No LNP is Killer For Deal

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 31, 2005 Posts: 4

Well, after asking my question yesterday and almost going to buy the equipment, 2 things destroyed the deal for me.

1. No lnp for my phone number.

2. No exchange in my rate center so people calling me locally would have to dial AC+number (if I understand things correctly)

Funny thing is, we are one of the largest, if not the largest town in the 979 area code and we aren't even listed. Even Voicepulse, Lingo and Packet8 can get me a local number and/or lnp.

I guess I will have to keep looking.

Thanks for the help anyway, all.

Posts: 73 · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:39 am Post subject:

I'm in the same boat.... although I already signed up for the first month's service to evaluate it...

Lingo seems to think they can transfer my number.... 304-274.... why cant Vonage?

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 31, 2005 Posts: 4

I get the feeling they have been concentrating on certain densely populated areas so those of us who live outside of them aren't there yet. I wonder if calling their sales line might yield a different result. Perhaps the web site isn't updated with current info yet.

Posts: 73 · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:09 pm Post subject:

this is depressing.

the gentelman i've been asking questions regarding this told me it's a waiting game as to when agreements are made to allow for the exchange of numbers. (hopefully i've paraphrased this correctly).

I think i'm going to jab myself in the eye... Sad

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 31, 2005 Posts: 4

I'm not sure I will have that strong a reaction! It is a little disappointing, but there are alternatives and one can always wait a while.

Posts: 73 · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 4:43 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I guess I can wait... maybe i'll have them switch me to the 500 minute plan...

i dont know, i just kinda got my hopes up thinking that I could completely transition to Vonage (transparently). i'm getting gang raped by verizon...

Posts: 28 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Feb 04, 2005 Posts: 28

I had already signed up for Vonage before I realized that they had given me a number in my area code (520) but it is a long distance call. They do not have any of the prefixes in my geographic area. I checked this subsequently, thoroughly.

There is a saving grace here: As I have gone through the first two or three weeks of using this service, I have kept my old POTS line intact, but reduced it so that it is only for local calls, and I basically only use it for incoming calls. I have not attempted to file for any change and I am VERY glad that I did not give up the line itself until I have verified that I am *fully* certain I am going to go with Voip. Most of the really bad horror stories here that I read seem to involve some regrets as folks jumped the gun and either filed for a portable number situation or something like that. If someone asks me about Voip at this point I will say that I don't know much, that Vonage is working ok for me but that they should *not* abandon (fully) their old phone service until they have carefully transitioned to Voip. Yes, it costs more to take one's time that way, but the only way I have avoided a disaster is to do it that way.

I am dialing out successfully with Vonage but am considering Packet8 because of the local prefix issue. I would not try to port my number over (I do not trust any of the process) but would get a local prefix and have local calls forwarded to my packet8 number. This way, the forwarding process would be a local call (critical that it be local) and thus, (*theoreticaly*) my old POTS line charges would be reasonable.

All this is in the future though. For now, I am riding the fragile Vonage setup I have.

Posts: 28 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Feb 04, 2005 Posts: 28

GardRailz wrote:

this is depressing.

the gentelman i've been asking questions regarding this told me it's a waiting game as to when agreements are made to allow for the exchange of numbers. (hopefully i've paraphrased this correctly).

I think i'm going to jab myself in the eye... Sad

I wonder if we can somehow get a better answer to this issue.... a timetable for when Vonage expects to be able to get access to phone numbers in our prefixes or in prefixes which are local to us.

Although I have taken to heart the nasty stories we all read of folks having problems with LNP, at the same time, I'd like to get an idea if I will be able to forward incoming calls within a few months, or if it will be years. Ultimately, I guess I'd like to consider doing a LNP transfer, even with the risk. It's a $20 or so per month issue, to have to keep a local POTS line with call forwarding and Caller ID. For now I want to pay the price and avoid a problem. In the long run, I want to reduce my bills even more.