Vonage

...Vonage? ~~~~

Vonage is a VoIP telephone service provider. However it uses different technology than the likes of BT or NTL to provide the telephone service. Not only that, it provides a different structure for call charges and line rental.

Before I go into that, maybe you are wondering what is VoIP? VoIP stands for the Voice over IP protocol. It is a method of carrying voice communications across the internet or other ...
...a pre-requisite to receiving the Vonage service.

Depending on whether you have an existing router with RJ45 network ports available then all you need is the Vonage device that connects to the router. On the Vonage website is a very useful quiz which takes you through some questions about your broadband connection and helps you determine which pieces of equipment you require.

You can also use a normal landline telephone ... more

I know it seems that all my product reviews are for brilliant products (I must find something that I don't like...) but this service is truly worth the 5 stars I have bestowed upon it.

~~~ What is Vonage? ~~~~

Vonage is a VoIP telephone service provider. However it uses different technology than the likes of BT or NTL to provide the telephone service. Not only that, it provides a different structure for call charges and line rental.

Before I go into that, maybe you are wondering what is VoIP? VoIP stands for the Voice over IP protocol. It is a method of carrying voice communications across the internet or other suitable networks. You
may have heard this called IP telephony. Put simply, you can hold telephone conversations across the internet rather than a dedicated phone line like BT or NTL. It also means you can use your home broadband connection to provide internet and a telephone line rather then a separate line. Right lesson over.

When I first heard of it, it took me ages to get my head round how it works. But to use this service you don't really need to know how it works, but you do need certain equipment.

~~~ What Equipment Do I Need? ~~~

Well as the service is provided over an internet connection you need a broadband internet connection. This can be cable or ADSL. This allows you to surf and hold telephone calls simultaneously. This needs to be supplied by you as it is a pre-requisite to receiving the Vonage service.

Depending on whether you have an existing router with RJ45 network ports available then all you need is the Vonage device that connects to the router. On the Vonage website is a very useful quiz which takes you through some questions about your broadband connection and helps you determine which pieces of equipment you require.

You can also use a normal landline telephone that usually comes with an RJ11 connector. With my broadband setup I just need the D-Link device which connects to my broadband router using RJ45 connection and my telephone plugs into this device. The D-Link device allows you to connect 2 telephones to 1 telephone number.

This adapter converts the analogue phone signal from your phone to digital so it can be sent over broadband and into the Vonage network.

~~~ Call Plans ~~~

The service is offered with the following Call Plans:

Residential:
- V-Plan 1 for £7.99 per month (calls to UK & Ireland free)
- V-Plan 2 for £7.99 per month (calls to 15 countries free)
- V-Plan 3 for £9.99 per month (calls to 25 countries free)
- V-Plan 4 for £14.99 per month (calls to 35 countries free)
- V-Plan 5 for £18.99 per month (call to 45 countries free)

Small Business Plans
- V-Plan 4 for £14.99 per month (includes calls to 35 countries)
- V-Plan 5 for £18.99 per month (includes calls to 45 countries)

The beauty of Vonage is that you only pay "Line Rental" with no additional charges for landlines to any of the countries included in your plan. When I left BT and NTL my Line rental was in the region of £10 and that did not include any free calls. So for £7.99 you get free calls to UK & Ireland with no extra charge any time of day. I did find with the NTL and BT free calls at the weekend that it didn't include Bank Holidays so this service is much more flexible.

It should be noted that you will be charged for Local Rate (0845) and National Rate (0870) and mobile calls. But if you use www.saynotto0870.com you can usually find a landline number from the listings. For calls to mobile, I usually use my mobile as it comes with a set number of minutes that I can use between landlines and mobiles. Or if you are really tight, get them to ring you - lol.

I'm on V-Plan 2 as my sister lives in the US and can make free calls to her.

As of May-2008, Vonage did introduce a fair usage policy which annoyed me a bit. But upon investigate the limits are fair. You get to make around 33 hours of calls per month with a 2 hour limit on any one call. I find that this is more than adequate for what I use.

~~~ Signing Up ~~~

Signing up is very easy. You just have to select a call plan and then it takes you to selecting an area dialling code. With this service you are not tied to a specific area code and you can pretty much choose any code you want. If you want 0207 or 0208, choose London, if you want Aberdeen, you can have 01224.

Then you are taken to a page to select the devices you need and you can choose from:

1) D-Link VTA device which is free
2) Vonage V-portal, which includes a router for £9.99
3) the VTA and modem bundle in case you only have a USB modem for £9.99
4) the VTA and Handset bundle for £19.99

You are then taken to a secure page where you enter your Name and User details including your Broadband provider. One thing you are asked for is address details for the emergency services. If you have a power cut then you will lose Vonage telephone services so you cannot make any calls, not even emergency calls. For the majority of people with mobiles this should not be an issue, but be aware of this.

You finally enter your billing details and confirm the order. Hey presto await for your devices to arrive.

~~~ Setting Up ~~~

Set up was really easy but I do consider myself technically adept. As mentioned I purchased (for free) the D-Link VTA device which connects the telephone to my broadband router.

You connect the VTA device to an Ethernet (RJ45) port on your router and connect the device to power. The device boots up and synchronizes with the Vonage service and shows a blinking power light while it does this. Once the light is solid connection to Vonage has been made and you can connect the telephone to the phone port using a standard (RJ11) connector. If you can hear a dial tone you're done and can start making calls.

I did this just over a year ago and was thinking it's too easy. But it was really like that. I imagine the VTA device comes pre-configured with the number you have chosen when you signed up.

~~~ Features ~~~~

You get the following features with any of the plans for free:

- Call Waiting
- Caller Display
- Call Diversion
- Voicemail
- Voicemail messages are emailed to your account in WAV form so you can hear messages over the internet - quite cool and funny too
- Call Transfer
- 3-way calling
- Call hunt (if you have more than 1 Vonage line)

This is not a comprehensive list so check out http://www.vonage.co.uk/help.php?category=2&nav=2 for a full list.

~~~ Anything Else? ~~~~

Yes, when I signed up, I was tied into a 24-month contract, but checking just now, there is no contract tie-in. I would recommend that you double check this.

Customer Service is 0800-0000, 7 days a week

Online Account Management means you can change settings of your service anytime, which includes checking voicemail and call activity

Call charges for 084/087 and Premium rate numbers are additional to the line rental. Check the charges if you do use.

~~~ Conclusion ~~~

I have been using the Vonage service for over a year and have no complaints. The service has always been available when I have needed it and I have certainly made use of it - One month I made 11 hours of calls - it's good to talk.

I have noticed on occasion where the phone call has dropped but it is easy to ring back and resume the conversation. I have noticed that the signal can degrade (which means the person you are speaking to can't hear you or you get a crackly line) if you move too far away from the adapter or there are many brick walls between you and the device.

I've had to contact the Customer Services only on 1 occasion and that was to query some call charges to Belgium which was not in my plan. But Vonage reimbursed me for the 7p (yes 7p, it all counts) and made sure I was on the correct plan.

The best thing about this service is that I don't have to worry about paying call charges. I can just pick up the phone and dial any landline or international country in my plan knowing that it is all covered in a single fee. Sure, some months I make few calls, but some months I make a lot of calls. If I am at home, I will tend to use the landline more than the mobile as it means I can preserve the minutes on my mobile call plan too.

For more information, please visit www.vonage.co.uk

Thank you for reading. This review may be posted on other sites.

© jupiter28 2008 

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