Thinking about getting Vonage

Posts: 12 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Apr 08, 2003 Posts: 12

I am trying to get my parents to switch to Vonage and i need to get some info:

1. With caller id being only numbers is it that much of a disadvantage.
2. I was reading on the site and it said that it might take 15 days to switch the service over.
3. Also i would need to get it to be connected to the wires that are already in my house.(Should i call an electrition or the phone company)

Thanks

Posts: 83 · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2003 9:10 am Post subject:

Some additional comments:

2. If you order Vonage via credit card - you get a number immediately. If you want to keep your number, then it takes up to 15 days (if they have your town area code)

Papu Papu

Posts: 12 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 10, 2003 Posts: 12

One question, will this be the only phone line in your home? If so, once you get your Vonage box and know it is working, you can go outside and find the network interface box (usually it is somewhere near the electric meter). You should be able to open one half of it using a screwdriver. Once inside you should find a plug, that is plugged into a standard phone jack. Unplug that plug and it should disconnect the phone service from inside your home. If it were me, I'd tape the end of the plug (with electrical or duct tape - anything so it can't be plugged back in without some effort to remove the tape) and also put a note inside the box saying not to plug in the plug, or equipment inside the home will be damaged (just in case a phone guy is on a service call in your neighborhood and gets the wrong house).

If there are two lines and you want to keep one active, you will have to disconnect the individual wires for that pair from the screw terminals. Line one is usually a pair of blue and white/blue wires, while line two is a pair of orange and white/orange wires. In any case, once you think you have disconnected a line, pick up a phone connected to that line and make sure you are not getting dial tone, and press a button on the touch tone pad and make sure nothing happens (if you have a voltmeter and know how to use it, you can use that to make sure the voltage on your inside wiring is at zero). If the line is truly dead, and completely disconnected from the outside wiring, only then should you connect the ATA-186 to that line.

Edit: Rant about censorship of the word "screw" removed.

Posts: 12 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 10, 2003 Posts: 12

Apology accepted. I can understand blocking out certain types of profanity but when you use an "offensive word" list and some of those words have regular, non-offensive meanings, then that where I think it crosses the line. My question is, can't you simply block the offenders from posting by shutting down their accounts and prohibiting new accounts (or the posting of messages) based on the IP addresses they use? Even if they have access to more than one way to access the internet, usually they don't have access to an infinite range of IP addresses to make posts from.

I'm not a system administrator, so I don't know if it's possible to identify an individual user via IP address, but I'd certainly consider blocking messages from the IP address used by the offenders if it's at all possible.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: May 09, 2003 Posts: 1

For those of you who haven't switched to Vonage yet and may just be
thinking about it, I thought this list of pros and cons may be
useful. It is by no means complete and some of these may not apply
to all people.

Also, I calculated a while ago that the $40 unlimited plan is better
only if you consistently make over 858 minutes of long distance calls per month.

Pros:
- CHEAP! For $26 you get what most phone companies may charge $65 -
$70 for.
- Cheaper international calling rates; calls to Canada
count as domestic calls.
- Ability to PROFIT from having service; if you can
make one referral per month, you will get $40 back per
month translating to a profit of over $13/month if you have $26 plan.
More referrals, more profit.
- Detailed and continuously updated online tracking
ability.
- All calls to other Vonage numbers regardless of area
code count as local calls.
- Virtual number capability; For $5/month you can get
a second number in any Vonage area code so people can
call you from that area code for free.
- Good e-mail customer service.
- ALL calls within area code are local and free; Not necessarily the
case with local phone companies in many area codes.
- Can easily turn on or off voicemail temporarily.
- Can easily enable or disable international calling.
- Easy number transportability; You can take Vonage
box anywhere in the WORLD where there is broadband and
receive your calls.
- Ability to access voice-mail anywhere you have
online access.
- Can easily enable voice-mail to kick in instantly or
from anywhere between 5 and 50 seconds once ringing
begins.
- 3.9 cents/minute for long distance calls over 500
minutes. No major carrier I know of has rates that
low unless you include cell phones.

Cons:
- Poor telephone customer service, though it is
getting better.
- Bases of all phones in your house must connect to
the Cisco ATA provided by Vonage.
- Caller ID gives number only, not name.
- Switch to service may result in change in phone number.
- If you lose power, you lose Vonage service; though
you can have calls transferred to any other phone
number for free.
- 11 digit dialing required for ALL calls. Most local phone
companies don't require this.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 18, 2003 Posts: 2

Hi Whyaduck,

I have a question regarding the telephone jack. After you unplug from the telephone box, what do I do so I can using another phone that is not directly connected to ATA unit and that is in the house? Thanks a lot

Posts: 83 · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 3:11 pm Post subject:

Antipas,

What about putting the wiring diagram and the ports to forward on a "Sticky"?

These 2 questions seem to be the most commonly asked questions.

Or do a FAQ?

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 18, 2003 Posts: 2

From http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic114.html

"Open this box and disconnect the wires coming in to your house"

If you disconnect the wire coming to your house, how do you make other telephone jacks in your house actived. In other words, how do all the telephone wires connected together? Please help before I sign up with Vonage. Thanks a lot

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 23, 2003 Posts: 1

Hello. I am thinking about switching my phone service to Vonage but have a few questions.
1. Will my existing Answering Machine work or do messages have to be retrived thru Voice Mail?
2. Is the service good. No problems connecting? Sometimes I get kicked off the internet. Will I sometimes loose a call connection?
3. Thru my current phone service a call that is marked "Blocked" won't be accepted. Can I do this with Vonage?

Thanks for the help.
Lee

Posts: 2252 · Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 12:51 am Post subject:

Hello Leewest:

1. You can turn off voicemail and use your current answering machine.
2. If you have internet issues, you will have Vonage issues. This service is great, but only as great as your ISP.
3. Not today, but soon.

You might want to think about having Vonage as a second line, the one that you use for all of your long distance calls, just a thought...