Real world experiences with "Network Availability"

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 06, 2005 Posts: 3

Hello,
I'm hoping some experienced Vonage users could give me their real world experiences with the Network Availability feature. If you lose your broadband connection, on average how long has it taken for the Network Availability feature to kick-in and forward your phone number?

Does anyone have updated information on the polling interval between these Network Availability servers? I found a post (http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic340.html) from September of 2003 that stated a Vonage technician explained it could take 92 minutes for the switch over to take place. They said there are various servers that must be updated, and those servers polled in 15 minutes intervals.

According to the a Vonage FAQ it could take up to four hours. That is simply not acceptable, and is one of the main reasons I have not signed up for the service. For it to be acceptable to me, the switch over should take less than five minutes from the start of the broadband outage.

On a side note, on Monday (January 3) I sent these questions to Vonage through the "help" interface on their website, and I have yet to receive a reply. Their lack of response also makes me hesitant to sign up for the service.

Thanks for you thoughs.

Posts: 227 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 10, 2004 Posts: 227

Actually when I went out of town for Christmas (driving to PA) my wireless phone rang and to our surprise (and the person that called us) that it was a call that was sent from our Vonage line. We got off the call and called my sister-in-law who told us our city lost power 5 minutes prior to receiving the call. I couldn't believe how quickly the Network Availability kicked in after the power dropped. When we returned home, as a test, I pulled the power to the Vonage box and placed a call from my wife's wireless call. It IMMEDIATELY rang to my wireless phone. So far, it's been a very quick and smooth cut-over. Hope this helps.

Posts: 49 · Full Forum Member Joined: Nov 27, 2004 Posts: 49

Mine happens immediately. Power went out on my street... neighbor called to see if my power was out. My cell phone (which is my backup) rang.

Are you sure the delay isn't regarding how long it takes to get a number set up as your backup? Up to 4 hours would make sense to me for that.

I think you might be getting a bit anxious about something that isn't an issue. See how many people report network backup not taking effect right away... probably none.

There is also simultaneous ring which can act similarly to network backup.

Vonage saves me $60 per month compared to the landline service I ditched. Haven't had any problems so far.

So... we're saving around $750 per year while you're waiting for... ?

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 06, 2005 Posts: 3

First, thank you for the replies.

pdrayton wrote:

Are you sure the delay isn't regarding how long it takes to get a number set up as your backup? Up to 4 hours would make sense to me for that.

pdrayton,
Maybe I am misunderstanding the Network Availability feature.The below information is where I got the four hour timeframe. I interpreted that into meaning if you lost your broadband connection it could take up to 4 hours to forward the number.

http://www.vonage.com/help_knowledgeBase_article.php?article=336&category=194

A quote from the Vonage website:
Why is there a lag for the Network Availability number before it starts working?
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It may take a while for our server to update the change in the status of the Internet connection. This usually does not exceed a four-hour maximum. If it takes longer than four hours for the Network Availability feature to start working, please contact Customer Care.

Posts: 89 · Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:24 pm Post subject:

The call will be routed in seconds. I was having trouble with my IPS one night and my Vonage phone rang once then my wireless ( Net Aval Number) rang on the second ring.