Voip.ms

[Danolo]

As suggested in another thread here, I am dumping my Roger's home Phone which costs me about $50 per month and going with Voip.ms.

This is a Voip (Voice Over Internet Phone) system that will cost me considerably less.

Voip.ms requires that I have either hardware device or a softphone.

I have a standard telephone (ATA) and to connect that I will need to buy an adapter.. cost about $50.00 as a one time cost. The adapter plugs into my Rogers Router/modem, and the ATA phone plugs into the adapter.

A softphone is software that runs on my Windows desktop and would allow me to place and receive calls using my headset.

I was chatting with the Voip support department today to try to get an idea of the pros and cons of a hardware versus software connection, but I did not get a clear answer.

Any of you folks have some input to this?

Would there be any difference in speed?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Danolo]

Thanks Omega Man..

Voip.ms apparently does have 911 connectivity.

Also, it has a system that if the internet goes down it will automatically forward to another number... my cell for example.

As far as computer crashes, I think that's part of the reason I'm going with the hardware adapter... no computer needed.

If you'd like to know more, here's the site:

voip.ms

 

[Danolo]

Yup, I've started the process...

First step was to register an account... similar to registration in a forum.
Then deposit $25USD via PayPal in my account.
Then fill out the form to transfer my number to Voip.ms. - You'll need a scan of your most recent Rogers or Bell bill (or whatever provider you now have your phone with) signed and saved in a PDF or image format.

There's a whole step by step process.. it was very clear and easy to do.

It will take about a week for the number to be ported.

Meanwhile, tomorrow I'm going to Canada Computers and buying the adapter:

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=1068&item_id=045506

Then once the number is ported I'll call Rogers and see how to arrange them to get their home phone modem back and to stop billing me. That should be an interesting conversation.

Then, I thinks its a matter of configuring the adapter...apparently not simple, but VOIP.ms has good support and will step me through the process.

I'll report back as events occur and let y'all know how it goes.

 

[Danolo]

Here is a Cut&Paste of my first chat with them:

11:52:45 AM [Danolo] Not sure how to get started
11:53:16 AM [Joseph] Hello Danolo.
11:53:21 AM [Danolo] Hiya
11:53:39 AM [Joseph] How may I assist you regarding your initial comment?
11:54:43 AM [Danolo] I have a standard single line telephone, plugged into my cable provider's Home Phone service. I hear good things about Voip.ms, but not sure what I need in the way of hardware.
11:56:39 AM [Joseph] I see. Well, to use the service with us, you need an account (that I see you already have), then you will need to add funds (the minimal amount is 25 USD) and from there, you can start a porting process, that is for transfer your number to us (before that, I would like to verify if your number is portable to us, I only need its first 6 digits)
11:57:03 AM [Danolo] xxx-xxx
11:57:25 AM [Joseph] Thank you, one moment please
11:57:31 AM [Danolo] my mistake its 647-xxx
11:58:03 AM [Joseph] No problem, let me check it.
11:58:47 AM [Joseph] Thank you for waiting.
11:58:56 AM [Joseph]
This number is portable, there is a porting fee of $10 $8.75* USD per number and the process usually takes 1 week.
You can start the process from the customer portal and follow the steps from the "DID numbers" menu, "DID portability" option. You can also check the porting guide from the Wiki page at http://wiki.voip.ms/article/Porting_a_Number.
Your DID has 2 plans available:
-The Per minute plan has a monthly fee of $0.99 $0.85* with a $0.0100 $0.009* rate for incoming calls per minute (DIDs are ported in on this plan by default)
-The Flat rate has a monthly fee of $4.95 $4.25* with $0.00 of incoming per minute. (Intended only for residential use, limited up to 3,500 minutes per month. If you want the DID ported in on this plan, please leave a note in the notes section).

* Holiday Exchange Rate Special will be available for a Limited Time.


11:59:22 AM [Joseph] Please notice that those plans are only for incoming calls. The outgoing is always charged Per Minute.
For outgoing calls to USA the per minute rate is $0.01 and for most Canada the per minute rate is $0.0052. ($0.01 $0.009* per minute Premium route for Canada)
All other destinations will be billed according to our termination rates. https://voip.ms/rates.php
11:59:45 AM [Joseph] So now that you have the account, once you add funds, you could start the porting process.
11:59:56 AM [Danolo] one moment please
12:01:09 PM [Joseph] About the hardware you would need, if you want to use a regular phone (an analog phone) you will need to acquire an ATA adapter. Here we have a list with the most used ones http://wiki.voip.ms/article/Devices and personally I could recommend you Cisco SPA112, Grandstream HT702 or OBi 110
12:01:18 PM [Danolo] Ok, i understand all that.. Once ported, what hardware will i need to replace the Roger's Cable home phone mode m?
12:01:32 PM [Danolo] ahhh
12:01:52 PM [Joseph] The ATA adapter is not for replace the ROger's modem, actually it will be plugged to your modem/router to have internet access.
12:02:10 PM [Joseph] We only provide the voip service, so you need to h ave internet service to use our services.
12:03:01 PM [Danolo] yes I undesrstand. rogers provides me with both a router/modem for internet, and a HOME PHONE device, which I assume I can return afetr Voip.ms is active.
12:03:17 PM [Joseph] That is correct
12:04:20 PM [Danolo] ok good, i understand all that . Now, if i decide NOT to use my ATA phone, can I use a headset connected to ,my desktop and some sort of software to emulate a phone? Lkke Skype does?
12:05:34 PM [Joseph] Sure. Even if we do not provide any softphone, you can use any SIP client compatible with SIP or IAX2 protocol and you will be able to register with us. A good (and free) option is ZoIPer, and we actually have a configuration guide here http://wiki.voip.ms/article/Softphones#Zoiper_Classic
12:06:42 PM [Danolo] And, in that situation, will i be able to receive incoming calls? Skype does not allow me to have an incoming call number in Canada.
12:07:18 PM [Joseph] Yes, if you use a softphone and you have a DID number (your number ported in), you will be able to receive the calls in it.
12:07:26 PM [Joseph] Receive and make, of course.
12:07:41 PM [Danolo] Excellent... tthank you for your detailed reply..
12:07:51 PM [Joseph] It is my pleasure.
12:08:44 PM [Joseph] I recommend you to check this guide to have an idea on how our services works http://wiki.voip.ms/article/Getting_Started of course if you have doubts you can come back in chat or contact us through ticket, sending an e-mail to support@voip.ms
12:09:08 PM [Danolo] yes thanks

 

[|2 /-\ | /|/]

A good VOIP is OOMA http://www.ooma.com

I have this system for over 2 years now and am very happy. It is loaded with features, excellent customer service, I have two lines and two hedsets, i like the block list, black list and privacy options and you get email instant as soon it is recorded...you also hear the messages being recorded in real time. So much more options. I think cost is like $4-5 per month. I pay a bit more becuase of the 2nd line. Never had a problem with call quality and sometimes people think I hung up because it gets so quiet without any interference. It is also free calls to anywhere is Canada and US. They also give you a smartphone APP that you can use your number from anywhere in the world.

Best decesion I made was dropping Rogers home phone for this. Only downside is you have to pay for hardware upfront.

 

[Danolo]

I cannot find any warranty or guarantee info on Voip.ms. Its a Canadian company based in Montreal.

I forget where on their website, but I recall they have 4 servers in Toronto and many throughout North America.

I've gone ahead with getting my number ported to Voip.ms, so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Promo]

A couple of quick thoughts. Is it a US company? If yes, is there a try before buying option? Another common issue with voip is lag and sound quality. If it's a US company, will they route your call through they're systems in the states, which coulo affect performance? I have a voip system at work, and it's not leggy at all, but then we have an enterprise system.

There are a number of factors that impact voice quality in a converged VoIP (IPT) environment: codec used, jitter, latency and packet loss. In a enterprise environment in a single building or campus, usually none of these are relevant as bandwidth is ample and you don't have the problems introduced by a WAN link. Additionally, the network could/should be using QoS to prioritize voice traffic above file transfers, back-ups, people accessing the internet, etc. The minute you introduce a WAN, jitter, latency and packet loss all become a factor. QoS will help, but you are now at the mercy of the contracted quality of the WAN link and the amount of overbooking in the design. <-- In a properly engineered environment, the issues will be minimal.

In Danolo's case, I suggest looking for online reviews as there is no way you can independently measure/evaluate any of these things.
http://www.dslreports.com/reviews/3342
http://www.dslreports.com/comments/3342
http://www.gonevoip.ca/voipms-residential-review
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/should-i-choose-voip-ms-replace-my-primus-1232495/
http://carstenknoch.com/2013/09/a-home-phone-for-3-dollars-per-month/
http://www.michelrenaud.com/?p=31
Use this search: https://www.google.ca/search?q=voip...id=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=voip.ms+review

Every review I skimmed through was very positive. You might consider putting the ATA on a UPS in case your home power fails. If you intend to leave your cell on 7/24, the UPS might not be needed if Voip.ms can reroute your calls.

Another thought, what assurances on privacy do they have? Could someone theoretically tap into your calls? OK, this last question might seem silly... I admit I'm not all that knowledgeable about voip.

More people should ask these questions. Most VoIP providers use a private WAN backbone (i.e. MPLS) and take reasonable steps to secure their gateways. The reality is, IP security is expensive (i.e. IPS/IDS, SEIM systems, security incident response staff) and most providers can't afford it. Although the risk is reasonable low, it's not zero. If the provider uses the same bandwidth to carry customer Internet traffic, the risk increases significantly, although there are techniques to minimize it. Personally, it wouldn't keep me up at night, but you should at least be aware there is NO 100% guarantee of privacy.

 

[Promo]

I cannot find any warranty or guarantee info on Voip.ms.

In the enterprise world, there is a big focus on SLAs, warranties and performance penalties. In the consumer business, especially these smaller companies, everything is best efforts. I'm sure you realize, they make very little money per customer, it's a volume business. They still absolutely value your business and will provide good service, but they don't want to risk their company by providing tightly written SLAs. Nor does Bell, Rogers or Cogeco for their consumer services.

Again, your risk is small, they have a good rep, you can always change services with a minimum of hassles and your cell phone is a great back-up.

Please let us know how it goes.

 

[Danolo]

Thanks Promo...

I did look through a lot of reviews and, as you noticed, they were all pretty good.

Voip does have a system where if there is a power failure it will re route calls to a designated other number (a cell phone), but I'm still thinking of getting a UPS. Since I moved to Toronto there have been a lot more power failures than I experienced in Peterborough.

I just got confirmation from Voip.ms that they have sent on the request to port my number to Voip... now we have to wait until Rogers does it.

Meanwhile, I have my Cisco adapter sitting on my desk, waiting for me to set it up and configure it. I'm a bit reluctant, because the procedure to configure it seems complex, but I'll probably have a go at it later today.

I'll keep y'all informed as events occur.

 

[Promo]

...... , but I'm still thinking of getting a UPS. Since I moved to Toronto there have been a lot more power failures than I experienced in Peterborough.

If you get a UPS and it has a speaker, MAKE SURE the speaker can be permanently turned off. Where I live we experience 2-3 <5 minute power failures per month and 3-4 multi-hour power failures per year mostly in the summer. Nothing is more annoying than the beeping these things make, especially if you are in bed.

I have 3 older UPSs and I ripped the speaker out of each. The speakers were mounted directly on the main circuit board, so I couldn't snip a wire. So much for the warranty.

 

[Danolo]

Bulgaria????

So, I hooked up the Cisco adapter and tried to configure it. There is a guide on the Voip.ms website, but I could not get past the first step. So, entered chat with Voip.ms and told them where I was at, and they told me that I had to contact Cisco support at this point.

So, I started looking around for a support number for Cisco. I found one number, but the snotty bitch on the other end of the line told me they were only support for "large companies" and that I needed to go back to where I bought the device. I knew that wasn't true, because Canada Computers would have no idea how to configure the device.

So I roamed around Cisco's various web pages and finally found another support number 866-606-1866. Save this number if you buy this device!

I called that number that they told me I had to have a Cisco User ID.. so I registered for that with the Cisco website and called back.

That put me in touch with a young woman at their call center in Bulgaria! (insert your OWN sexist remark about Bulgarian women here). Actually she was helpful, set me up a case number, and transferred me to an engineer, who turned out to be in North Carolina!

Finally I had someone on the line who knew what to do. I had to allow him remote access to my computer and he probed around in the depths of my Command Prompt (sort of like a prostrate exam) and finally we got the right IP address for the device and entered the setup tool.

He efficiently set it all up as far as he could go, and now I just have to wait until Rogers releases the number to Voip.ms.

It was a bit of a frustrating time getting to talk to the right guy, but once there, he was very efficient.

As soon as I get it fully installed, I'll test it out and let y'all know about voice and line quality

 

[Danolo]

If you get a UPS and it has a speaker, MAKE SURE the speaker can be permanently turned off. Where I live we experience 2-3 <5 minute power failures per month and 3-4 multi-hour power failures per year mostly in the summer. Nothing is more annoying than the beeping these things make, especially if you are in bed.

I have 3 older UPSs and I ripped the speaker out of each. The speakers were mounted directly on the main circuit board, so I couldn't snip a wire. So much for the warranty.

Good tip... I'll watch for that, thanks

 

[Danolo]

Ok, all done!

It took a bit to get it working. Until yesterday, I was just waiting to receive email from Voip.ms that my number had be successfully ported from Rogers to Voip.ms. I got that email today and hooked it all up.

No dial tone.

So, I called Cisco support and talked to a good guy there, and he stepped me through the registration process once again and we found where I had not used a user name but an email address. Once that was changed, I reset the system and I got a dial tone! Success!!!

Not quite.

I was able to dial out and make calls, but anyone calling into the number got a busy signal.

I called Cisco support back, and got a different guy, he had pretty bad english, but we managed to communicate... he checked out my configuration and then told me I had to contact Voip.ms suport to correct the setting.

I was a bit leary about this, thinking he was just "handing me off", but I connected with Voip.ms's support via online chat and they were very good and in a few minutes they had me change a couple of settings and that fixed the problem.

My system now makes and receives calls... the voice quality is good, but time will tell if it stays that way. Only thing I noticed, in making a call to my cell phone it took a long time for the phone to ring. Many networks, I guess.

So, if you are considering going with Voip.ms, I think that its very good. You will need to buy the adapter and I got the Cisco SPA112. It cost me under $50 at Canada Computers.
You must be prepared to spend some time on the phone and chat with support people from both companies. In Cicso the phone number is 866-606-1866, and you'll need to register a usrername,.

In Voip.ms their support is via live chat.

In both companies, the support was good and they took the time to help.

 

[Danolo]

So, I phoned Rogers to get my Home Phone account stopped and she told me to wait a couple of days, because their system takes a while to internally complete the porting process, and then I should take the modem and its power cord to any retail Rogers store and they will give me a receipt for it. That will then cancel the home phone part of the account.

I'll be watching my Rogers bill and see what happens and I'll let y'all know,

 

[Intrepid416]

So envious. My Bell bill for last month was $340 plus HST (75 for land line and fax second number, $75 for Internet and the rest tv for full package). Shall check this out.

 

[Danolo]

Intrepid, you can, apparently, use voip.ms for fax as well.

My next stab at Rogers is their TV. I just have basic cable and my GW enjoys it a lot, so I'm not likely to find a cheaper alternative. She watches Dr.Oz, Dr. Phil, Ellen and other drivel like that.
If I was on the south side of our apartment building, I could use a HD antenna, but as it is I have no direct line-of-sight to the CN Tower. I'm hoping to find an alternative.

As for internet, I hear Techsavey has cleaned up their customer service problems... but I'm not sure if they are cheaper.

 

[Danolo]

Too bad FTA is gone...

 

[Danolo]

So, I've been messing with the settings and got voice mail set up... took two calls to support, but they were very helpful.

The thing I like about the Voice mail, is when someone leaves a message, its saved to a WAV file and sent to me via email. Cool, huh?

 

[Danolo]

Start of rant.

Rogers is devious....

I logged onto my Rogers online account and in the list of services, my home phone is no longer listed. That's all good, because I had it ported out to Voip.ms several days ago.

So, I phoned a local Rogers store to find out if I could return the modem to them and have them finalize the cancellation of the home phone part of my account. Nope, the guy there said that I had to cancel the account by phone with Rogers first.

Ok, so I phoned Rogers and spoke to someone there and they asked me why I was cancelling: was it a price issue or a service issue? I told them that it was price, and she said that Rogers is running a "great promotion" on home phone at $10 per month. I told her I had already ported the phone to another supplier. That stopped her sales pitch.

Then I asked her if in closing my home phone would affect the pricing of my other services - internet and cable tv.... after being put on hold, she came back to inform me that my previous discount was contingent on having all three services!!!

I told her that I would go to Teksavy for internet and put a HD antenna on my balcony before I would pay any more for Rogers... she said, let me see what kind of a promotion I can find for you". She came back and told me I could have my internet and cable TV for close to the same price as before... it was a buck or so higher, and that she would credit my account for the small amount difference.

That's good, and its a one year promotion, so I just have to be sure I follow up in one year to blackmail them again for reduced prices.

If I hadn't asked the question about the package price, Rogers would have deleted my discount and started billing me higher.

Its obvious that Rogers has no concept of customer loyalty and they just wanna hose their customers for as much as they can.

It just disgusts me.

End of rant.

I'm going now to return the home phone modem. Wanna bet that screws me in some other way?

By the way, the Voip.ms is good... good sound quality...I like it