PKingRoch wrote:Can you try the service with a new phone number (assigned by Ooma) and then port your land line number to this later? I don't want to give up my land line number if I have problems with the service. We had problems with Magic Jack and had to return that device too.

yes! Try the OOMA assigned # 1st. I waited a good month before deciding to port.

I have 2.45 mbps download and 0.69 mbps upload speeds... will this work for me?

With the widespread commodity of cellphones and the fact that you can get a house phone for $7 from any store (one that will actually work if the power goes out), I don't understand why people buy things like this.

This thing is fantastic! I bought mine almost a year ago and have had no problems whatsoever. It does take a good bit of time (about 45-days) for your old phone company to release your number for porting to Ooma but once it's done, it's smooth sailing from there. My monthly phone bill dropped from $80+ per month (local and long distance) down to $3.47. Yes, you read that right. I'm saving $76.53 a month with Ooma and I must say the service is great! Highly recommended!

MikeRaphone wrote:I have a small office, with 5 phone lines including fax, and had Vonage for 5 years, which I was very happy with. We make few calls, so their basic plan for $10 a month, plus taxes worked well and the sound quality was as good as the phone company.

Seeing Ooma on Woot in the last year, we replaced 5 lines with Ooma. The cost was only the tax (3.47 a month per line) so it looked like a very good deal.

Overall, for the cost savings, I think it is a good deal. However, there are 2 concerns.

First, there is a latency (delay) on all 5 lines, that some others have complained about (on http://www.ooma.com/forums/), that we didn't have with Vonage. You have to stop talking for a moment to hear the other person start talking. I find it mildly annoying and am hoping it eventually gets fixed.

The other concern is that Ooma stays in business. If they are only collecting the taxes every month from most people, and only making money from the cost of the phone unit, it doesn't seem like they are going to be very profitable.

Otherwise, it's a great deal.

You do realize that you're using Ooma illegally, don't you? Their service is STRICTLY for residential PERSONAL use, NOT BUSINESS!

ATTENTION WOOT GODS!!! This is a shameless ploy to receive my first quality post ;)

I noticed nobody has given the link to the handy dandy rates list on the Ooma web site...

http://www.ooma.com/legal/rates

celere1 wrote:All set to order one until I looked at the one star reviews on Amazon. Not very impressive, even though a small percentage of users. Looks like the customer service is poor, and you need to pay attention to what all the charges are. I call the UK a lot, so I won't be dumping Vonage after all I guess. Ooma's web site shows UK calls to be .019 per min on one page, .028 per min on another, which doesn't speak well for the accuracy of the website (noted in a couple of reviews....)

Here are the One Star reviews from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Ooma-Telo-Free-Phone-Service/product-reviews/B002O3W4LE/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar

I've found through a decade of using Amazon that most 1-star reviews are written by those without brain power enough to figure out the correct way to use a product. Not all, but most. For the remainder that are written by intelligent people, well, you get a lemon in any product line in a small percentage of cases. Ooma does tend to take care of the customers who have a faulty product.

For those of you with no technical skills, hire the 13-year-old kid next door to hook it up for you!

linksdeity wrote:With the widespread commodity of cellphones and the fact that you can get a house phone for $7 from any store (one that will actually work if the power goes out), I don't understand why people buy things like this.

In my case, both my wife and I have cell phones, however we have two small boys, age 2 and 4. Most all of our babysittes have phones, however it is nice to have a backup or a "house phone" they can use if necessary.

The cost over time will pay for its self, so there is a factor as well.

When the boys get a bit older, I'm not sure I want to be buying them cell phones just yet. Their friends will be able to call them.

In addtion, I like to be able to give out a phone number which is not my cell phone. Services I have, like terminx, I give out my house number. I don't want to give them my cell.

There are a number of reasons to get it, and in some cases, there are people who it won't fit their needs.

For those concerend about the technology, it is there. It works, and it is affordable. The company I work for went to all IP phones as well. The quality will only get better over time. When working from home, I use my VPN connection to get to my work, and have my IP phone ring right to my computer.

We live in a great age right now with lots of options we didn't have 30 years ago when I was just a kid.

miked475 wrote:I have 2.45 mbps download and 0.69 mbps upload speeds... will this work for me?

Yes. RTFM.

ItsMorph wrote:You do realize that you're using Ooma illegally, don't you? Their service is STRICTLY for residential PERSONAL use, NOT BUSINESS!

Are you gonna go tell your Mommy that the kids are calling you names on the playground too?

In addition to QoS....

If you are using Ooma or any VoIP for that matter, in conjunction with an alarm system or for 911, it is extremely advisable to use a UPS.

Get a 1500VA UPS and connect your internet router, Ooma/Vonage/NetTalk and your cordless phone base station (corded phone preferably to reduce power consumption)

This way, in the event of a power outage, the battery will give you about 16 hours of run-time. I currently use 550VA for my router, ooma and vonage box and get about 5-6 hours. Even after you buy the UPS, you still will save money the first year.

http://www.F1Networx.com

will this work with verizon wireless internet?

Wubintheya wrote:I have the original system and it's just okay. What's the main difference betweeen this and the older model?

One difference is that you have to pay taxes and fees (about $2 a month) with the new model, but not with the old model. The new model includes more features like HD Voice and looks snazzier.

I'm considering switching from Vonage just for the cost savings. One thing Vonage added recently is transcriptions to their email notifications of voicemails. Does Ooma have email notifications, or transcriptions of messages?

My buddy has Magic Jack. He says that it has to be connected to a computer via USB, and it requires that computer to be running. Ooma does not require a computer to be running.

Chris Shaker

russellmz wrote:how's it compare to magicjack?

ItsMorph wrote:You do realize that you're using Ooma illegally, don't you? Their service is STRICTLY for residential PERSONAL use, NOT BUSINESS!

Your information is not even close to correct. If anything it would be a violation of the terms of service, not illegal, but its not even that. They even have non-residental rates. Feel free to read them.

http://www.ooma.com/legal/terms-and-conditions


"•(d) "Non-Residential Service(s)" is for customers that exceed reasonable Residential Use limits set forth in this Agreement. Our Non-Residential Service, and the price we charge, are subject to change from time to time without notice. Descriptions and pricing of our Non-Residential Service are published on our website, and those descriptions and prices may be modified without notice and are incorporated by reference into this Agreement."

"You agree to use the Equipment only in a manner consistent with normal residential usage patterns. Unlimited voice calling is intended for continuous, live conversation between two individuals. Lack of continuous conversation, unusual calling patterns, excessive caller and calling destinations and/or excessive usage (e.g. 5,000 minutes per base unit per month or more) will be considered as indicators that your use of the Equipment may be inconsistent with normal residential usage. It may also indicate that the Equipment is being used in a manner not allowed by your Service plan and may result in review of your account and usage history."


"If you use the Equipment in a manner that is inconsistent with normal residential, non-commercial use, including in a manner that is inconsistent with the terms and limitations in this Agreement, you will be required, at Ooma's sole discretion, to pay the rates for the Non-Residential Service plan and/or other fees and charges as published on our web site at http://www.Ooma.com/rates/, or terminate all Service to the Equipment."

pdaley1 wrote:I work from home, am on Comcast, and use this for concalls and LiveMeeting all the time with no problems.

I'm a happy Ooma customer.

That's just what I was hoping to hear. Thank you for the clear and concise answer!

Ooma tax calculator

Just put in your zip code

Do NOT compare this to Magic Jack! I work in info security, and I purchased a MJ a few months ago. Yes, it works as advertised, but you also give an unknown company access to you files, a list of everyone you call, and every website you visit.

First, there is no uninstall program for a Magic Jack, so to remove it, you have to use the REGEDIT program. Not good if you're not comfortable performing 'brain surgery' on your PC.

Next, the "company" is a PO Box in Florida. Why won't they list a valid address?

Then comes the privacy statement. There isn't one in the package. I finally found one on-line, you grant them FULL RIGHTS to your system.

After you read their terms and conditions, I have no doubt you'll take it back to the store - That thing is spyware!

I've been using this device for a couple years. It works flawlessly and has saved me a bundle. I have a Magic Jack and find the call quality and performance of Ooma to be vastly superior. Plus I didn't like having to leave my computer on all the time to have phone service. I still use the Magic Jack to maintain a business number in another state and simply forward it to ring my Ooma phone. Magic Jack is also a nice device to take on the road but I don't consider it an acceptable solution for a primary phone.

Here's the setup I use with Time Warner Cable:

Motorola SURFboard SBG900 DOCSIS 2.0 Wireless Cable ModemGateway --> Linksys EZXS55W EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Switch --> Ooma --> Motorola DECT 6.0 Digital Cordless 4 Handset Phone & Answering System

The switch was necessary because the modem supplied by TW only has 1 ethernet port. The modem has a built in router so it's cheaper and simpler to add a switch than a router. I use other ports for my computer and xbox. All I had to do was plug the Ooma into the switch and activate it. I use phone answering machine rather than Ooma's because it's more convenient as the Ooma box is out of the way under my desk.

I use callcentric .. no pc needed (need pap2 ph adapter ~20-50 bucks) cost of monthly bills ~3-5 dollars mo. Oooma work but is high cost compared to other voip options

I bought two of these last time they were on woot. They work, but they can be a headache. Prepare yourself for a delay (noticeable difference compared with our old Vonage phone), random dropped calls (not very often), and occasionally not being able to hear the person who called you (until they hang up and try again).

I wouldn't buy them again.

I live in a condo, and I'm not even aware of a box that I would need to go out to in order to disconnect the inside wiring from. Condo built in 1993. Should there be an outside box?

Also, I'm no tech genius. I have Verizon DSL with a modem, no router. I don't really need a router, do I?

lrespin

wkutzler wrote:Are you gonna go tell your Mommy that the kids are calling you names on the playground too?

Who did I tell? I was simply letting the person know they're using the system improperly.

You should tell your Mommy you are using her computer. Now go back to that coloring book!

unksol wrote:Your information is not even close to correct. If anything it would be a violation of the terms of service, not illegal, but its not even that. They even have non-residental rates. Feel free to read them.

http://www.ooma.com/legal/terms-and-conditions


"•(d) "Non-Residential Service(s)" is for customers that exceed reasonable Residential Use limits set forth in this Agreement. Our Non-Residential Service, and the price we charge, are subject to change from time to time without notice. Descriptions and pricing of our Non-Residential Service are published on our website, and those descriptions and prices may be modified without notice and are incorporated by reference into this Agreement."

"You agree to use the Equipment only in a manner consistent with normal residential usage patterns. Unlimited voice calling is intended for continuous, live conversation between two individuals. Lack of continuous conversation, unusual calling patterns, excessive caller and calling destinations and/or excessive usage (e.g. 5,000 minutes per base unit per month or more) will be considered as indicators that your use of the Equipment may be inconsistent with normal residential usage. It may also indicate that the Equipment is being used in a manner not allowed by your Service plan and may result in review of your account and usage history."


"If you use the Equipment in a manner that is inconsistent with normal residential, non-commercial use, including in a manner that is inconsistent with the terms and limitations in this Agreement, you will be required, at Ooma's sole discretion, to pay the rates for the Non-Residential Service plan and/or other fees and charges as published on our web site at http://www.Ooma.com/rates/, or terminate all Service to the Equipment."

Yeah, the "illegally" was tongue-in-cheek. Sorry for misinformation, I haven't checked their TOS since I signed up with them, and back then I never saw mention of non-residential service in there, other than it wasn't allowed.

In for one.

FWIW, it seemingly took me forever to realize the amount of money that I could save with this, over Comcast's Triple Play. Right now, I pay $120/mo for my cable package (data, voice, TV) but that will drop to $100/mo without voice. In addition, I have had to pay $7/mo just to rent the Comcast cable modem (as opposed to using my own, a $35 cheapie that I know works just as well) ... which I had to in order to use the Comcast voice service.

So in the end, dropping voice off of my Comcast package and using my own cable modem will save $27/mo or $324/yr. I just used the "live chat" on Comcast's website to find out the price of the voice-less package, and in the process asked the guy if he could do anything to compete with this deal. He basically said no (other than some garbage about the up-front cost of Ooma Telo). Pleassseee ... I can stomach $140 one-time to save $324/yr (Ooma Telo's taxes will be a wash with Comcast's own voice service taxes).

lrespin wrote:I live in a condo, and I'm not even aware of a box that I would need to go out to in order to disconnect the inside wiring from. Condo built in 1993. Should there be an outside box?

Also, I'm no tech genius. I have Verizon DSL with a modem, no router. I don't really need a router, do I?

lrespin

There should be an outside box somewhere, so the telephone company can access it, never seen one inside. But there's usually a tamper lock on it anyway. If you want to test it you can just hook it up to the internet and plug a handset directly in. Since your on DSL you don't want to be disconnecting the line from outside anyway, you would have to find the split point inside your house, disconnect the main line from it and connect it to your modem only, Then plug the ooma into the modem, and connect it to the splitter or to any phone jack in the house, all the wires are connected.

The Ooma can be hooked up between your modem and your PC, note the "internet" and "home network" jacks on the back.

Got one of these last time it was on woot. After paying $75 a month to Verizon (internet is with Comcast), this was a no brainer in terms of ROI. Existing number porting went very smoothly. Set up was a small challenge because I wanted to have it installed after my router and not before it as recommended by Ooma, but I was able to find all the information and correctly configure Home port with reverse proxy so it's accessible via the Internet port. I have set up QoS on my router but don't really think it's needed. So far everything has worked well. I got 4 of the Ooma Handsets and make international calls to Europe. I love the VM email forwarding. Only gripe is that all 4 handsets do not ring in unison. It can be the third or forth ring before the handset next to you activates.

I've had Ooma for 3 years, and love it. An entire year of the premium service costs roughly what I used to pay per month for the land line. I beta-tested the Telo but still use the older system with the scouts - both are fantastic. I've had the same phone number for 15 years, and no one ever figured out I changed a thing. Between this and my Roku I'm laughing all the way to the bank.

Muahhahhahahaha!

unksol wrote:There should be an outside box somewhere, so the telephone company can access it, never seen one inside. But there's usually a tamper lock on it anyway. If you want to test it you can just hook it up to the internet and plug a handset directly in. Since your on DSL you don't want to be disconnecting the line from outside anyway, you would have to find the split point inside your house, disconnect the main line from it and connect it to your modem only, Then plug the ooma into the modem, and connect it to the splitter or to any phone jack in the house, all the wires are connected.

The Ooma can be hooked up between your modem and your PC, note the "internet" and "home network" jacks on the back.

How do I find the "split point"?

cjshaker wrote:My buddy has Magic Jack. He says that it has to be connected to a computer via USB, and it requires that computer to be running. Ooma does not require a computer to be running.

Chris Shaker

I first used MAGIC JACK a year ago & recently paid $60. for the next 5 years of service. The MAGIC JACK is amazing. My phone bill (New York City) is less than $4. a month. My firends use it for business too as there are no restrictions that I know of. The initial investment for $29.99. I rate MAGIC JACK a ten.
Signed: Towers, Consumber Advocate since 1953.

Love it. Paid for itself in 3mos even after the porting fee. Not paying one cent to AT&T is a great feeling. Very good voice quality

mvsopen wrote:Do NOT compare this to Magic Jack! I work in info security, and I purchased a MJ a few months ago. Yes, it works as advertised, but you also give an unknown company access to you files, a list of everyone you call, and every website you visit.

First, there is no uninstall program for a Magic Jack, so to remove it, you have to use the REGEDIT program. Not good if you're not comfortable performing 'brain surgery' on your PC.

Next, the "company" is a PO Box in Florida. Why won't they list a valid address?

Then comes the privacy statement. There isn't one in the package. I finally found one on-line, you grant them FULL RIGHTS to your system.

After you read their terms and conditions, I have no doubt you'll take it back to the store - That thing is spyware!

I first used MAGIC JACK a year ago & recently paid $60. for the next 5 years of service. The MAGIC JACK is amazing. My phone bill (New York City) is less than $4. a month. My firends use it for business too as there are no restrictions that I know of. The initial investment for $29.99. I rate MAGIC JACK a ten.
Signed: Towers, Consumber Advocate since 1953.

eps49 wrote:Should I be worried that this is a refurbished piece?

Joewash22 wrote:

YES

MichaelrGraham wrote:I'm really interested in this, but I have a few questions/concerns.

I work from home using MS Live Meeting and a conference call to do training. I have Comcast's high speed Internet at 10-15 Mbps download speeds and 4-5 Mbps upload speeds. Does anyone have any experience using both the VoIP and Live Meeting at the same time, and if so, how was the quality? Is my Internet connection fast enough to support both at the same time?

Any help would be appreciated.

That's exactly what I have. Comcast cable(about 12mb of real speed) with Ooma. I work from home and frequently use MS Live Meeting and Webex while being connected via VPN, all works great.

cjshaker wrote:My buddy has Magic Jack. He says that it has to be connected to a computer via USB, and it requires that computer to be running. Ooma does not require a computer to be running.

Chris Shaker

MAGIC JACK, once installed, picks up phone calls. Best answering service and its FREE as is 3 way calling and 911. Also FREE telephone directory service and more. You do not have to be online to receive calls if you have an ISP. MAGIC JACK ROCKS!

unfortunately without the premier add-ons,
it seems like the main bonus of the Telo is that you get free long distance calling, which most cell phone plans already include.

all the useful advanced voicemail, forwarding, backup number, and extra line features require premier. right?

Got one. Love it. Just hope they have open numbers in your area if you're not porting. FWIW, I use mine w/GVoice with intermittent issues. If you need fax, Ooma gives mixed results to others, yet it works fine for me.

BTW, the Ooma graphic on Woot is amusing... the pink blossom implies a broken network connection, lol.

@n0shyuz... if you don't need a "house phone" system, then yes... the Ooma is pretty basic service w/o Premier features. But if you don't have unlimited cell service, or if your prefer to minimze radiating your medulla oblongata, then Ooma is a good choice.

VoIP is not for everyone. If you want the five 9s reliability of a traditional analog land line, do not get a VoIP solution. Five 9s is 99.999% up time.

Obviously, a land line costs more but you get more reliability for it. There are techs on duty or on call 24/7. The company is regulated by the PSC in your state. Outages can cost the telephone company big fines if they are not resolved.

VoIP depends on your internet service. Most ISP's do not treat their residential product as a mission critical item.

I would not suggest one to drop their land line if they do not already have reliable cell phone service in their neighborhood.