Voip

Tried the 'V' guys

Keep track of your statements - they did (IMHO) everything they could to cheat me out of money.

They never got it the money thought - Master Card would not let them take my money - but they (IMHO) tried.

I have friends that swear that once you get past the difficult set up - it is great. I know the VoIP technology by cisco is great - cisco wanted me to become a sales engineer at one time (shoulda taken that job . . . ).

But, their tech support and customer service were (again IMHO) amongst the worse that I have dealt with.

 

Did I mispeak that badly.

I do not have VoIP . . . tried it and was very dissatisfied . . .

 

OK, here is my take:

If you use VoIP that uses the public Internet, quality can suffer. This includes Vonage and Skype. I use Vonage, and it is ok for home use. I have a special router that handles Vonage calls, WiFi, and Ethernet. I have a cordless phone base unit plugged into the router. The calls sometimes drop one side, and no one can hear me when I first answer...takes about 2 seconds for them to be able to hear me. Still, the price is right. Also, if I am sending out a large file while on the phone, the other end of the call hears me very garbled. This is a function of the assymetric cable broadband I have, rather than VoIP.

VoIP using a dedicated network, such as McLeodUSA, Qwest, AT&T, Verizon, etc., is much higher quality, since it is not competing with Internet traffic, but going out on a private IP network. The technology has come a long way in the last 5 years. VoIP also doesn't use regular 911, so you have to register your address with your provider. It also doesn't use traditional voice switching technology (Time Division Multiplexing or TDM) on such platforms at Lucent 5ESS or NorTel DMS switches. Instead, it uses software-based switching platforms, known as "soft switches" which are also getting better, but IMO, not up to the quality of the TDM switches.

If you use VoIP for business, the provider will install an Integrated Access Device, or IAD, on your premises. However, you may want to plug it to a UPS, otherwise you have no phones when the power goes down. Same thing for a VoIP router for the home, no power, no phone.

One other caveat...
Most VoIP services are highly compressed, so (in most cases) you cannot operate a standard Group 3 Fax Machine on a VoIP line.