I poked around this NG when I was trying to decide to use VOIP/Vonage. I was specifically looking for the disadvantages of VOIP/Vonage. I didn't find enough to stop me, so I signed up for Vonage and have transferred my POTS number to it.
It is a terrific bargain and I don't regret doing it, but I have discovered a couple of things that I thought I'd pass along. They aren't big deals and wouldn't have changed my decision, but I thought others might find the info useful.
- you have to register for 911 and then those calls go to some operator, not directly to your local emergency service (NBD)
- 411 calls are $.99 each
- Caller id blocking is on a per-call basis only (you cannot do a permanent block) (NBD)
- you a=cannot make or receive collect calls (this might actually be an advantage)
Here is a tip: the 500 minutes you get with the basic service is a lot more than you might think. First, the minutes are only on outgoing calls, incoming are free, and calls to another Vonage number are free. Second, minutes beyond 500 are only $.04 each - this means that all use below 750 minutes is cheaper than the $25 unlimited service (750 = 500 +
250, 250 * $.04 = $10, $15 + $10 = $25). We are currently using about 7 minutes a day (210/mo). We are a retired couple - other domestic situations might have different usage.
Bob