Has Anyone tried Vonage for Business or Simuilar VoIP?

[Papa John]

I'm thinking this might save me about $200+ per month.

 

[Clean Response]

I had vonage for 10+ years now. I use for my business and for my home. Never have had any problems.

 

[jcooper]

I use skype and it's great, dirt cheap. I can make and receive calls. Costs like five bucks a month.

I generally don't use it for the biz calls or do any forwarding, mostly for conference calls with other cleaners/friends. Get a usb headset and it makes dealing with phone support sooooo much better.

 

[hogjowl]

I'm watching this thread. Please, somebody help this dude with some info.

Cuz I'm in the same boat.

 

[Papa John]

I had vonage for 10+ years now. I use for my business and for my home. Never have had any problems.

Thanks Brad! That good to know... I'll make the switch when I return to the states

 

[hogjowl]

How's the coverage area?

 

[Clean Response]

It is nice I do call forwarding to my cell so I can get it when I am not home. You can make the caller id say whatever you want and it has all the features.

The only problem I ever has is running my credit card machine over it because it is digital but I swapped to one that works over the internet and it works better anyways. That was back 7 years ago when credit card machine dialed up to run the cards. Some times my fax attacks up too, but like some other tread was saying who faxes anymore.

 

[hogjowl]

I need my square reader to work. So, that's a deal killer right there.

 

[Papa John]

I need my square reader to work. So, that's a deal killer right there.

Hey Brad-- I use Square on my cell phone...will Vonage interfere with that process?? I wouldn't think so since my cell phone will be with AT&T.

 

[jcooper]

I use Square on my cell phone...will Vonage interfere with that process??

No, voIP is internet.

 

[PrimaDonna]

Have been using vonage for about 10 years. Love it.

Get a text and email with audio file to my cell phone when a message is left (I set it it up that way, you don't havt to, but saves me from calling in to check messages ). That way if I'm out if the office and the call requires immediate response, I can call if I need to. I can also forward all the calls to any number if I need. When we travel it go away, I do this. We have a back up cell phone we activate for this purpose. I forward all calls to that line, then when it rings, I know it's a work call. Don't have to change the message on my personal cell since I am not forwarding to that phone.

It also will automatically forward to any number you designate if Internet goes down. In that case I have to go to my cell. That way I don't have to worry about carrying two phones if the Internet happens to go down. No power, no problem when forwarded to a mobile phone.

I pay for a year at a time. It's cheap as it is month to month, but even cheaper if you pay year to year.

 

[Papa John]

Have been using vonage for about 10 years. Love it.
I pay for a year at a time. It's cheap as it is month to month, but even cheaper if you pay year to year.

Thanks Meg-- how much do u pay per year? were there startup costs?

 

[Clean Response]

Does not mess with square I use it too. We pay one year at a time and get a discount. We have two line and a virtual number and we are paying around $300 I think. you do need to buy a vonage box you can get them fairly shop if you shop around. I would check craiglist.

I dont even use all the feature like Meg mentions it has alot of features.

 

[Tom Sedwick]

We use Ringio and love it.

 

[PrimaDonna]

Thanks Meg-- how much do u pay per year? were there startup costs?

$550 per year, then monthly taxes $7.86 per month. That is our phone and a fax line. So two lines, unlimited calling for all US, about $50 per month.

I don't believe there are any start up fees. Pretty sure they provide the hardware you need to hook up to the computer/internet. You can be billed monthly, but when I was doing that back in 2008 before I switched to yearly, it was $61.00 a month. I'm sure it's more than that now since that was 7 years ago. So it it was costing me $732 a year. When I went to the year billing in 2009, they were charging $483, so it was a $250 a year savings to pay up front a year at a time vs. being billed monthly. They always have new customer promos. I think it's $9.99 a month for the first year right now. That's only one line, so if you don't need a fax it's a great deal.

www.vongage.com

If you go with them, give my name, number 215-343-6450. I think they have a referral program.

 

[hogjowl]

Is this your office phone only, or does it offer roaming capabilities like a cell phone?

 

[Clean Response]

They do have a cell phone that works over wifi, or they used to have it, I have not heard much about it for a few years. For roaming I have it forwarded to my cell.

 

[Papa John]

Meg--- I told them you refereed me.

Marty-- I'm going to keep my cell phone separate from Vonage.. With Vonage If the internet is down then the calls will be forwarded to a landline or cell phone... I think that If cell phone also vonage then this couldn't happen and you might lose calls.

 

[hogjowl]

I don't care anything at all about doing away with my office phone. AT&T only costs me $96 a month. It's the $350 a month cell phone bill I'd like to cut in half.

 

[Papa John]

I don't care anything at all about doing away with my office phone. AT&T only costs me $96 a month. It's the $350 a month cell phone bill I'd like to cut in half.

OMG Marty!! Shop for another cell plan.. I pay AT&T about $400/month for 5 cells phones!

 

[clean image]

good thread

I am considering a local VOIP company, vonage as well as ring central

This would be for land service...strong internet required.. the most costly part

I have been quoted <$60 for 5 lines and $100 for hi speed internet to a bus location. The VIOP phone itself is 150-200

Reliability and customer service are main concerns

 

[hogjowl]

I've got 4 on mine and one internet box ... or whatever it's called. It's one of those roving black boxes the size of an old zippo lighter that gives me internet access anywhere. And I do mean ANYWHERE.

That's the sole reason I stay with Verizon. I am NEVER out of range.

 

[Papa John]

I've got 4 on mine and one internet box ... or whatever it's called. It's one of those roving black boxes the size of an old zippo lighter that gives me internet access anywhere. And I do mean ANYWHERE.

That's the sole reason I stay with Verizon. I am NEVER out of range.

Wow! sounds like a good deal then..

 

[kingjoelking]

We use Magic Jack for our Home line. $34.95 a year. We have used google Voice for our business # for 5 or 6 years. (Google Voice is Free) all calls are forwarded to my cell phone my wifes cell phone and our home #. Voice mails are emailed to us in text form. Which are somewhat hillarious to read. can access the Voicemails through my cel phone or computer. Google voice also allows you to send it to different numbers at different times. For instance if you dont want calls to ring at all from 10pm to 8 am you can set it to just go straight to VM at those times.

 

[Papa John]

We use Magic Jack for our Home line. $34.95 a year. We have used google Voice for our business # for 5 or 6 years. (Google Voice is Free)

For FREE!!??? What's the catch? Sounds too good to be true. Can I keep my same Business number#? Will the number be listed in 411 or similar?

My quote from Vonage is $43/month with a free phone... enough savings to buy 6.66 cases of beer per month!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I pay AT&T $164 for 3 lines and 4gb data which I never come close to using.

 

[kingjoelking]

For FREE!!??? What's the catch? Sounds too good to be true. Can I keep my same Business number#? Will the number be listed in 411 or similar?

My quote from Vonage is $43/month with a free phone... enough savings to buy 6.66 cases of beer per month!

Google Voice is technically not a phone line. https://support.google.com/voice/answer/1065667?hl=en Heres a link that will answer any questions.
you can port a cell phone # you cannot port a land line.

 

[kingjoelking]

im pretty sure you can port a land line to a cell carrier and then port to Google Voice.

 

[Papa John]

my goal it to get rid of my Centrix-landline

 

[Hoody]

I use Google Voice too, I like it a lot.