free long distance faxing that can test out my setup? My paper try is full, so feel free to send at will. Here is my temporary fax number 313 - 879 - 4229. It's temporary, so I don't mind sharing it. Maybe I can test sending too? (Calling long distance is free for me, so I don't care where you're calling from).
If I can't get this to work (maybe I was lucky during the first week?) I'll have to eat my words and switch to Vonage.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159911 - 06/03/2005 23:33
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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LOL, get in line!  My email notification has been ringing for the last hour, lol.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159912 - 07/03/2005 12:26
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Anyone able to test from their work number perhaps?
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159913 - 07/03/2005 12:35
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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I get "Your call cannot be completed as dialed...". Verizon (former Bell Atlantic) POTS land line with Verizon long distance.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159914 - 07/03/2005 12:39
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Man, you really want me to switch to Vonage don't you? Thank you. Another nail in my little Lingo coffin.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159915 - 07/03/2005 13:09
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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How long has that number been active?
I tried dialing that number on all the voice and fax lines here (a mix of Verizon and MCI long distance). All don't work.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159916 - 07/03/2005 13:19
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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It's been up for 6 days... I just double checked the number too. Another buddy told me he is getting a busy signal. What a bunch of crap.
Do you get that often w. Vonage?
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159917 - 07/03/2005 13:26
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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I have never had someone tell me they couldn't reach me with Vonage, but I use it pretty infrequently. I probably only use it to make a call twice per week. Almost everything is on my cell phone.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159918 - 07/03/2005 13:40
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Well, I don't know why I'm dragging this out. I'm still under the free 30 day trial. It won't work in about an hour or so. I'm cancelling. Thanks.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159919 - 07/03/2005 17:27
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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addict
Registered: 29/06/2002
Posts: 531
Loc: Triangle, VA
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Ive never had a problem recieving calls with vonage, though I have had 2 instances where I couldnt call out but people could still call me. both were fixed in like 20min. If you do go vonage I would definitly suggest using the bandwidth saver and knock it down to the middle setting when I was using the highest I had calls sort of drop. I could hear them but they couldnt hear me and hang up. ever since setting to the middle setting I havent had that happen once.
_________________________
-D
Modifying and Tweaking is a journey,
not a destination................................
MKIIa : 60gig - 040103286 - Blue - v2 + PCATS tuner
MKIIa : 20gig - 040103260 - Blue - v3a8 + Mark Lord Special Edition Cherry Dock
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#159920 - 10/03/2005 17:00
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: robricc]
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enthusiast
Registered: 15/02/2002
Posts: 314
Loc: New Hampshire, USA
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I decided to finally try this out. Anyone want to refer me?
_________________________
Doug
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#159921 - 10/03/2005 17:01
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: phi144]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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send me a PM with your email address
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159922 - 10/03/2005 17:02
Re: Help needed testing FAX
[Re: phi144]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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nevermind. I just sent to the email address in your profile. 
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159923 - 16/03/2005 14:31
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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I was wondering if anyone could share how they have their Vonage wired up.
Vonage sent me a Linksys RT31P2 router with built-in adapter for the phones. I plugged this between my cable modem and my Netgear router and all seemed to go well. I didn't use any of the Linksys router features. Basically, I was just using it to hook up my phones and pass the internet onto my Netgear.
Then, I realized my ftp server wasn't working anymore. Yep, the Linksys has built-in firewall.
Try #2. I then tried to hook the Linksys box downstream of my Netgear router. This required disabling its DHCP server and giving it a friendly IP address. This "worked" except that now the Linksys/Vonage box was only getting bandwidth when it was available. Because it was downstream, it couldn't ensure "quality of service" and voices would drop during uploads.
Try #3. I put the Vonage/Linksys box up front again, directly connected to my modem. I then turned off the DHCP on my Netgear router and used it as a simple switch. Well, this doesn't work because the Netgear wasn't letting the DHCP signals from the Linksys box go through (on the Netgear page, they say this is to be expected.)
Try #4. Just like above, but re-enable DHCP on the Netgear and disable it on the Linksys. For some reason, the internet stopped working with this setup, even with "friendly" IP address. I'm hoping I can get it going, then forward ports 21-22 from the Linksys to the Netgear and then tell the Netgear which PC to forward them to.
It looks like most Vonage users are getting some new Linksys router with a 3rd party firmware that allows for prioritizing the traffic to suit the Vonage box, even if it's behind the router.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159924 - 16/03/2005 14:40
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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old hand
Registered: 27/02/2003
Posts: 776
Loc: Washington, DC metro
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Can you just use their Linksys box (with a $20 switch if needed), and enable the FTP fowarding you need in it?
It's either that or set a static IP on your Netgear WAN interface in the trusted linksys subnet - which should be different from your current trusted netgear subnet. Then set FTP forwarding from your Linksys to the Netgear, and it should continue from the Netgear to the FTP machine, doubly NAT'ed.
-jk
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#159925 - 16/03/2005 18:05
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: jmwking]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Thanks! I was about to order a 70 dollar router that would have taken care of the problem, but instead just bid on a few 8 port switches on eBay. Here I am trying to get one of my routers to act like a switch, and I was trying to buy another router to fix my problem! I was sure to use the same sub nets.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159926 - 16/03/2005 19:13
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Why don't you just disable the Linksys firewall and leave it between your Netgear and cable modem?
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#159927 - 16/03/2005 19:27
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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I've been trying to figure out how to do that - with no luck. The documentation is pretty light. I've used Netgear for a long time and I'm more used to finding options with it than I am with Linksys.
_________________________
Brad B.
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#159928 - 16/03/2005 19:33
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I keep reading about you guys putting the VoIP box before the router. Do all the current vonage boxes have a hub or switch built in or are you doing it someother way ? I have the cisco unit and it only has one network connection on it so I don't know how I could put it upstream from my router ?
_________________________
Matt
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#159929 - 16/03/2005 19:38
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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I have a Linksys PAP2 for my Vonage access. I assume it's like your Cisco unit. No router or switch built-in. Just one ethernet port that has to be plugged into my existing network.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#159930 - 16/03/2005 19:40
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: msaeger]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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When I got Vonage, my box came with a Linksys router that had a built-in ATA.
Here is my setup:
Modem > Linksys/Vonage box (192.168.15.1 + DHCP running) > Netgear (192.168.0.1 + DHCP running) > PC
The above setup works, but the Linksys firewall is active. And because it only lets me port forward or use DMZ in the 192.168.15.x grouping, I can't pass things onto my PCs or the Netgear router.
So, step 1, I turn off DHCP on the Linksys/Vonage box. All works fine.
Step 2, I assign the Linksys/Vonage box an IP of 192.168.0.32 (so all boxes have similar IPs). But now, I can not connect to the Linksys/Vonage box. I don't understand why...
Modem > Linksys/Vonage box (192.168.1.32 + no DHCP) > Netgear (192.168.0.1 + DHCP running) > PC
I can still get on the internet from behind both boxes, but I can not log into the Linksys/Vonage box to set port forwarding or to put my Netgear in the DMZ....
Am I over looking something?
UPDATE: This setup only seems to work for a short time before the internet stops reaching the Netgear box...Then I have to reset the Linksys to factory default to get everything (minus port forwarding) working again.
Edited by SE_Sport_Driver (16/03/2005 20:04)
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Brad B.
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#159931 - 16/03/2005 20:46
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Set the address of the netgear router to be the DMZ of the linksys router. Then all traffic will be forwarded to the netgear, which using your previous settings should forward it on to the right computer.
Matthew
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#159932 - 16/03/2005 20:49
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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I read your post again. Plug your PC into the linksys directly, set it's IP to one in its range, and set the settings. Then plug your netgear router into it.
It should let you manage the linksys from beind the netgear, but perhaps something is throwing it off. All your netmasks are 255.255.255.0, right?
Matthew
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#159933 - 13/05/2005 02:12
Re: Anyone have or have had vonage.
[Re: matthew_k]
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addict
Registered: 10/01/2001
Posts: 630
Loc: Windsor, Ontario Canada
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I jumped on the bandwagon a few days ago. I went with the Linksys PAP2 so I didn't have to contend with reorganizing my home network setup. I've made a few local test calls and two long calls to Jamaica without an issue.
So far, I'm very impressed with the quality of call clarity and the web dashboard feature. I didn't like having to call Vonage however, their customer service still bites bobo.
I'll give it a few more weeks before I snip the tether to Bell though...
_________________________
01001010 01101111 01101000 01101110
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