Using Softphone with standard account?

Posts: 34 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Apr 05, 2005 Posts: 34

There is no technical reason that a softphone should be viewed any differently than a router based VOIP phone. Both connect to Vonage to "log in" and wait for calls.

It is truly a monetary decision for them.

I also have no need for a router box and would prefer a softphone only package, in fact with my bluetooth headset, I have no use for a physical phone at all.

If someone wants to (not that I would because it violates my Vonage agreement), a simple packet sniffer or syslog from your firewall should tell you exactly what the hardware router is saying to the Vonage network and what the softphone is saying to it. A little work and one should be able to reconfigure the softphone or another VOIP software package to replace your router.

Then you can truly use your VOIP as VOIP, not VOIP->Analog phone port->digital desk phone->wireless digital headset.

Doug

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 20

You CANNOT use Vonage as real VoIP as set forth in the RFC which created the VoIP SIP protocols Vonage uses.

Reasons why:

1) They force you to use a router, which BTW, has locked settings.

"Take it with you"

Take that ball and chain with you and stuff it in your jeans when you travel. Along with a portable generator and the power block and some Cat5 (oh, and a NIC). You can connect it to your nice little 5oz. PDA. I just hope the people on the plane don't mind the noise and exhaust fumes from the generator! Try getting past TSA. . . Hmm, I wanna watch Lol

2)Softphone or your own VoIP phone is additional (high) charge.

3)They block ALL incoming calls from other VoIP providers to your main line using VoIP SIP protocol. They did this recently after they got a small fortune and became the big dog of VoIP.

4)They "may" (according to Vonage tech support) block ALL incoming calls from other VoIP providers to your softphone line using VoIP SIP protocol.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:53 am Post subject:

gnexus wrote:

You CANNOT use Vonage as real VoIP as set forth in the RFC which created the VoIP SIP protocols Vonage uses.

Yes, you are correct;

Jeffery Citron wrote:

That being said, Vonage designed the service to be plug-and-play. You pick up the phone and you hear a dial tone. Make a call. That's it. Most people don't really care or want to know exactly how it works, that's why we've stayed away from the term VoIP and opted to call ourselves 'The Broadband Phone Company'.

Von Magazine Interview

It works both ways. They aren't a pure VoIP company because they want to make it simple (and cheap) for the majority of people.

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 20

Unfortunately I've found there's more to it than just making it simple for users.

It seems there is a big greed factor involved.

Vonage doesn't need to block SIP protocols or limit softphone to a second line to make it easy to use. That's done just to add to the bottom line.

They also don't need to sell a router in stores that only works for their service, but is not labeled properly per FTC rules as such. Especially when they give it away if you call their reps like I did.

Other providers have found a way to do this and offer better LNP, better rates and better service than Vonage.

It's just a marketing ploy for a limited PSTN service over VoIP.

Posts: 19 · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:21 pm Post subject:

Well after reading a crap ton of posts, I can see that most of the complainers are from newbies who are looking to cut maximum dollar off their phone bills. I can understand that. I was in a similar boat when I switched to vonage 3 years ago.

The only difference I think between me and the ranters is that I had very low expectations of vonage even from the start, and still today I am happy with the service. Its not like a regular phone where you pay $15 for the line, then get suckered into a package deal for another $20, then crap your pants when you see the tax was another $15 making $20 bill really a $50 bill after everyone's hand was in the cookie jar. Then look at your cell phone bill, same crap.

I remember not even 10 years ago when friends asked me why I was testing cell phones, their comment was why take a phone with you at all, when people have answering machines, pagers, etc. and didn't want to be reached while peeing or watching a movie, etc. And with the cost of cell phones rising (the actual handset), and the service getting worse while the carriers upgrade the crap, cell users still take the abuse and pay their bills. Only to come to these vonage forums and rant and complain about how they don't want to carry a laptop with them and pay 10$ a month for a softphone feature for 500 minutes.

Next time you are bored, sit down and think about where you use your cell phones, and then decide if you really needed to make even half the calls. Then justify why you are paying $50 a month for it on top of your regular phone bill. When you could probably use your time better and feel less hectic and have better piece of mind saving money while using vonage or other similar services.

Here was my scenario, I had SBC local service for $45 including taxes and basic 500 minutes of long distance. (10cents p/m after 500 minutes). Then I had a nextel unlimited cell package for $54 a month yet with taxes it was morel ike $75. So that's $130 a month just to use a stinkin phone. We weren't even paying that much in the 80's

Now, I have vonage at home unlimited for $27 including tax, plus the softphone feature for an extra $10 a month with 500 minutes, when you do the math it works out to be 2cents a minute as opposed to a cell phone's 20 cents + a minute. I even installed softphone onto my Ipaq with windows 2003 loaded and a wifi card. so where ever there is wifi, I can use the Softphone. I even have a wifi repeater at my house so I can use the pda softphone anywhere within reach.

I have succesfully used my pda with softphone at starbucks, borders, mscdonalds, the library (I know) residential streets that leave wifi open, etc.

Basically I lowered my expectations of quality of service for cost, because we all know that you get what you pay for, to save $100 a month on my phone bill.

So those of you ranters who are looking for the something for nonthing deal go elsewhere because that will leave more bandwidth for us users who don't make a habit of setting our expections so high that justifies telling the world how much their life **** and everyone is out to get them, and ALL corporations want is their money, yada yada yada. There is medicine out there for paranoia, go seek medical help and leave us content folk alone.

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 03, 2006 Posts: 20

sorry but i delete my reply .
because some people didn't like it .
and told me its the violation of ..........!!!!!!!!!!

Regards
Thunder

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 08, 2006 Posts: 4

Yes they mean you can take your adapter with you. They have this new thing called the V-stick if you want a soft phone you can use on any computer that has broadband connection.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 15, 2006 Posts: 1

I hate to say this but I think Vonage is shooting themselves in the foot. When people figure out that you can use Skype software on your laptop for free, Vonage will and are losing a lot of customers to Skype. I disagree with Colesch we are not customers trying to get something for nothing as you say, why should we have to pay more for Softphone when we are already paying for a service. What is the problem with using the minutes I already bought into, why do I have to be sucked in to buying another line or two, with another number or two for another price per month or three? Oh and as far as the 911 thingy is concerned you can still call the police and fire with Skype without using 911. If you look in your phone book in the front, under emergency numbers they also have regular numbers which go to the same people at the same speed as 911. I myself am trying to downsize and want to carry as little as possible with me when I travel. I do not want to carry my cell phone, my laptop, my switchbox, my analog phone and in some cases my router just to stay in touch. I like the V-Stick idea and that I have to pay for the V-Stick but why do I again have to pay for another line of service. So now I have 3 Vonage lines; one for home, one for my laptop, and another for portability incase I don't have my laptop or desktop in front of me...lets see that’s $24.99 a month at home, $9.99 a month for the Softphone for my laptop and a V-Stick for mobility else ware at a one time fee of 39.99 and at minimum $14.99 a month. Hum… we are back up to the $50 a month phone service we had with our land lines to begin with, as well as a charge of $39.99 for the V-Stick itself that you can do for free with a thumb drive and the Skype software for free. My friends and relatives will love me let alone my boss, when they have to call 3 numbers just to try to get in touch with me.

I too feel mislead by their advertisements of the Softphone and the “take it with you” catch phrase. Come on Vonage get with the program or Skype will take you out of the program.

My beef,
Greg

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 18, 2006 Posts: 3

current method of offering on this is a huge and critical mistake. they are trying to milk existing users for additional line items of revenue and they should be using this as a feature or value add to standard service (heck, even a slightly increased cost to cover hardware) and not forcing us to buy additional line, etc. Yes I would endur a reasonable fee and some waiting period to code the USB adapter with my phone number. No I will not pay Vonage another $120 a year or more to use this. They would be far better served to increase gross number of users promoting this as standard feature. Not to mention its a self marketing device. How cool would it be to show up and freinds house to watch game or whatever and have calls right to laptop. Would anyone who doesn't have Vonage but does have broadband and wireless router not want to know all about it ? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

this type of marketing never works they may or may not get a short term boost for some quarterly numbers, but in the end someone else will offer this and it will be standard offering and Vonage will be forced to re-deploy this and part of their standard package, once again making them look like amatuer hour instead of a serious contender in their primary business line.

i was so disgusted by this the small print and pricing of this once I realized it that I am actively seeking replacement for Vonage now. I was initially excited thinking it was a very handy and useful tool for traveling and was a good justification for keeping vonage, now I think differantly