Vonage/ISP Experiences in Portland, OR

Posts: 132 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Aug 16, 2005 Posts: 132

I'm looking for experiences (good, bad, and ugly) with Vonage and ISPs in Portland, OR.

1) Checking the Vonage website under Availability, they have 503 area code coverage. Will this be a local call for folks calling from the greater Portland area? Is this THE area code to get?

2) ISP. I believe Comcast is the big one there. How's their service quality in Portland? Any other ISP players you'd recommend or is to be avoided, and why?

3) How's T-Mobile cell phone coverage in Portland? What about Oregon in general? (concern for SimulRing/Call Fwd and Network Availability as they go to T-Mobile cells)

Many thanks, Vonagers!

Posts: 7 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 7:28 pm Post subject:

1. Yes, 503 is a local call in the Portland/Metro area, and that's the area code you want. 971 is also local, but it's only a couple years old so it's not that common.

2. I've been using Comcast with Vonage since February. I haven't had any problems, the Comcast service has been great. If you're lucky you might be in an area that Verizon FIOS is available in, and that'd be a good alternative to comcast.

3. Can't help you with T-Mobile service, but I use Verizon and Nextel and service is good, I would assume T-Mobile is similar. If you stay in the populated areas of Oregon cell coverage is good, not sure about the boonies, which there is a lot of around here. Smile

Hope that helps.

Posts: 249 · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:33 am Post subject: Portland

Hello Portland Vonager!

150 miles East of you in Bend Oregon Vonage is working great! I have had service since Jan-05 and no complaints except that the 541 Bend area code has never been established by Vonage as promised.

I had Cellular One for a cell Carrier in the past. Am now using Sprint. There is a lot of dead area on the East side of the Cascades and all the Cell companies seem to have the same coverage with the exception of Verizon. Stay away from Verzion in Central Oregon I'm told as their "Network" isn't here.

I use Bend Broadband for an ISP but of course they do not play in Portland

Hope something in this post is useful to you. Ski seasons opens at Mt Bachelor next week. Lots of snow.

Posts: 17 · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 6:43 pm Post subject:

I've got Vonage going over my Comast Cable with zero problems,knock on wood. This has been since April 05.
I also have T-Mobile but I don't know of many issues except I don't live near a cell, so at home there's just one bar. I did try to port my T-Molile number to Vonage, and it does not seem posible I have a 503 number that is local.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 6:46 pm Post subject:

it should be possible, esp if Vonage offers area codes the same as your cell number.

http://vonage.com/features.php?feature=lnp
In late 2003, Federal legislation went into effect allowing wireless phone customers to transfer their numbers. See the FCC's official Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP) information site for more on wireless number portability.

Posts: 17 · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 6:56 pm Post subject:

Believe me I tried, and I ain't going through that again. Waited six months, then tried ELNP, gave up after two months, then Vonage gave me a new number but could not make my virtual number go away, and I was paying for two lines. I just got it all straightened out last week, where I now have one new number. All's I need to do now is cancel my T-Mobile number and send my contacts my new Vonage number.