Re: Vonage V-Phone

On 2006-11-05, Polly <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> Has anyone tried the Vonage V-Phone and, if so, is it any good?

I haven't but others have. Google records their views. Opinion appears
to be that it works and can be useful.

> It's advertised at £19.99, but what's not clear is whether existing
> Vonage customers can then operate this device alongside their existing
> monthly contract at no further charge. In other words, given I'm
> already paying £7.99 / month for residential service, is there any
> additional cost (apart from the one-time £19.99)?

http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic15205.html

and an archive search at

http://www.theglobeandmail.com

are informative but unlikely to make you ecstatic.

Brian.

"Polly" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:nr72l2lgjin658ng76khd5aql785mt3p61@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 5 Nov 2006 14:52:54 +0000 (UTC), Brian postulated:
>
>>http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic15205.html
>>
>>and an archive search at
>>
>>http://www.theglobeandmail.com
>>
>>are informative but unlikely to make you ecstatic.
>
> You're right: they don't make me feel ecstatic. If the V-Phone could
> be bundled in as part of my Vonage contract, I'd be very happy.
>
> My question is: are there any other VoIP providers that allow me to
> use my ATA while at home, but when I'm travelling provide me with a
> V-Phone like facility? I rather like the idea of carrying around such
> a small stick that can be plugged into another PC without my having to
> install (or use) application software on that PC yet enables me to
> make and receive calls as if I was at home. The normal ATAs are too
> bulky to carry around and they are also awkward to have to plug into
> other people's networks.

If you are just using one computer while travelling, my advice is to install
a free softphone such as x-lite and configure it for a service such as
Sipgate. Then include your new Sipgate number as a "Simulring" number in
Vonage online setup, and both will ring simultaneously for incoming calls.
You do need to make sure that Sipgate voicemail is turned off though,
otherwise neither phone will ring when you are not connected to Sipgate (and
their voicemail is terrible)

The only thing you would have to pay for in this setup is the outbound calls
via Sipgate, which can be fairly cheap.

"Polly" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:alo4l21a9aik0bsj399ggsoh1f48jm0a14@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 08 Nov 2006 22:46:06 GMT, Herman postulated:
>
>>"Polly" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>>news:nr72l2lgjin658ng76khd5aql785mt3p61@4ax.com. ..
>
>>> My question is: are there any other VoIP providers that allow me to
>>> use my ATA while at home, but when I'm travelling provide me with a
>>> V-Phone like facility? I rather like the idea of carrying around such
>>> a small stick that can be plugged into another PC without my having to
>>> install (or use) application software on that PC yet enables me to
>>> make and receive calls as if I was at home. The normal ATAs are too
>>> bulky to carry around and they are also awkward to have to plug into
>>> other people's networks.
>>
>>If you are just using one computer while travelling, my advice is to
>>install
>>a free softphone such as x-lite and configure it for a service such as
>>Sipgate. Then include your new Sipgate number as a "Simulring" number in
>>Vonage online setup, and both will ring simultaneously for incoming calls.
>>You do need to make sure that Sipgate voicemail is turned off though,
>>otherwise neither phone will ring when you are not connected to Sipgate
>>(and
>>their voicemail is terrible)
>
> I think you misunderstood when I said I was looking for a V-Phone like
> facility to plug into "another computer" and "without installing
> software". By that I meant a computer which is not mine. I don't want
> to install software on a third party computer. The beauty of the
> V-Phone is exactly that: you carry the stick with you and plug it into
> any suitable PC and install NO SOFTWARE on that PC.
>
> Is anyone else, other than Vonage, offering such a facility?
>
> --
I take your point that the V-phone stick would appear to be very user
friendly, although I am not sure it doesn't install software. It will at
least have to install the hardware (in the same way as a flash drive is
installed) so that it can take advantage of the internet connection of the
computer. If it also has it's own on-board microphone and speaker then it
could probably do without software, but I am not sure this is the case.

Still as you point out, it is convenient but over-priced. I don't know of
any other company offering a similar service, which is why they set the
price so high I guess. You'd have thought the competition from mobiles
might have brought the cost down significantly, though.

On 2006-11-08, Polly <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> My question is: are there any other VoIP providers that allow me to
> use my ATA while at home, but when I'm travelling provide me with a
> V-Phone like facility? I rather like the idea of carrying around such
> a small stick that can be plugged into another PC without my having to
> install (or use) application software on that PC yet enables me to
> make and receive calls as if I was at home. The normal ATAs are too
> bulky to carry around and they are also awkward to have to plug into
> other people's networks.

There is the FlashPhone at www.mplat.com. Not for those averse to Skype
but there are occasional references on the web to it being able to run
sip software.

www.inphonex.com also have Flash Phone. There is a page about it which
is accessed via the Site Map.

Also voicestick.com promotes its own memory stick product.

Brian.

Polly wrote:

> On Wed, 08 Nov 2006 23:34:36 GMT, Herman postulated:

>>I take your point that the V-phone stick would appear to be very user
>>friendly, although I am not sure it doesn't install software. It will at
>>least have to install the hardware (in the same way as a flash drive is
>>installed) so that it can take advantage of the internet connection of the
>>computer. If it also has it's own on-board microphone and speaker then it
>>could probably do without software, but I am not sure this is the case.
>
> Since V-Phone has its own microphone and earpirece, there's no
> application software to be installed - just drivers.
> http://www.vonage.co.uk/help.php?article=1148

Why is installing an application like Xlite a problem, but installing
drivers not? Surely drivers [which hook in at a lower level in the OS than
applications do] are more of a risk than applications?

>>Still as you point out, it is convenient but over-priced.
>
> £19.99 overpriced?

That would buy you a years worth of off-peak calls with voip.co.uk,
ferinstance.

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) (UnSoEsNpEaTm@ale.cx)
19:52:53 up 17 days, 3:38, 3 users, load average: 3.03, 3.08, 3.08
This is my BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMSTICK

> My question is: are there any other VoIP providers that allow me to
> use my ATA while at home, but when I'm travelling provide me with a
> V-Phone like facility?

The Babble Stick works with the Babble VOIP network and is available from
the shop on babble.net (£19.95 inc VAT plus postage).