Comcast vs. Vonage

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 18, 2006 Posts: 5

It realy doesn't matter, whether this is a systems error, technical problem, or comcast is truely out to take over the world.

Right now, the system works, and thats what matters. Could any of the others ideas be a possiblity?

Yes.

Do we know which one? NO.

So, for now, anything is possibly, and none of them are wrong ideas on what actually happened.

So, lets agree to disagree. And move on from here.

Richard

Posts: 276 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 276

But what about the aliens at Roswell??? Lol

Posts: 33 · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:52 am Post subject: Voice Quality Issues

Voice Quality Issues with Vonage customers using Comcast as their ISP can be resolved with a coordinated effort by Vonage, Comcast, AT&T, and their customers. Very Happy

The first thing that has to be done is to stop the finger pointing and let the factual data point to the problem area/s. Those of us with a technical background in the telecommunications industry have a pretty good idea/s of where the problems are but are somewhat restricted by limited access to the infrastructure involved.

As Vonage customers we have access to tools, within the Vonage Broadband Router with 2-voice ports, to run Ping and Trace Route testing and the speed test on the Vonage web site. If for some reason the Vonage web site is not available there are many other sites which offer speed testing.

Being that the Call Quality Issues are intermittent, it is extremely important for the people troubleshooting the Issues have access to data, gathered by Vonage customers, during the time when Call Quality is in a diminished state. Once a Vonage customer has collected data it can be posted to this site where the troubleshooters can use it to track down the trouble.

I believe that the Vonage Voip phone service is worth putting our combined efforts in due to the fact that it is far superior to anything else available to us today when it is allowed to function as designed.

Any Vonage customer with questions on how to do the simple testing required can send me a private message and I will attempt to respond by private message as-soon-as-possible with the answers.

Posts: 63 · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:07 am Post subject:

I just have to wonder. I've seen a number of posters to this thread say definitively "You guys are absolutely crazy if you think Comcast is intentionally blocking Vonage traffic." and "You must believe in aliens if you think that's true."

Certainly, this "controversy" could be nothing more than a piling on of people having a variety of issues but attributing it to Comcast. Yet I've seen enough other posters on here demonstrate many times that there are no problems with Vonage via a non-Comcast line but ARE problems with Vonage via Comcast. And I just wonder, if those posters believing there is no issue whatsoever are so convinced of such, can you tell us why? We keep hearing we're crazy for thinking there is an issue but no one has identified why we should believe otherwise.

That might help.

Posts: 276 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 276

Well, for one thing, what about all those who have Comcast and are NOT experiencing problems? There are a lot of those, I assure you.

Coincidence and seemingly anecdotal evidence isn't proof of some company's intentional blocking of Vonage service.

Posts: 409 · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:28 am Post subject:

This looks like its turning into a Circus of flying accusations again with no base point to rest each persons results to find a link that could lead to a fix.

If anyone that posted here has run NeoTrace Pro and found the Carriers that are loosing packets that in turn is disrupting there Voip service. Could you post your findings so that we can compare.

I have discovered that my AT & T hops have been dropping packets left and right.

NOT one other Carrier has a dropped packet.
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic12230.html

Posts: 13 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 13

I am seeing the same, phone is ok, but reaching the online site is no good...

...see my original post here (technical setup details) and here

Posts: 26 · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:28 pm Post subject:

UMP25 wrote:

With all due respect, guys, I think you're nuts.

Now, I'm not some Comcast sales rep. or #1 Comcast fan, but your conspiratorial assumptions strain the bounds of credulity. It wouldn't surprise me if you guys also believe that NASA faked the Moon landing and that the government is hiding aliens in Roswell, NM. Rolling Eyes

I'm not sure why you say people must be crazy to believe that comcast could be blocking Vonage users.

if you had read the whole thread (now over 30 pages) and checked the linked articles, you would know that other cable companies have admitted to doing this, and paid fines to the fcc under a concent decree. (I wonder if you thought the other subscribers to the other cable company were crazy also?) It is not a far leap to believe that it COULD happen with two broadband cable companies. Proving it is another matter.

As to whether or not it is or has happened here, ???, to me the jury is still out. What I know is, when Vonage post a service alert about comcast (and changing them more than 4 times in one day), I can not use my phone. But when the Vonage service alert goes away, my phone problems go away.

now if there are no problems with comcast, why would Vonage post the service alert?

Obviously, one of the two (comcast vs Vonage) had problems, intentional or unintentional. And, since Vonage will not give us a further explanation of why the service announcements, we are left to speculate.

Posts: 13 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 13

This is no coincidence (nor I do not believe absolutly everything that comes from NASA, I know how to think for myself) but look what showed up at my house today…

...as a "Valued Comcast Customer" please stop $%#@$!( with MY CHOICE of Voip provider.

...even if by some chance I, and all the evidence I've posted, have got this wrong (doubtful) then the fact remains it still "looks" like it's Comcast, and the fact that it only happens "when" the ISP is Comcast, then this means it is Comcast's responsibility to fix!!! End of story. Some companies just need a good lesson in honesty and customer service.

...sorry, but out of contiuned frustration and suspect lashback I am no longer monitoring my PAP2 connection or the ability to visit secure.vonage.com from Comcast vs. the datacenter (so no more comparison graphs will be posted). It's also no longer feasible for me to keep calling and complaining about this over and over. I have forced all my Voip traffic from my home connection (Comcast) over a VPN tunnel to the datacenter (XO) and it now works consistantly well.

My ongoing advice is not only to monitor/compare statistics from Comcast vs. another provider and post the evidence of which, but to stop bickering over aliens and other nonsense which is not constructive and does not help the issue or work towards proof of packet shaping/network admin incompetence. Let the evidence speak for itself, and you’ll see who’s at fault as clearly as I do.

- You the consumer has a choice of Internet provider
- You the consumer has a choice of Voip provider
- Each provider who is Fair, Honest, and Competent, even before having the best features or price, is the one who will win my business.

Posts: 276 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 276

Never have I seen so much written and so little said. Confused

Regardless, good luck with whatever problems you may be experiencing. Hope they're resolved soon.