New comcast Digital phone Be Aware

Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding is the Comcast voice service *is* VoIP. The medium is cable modem but the signal or so I thought) is VoIP. They're pushing the service in my area, too. It's over-priced compared to other VoIP services and (worse) it's Comcast. Calling them for repairs you typically wait 30 minutes before speaking to a tech who doesn't know how to fix anything. Then they tell you they'll send a serviceman out... next Tuesday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Imagine trying to reach them (presumably by cell phone) when their VoIP service goes down.

By comparison, when I ordered DSL service in Brazil it was connected the next day. In over two years that I've had it service the service has been down less than a 24 hours total. When I call for service a

*knowledgeable* tech answers the phone quickly. I wish Comcast would send their techs to Brazil for training. Of course, there's the distinct possibility that most of them would fall in love and refuse to come home. :^)

It looks like voip to me but signals are going thru ok so it must be some kind of hybrid.

Verizon has its new FIOS fiber optic system as well and the lines function like pots no problems with it so far.

I get into this all the time, everyone thinks it's all different but it really isn't, ANY phone service over Internet protocol is VOIP, the problem some companies like to try rising above the others claiming theirs isn't VOIP when it actually is.

I gave up and just call it digital phones, its all the same

Good reason to put in a cell back up then.

When POTS foes into the fiber optic trunk it still comes out as POTS on the other end.

I have the Comcast Phone Service in Oregon.

You can call the Comcast phone service VOIP if you want, but it merely is digital phone service that runs with the cable tv signal in the same coaxial cables. It does NOT run over the Internet as packets, but is merely piggybacked on the coax to a regular ESS phone switch.

I've had this for over 3 years now and, since it converts to two wire pots, I've never had a problem with it. There is a battery unit in my garage, but so far, I've not had to deal with replacing it. The whole thing has been pretty reliable.

Beachcomber

Hmm. I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. I was under the impression it was just VoIP.

Glad it worked out for you. My experience with Comcast in this area has been quite different. When my HD/DVR box acted up it took visits from three techs over the course of several weeks before they got it right. When the last guy showed up to swap out the box he tried very hard to convince me that the box kept losing its memory due to a faulty connection to my stereo receiver. Absurd as that sounds, he insisted on it. I refused to sign the work order until he swapped out the defective box -- something that should have been done weeks earlier by the first moron.

BTW, I asked the first "tech" how long he'd been working for Comcast. He said it was his second month on the job. Before that he had been working for an ADT authorized dealer in the next town. It figures.

Problems with their cable modem service have been handled poorly, too. I keep a Verizon DSL line as a backup for times when the cable modem service goes down.

Anyway, it's good that they're taking better care of you. Thanks again for the correction.

said it was his second month on the job. Before that he

Was this tech by chance wearing boots? it's important

quite different. When my HD/DVR box acted up it took

right. When the last guy showed up to swap out the box

faulty connection to my stereo receiver. Absurd as

swapped out the defective box -- something that should

it was his second month on the job. Before that he

a Verizon DSL line as a backup for times when the

Actually it is a story in progress. Comcast is no panacea for good phone service. They sold me on it a few years ago because it was about 10 bucks cheaper per month. I keep Verizon for my business phone lines, but they have their good points and bad points too.

One problem for Comcast is that they are mostly a cable tv company that has just recently become a telephone company and wants to be an Internet broadband company as well. They apparently don't have the old-timer phone technicians with years-and-years of experience that began their careers with the old Bell system. I asked Comcast about digital fibre phone lines for my business and they said they couldn't handle that yet (but they want to, apparently). In my part of the woods, Comcast answers their customer service phones.

A recent experience with Verizon Business Services really ticked me off. I talked to a Verizon Sales person about getting long distance for my biz lines and they said sure, we have this great no-minimum fee plan at x cents per minute.... blah... blah...blah". I said "Great... Sign me up".

A Verizon contract comes in the mail that has a different (higher) rate than what was quoted and a new $9.95 (minimum) monthly fee. I get really ticked off and call Verizon... Get placed in voice mail hell and on hold for half an hour... and then... "Oh we're sorry, you must have misunderstood... blah...blah ..blah but we have no minimum monthly plans, etc..."

Just like the old days of MA BELL... Don't like our sh*tty service...Go get yourself another phone company... F*CK YOU!

I reported this to the local public utility commission, but they will most likely get away with doing this to others. I'm happy that they at least have competition for the residential phone service and now, for high speed Internet Service (in my area) as well.

Beachcomber

Im ready to dump Mettel all together what a bunch of screw ups this one customer of mine is having.

They have a way of doing that, don't they? I've had my share of hassles dealing with them, too. We only have them on two POTS lines, one of which carries the DSL. Since they're only providing my backup service I tolerate them.