Got rid of my landline phone permanently

[Ghosthunter]

As based upon my thread about my mother n law..i am cutting her out for good..i cant deal with it anymore


So just called up IDT and cancelled.

Says take 48 hours to take in effect.


I was going to back to verzion but they were charging ridiculous prices to just change my phone #


So at this point i have no home phone...to be honest id ont even think i need it. We use our cells primarily anyway.


So trying to decide should i check out vonage or time warner digital internet phone? Time warner has decent price if you already have high speed cable


Any thoughts? Vonage vs Cable? which is better?

[Brent]

Can't advise you on which service.

Just wanted to say I've had no land line phone for 4 years, I'm completely cell phone bound. I love it, the ability to take your phone with you anywhere and not have an extra phone bill cost.

[nightowl]

I have been using vongage for about 6 months...all i can say is its....AWSOME, highly recomeded!!!. I have had 0 troubles with it.

[Ghosthunter]

it looks like vonage is cheaper $24.99 vs 39.99 from time warner


are there any hidden costs i should be aware of?

Biggest thing I want to be not published in directory...and caller id and usual I guess...call waiting..plus unlimited long distance and local


any equpiment i need to buy with vonage?

[thepieman]

it looks like vonage is cheaper $24.99 vs 39.99 from time warner


are there any hidden costs i should be aware of?

Biggest thing I want to be not published in directory...and caller id and usual I guess...call waiting..plus unlimited long distance and local


any equpiment i need to buy with vonage?

TW is very expensive compared to vonage.


Pie

[Ghosthunter]

TW is very expensive compared to vonage.


Pie

it looks likei need ot buy adapters with vonage or am i reading wrong? with TW i dont see i do?

aside from prices...any that is better then others in terms of quality phone connection? or both same?

[wee96]

The latency is much lower with Cable VoIP because the packets only need to travel to the headend of the cable plant, rather than through the cable/dsl plant, then to the internet backbone, all through the other hops to the vonage server. I have vonage and it works well, there are occasional echo's and/or clicks but its comparable to a cell phone and for the price and unlimited calling, cant be beat. For real reliability though id get Time Warner's VoIP.

[nightowl]

There will be a 60 dollar starup fee, but this pays for the router that they give you. your regular telephones will work with vonage and you can even wire it up with the phone jacks in your house. All you would need to do is cut the outside RJ11 line that goes into your house then plug in the router to one of the phone jacks in your house, and voa-la you have dial tone all over your house!

[Ghosthunter]

The latency is much lower with Cable VoIP because the packets only need to travel to the headend of the cable plant, rather than through the cable/dsl plant, then to the internet backbone, all through the other hops to the vonage server. I have vonage and it works well, there are occasional echo's and/or clicks but its comparable to a cell phone and for the price and unlimited calling, cant be beat. For real reliability though id get Time Warner's VoIP.

Thanks Wee =)


At this point leaning to Time Warner..only becuase of what you said pus i already have most of package from time warner it be all in one bill...that and if i ever have problems with my cable it might give them more motivation to fix it

[Ghosthunter]

oh one more question


if wife is on phone..and i am playing say everquest 2...or when quake4 comes out, will i notice a higher latency or slower download speed?

[nightowl]

The latency is much lower with Cable VoIP because the packets only need to travel to the headend of the cable plant, rather than through the cable/dsl plant, then to the internet backbone, all through the other hops to the vonage server. I have vonage and it works well, there are occasional echo's and/or clicks but its comparable to a cell phone and for the price and unlimited calling, cant be beat. For real reliability though id get Time Warner's VoIP.

there is an option in your vonage menu that alows you to turn down the voice quality so it doesn't use that much bandwidth. It worked for me and now i don't have that problem you describe

[wee96]

oh one more question


if wife is on phone..and i am playing say everquest 2...or when quake4 comes out, will i notice a higher latency or slower download speed?

The cable VoIP no, not at all as they use completely seperate frequencies in the cable plant and have nothing to do with each other (two seperate modems alltogether). Vonage however, with high settings uses 90kbps, which with a decent broadband connection isnt really noticeable. I play BF2 all the time while the wifes on the phone and dont notice it.

[nightowl]

Thanks Wee =)


At this point leaning to Time Warner..only becuase of what you said pus i already have most of package from time warner it be all in one bill...that and if i ever have problems with my cable it might give them more motivation to fix it

slower download speed _VOIP traffic takes presidence

[wee96]

there is an option in your vonage menu that alows you to turn down the voice quality so it doesn't use that much bandwidth. It worked for me and now i don't have that problem you describe

I know, its not a constant thing but it does happen once and awhile. Ive got 6/768 so the 90kbps option isnt an issue with me.

[nightowl]

The cable VoIP no, not at all as they use completely seperate frequencies in the cable plant and have nothing to do with each other (two seperate modems alltogether). Vonage however, with high settings uses 90kbps, which with a decent broadband connection isnt really noticeable. I play BF2 all the time while the wifes on the phone and dont notice it.

I have my vonage voice quality turned down to the lowest so now it onlyu takes 27kbps. which is good cause I have Rogers highspeed lite that is 30kbps up/down

[Ghosthunter]

ok you guys convinced me TW all the way...if ya think about it i am still saving money by going TW $39.99 a month unlimited..I was paying $50 before for same with all those added taxes.


my other option whcih i might do is since i have verizon family plan..just increase our mintues so be an extra $20 month...and dont have to wrry about it and use cell as primary havent deicded yet i got some time

[triniwasp]

I have been using vongage for about 6 months...all i can say is its....AWSOME, highly recomeded!!!. I have had 0 troubles with it.

We use Vonage at work and I gotta say the quality isn't nearly as good as a land line and not quite as good as a cell. Besides the slight delay there are a lot of echo's in the phone. Definately note a bandwidth problem as we have a T1. Perhpas it is due to our isolation or antiquated phone lines up here? Definately cheaper for business though.

[Ghosthunter]

We use Vonage at work and I gotta say the quality isn't nearly as good as a land line and not quite as good as a cell. Besides the slight delay there are a lot of echo's in the phone. Definately note a bandwidth problem as we have a T1. Perhpas it is due to our isolation or antiquated phone lines up here? Definately cheaper for business though.

i am curious what ppl experiences with TW side?

Anyone here have it?

I will do some more googgling..they give me 30 days to try it out so cant hurt ig uess

[thepieman]

i am curious what ppl experiences with TW side?

Anyone here have it?

I will do some more googgling..they give me 30 days to try it out so cant hurt ig uess

Im a TW agent and have yet to do one sign up for it..

Pie

[Ghosthunter]

Im a TW agent and have yet to do one sign up for it..

Pie

hmm well i might just try it for 30 days what the heck and report back i be guinea pig lol

[Ghosthunter]

i think i am going to go with Time Warner....i just spoke with a tech...interesting thing is they are suppose to have mcuh better reliability signal in order to offfer this..maybe i have less problems with my internet..i might just go ahead and try

[jayyy]

Cell phones are really good in Japan, so I haven't had a land line in 4 years. Back at my home on vacation, and the only phone is a single landline, no extension...it seems weird that theres only phone, I can't move it anywhere, stuck by the living room if I want to take a call, miss them if I'm out...whats the point if you've got a cell anyway?

[Mark]

i haven't had a regular phone in a year and half, i just use my cell phone and cable internet to reach the outer world

[ace]

I use VOIP with thats offered through my cable company and cannot tell a difference at all between a regualr phone and VOIP. Just as wee said, it only has to goto our headend and then its over to sprint. I have been using this for about 6 months and no problems. Even have a battery backup on the modem so that if power foes out I can still call out. I actually had this happen a few weeks ago and it was smooth as butta!!

[Ghosthunter]

well bad news..cant get VOIP

my home alarm does not support it..as well as my wifes fax..


that sucks

[ace]

well bad news..cant get VOIP

my home alarm does not support it..as well as my wifes fax..


that sucks

Your fax doesnt support it eh? What kind of fax is it? And what type of alarm do you have? I hook up people with alarms all the time and havent had any problems. The only thing when hooking up people with alarms is you have to run a line to the nid outside to get the phone service in before the alarm. Make any sense?

[Ghosthunter]

Your fax doesnt support it eh? What kind of fax is it? And what type of alarm do you have? I hook up people with alarms all the time and havent had any problems. The only thing when hooking up people with alarms is you have to run a line to the nid outside to get the phone service in before the alarm. Make any sense?

i have slomin shield..i take it back they they support it but woudl cost $80 to intlal something...


fax is very new...some hp all in eone..not relaly worryed about more about alarm.

If you can get me any ifno that be sweet

[ace]

Where or who said that your fax wont work? Also what model is it exactly? I have ran on a couple of trouble calls of customers complaing that there faxes wont recieve but they will send. When I get there I go through the setup and make sure its set to recieve all rings.

[Ghosthunter]

it is an HP officejet all in one


what about the house alarm? Do i really need to pay $80 or can do myslef?

[twwabw]

Can't speak for TW's VOIP, but I have Vonage at my summer office, and it works great. The Linksys router they send you supports QOS, and is optimized for the VOIP traffic. This prevents the hissing and degradation you can get with simultaneous download traffic. Sound quality is excellent. I'm running it over Road Runner. Only glitch for me is I have to put it behind my SonicWall, because of the multiple VPN tunnels I keep up to client sites. This is not ideal, as it defeats the QOS. But, I have no choice since although it does support VPN pass-through, it will not support the multiple (10) tunnels. So, I have it behind it and occasionally do get the hiss if I'm downloading. But when I've experimented with it out in front as it should be, it's flawless.

In any case, I get no latency; no echoing; nothing. There are no hidden charges, other than tax, so your total bill comes to app. $27.00 each month. Nothing more. Includes VM; call fwd; CID; etc. The VM can also be set to go to your e-mail if you like, either as just a notification, or to send the entire message as a wav file. You can then listen to and manage your VM's from another location. The router supports 2 phone lines, if you opt for a 2nd line. It also absolutely supports fax. This spring I even took it with me to a couple out-of-town sites where I had multi-day jobs, and plugged it into their WAN connections, and fwd'd my office phone to it. Brouht my land line with me. Worked great there too.

I don't know what TW brings to the party to make theirs so much more expensive, other than they slightly discount their other products in pkg's. As far as security system sonnections, don't know why it would work. I mean at the rear of the unit, all you have is POTS- (2) RJ11 connectors, and just a ring and tip- that's it. Dial tone is dial tone. But, as far as security systems go- if the power's out- so is your alarm. No juice- no broadband. No broadband= no VOIP. That's the only thing I can think of.

[Debbie]

I got rid of my land line phone a long time ago. All I need is one phone, which I keep with me all of the time.

[Ghosthunter]

[quote="twwabw"]Can't speak for TW's VOIP, but I have Vonage at my summer office, and it works great. The Linksys router they send you supports QOS, and is optimized for the VOIP traffic. This prevents the hissing and degradation you can get with simultaneous download traffic. Sound quality is excellent. I'm running it over Road Runner. Only glitch for me is I have to put it behind my SonicWall, because of the multiple VPN tunnels I keep up to client sites. This is not ideal, as it defeats the QOS. But, I have no choice since although it does support VPN pass-through, it will not support the multiple (10) tunnels. So, I have it behind it and occasionally do get the hiss if I'm downloading. But when I've experimented with it out in front as it should be, it's flawless.

In any case, I get no latency]


Can someone explain how ths install actually works? what are the pieces and components?


I spoke with TW again,, and it confunsing what they say.



I understand I will get a brand new cable modem which will replace my cable modem,

but from there how does the existing phone jacks get converted into VOIP?


Do they ahve to run new lines to the cable modem?

[twwabw]

Again, I can only speak of Vonage. No new modem necessary. They provide you with a Linksys RTP300. linkage This is a Broadband router as well as the connection for your Phone(s).


To connect to your home wiring, you first need to disonnect the existing connection to the Telco- either disconnect out at the box on your house, or simply cut the wires where they come in the house. If you cut the wire, remember to cut them individually, to avoid possibly shorting out with your cutters. Now, simply connect a phone wire with jacks between the router and a phone outlet on the wall. This will back-feed all the other phone jacks in your house, and Voila! Dial tone everywhere.

The advantage of the Vonage system is it is independent of your broadband modem. Put it in your suitcase and take it with you. Even when you're on vacation- bring it to the hotel and plug it into the broadband connection in your room. Bring a cheap handset with you, and now your home phone is in the Hotel room. Make calls for free. It truly is a great setup.

[Ghosthunter]

last feautre iwont need...go cell for that...


but this doenst make too much sense in terms of why would my home alarm security not work? I called up slomin they said a technician has to come out for $80 and change something on their box?

what would they change that I cannot do?

[twwabw]

last feautre iwont need...go cell for that...


but this doenst make too much sense in terms of why would my home alarm security not work? I called up slomin they said a technician has to come out for $80 and change something on their box?

what would they change that I cannot do?

Can't tell ya'- no idea. Maybe to re-register the phone number? I thought you said it wouldn't work, but now they say it will? I'm confused.

Maybe it's kind of like hooking of a Dish- they claim you have to have a land-line for the setup, so you can connect with your modem. But a cell phone works fine, since you can configure that as a conventional modem to make the initial setup. Support reps often don't (or aren't allowed) to think outside the box.

[Ghosthunter]

ok i found the PDF how to install time warner VOIP

http://www.timewarnercable.com/Media/54 ... nstall.pdf

Now take a look a this...it looks like you can only use one phone? Me so confused

Scroll down to phone with road runner installation

[twwabw]

Ya' gotta' read the whole thing.....

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Digital Phone Self-Install Kit is not designed to work with your existing phone jacks/outlets. Connecting the Digital Phone modem to your existing house wiring without first physically removing your prior phone service provider's network from your home's network may cause damage to the public telephone network. Should you wish to activate your current phone jacks/outlets, please contact us at 756-1969, and we will arrange a Time Warner Cable technician visit to your home for a one-time charge of $49.95 (plus taxes & surcharges).

Like I said:

To connect to your home wiring, you first need to disonnect the existing connection to the Telco- either disconnect out at the box on your house, or simply cut the wires where they come in the house. If you cut the wire, remember to cut them individually, to avoid possibly shorting out with your cutters. Now, simply connect a phone wire with jacks between the router and a phone outlet on the wall. This will back-feed all the other phone jacks in your house, and Voila! Dial tone everywhere.

[Ghosthunter]

so if i cut outside the box...you saying...this will then work with all my other outlets without having topluge them into the modem?


then this should be same for home alarm right?

[twwabw]

Yes- either remove your home wiring connection at the telco box outside the house or cut them where they come inside the house. Phone wiring inside your house is all parallel- just ring and tip. They're just covering their a*s (which they should) saying you need a tech. And if you aren't sure how to do it, for 50 bucks; they're right. Maybe just have them come do it. As far as your alarm- like I said- I have no idea. I'm assuming there's an auto-dialer in your system tied to your home phone lines. I would also imagine the charge is to change the ID of that circuit, to properly idetify your system to theirs.

[ace]

so if i cut outside the box...you saying...this will then work with all my other outlets without having topluge them into the modem?


then this should be same for home alarm right?

When you have an alarm its a bit different. Normally you can plug into an existing jack and it will backfeed your whole house. When you have an alarm you cant backfeed from any outlet in the house. You need to get the phone signal to be active from the nid or before the alarm panel for your alarm to work properly. Now the alarm company probably needs to put in a digital interface that will work with voip, my buddy had to do the same thing. If you have your cable company set it up they will run a new line from your modem to the nid most likely.