vB Easy Archive - any voip provider with NO catch..??

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any voip provider with NO catch..??
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Posted by: celluser7

Of all the voip providers i have searched they all have catches.... from contracts to no contracts but the ones with NO contracts have etf's if u disconnect within a yrs time..... un real..
Im just looking for one that i can turn on, try out for a few months and if it doesnt go well, disconnect and go somewhere else...
Id rather not go with majic jack cause the computer has to be ON all the time and my computer is NOT on all the time... The only things that stay on all the time is the fax and dsl modem....

Posted by: snowmoon

voicepulse has 200 minutes ( only LD calls out incoming and local are free ) for $15/month with no catch/contract/etf. They only do etf on the unlimited plan. You could also use their "connect" service which is $10/month and per-minute on all outbound calls. They have docs on how to make the connect product work with PBX's and SIP clients.

Posted by: monkeyboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by celluser7

Im just looking for one that i can turn on, try out for a few months and if it doesnt go well, disconnect and go somewhere else...
Id rather not go with majic jack cause the computer has to be ON all the time and my computer is NOT on all the time... The only things that stay on all the time is the fax and dsl modem....

the MJ "catch" of computer on isn't that big a deal... just put it on a junk laptop, and power consumption is minimal -- I have mine on a PII that I dredged up from the university junkyard -- worth $20 on ebay... if that... (its doubles as a print/fileserver). the MJ price can't be beat...

*any* VOIP setup has some adapter that is always drawing power, at least 10-50watts, not significantly less than a low power laptop...

Posted by: bamx2

Good Magic Jack infomation here -

http://www.magicjacksupport.com/

Posted by: RF9

Future9 is a VIOP provider with no catch as far as I know. I haven't used them, just read about them on forums. Cancel any time as far as I know and they have good rates.

I'd say Ooma is a great way to go. But at $200+ for the up front cost, you can't exactly just try it out for a low cost. The up side is it's only $99 per year (for the premium service which you'll likely want.) Otherwise there is no cancelation, because there's now bill. Besides the optional $99/year premium it's totally free for domestic calls.
It's a commitment and investment. But so far it has been working perfectly.

Posted by: bw01

There are quite a few providers. I didn't realize there were so many before I chose Ooma, which I'm very happy with.

You can read reviews of various providers here:
http://www.dslreports.com/gbu

Posted by: celluser7

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyboy

the MJ "catch" of computer on isn't that big a deal... just put it on a junk laptop, and power consumption is minimal -- I have mine on a PII that I dredged up from the university junkyard --the MJ price can't be beat...

*any* VOIP setup has some adapter that is always drawing power, at least 10-50watts, not significantly less than a low power laptop...

i see what ur saying about the other voip's using external adaptors so the computer doesnt have to be one wasting more power but at the same time those external adaptors also require power so ur back to square one.... hehe

What about using this:
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProd...oduct_Id=104991

instead of physically running my desktop all the time to run that majic jack... why not use that little device.... this way the majic jack is plugged into a usb port and the other end is direct to the router... giving the internet access it needs to provide the dial tone... or am i way off here... hehe

Posted by: tmobiley

I am very happy with ViaTalk - great quality and it's $199 for two years of service. If I decide to cancel I get a full refund of the un-used funds and no ETF. It's great! And very good customer service too!!

Posted by: shortie479

For more than 2 1/2 years I've had voip service with Packet8 (aka 8x8) - no issues, great features, and I avoided any catches. The website (residential service) doesn't list the plan but, the Freedom Choice 500 minutes is $14.99 p/month before taxes and is NOT contractual.

Look at their offers page or if calling ask for free shipping or free equipment rebate. I actually have the hardware (broadband phone adapter BPG510) if you wind up going with Packet8, just email me.

http://www.8x8.com

Hope this helps!

Posted by: army1

http://www.quantumvoice.com/ great service, got 500 min.$13.00 all tax's included
even works with my dish dvr. calls are free to u.s.and canada, u.s tech support
only needed once.

Posted by: RF9

Quote:

Originally Posted by celluser7

Good point, but not exactly square one. The difference in power requirement doesn't even compare.
A computer with a 450-600 Watt power supply uses a heck of a lot more than a VOIP adapter using from 5-12 Watts. My Ooma system has a 1 Amp 12 Volt output power supply (12 watts) though I've never measured how much it actually draws on AC.

Posted by: bw01

Quote:

Originally Posted by RF9

I measured mine at 5 watts on standby and 7 watts while on a call.

Posted by: celluser7

Quote:

Originally Posted by bw01

I measured mine at 5 watts on standby and 7 watts while on a call.

how are you measuring the amount of current draw thru the line or do u have some sort of device that is between the unit and the outlet that automatically measures the wattage and displays it..??

Posted by: RF9

Quote:

Originally Posted by celluser7

how are you measuring the amount of current draw thru the line or do u have some sort of device that is between the unit and the outlet that automatically measures the wattage and displays it..??

Using a device. A power meter. The KILL-A-WATT P3.
http://www.frys.com/product/5883653
http://www.amazon.com/P3-Internatio...50789702&sr=8-1
(Make sure you get this one that displays volts, amps, etc., not the one that meters and gives you a $ amount based on KWH.)

I find it's extremely handy for getting an accurate picture as to what's wasting and what's not. For instance people point to my home theater system and assume it's an energy sucker, which it is. But there are other things in the house that are far worse and have more impact on the electric bill.
Electricity in California isn't cheap.

I also have my Ooma and cordless phone system on a battery backup (in case of power outage.) The cable modem and router are on another battery backup. Though if power goes out, I have no idea if the cable company's nodes will go out too, so I though I've got everything in my house covered, who knows how Comcast would fare.

The battery backup has a build in LCD meter that shows current draw. However, the phone and Ooma are so low in power consumption, the battery backup shows 0% and can't accurately estimate how long the battery will last. This is a good thing, it means it's so minimal that it'll last probably a few days, if not longer.
A PC using magicjack would last far less, maybe an hour.

Posted by: fearlessflyer

Take a look at voipo. They offer 1 year and month to month rates. They are a relatively new provider striving to be something diffierent. Real people on support as well. www.voipo.com I have been using their service for three monthes now without a single issue, technical or otherwise.

Posted by: jonglo

skype for iphone works pretty damn good. $3 a month.

Posted by: RF9

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearlessflyer

Take a look at voipo. They offer 1 year and month to month rates. They are a relatively new provider striving to be something diffierent. Real people on support as well. www.voipo.com I have been using their service for three monthes now without a single issue, technical or otherwise.

Voipo looks like the real deal. At $100/year they are basically the same price as Ooma premium which you'd have to pay for for similar features. Cheaper considering you don't have to buy the hardware.
I might even consider switching to Voipo eventually.

I'll certainly tell friends about it.

Posted by: Dave32

If you have unlimited incoming calls on cell phone, just have call fowarded to cell (may be a challenge if multiple people receive incoming calls)

Posted by: Tofs

Quote:

Originally Posted by celluser7

Of all the voip providers i have searched they all have catches.... from contracts to no contracts but the ones with NO contracts have etf's if u disconnect within a yrs time..... un real..
Im just looking for one that i can turn on, try out for a few months and if it doesnt go well, disconnect and go somewhere else...
Id rather not go with majic jack cause the computer has to be ON all the time and my computer is NOT on all the time... The only things that stay on all the time is the fax and dsl modem....

Try OneSuite VoIP service. Pay only $2.95 for the monthly service that includes a phone number and incoming calls. It's prepaid (pay as you go) and has no monthly plans whatsoever. You can quit anytime without having to worry about any unused minutes because you only get charge for actual outgoing minutes. Incoming is always free.

It can be use with or without a computer. Check Onesuite website for complete details of their services.

Posted by: fearlessflyer

Quote:

Originally Posted by RF9

I did experience my first problem three days ago. Kind of an obscure one. Certain friends with certain prefixes only on other Voip services could not call in, my line would ring but just a faint white noise on the line. A call to tech support, 10 minute wait on hold (excellent music on hold by the way) the call was answered by a tech who knew his stuff, he pinged my hardware, re-provisioned, updated and reset the ATA and loaded the prefixes into their virtual switch. All in under five minutes my problem was solved.

LOL imagine how a call like this would have been to Vonage