mdnorman wrote:Okay -- I think I looked through all the comments and I did not see anyone else address my concern.

I'm concerned about this device being dependent upon electrical service, and I'm also concerned about maintaining a telephone connection for home security system and fire alarm monitoring purposes. I understand my analog landline will be available in the event of a power outage, and I also understand I that my burgler alarm/fire alarm monitoring service requires an analog landline. I'm stuck, I think.

Install your Ooma, Cable/DSL modem, router, and cordless phone base onto an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Even a cheap one should be able to provide hours of power to these low wattage devices.

heuster wrote:Dude, this is an annual charge, not a monthly charge.

It's monthly --- "Here are the current applicable monthly taxes and fees for your ZIP code:"

MWPollard wrote:I have Ooma. One of the few VoIP devices/services that a DVR can call home through.

Can you tell me for sure that your Dish DVR can call out through it? When they installed my new receiver this summer they said it was not compatible with VOIP, I've been using Vonage for a couple years and the price has been creeping up to the point it is only a few dollars less than my basic land line was. That is the only complaint I have with Vonage.

muditkumar wrote:I have a MagicJack. It does the exact same. It only cost $19.95/year vs this for $35-45/year. I even travel with my MagicJack and it works great with hotel phones without any extra charges!!

Wonder why would one get this?

Because Magic Jack sounds terrible and isn't compatible with much of anything. I work tech support for something that doesn't work with Magic Jack, and I can pretty much always tell when that's why a customer is calling even before I ask what their issue is.

It just doesn't sound good.

(Our stuff DOES work with Ooma, though.)

i24u wrote:Ok then how do they bill you for only $3.79 a month? Can you just pay for a whole year? Pay online or set up monthly withdrawl?

I'm just don't like change. Have packet 8 now $32 a month everything is set up with the router, internet etc etc. Use call blocking features. If I'm adding my number right by the time I pay for this plus the "Premier" Service I'll only be saying about $100 for the frist year. Yeah second year i'll be saving about $18 a month just not sure I want to fork out $144 now and change everything and hope it works.

You wouldn't regret it if you choose to switch. Ooma is a super deal and is a big difference because its hardware based VOIP versus software based. I have Ooma now for ~ a year and I paid ~200 for the device and it was worth every penny. This device is $199 at Costco right now. We use it for our work line and everyone comments on how different the call quality is compared to the software VOIP everyone uses for work. We have used many VOIP providers over the years and while many of them were acceptable(Lingo, Telocity) especially at first this is just spectacular. The only thing that came close to this was the AT&T VOIP and that was extremely expensive.

Looks like a placemat...

All this talk about Magic Jack and vonage, but how does it compare to Skype? I've had a Skype standalone phone as my main home phone for years now and it works great for a grand total of $60 a year. The only thing its really missing is 911 service.

So $9.99 for Premier service. Does that include taxes? Guess I'm trying to figure out my total bill. Says my taxes would be 3.47 which would make this 13.46. Packet 8 with year service bill comes too around 27.92 a month. Just worried about hidden fees or more higher taxes then just the 3.47. On my packet 8 taxes are $7.30 a month. This just seems too good to be true. So anyone that has this with "Premier" Service what is you actual total bill.

KarenMarie wrote:I cancelled my home phone last week. First time in almost 50 years I have not had a land line phone. The past 2 years I had it only bcuz my daughter is in the UK....

Skype mobile took care of that for me. $0.02 per minute!

OK just for what it's worth my fiancé is in the UK and we use PC to PC Skype daily but his cell phone has the Skype application on it and I can call him from my PC to his cell phone free all the time. I have a single calling card for any time I need to call directly to his house phone which is never. If you pick up a phone in the US with Skype application you can then call cell to cell phone free. My sister has a mytouch something or other that has Skype on it through Verizon. If you own a PC and can get a stick mic from Walmart for 8.88 you should never need to pay the .02 a minute to call the UK. The cell phone is available through the FREE company in the UK. Hope this helps.

What happens when/if Ooma goes out of business?

I cut my home telephone line years ago and manage to survive on 450 mobile minutes, but this service is none the less intriguing.

My only concern is the stability of their business model and whether or not they will eventually file for bankruptcy.

It's safe to say that nearly all of the customers who purchase this product do so to enjoy free phone service, but if the ratio of Premier to Basic users dwindles to an unprofitable margin what would stop this company from closing shop and turning these boxes into paperweights?

They've been around since 2007, but technology is an extremely volatile market. They could easily be gone tomorrow. I guess the hope by most would be to recoup enough cost between now and then to at least pay for the box.

I think I'll pass.

doc362 wrote:What happens when/if Ooma goes out of business?

then you are screwed. I had Sunrocket for VOIP years ago, paid for two years in advance (buy one get one free), and only got one year before they went under. I did get to keep the Linksys ATA, which I now use with another company.

I've been using ooma for 16 months now and couldn't be happier.

You can retain your old phone number, but if you get a new one, you lose all the pests you thought you blocked with the DO NOT CALL list. We get zero nuisance calls now and before I wouldn't even pick up the phone until I listened to who was on the other end (we didn't have caller ID). We an unlisted number now and don't even have to pay for the priviledge.

ooma premier gives us a second number that we chose to be in the area code that one of our children lives. That allows them to call us on a local number and gives them a free call.

Premier allows our cell phone to take the call if our internet connection is down or we power down the electronics as we often do to reduce power consumption when we are away.

jbigboote wrote:then you are screwed. I had Sunrocket for VOIP years ago, paid for two years in advance (buy one get one free), and only got one year before they went under. I did get to keep the Linksys ATA, which I now use with another company.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, eh? Did you invest in Ooma or decide to steer clear?

In for one.

Let's hope the refurb. was actually refurb'ed...

Anyone know if this one has HD voice quality like the new one's or is that a software upgrade they can make happen.

Thanks..

I have been an Ooma customer for over a year and have never looked back. Call quality and feature set are incredible. Was able to tie it in to my existing phone wiring and handsets with no problem. This is one of the few "good too to be true" opportunities that REALLY is! Payback for me was about 4 months.Second line free with Premier was a nice bonus. Was able to transfer my out of area Vonage virtual number as a second Ooma number. Customer service is Phillipines based and they are helpful and friendly, backed up by US engineers.

my OOMA has been just as good as my old Verizon POTS connection. have there been a couple "glitches" over the nearly year I've had it? sure. but the YEARLY cost is $12/yr after the first year which is FREE. For my needs it's been better than perfect. $12/YR versus nearly $800/YR for a single landline with the same features.

I don't know who to believe about taxes.

Viatalk charges me every month $0.48 for a "E911 Cost Recovery Fee" and $1.97 for a "Regulatory Recovery Fee"

Ooma would charge me $1.59 for "Regulatory Compliance Fee", $1.59 for "911 Service Fee", and $0.29 for "Federal Universal Service Charge".

According to Vonage.com, the 911 fee for my state should be $0.60.

How can it be so messed up?

ptravel wrote:MagicJack does include free voicemail. It forwards automatically to your email though, as far as I know, it can't be checked on line. It does need a PC to work.

I have four MagicJacks and use 1 as a landline replacement. I've had no problem with any of them. The landline replacement runs on a dedicated thin client.

I'd consider an Ooma, but cannot, for the life of me, see what the benefit is over my MagicJacks. I'm not interested in the Premier features. Some people have mentioned better call quality. The MagicJack sometimes has echoes. Is there anyone here who (1) had MagicJack (and got it working and actually used it), and (2) can compare it to the call quality of the Ooma?

I have both. I switched to Ooma for my primary phone because people were always complaining that my calls sounded like an old radio show lol. The quality with Ooma is much better. I understand they've even begun offering HD quality sound. Another issue I had with MagicJack is that it doesn't allow you to set the number of rings above four before the call goes to voice mail. That makes it impossible to screen calls with most answering machines. If you can't get to the phone by the 4th ring, you miss your call and have to check your email. I used to have the MagicJack plugged into a WYSE thin client with embedded Win XP since I want the phone on 24/7.. That proved less than ideal as it has to be rebooted at least once a day to maintain any kind of decent call quality and I started getting a memory error from one of the MagicJacks after a year. Now I only use the MagicJack when I'm on the road and have forwarded my MagicJack numbers to Ooma. Ooma is basically plug it in and forget it. It can also be configured for your internet speed, but I find the default settings work fine. MagicJack is a good solution if you're on a limited budget. It's not terrible like some claim. I don't mind paying $45 a year in local taxes/fees for Ooma for better voice quality, features, and a more stable connection.

satyenshah wrote:I don't know who to believe about taxes.

Viatalk charges me every month $0.48 for a "E911 Cost Recovery Fee" and $1.97 for a "Regulatory Recovery Fee"

Ooma would charge me $1.59 for "Regulatory Compliance Fee", $1.59 for "911 Service Fee", and $0.29 for "Federal Universal Service Charge".

According to Vonage.com, the 911 fee for my state should be $0.60.

Yeah that is what i'm trying to figure out also. Packet 8 charges me $3.00 a month for Copliance fee this one would only be $1.59. That why I ask someone that gets an actual bill how much it is.

i have
1. comcast cable internet,
2. google voice free phone calls and e-mail transcription and recording incoming calls
3. qwest landline with caller id
4. dect 6 cordless handsets

how would ooma fit into this picture?
i would need a ups for ooma and my cable modem.

Leslie14 wrote:Can someone please dumb this down for me?

What does it do, how is it used, etc.

Feeling like a tech-tard.

Plug this into your router where your computer used to be plugged in. Plug your computer into ooma telo. Plug phone line into ooma telo. call ooma. 20 minutes tops and you are on the phone with no more phone bill, ok, $12/year.

kmith wrote:i have
1. comcast cable internet,
2. google voice free phone calls and e-mail transcription and recording incoming calls
3. qwest landline
4. dect 6 cordless handsets

how would ooma fit into this picture?

this will replace your quest landline for $12/year unlimited US calling

prettygood wrote:this will replace your quest landline for $12/year unlimited US calling

i already have unlimited free us and canada through google voice

it would cut my qwest bill, though.

I have had Ooma for 2 years. There is no downside expect if you have no electricity you have no phone. I loves this so much if you ask for my phone number I will tell you about Ooma. Unless you work for the local phone company just buy it, there will be no regrets.

kmith wrote:i already have unlimited free us and canada through google voice

Not even worth of considering:
1. You still have to buy this voip device while vonage give it for you for free (with subscribtion of course).
2. You still have to pay (though less than 1 cents) to 70 different countries, while vonage has them for free.
3. The rate for countries, other than those 70, are more expensive than rebtel.com.

kmith wrote:i already have unlimited free us and canada through google voice

This phone accepts incoming call just like your landline. Make free calls without your computer on.

Will this slow down my computer?

I'd recommend Ooma.
I have had them for two years. Sometimes incoming calls don't connect but that may be a Comsuck thing. Ooma is much better than Vonage. You can trust the cost Ooma quotes you.
Vonage will nickle and dime you to death.

doc362 wrote:What happens when/if Ooma goes out of business?

I cut my home telephone line years ago and manage to survive on 450 mobile minutes, but this service is none the less intriguing.

My only concern is the stability of their business model and whether or not they will eventually file for bankruptcy.

It's safe to say that nearly all of the customers who purchase this product do so to enjoy free phone service, but if the ratio of Premier to Basic users dwindles to an unprofitable margin what would stop this company from closing shop and turning these boxes into paperweights?

They've been around since 2007, but technology is an extremely volatile market. They could easily be gone tomorrow. I guess the hope by most would be to recoup enough cost between now and then to at least pay for the box.

I think I'll pass.

You've made your money back in 145/your current phone bill months.

Have been looking for a home replacement for months. Ordered Skype last night.

Figures...

I have a Brother fax/scanner, does anyone know if ooma will work with this?

When you set up your service you have to set up the 911 part seperately. if you don't, when you call 911 it either won't go anywhere or it will but it won't be a 911 center anywhere close to you.

I think the Ooma device does not work outside the US.

WARNING! Will NOT work with an alarm system! I am an alarm professional and encountered one of these recently. I spent an hour and a half trying to get a customers alarm to communicate through this device but it would not work properly. I have not had issues with other voip technologies like Vonage , Time Warner's service, AT&T Uverse, etc.

I've been fiddling with my landline service lately, and if this Woot! had come up a few days / weeks ago, I might have jumped on it.

But, for the more technically-inclined, you may want to follow the path I discovered: CallCentric.com plus a cheap LinkSys PAP-2T off of a well-know auction site.

The solution I have put in place seems to offer everything that the Ooma Premier service does, at a FAR lower cost (both up-front and ongoing) of ownership.

I also added a layer of Google Voice goodness to the solution, and I have just about the most perfect telephony service available. Plus, with CallCentric there are terrific softphone apps available for cell phones, so you can use CallCentric for cheap-cheap-cheap international calling wherever you happen to be (assuming you have some WiFi or 3G available).

Okay, I have to laugh. According to the Quick Start Guide, the Ooma in the main Woot picture has no signal.

The red Ooma logo in the center of the unit indicates that the service is not working.

-Doug

This product is amazing. I have had it for 2 years and I have saved $500 per year over my landline. Sound quality is much better than a cell and close to my old landline. Was easy to setup and has been reliable. This is a no brainer. Well worth the price.

dannybts wrote:Not even worth of considering:
1. You still have to buy this voip device while vonage give it for you for free (with subscribtion of course).
2. You still have to pay (though less than 1 cents) to 70 different countries, while vonage has them for free.
3. The rate for countries, other than those 70, are more expensive than rebtel.com.

But what is your monthly Vonage bill? $25-30? Extra nickel & dime regulatory fees?

Ok, you got the equipment free and international calling mostly free..

But monthly cost around $3.50 vs $30 per month will pay for the equipment really fast. If you added on a $9.99 calling plan, for regular Intl. calls... you could still come out ahead overall within a year.

I have had Ooma for about 2 years now. I don't have the Telo system, rather the original white box (can't remember the name).

Pros:
I have saved a ton of money overall.
It's really easy to set up.

Cons:
For whatever reason, with Comcast it seems to knock out my home network from time to time. I've worked with Comcast on this on several occasions, but ultimately came up with nothing.

Overall: I'd rate this a meh.