Here's a site that allows some comparison of different plans and provides
some brief reviews of same.

I had SunRocket, which went under. My neighbor transferred to VOIP.com and
is very happy with it. I can't tell he is using VOIP when he calls.

FWIW http://www.comparevoipservice.org/

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon, but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my neighbor thinks
in a month or two.
--
John H

John H. wrote:
Here's a site that allows some comparison of different plans and provides
some brief reviews of same.

I had SunRocket, which went under. My neighbor transferred to VOIP.com and
is very happy with it. I can't tell he is using VOIP when he calls.

FWIW http://www.comparevoipservice.org/

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon, but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my neighbor thinks
in a month or two.

What qualification do you have to say you can't tell any difference
between VOIP and a MaBell? Have your ears been certified?

On Dec 7, 9:28 pm, John H. wrote:
Here's a site that allows some comparison of different plans and provides
some brief reviews of same.

I had SunRocket, which went under. My neighbor transferred to VOIP.com and
is very happy with it. I can't tell he is using VOIP when he calls.

FWIWhttp://www.comparevoipservice.org/

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon, but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my neighbor thinks
in a month or two.
--
John H

Not gonna' happen to my customers... no way, no how...

John H. wrote in
:

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon,
but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my
neighbor thinks
in a month or two.
-

Ever tried Skype, John....in the last year?

Skype out is $30/YEAR for US and Canadians, including PR, HI and
AK. No time limit, 24/7. Works great. Incoming calls are
$60/YEAR/phone number. You can buy up to 9 numbers in many
countries. I have a local number in Charleston, SC, USA and
another in London, UK, for my English friends to call. I can
even network them together through Skype. Skype-to-Skype calls
are always free, as is the software. Don't like computers? No
problem, just buy a Skype Phone. I use a Netgear SPH101 on my
wifi at home. Works within about 1/4 mile of the outside hotspot
50' up. Portable, I'm now using a Nokia N800 internet tablet,
which allows me to use Skype on the road either through my Alltel
Sellphone data link or any wifi hotspot. They can't block Skype
because it's hard to detect its encrypted data stream and it uses
any port you like, not something assigned.

Makes a great home phone...especially Skype-to-Skype with video.
You don't have to pay for overpriced, non-encrypted, voip
service. Skype's distributed system works great and sounds as
good as the equipment you buy. You must have broadband. You can
also text, send/receive any files, send SMS messages, forward
your Skype to any landline number. Mine forwards to my Sellphone
if I'm not home or the computer is busy and I don't boot Skype.

Nothing beats it.

Larry
--
Isn't it ironic that the same ISPs that are telling you
you're downloads threaten their networks......
.....are testing 100Gbps TV to sell on the SAME systems?
http://tinyurl.com/27qx3v

On Dec 7, 9:28 pm, John H. wrote:
Here's a site that allows some comparison of different plans and provides
some brief reviews of same.

I had SunRocket, which went under. My neighbor transferred to VOIP.com and
is very happy with it. I can't tell he is using VOIP when he calls.

FWIWhttp://www.comparevoipservice.org/

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon, but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my neighbor thinks
in a month or two.
--
John H

John, Harry says that even though I've had both hardwire and VOIP that
I'm not able to state for a fact that my VOIP connection is clearer
than my hardwired one ever was. He's never had VOIP, but somehow he IS
able to state without a doubt that hardwired copper with old
connections, 1930's technology is better. You should discuss this with
him, apparently he's the expert.

wrote:
On Dec 7, 9:28 pm, John H. wrote:
Here's a site that allows some comparison of different plans and provides
some brief reviews of same.

I had SunRocket, which went under. My neighbor transferred to VOIP.com and
is very happy with it. I can't tell he is using VOIP when he calls.

FWIWhttp://www.comparevoipservice.org/

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon, but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my neighbor thinks
in a month or two.
--
John H

John, Harry says that even though I've had both hardwire and VOIP that
I'm not able to state for a fact that my VOIP connection is clearer
than my hardwired one ever was. He's never had VOIP, but somehow he IS
able to state without a doubt that hardwired copper with old
connections, 1930's technology is better. You should discuss this with
him, apparently he's the expert.


Y-A-W-N.

wrote:
On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:28:22 -0500, John H.
wrote:

Here's a site that allows some comparison of different plans and provides
some brief reviews of same.

I had SunRocket, which went under. My neighbor transferred to VOIP.com and
is very happy with it. I can't tell he is using VOIP when he calls.

FWIW http://www.comparevoipservice.org/

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon, but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my neighbor thinks
in a month or two.


The broadband carriers, particularly cable will have to show me a lot
more reliability before I cut my "always works" phone line.
After any decent storm, named or not, my cable is always out a few
days and "data" was out for over a week. In 25 years I have never lost
my phone.


Ditto. Maybe "Cable" is more reliable for city dwellers.

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:32:08 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

John H. wrote:
Here's a site that allows some comparison of different plans and provides
some brief reviews of same.

I had SunRocket, which went under. My neighbor transferred to VOIP.com and
is very happy with it. I can't tell he is using VOIP when he calls.

FWIW http://www.comparevoipservice.org/

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon, but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my neighbor thinks
in a month or two.

What qualification do you have to say you can't tell any difference
between VOIP and a MaBell? Have your ears been certified?

I'll have you know that my ears have been highly calibrated by none other
than the Veterans Administration! This has been certified by same.
--
John H

On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:20:29 +0000, Larry wrote:

John H. wrote in
:

I'm happy with Cox digital, at about half the cost of Verizon,
but may go
back to VOIP in a couple months. Will wait to see what my
neighbor thinks
in a month or two.
-

Ever tried Skype, John....in the last year?

Skype out is $30/YEAR for US and Canadians, including PR, HI and
AK. No time limit, 24/7. Works great. Incoming calls are
$60/YEAR/phone number. You can buy up to 9 numbers in many
countries. I have a local number in Charleston, SC, USA and
another in London, UK, for my English friends to call. I can
even network them together through Skype. Skype-to-Skype calls
are always free, as is the software. Don't like computers? No
problem, just buy a Skype Phone. I use a Netgear SPH101 on my
wifi at home. Works within about 1/4 mile of the outside hotspot
50' up. Portable, I'm now using a Nokia N800 internet tablet,
which allows me to use Skype on the road either through my Alltel
Sellphone data link or any wifi hotspot. They can't block Skype
because it's hard to detect its encrypted data stream and it uses
any port you like, not something assigned.

Makes a great home phone...especially Skype-to-Skype with video.
You don't have to pay for overpriced, non-encrypted, voip
service. Skype's distributed system works great and sounds as
good as the equipment you buy. You must have broadband. You can
also text, send/receive any files, send SMS messages, forward
your Skype to any landline number. Mine forwards to my Sellphone
if I'm not home or the computer is busy and I don't boot Skype.

Nothing beats it.

Larry

My friend in Holland is wanting my to try Skype. I've not done so yet,
because with the digital from Cox, calling Holland is very cheap. It was
much cheaper with VOIP. I know nothing about it.
--
John H

wrote:
On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:51:25 -0500, HK wrote:

The broadband carriers, particularly cable will have to show me a lot
more reliability before I cut my "always works" phone line.
After any decent storm, named or not, my cable is always out a few
days and "data" was out for over a week. In 25 years I have never lost
my phone.

Ditto. Maybe "Cable" is more reliable for city dwellers.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that POTS phones are really
battery powered at the central office so power outages don't take them
out. When Sprint took over "dial tone" here they buried fiber so we
don't have the "tree" problem. This made the system bulletproof.
Cable around here is still up on the pole with line powered line amps.
Damn near anything breaks them.

We are the exact opposite. The telephone lines are on the poles exposed
to accidents, tree limbs etc, and the cable is buried. When they
updated cable to fiber optics, they buried the entire system.