Best VOIP Anybody with real experience? Suggestions?

[HBARleatherneck]

We have had Voip for more than 9 years. The price is risen to the point where I am looking for options. Right now its through my internet provider at a cost of $19.99 a month. Alot I know.
My Father has Magic jack. It seems many conversations I have with him his phone has problems. It maybe his actual phone since his phone is at least 15 years old.

This is our only phone here at the house. Our current one has voicemail, caller id, and a bunch of stuff we dont use.

I look online at suggestions but, you guys have always come through with good answers.

Recap
We need a new Voip service, box whatever.

[th3w01f]

I've been going through the same. I had VoIP from Rise broadband but it wasn't very good and we swapped providers anyway. I tried AXVoice and it was terrible. I've spent 15 years working on business VoIP so I know how to troubleshoot issues and their tech support would either not respond to issues or come back with something like 'you need to reboot your router'.

I switched to Ooma about 2 months ago and I have not had 1 issue since, everything has worked perfectly and with the basic service you only pay taxes. Since then 3 others on my team (different parts of the US) have also switched to Ooma with similar results.

I also purchased a 2 to 1 dongle off Amazon that lets me plug in 2 phones and it works great. One going to the cordless that has handsets around the house and the other going to my office phone with a headset.

[Madeinhb]

I second Ooma. Have had it for a year. The unit you can get on sale. All I pay is taxes which works out to $3 and some change a month. I've not had any issues with it. I can't speak to the premium service. I have the app to check voice mails and can make calls (I believe- never have). And I believe the premium allows you to receive calls via mobile.

[StagLefty]

MagicJack $36 a year. The only time I have problems is if Comcast is having problems.
It enables my phone to do all the extras with no extra cost caller id,call waiting,etc

[brutal]

I'm strongly considering Ooma as several coworkers have it and love it.

I'm stupidly clutching my landline even though it's been ported to comcast. The monthly fee is just too high.

My setup is a little more complex with an enterprise class firewall (hand-me-down Watchguard Firebox X1000) sitting here between my home network and the cable modem that connects me to the big bad internet. However, I have a simple any-any outbound rule and only NAT incoming FTP through a proxy service on the Firebox to one static IP assigned to a VM I use when I need to move files through that method.

[Ah Pook]

Picked up Ooma about 5-6 years ago. $5.00(ish) a month in taxes/fees. The box is a one time fee. No issues! A one line business line, from Qwerst, was $65.00 a month.

No problems and no dropped calls.

[cableguy11]

I also have Ooma and comcast internet service. I have the premium service and no issues in the 1.5 years we have had it. Got the box on sale as well.

[crays]

Thanks to all. I have been leaning towards Ooma for a while. This thread pretty much seals the deal.

Good luck to HBAR in resolving your issue.

[O2HeN2]

Thinking of kicking our CenturyLink landline to the curb and going VoIP.

We want to use our existing phone base station and satellite handsets, so looking for a box to plug into.

The VoIP box will be hard wired into a pfSense router. Our service is currently 100/6 - if any of that is important.

Any current suggestions? Ooma keeps cropping in my searches. It appears the only real complaint is heaven help you if you want to cancel.

O2

[StagLefty]

I'm still running Magic Jack for several years now and no problems unless Comcast is having problems. Runs about $40 a year with taxes. I recently upgraded my landline phones and it runs even better.

[00tec]

What is "landline"?

[O2HeN2]

What is "landline"?

The cheap-as-possible number the GF gives out to people she wants to be able to contact her, but not on her mobile.

O2

[encorehunter]

We have had MagicJack for 3 years now. No problems as of yet. The calls are clear.

[20X11]

+1 for Ooma...had it for 5 years now. Solid with clear call quality. 2 lines...$10/month

[crays]

I went with Ooma based on this thread several years ago. No complaints, and my Uniden DECT 6.0 phones work just fine on it.

[crays]

I will add that you can hook up a "traditional" phone to it and get dial tone, but it won't power a physical ringer.

ETA: To the Ooma box. I did not attempt to patch into the wall jack wiring system. Don't know about doing that.

Sent from somewhere...

[Gman]

I"ve been using VoIP since the US West days.

I've been on ViaTalk for years. I buy when they have a buy one year get one year free. Lots of premium features. Never have issues. All customer support is US based, although I never need it.

They're having a BOGO right now if you're interested. www.viatalk.com

[O2HeN2]

Decided to try the MagicJack given the feedback here as well as its price which includes first year of service free for $50. Installation was smooth as silk, and I was up and running in no time.

I'll evaluate it over the next couple of weeks and if it appears to work up the GF's specs, I'll port the house number, disconnect the current phone line at the NID and backfeed the house phone lines. I'll just put the MJ in the datacloset with the rest of the gear and run a cord to a nearby phone outlet (I'm using the hard wired network connection, not the computer connection)

We only have one phone (basestation) in the house, and I'd like to leave it where it's currently residing.

It did default to incoming calls only, which I find odd, so I had to go searching to enable outgoing calls.

So far, so good.

O2

Was it Magic Jack that had the cheesy "As seen on TV" commercials decades ago?

[Gman]

Was it Magic Jack that had the cheesy "As seen on TV" commercials decades ago?

Yep.

[Batteriesnare]

I've use ObiHai for business and personal use. You buy the VoIP box, then link to your google (google voice) account - google assigns you a number, and the service is free!

[O2HeN2]

Was it Magic Jack that had the cheesy "As seen on TV" commercials decades ago?


Yep.

I thought so. Which, unfortunately was why I initially rejected it. I figured it was junk.

Once I saw a couple positive reviews I took a harder look at it and went that route. Immediate gratification from Best Buy had a little to do with it, too. :)

ObiTalk looks promising too, just a step up in complexity since you have a device, then you choose a VoIP provider. Not bad, just another step.

So for the record:

https://www.magicjack.com/ (Available at Best Buy)
https://www.obitalk.com/ (Needs a VoIP provider, like Google Voice)
https://www.ooma.com/ (a bit more expensive, but more features - figure out if you need them)

I will say that looking at MagicJack reviews, good luck if you need technical support.
For Ooma, good luck if you try and cancel. Sounds like most people have to contact their bank and block the charge in order to stop them from withdrawing fees.

O2

[StagLefty]

What is "landline"?

$40 a year option to bajillion dollar cell phones [Sarcasm2]

[00tec]

$40 a year option to bajillion dollar cell phones [Sarcasm2]

I actually have a landline number, since my ISP requires it. It isnt even wired into the house. Ends at the demarcation box.

[brutal]

Late to the party. Love our Ooma Telo and remote handset and have had it for longer than I can remember. I pay the extra annual fee for the spam call filtering and it's worth it. I can blacklist numbers that sneak through. The Lynx remote WiFi telco adapter is also handy to use an old $5 POTS phone remotely.

[Gman]

What is "landline"?
A phone that works at your home when you have crappy cell coverage.

[O2HeN2]

Ok, something to be aware of with MagicJack. If you want to port your existing phone number to MagicJack, the name on the existing phone account must match EXACTLY with the name on the MagicJack account.

If it doesn't, it won't port.

There is no way to change the name of the account online.

In order to change the name on the account, you must send a NOTARIZED change of name form to MagicJack.

So make sure you get the name right when you signup. I signed up, but the phone is in the GF's name.

O2

[Ah Pook]

I tried Magicjack before Ooma. Ported the number and everything. Didn't work. Pulling teeth to port the # to Ooma. Big thumbs down on MJ.

Up front, Ooma costs but it's $5(ish) for "tele" taxes a month after that.

[O2HeN2]

I tried Magicjack before Ooma. Ported the number and everything. Didn't work.

How long ago?

Could you expand on "Didn't work". The number didn't port or the service didn't work? Details?

O2

[StagLefty]

I tried Magicjack before Ooma. Ported the number and everything. Didn't work. Pulling teeth to port the # to Ooma. Big thumbs down on MJ.


When I got the MJ and requested my same phone number, the day Century turned off my service the MJ kicked on and I had my same number. This was quite a few years ago and transition was smooth then.

[brutal]

For anyone reading.

DO NOT cancel your prior service until that number is ported over to a new provider, you will lose it.

P.S. if not already mentioned, when I did mine it was only a $25 (or maybe it was free?) port cost because I bought the ooma enhanced service bundle. $120/year.

There used to be a way to port it to google for free first using a cell phone, but I honestly don't recall all the gyrations required.

[Gman]

I ended up keeping my temporary number with ViaTalk. Qwest was being a PITA dragging out the port forever and the new number was way cooler.

[O2HeN2]

Might as well add that MagicJack is having a Black Friday sale.

$35 bucks, includes one year of service.

If you're considering porting your landline number to it, make sure the name you sign up with MagicJack is the EXACT same name that's on your landline.

https://store.magicjack.com/

...and Ooma is having a sale too...

https://www.ooma.com/

O2

[ChadAmberg]

I've had Ooma for probably 10 years now. No issues, and I have their anti-spam call things cranked up high, they work great.

[BladesNBarrels]

Comparing Ooma to MagicJack.
Do you use the iPhone with Ooma to make calls?
Is that a different unit than the basic one Ooma Telo?
Which is better - the one to plug into the router, or the one with bluetooth and wifi connection?
How do I check if my disconnected phone number is transferable to Ooma?
Thanks for any help!

[ChadAmberg]

Comparing Ooma to MagicJack.
Do you use the iPhone with Ooma to make calls?
Is that a different unit than the basic one Ooma Telo?
Which is better - the one to plug into the router, or the one with bluetooth and wifi connection?
How do I check if my disconnected phone number is transferable to Ooma?
Thanks for any help!

For me my Ooma box is pretty old, it basically just plugs into a standard Panasonic wireless house phone service and my router. I don't have the newer box with more features unfortunately!

[Ah Pook]

Still have Ooma and still like it. The charge is about $5.00 a month. Another +1.[Beer]