Review by Lenagainster 
UPDATED: 139 days ago
member for 4.8 years, 1386 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Silver Spring,Montgomery,MD
 $16 per month (month by month)
 about 7 days
 "Total Control over your phone"
 "none"
 "Excellent value"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
Update 6/21/09 Just an update regarding the update of 5/28. Ever since I set a static IP address for the TA, the service has been perfect. Not a glitch.
Update 5/28/09 Had an issue where I would not get a dial tone the first time I attempted to make a call, but after hanging up and trying again, I'd get the dial tone. Also noticed that occasionally the person I was calling would hear silence during part of the conversation. Did a search on the VP website and found comments where the dial tone issue could be caused by dynamic IP addressing and one should set a static IP address for the TA. Made the switch to static IP addressing and so far, no dial tone problems and no lost conversations. Still pleased with the service and have no intention of lowering my ratings after this minor issue.
Update 4/13/09 One of my pet peeves is telemarketing and even though I am on the Do Not Call List, we still get a few unwanted sales calls, political calls and charity calls every week. Some are exempt and some just violate the law. So for the past two years, when I would get a call from a telemarketer (who never leaves a voicemail message, they just hang up and call back later), I would block their number with a 'not in service' message. I had accumulated 85 filters doing this. I got to the point where it would be easier just to create a filter for each of our friends to allow their call to go through (a White List) and send everyone else to voicemail. Then the pesky telemarketers could not ring our phone.
So I made a spreadsheet of our relatives and friends who are most likely to call, and once I had their phone numbers in the proper format (1xxxxxxxxxx), it was an easy process to copy and paste the new numbers into the existing filters and change the action from 'not in service' to 'always ring'. Then I created a filter to send everyone (else) to voicemail.
What a pleasant change. Whenever the phone rings, no need to check the Caller ID to be sure it is someone we want to talk to. No more telemarketers!
When I do get a voicemail, VP sends me an email with the number of the caller on it. If I miss one of our friends/relatives, it is an easy matter to add their number to the White List. I finally feel that this phone service, that I pay for, is mine, and mine alone, and doesn't belong to the general public to call whenever they feel like it.
I have read about other VoIPs with even more elaborate White List capabilities, even basing actions on the time of day. (I think my scheme with VP defeats the Scheduled Do Not Disturb). But none of them allow so much for the mere $15.89 that I pay for the Local Plan. What a deal!
Update 4/5/09 Over two years of exceptional service.
Followup comments:  nyount
join:2003-06-03
Lexington, SC | Outgoing volume setting I think I may need to make the same adjustment to the outgoing volume setting on my VoicePulse adapter. Can you tell me how that is done, or point me to some online documentation that describes that? Thanks. | |
|  | Lenagainster
join:2005-01-07
Silver Spring, MD
 ·VoicePulse
 ·DIRECTV
·magicjack.com
| Re: Outgoing volume setting said by nyount :.. adjustment to the outgoing volume setting on my VoicePulse adapter. Can you tell me how that is done.. Pick up your VP phone and dial ****110#
(that's four stars, 110, then #)
listen to the IP address being read out
something like 123.123.0.xxx (write it down)
Open a browser and go to »123.123.0.xxx (whatever addy you got)
It should open your Telephone adapter in the basic view
click on advanced view
click on regional
You will see the settings for the input and output.
Change them and save the settings.
Mine were originally at -3 and -3 (range is -6 to +6)
I found that 1 in and 3 out fits my phones best.
HTH Lena | |
| | | Lenagainster
join:2005-01-07
Silver Spring, MD
·VoicePulse
·DIRECTV
·magicjack.com
1 edit | Re: CID said by PCInTech :Lena, VP does transmit your name with CID info, but the receiving party's phone company may not subscribe to the same CID database provider, so it may not show up for everyone. Thanks for the info. I just edited my review to reflect your input. So far, none of my friend have seen a name with the Caller ID. Another tidbit I forgot to mention in the write-up is that with VP, one's name and address doesn't go in the printed phone book, a plus for me but may be a negative for others. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Lena | |
| ExtremeRFR
join:2005-05-13
West New York, NJ | Lana, a question for you? O still have AT&T CallVantage. Now, if I want to switch over VoicePulse (VP) can I transfer my number from AT&T to VP?
Is that possible or no? Do you know? Let me know. Thanks! | |
| | ExtremeRFR
join:2005-05-13
West New York, NJ | Re: Lana, a question for you? 'Lena'... sorry mispelled .... OH! " I" Not " O " - The beginning of the message. LOL | |
| | | | 
Joe Austin
@rr.com
| Service Outtage Their service had not been perfect for us. Perhaps you are closer to their servers. We've had several multi-day outtages,
the most recent one a 4-day with no inbound service. They told us a "local" provider was responsible. I find that difficult to believe, but even if it is true, they should have
some redundant providers there in our 512 area code.
We've had several other multi-day outtages and most of those were some "routing" problem on the Voicepulse side. | |
| | | |
| Forums » comments on review of VoicePulse |
|
(24)
·
