Consensus best Voip service for the layman?

You're extremely incorrect. Vonage, Packet8, Lingo, and probably everyone else have flat rate service, too.

If the person asking the original question wants to keep the same phone number and port it from your cell phone to VoIP, Vonage is the only VoIP vendor where I've heard that porting a number actually worked.

Regards, John Levine, snipped-for-privacy@iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies", Information Superhighwayman wanna-be,

VoicePulse is the only *open* option for "unlimited" VoIP in the US. (Someone jump in and correct me!)

If you ever want to do anything interesting with your VoIP service, VP is the one to get.

(BTW, I use VoicePulse Connect! right now. It uses IAX but does not have unlimited plans. I like it though.)

--kyler

Hmm well he mentioned *open* so I think he might be somewhat correct in that regard, though Broadvoice has an unlimited plan that is also

So are you saying that number portability is only available with Vonage, or it doesn't work with the other services?

John:

I've tried packed 8x8 and VoicePulse. I am staying with VoicePulse, it is excellent. There is a comparison chart of services located at this address that pretty much sums up the service offerings to date. As always, I would expect things to rapidly change in the next few months.

Cheers, Steve

See :

Ok I am a little concerned. I just got a new cell phone on top of my old one. I was going to transfer my old cell phone # to a Voip account and cancel that old account, but I weary if that will work.

I use T-Mobile and my # starts with 713-291 Voicepulse's tool says they cannot transfer it, and Vonage's questionaire looks like it is for landlines, not cell lines, but says they can transfer it.

How does all of this work and what is a reasonable expectation? If I cannot be assured within a week or so that my # can be transferred I will cancel that new T-Mobile account and return everything (I can do this thankfully) and just get a Voip account.

Any comments?

Well, that's a load of crap (because none of those you listed are open and there are lots of providers who don't have flat rate service) but I just realized what *I* wrote was incorrect too.

Sorry for the confusion. I've been spending way too much time dealing with all of the plans lately.

--kyler

I totally see your point, but in my case I use this # for business reasons, and it is a cool #. My new cell number is identical except for the prefix, so that is nice too.

Also, I have several of my own domain names, and as you can the one I use has my last name, so barring inundation of spam or new standards my e-mail address will never change..

Voicepulse and Vonage both told me over the phone that I can transfer my #. I just have to take the chance it indeed will transfer. If not I either will have to lose my old #, have two cell phones, or pay a cancellation fee to T-Mobile, but selling the phone I got for a major discount might pay for most of the cancel fee.

Thanks for the info

If it were me, I'd just get a new number (I did). Just let those you care about know that you have a new number. Your old number should be set to say "the new number is...". With VP, they'll tell you the new number before the equipment even arrives.

Personally, I feel no allegiance to a telephone number. It's like an e-mail address, or your home address. When you change it, send an announcement.

Cheers,

Steve

John,

Try lingo.com

I had my number ported and they work great. $19.95/ month. unlimited long distance. first 3 months free.

put my email snipped-for-privacy@juno.com as a referal and we both get a $25 credit at the end of your free trial.

good luck.