Vonage

[davidology]

Anyone using Vonage?

I'm tempted to switch our landline over after learning Vonage only eats up 96kbps of your upstream (we have 768k up, so plenty to go around).

I'm really concerned though by the apparent need to forward 10,000 UDP ports to the Vonage VoIP device. That seems a rather sloppy and cludgy way to implement it. We only have one public IP at this time, and I'd rather leave the Vonage device behind the firewall so that the web interface is accessible. I really don't understand why they couldn't reduce the number of ports and use UPnP to report to the router which ports it's using at any given time.

The other concern is faxes. We probably use that about once a year, but I'd rather not lose that ability.

Anyone have any opinions or experience with it?

[Edit: Also thinking about using the VTtech IP8100 with it.]

 

Comments

[ncsuj.livejournal.com]

I have absolutely no input about Vonage whatsoever.


But I will say, you are lookin particularly lickable in that icon with your star trek blue tooth earpiece in.

[gethenix.livejournal.com]

you're speaking gibberish to me. :)

[carl9331.livejournal.com]

we use callvantage from att and it works fine for use. didnt need to forward ports or anything.

[pegasussf.livejournal.com]

What about Skype? Works pretty well for me, for calling overseas mostly.

[davidology.livejournal.com]

We need it to go to a physical phone. We don't really use the landline much and only have it because we need something to answer the gate, so ideally it will go to a phone we pick up and answer. Although I guess we could have it route to a computer near the door. But I think we prefer the idea of using a cordless.

[pegasussf.livejournal.com]

Hmm, haven't tried it but I know other folks who have.
http://us.accessories.skype.com/direct/skypeusa/itemdetl.jsp?prod=2806 with http://www.skype.com/products/skypein/.

[joephus.livejournal.com]

My Mom and Dad have had Vonage for about a year now and are about 95% happy with it. Occasionally there is noise on the line and it just drops out of a call once in a blue moon. However, the price they are paying is a million times better than the regular phone company. Again, it's dependant on the stability of your online service... if internet cuts out... so does your phone.

I also like the feature that forwards your calls to a cell phone or other phone number if the internet should cut out so you won't be missing any calls.

[dipdewdog.livejournal.com]

I use Vonage without any ports forwarded, they offer a fax line, but you can fax with a regular line so long as you have the quality set to high (90kbps)

I can get you a referral if you like. I think you get a month or two free.

[dipdewdog.livejournal.com]

P.S. Which router and firmware are you using? Depending on your usage habits, your Internet activity can make Vonage choppy (esp. if you use bittorrent...) I recommend a router that can take the DD-WRT open source firmware, as it has a rather advanced QoS built in.

[priorysion.livejournal.com]

Why on earth do you need a landline?

[davidology.livejournal.com]

We really just need it for the gate buzzer. Aside from that, we'd dump it!