Vonage and SKY systems

Posts: 15 · Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 4:44 pm Post subject:

VonageTPA wrote:

I'm a yank, so no Sky systems to play with here, but our DirecTV systems are probably similar. People over here have had reasonably good success by adding *99 to the dialing prefix. The *99 tells the Linksys & Vonage equipment that you're making a data call and it changes settings, for that call only, to provide a better data call.

Kerry Ritz,

Would the *99 option work in the UK (if Sky boxes accepted *'s of course)???

If so, is there a way that you can add a different code, that would perform the same job, but only contains numbers?

Kind regards

Stuart Raynor

Posts: 71 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jul 19, 2005 Posts: 71

jamesm wrote:

Unfortunately, we are aware there are issues with Sky and the Vonage service.

In the US, there were originally problems with TiVo and Vonage but those were eventually resolved by both organisations working together.

In the UK, we have tried to engage with SKy to try to address this problem, but they have no responded to our requests. This might have something to do with the commission paid by BT to Sky.

We are continuing to try to engage with Sky. In the meantime, if anyone does find a solution, hopefully they will post.

regards

Kerry Ritz
Managing Director
Vonage UK

So Kerry two thing I have in mind.

Firstly the *99 prefix to the number which I believe would remove the echo cancelers from circuit on the Vonage end of things and thus give a data call more chance? At present on a Sky box you can add a prefix to a number but ic can only br numerical, not a *

Secondly reduce the speed of the data connection, this would involve Sky haveing to make a change in their firmware so that the anologue onboard modem can be forced to a lower datarate, 2400 of similar I would guess.

I assume your techy guys know all this!

Regards,

Paul

Posts: 15 · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:39 pm Post subject: Cancelling Account

Well, I've now cancelled my vonage account as I WILL NOT pay for a vonage line AND a BT line.

When cancelling, I told the people that I spoke to about why I was cancelling and they were real hard to convince that I wanted to cancel! They said that they'd get a top level tech support on the job to fix the Sky Problem, I told them about this forum and that people have been trying to get the problem fixed since June. I told them I wanted to cancel before my 14 day money back guarantee expired.

Maybe I'll come back in the future, but I am going to sign up with a different voip provider now (one that has been proven to work with Sky). The only problem with this is I have to buy my own hardware.

Stu Very Happy

PS. The Voange website says this:"no-hassle Money Back Guarantee" - HA! It's nothing BUT hassle! Wink

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 18

well ill be damned if ill cancel my vonage account just because it wont work with sky i have saved a fortune since using vonage and i would rather cancel my sky account as its they who are causing the problem.
i have also spoke to a few people at sky and with them buying easy net isp they will so be going fully interactive thus having to place some sort of ethernet adapter on the sky boxes maybe via the pcmcia slot on the back but not to sure just roumers at the moment but hers hoping Lol

Posts: 15 · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 1:43 pm Post subject:

That's good to hear. Smile

As I said, I'll think about coming back to vonage once all the problems are solved.

Stu Very Happy

Posts: 109 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Mar 30, 2005 Posts: 109

see here:
http://www.vonage.co.uk/help.php?article=922&category=

Posts: 15 · Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 4:38 pm Post subject:

It seems a bit rude of Vonage to publish that statement. Vonage requests that sky change their system, but doesn't seem prepared to change their own.

I'm probably completely wrong, but that's how it looks to me.

Stu Very Happy

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 18

thats new
any how i hope they have better success than we have with sky

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 18

Its not vonage with the problem vonage has limits they cannot change while sky can and it’s in the interest of both companies to make it work for the customers

It’s good that vonage is at least asking them to help

The few times I have spoke to sky they do not acknowledge voip or that they have a problem half the time they just spout contract contract the really should be more helpful

Posts: 109 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Mar 30, 2005 Posts: 109

So, I've had the Sky engineer round to try and get my two digiboxes talking to the Sky ... of course they don't. I felt a bit embarrassed letting him do it cos I knew he wouldn't get a result.

Anyway, he did agree with me both boxes were connected to the same operational fixed telephone line.

Strangely Sky customer services reckon they've had one call from my Vonage number and the other box had called from a completely unknown (to me) number.

So, off my letter to Caroline Connor went, and I got a "thank you we'll respond in due course" acknowledgement reply. Then today I get another seemingly standard letter saying the usual connect to same phone line.

So I thought I'd give Sky Customer Services a call, express my disappointment that Ms Connor hadn't replied to my letter (this is 1 month+ since my letter).

Cust Svcs say:
- Vonage is a digital line.
- Sky don't support digital lines.
- I will have to pay extra.
- I'm not meeting the Ts and Cs as I'm not calling back once per month

I didn't ask when the extra billing would start, but I said I didnt agree with her position and could I have a reply from Ms Connor.

Oh and I asked to speak to her supervisor - "not available"; Ms Connor - "not in this building".

After 50 minutes of my money going to Vonage and Sky I gave up.

Maybe I'll try again.

Any other experiences?