Cable Internet & Vonage

Spicedwine

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Apr 25, 2006
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We recently switched to cable internet (Comcast and DeLancer cable) - we're on the North Coast. Speeds and availability are far better than the previous wireless provider we were using.

However, Vonage is giving us serious problems. Less than 10 percent of calls (both incoming and outgoing) connect. Interestingly, SKYPE works - but isn't a great option as there are no SKPEIN numbers in Canada. We've had both Comcast and Vonage techies looking at stuff (TRACERT's and speed tests) and tweeking the Linksys/Vonage router, but no luck.

When Vonage does manage to connect, the call quality is very good. We've used our Vonage WIFI phone at open WIFI sites in Sosua and Cabarete and it works fine, so it's not the phone. Also swapped out the router, and problem persists, so I don't think it's the router.

Is anyone using cable internet and Vonage? Has anyone had similar experiences? Does anyone have any ideas ?
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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www.rockysbar.com
We recently switched to cable internet (Comcast and DeLancer cable) - we're on the North Coast. Speeds and availability are far better than the previous wireless provider we were using.

However, Vonage is giving us serious problems. Less than 10 percent of calls (both incoming and outgoing) connect. Interestingly, SKYPE works - but isn't a great option as there are no SKPEIN numbers in Canada. We've had both Comcast and Vonage techies looking at stuff (TRACERT's and speed tests) and tweeking the Linksys/Vonage router, but no luck.

When Vonage does manage to connect, the call quality is very good. We've used our Vonage WIFI phone at open WIFI sites in Sosua and Cabarete and it works fine, so it's not the phone. Also swapped out the router, and problem persists, so I don't think it's the router.

Is anyone using cable internet and Vonage? Has anyone had similar experiences? Does anyone have any ideas ?
Somebody else posted something similar, not too long ago.
The speed was good with the cable internet, but Vonage sucked.
You might be able to search the post out, using "internet" and/or "cable" as key words.
 

jackquontee

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May 20, 2005
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My experiences

Spicedwine, over a year ago I purchased Vonage (the USB flashstick and earplug) for use at my house in POP. When I received it, I tried it out at my house (here in the states) and it didn't work. I sent it back and was sent another. That didn't work either, although I took it to an exes house and it worked fine. I decided to take it to my house in POP. It didn't work there, although it worked at various establishments that had high-speed internet. I have high-speed at both houses.

Because I got tired of toting a computer around the North Coast in order to use the flashstick, I purchased the WiFi phone along with a Netgear wireless router, took them down to my house in POP and have had no problems. Are you using a Cable/DSL router, or a "Wireless" router, the latter of which would be necessary for use with a wireless phone?

I still don't know why the USB flashstick wouldn't work at either of my homes in the states or in POP, but just chalked it up to being one of those quirks that I'll never figure out.

Hope this helps.
 

Spicedwine

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Apr 25, 2006
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Cable Internet and Vonage

Rocky - I thought it was better to start a new thread, as Robert was basically talking about testing ASTER cable, and it's general availability.

Rubio - COMCAST S.A.
Ave 27 de Febrero No. 233
Torre Corominas Pepin 4to piso,
Ens. Naco, Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
Comcast-SA Internet & VoIP over CATV - Home

Here on the North Coast they have "partnered" with DeLancer Cable. Don't know anything more than this.

Jackquontee - we are using the cable modem (Surfboard SB4100) and a Linksys WRT54GP2 (this is the Linksys Router with Vonage Integrated 2 phone ports). We used this sucessfully in Canada and here in the DR (albeit very slow, lots of distortion) with a "hard phone". We also have a Vonage UTSTARCOMM F1000 series WIFI phone. We swapped out the Linksys/Vonage integrated router recently to test if it was the router - no success. The WIFI phone works at other WIFI sites - made 5 calls last night from Pedro Clisante, Sosua.

The weird thing is that it is all about "connection" - on incoming calls, when we answer, it is "dead air". Same thing when we make outgoing calls - either no connection, or 1 short ring, then "dead air". One day I was trying to call my doctor in Canada - I tried 5 or 6 times - no connection. On their end, it was like someone was calling their switchboard, and hanging up. They called me back, wanting to know why I was making "crank calls".

Right now, my customers call me on Vonage - I don't even try to answer - just let it go to Voicemail. I then call them back, generally on SKYPE, or on cell. I'm basically using Vonage as an expensive Internet answering machine.

Comcast techies and Vonage techies both acknowledge there's a problem, but so far, no one has any fixes.
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Have you called Vonage and talked with them? They have a way of seeing if you have a good connection and there seem to be a few things they can do to improve it if you don't.

One reason we got Vonage was because we had a lot of trouble with Skype.

Odd how some people have trouble with one but not the other, and some people have good luck with both.
 

DanaP

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May 23, 2007
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Skype question

I'm currently researching Skype vs. Vonage for my move to the DR. I cannot currently tell what the deal is with Skype in the DR with calls to the US. Does the $3/month plan cover calls from the DR to the US???

any info would be helpful. thanks

d
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
I currently run my business in the States using Vonage and in fact couldn't have moved here without it. The service has been great and I use Codetel Plan Avanzado #2, which is 1.5mb down and 7k up(most times anyway). I pay around RD4000 a month including taxes. I also understand that my house is near one of the telephone boster(?) stations so my quality of service is very good.
 

anng3

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Jan 12, 2007
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For those from the States using Vonnage, did you switch your number in the States to Vonnage and then bring it to the DR?
I only have a landline in the states now and would love to be able to bring my number down with me. Do you need to keep a billing address in the states for Vonnage? Any advice is appreciated.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
For those from the States using Vonnage, did you switch your number in the States to Vonnage and then bring it to the DR?
I only have a landline in the states now and would love to be able to bring my number down with me. Do you need to keep a billing address in the states for Vonnage? Any advice is appreciated.

You do need a billing address in the States and I understand it has to be a physical address becasue of 911. You may be able to have the number transfered, but need to call Vonage to verify this.
 

Spicedwine

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Apr 25, 2006
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Cable Internet and Vonage

Our problems with Vonage only started when we switched to Cable - I'd really like to hear from anyone using CABLE AND VONAGE in the DR.

You can bring your number with you - that's the whole reason for us using Vonage in the first place - my customers call me as if I was still in Canada, but I'm physically in the DR.

By the way - Canadian customers log on, and are "managed" through VONAGE.CA not VONAGE.COM - it's the same technical group, but the billings and rates and also your "home" address requirements are different.

Everything worked (at least as far as making connections) although painfully slow, with much distortion, until we switched ISP's. And if we are lucky enough to make a connection now, the actual call quality and speed is excellent.