VOIP SunRocket Internet Phone Service $199 for 15months = $13.27/month

[DoozerM]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Well, I took the punge last night and signed up. Now I just have to wait to get my stuff and we'll see how it goes.

But on the topic of power outages... Can anyone recommend a UPS system that I coudl plug my cable modem, router, and Gizmo into that would run for a few hours if we lost power? I'm not sure how to calculate power consumptions and them compare that to what a UPS outputs to know how long something should last...

Thanks,

FrankyJunior - Not sure if mine is overkill or not, but I use an APC Back-UPS RS 900. I have my router, Gizmo, and other small but mission critical Volt-Amp devices plugged into it, (as well as surge protecting my ethernet line coming from my ISP). I chose that model because I wanted hours of talk time in case of power outages which are frequent (yet short) in our area.

 

[dchakrab]

Question: How accurate are the speed tests posted?

The reason I ask:

I asked my landlord to try to max out our bandwidth last night, so he and I both started big uploads / downloads on two machines connected to the same network. Sure enough, this lowered my VOIP quality, as expected. Running the speed test at that point showed my score at 1.6, which is below "forget the phone, try the pony express" level. Clearly, network traffic can be a problem.

The gizmo is connected to the comcast line, and the router and all computers are connected to the gizmo. Shouldn't this prioritize VOIP? Is there some way to prioritize VOIP through settings on the gizmo? This is the old, original gizmo, incidentally (circa Oct. '05).

Puzzling: I have crappy VOIP quality again now, at 12:31 pm. But tested bandwidth score is up to 3.5 (between crappy cell phone and decent cell phone call level), which is where it usually is on this connection if no computers are doing anything. Landlord's out, only computer on the network is this one, which is currently doing nothing. Turning this computer off didn't make a difference to my VOIP quality...it's bad enough that if I call my bank, the system can't understand the numbers I'm typing in for their voice prompts.

So, bandwidth quality right now is (apparently) good, if the tests are to be trusted. Computers on the network aren't doing anything, voip doesn't work. Email to my girlfriend confirms that her home phone is working fine, which is SR connected to Comcast and a few blocks from me. This leads me to believe the service itself is running fine.

So what's left? I'm thinking now that it has to be the Gizmo, right? What else should I rule out?

Georgepa: I understand what you're saying (and agree with you) on the spyware issues. I'm just very confident that that's not the cause of my problem, especially when I have the same problem while booted in Debian and with the computer turned off. I can replicate the problem by having computers on this network uploading / downloading a lot, but the java speed tests show this. I seem to *also* be having problems with the service at time (like now) when bandwidth appears to be fine, also with no other machines on the network. Logging in to the router confirms that no other machines are connected to it.

Ideas, anyone? Wait for it work again and then tell a CSR my modem's dying on me?

Incidentally, I looked at Packet8, but from reading reports online I had the impression their call quality was worse than SR's, not better...not sure I want to try the experiment. If I ditch SR I'll probably go back to using a hardphone connected to FWD + a stripped down SBC line.

D.

------------------
Dave A. Chakrabarti

Sunrocket Review

Nirman - My dealings with a dishonest Varanasi, India nonprofit organization that ended up stealing my computer equipment when I volunteered for them for over 3 years.

 

[azoomee]

Originally posted by: DoozerM

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Well, I took the punge last night and signed up. Now I just have to wait to get my stuff and we'll see how it goes.

But on the topic of power outages... Can anyone recommend a UPS system that I coudl plug my cable modem, router, and Gizmo into that would run for a few hours if we lost power? I'm not sure how to calculate power consumptions and them compare that to what a UPS outputs to know how long something should last...

Thanks,

FrankyJunior - Not sure if mine is overkill or not, but I use an APC Back-UPS RS 900. I have my router, Gizmo, and other small but mission critical Volt-Amp devices plugged into it, (as well as surge protecting my ethernet line coming from my ISP). I chose that model because I wanted hours of talk time in case of power outages which are frequent (yet short) in our area.

I got a APC 1200 for the same reason -- we have relatively frequent outages here.

 

[astrosfan90]

Originally posted by: dchakrab

Incidentally, I looked at Packet8, but from reading reports online I had the impression their call quality was worse than SR's, not better...not sure I want to try the experiment. If I ditch SR I'll probably go back to using a hardphone connected to FWD + a stripped down SBC line.

I've heard the same thing about Packet8. When I first looked into VOIP I looked at them but determined based off of all the reviews that I read that SR had far superior voice quality.

Wish I could offer my help on the other stuff, but I'm just not good with that sorta stuff. I hope you get it fixed!

 

[TheTurk]

BEWARE::::

Quality is good, inexpensive , BUT it has been almost 3 weeks, I still CANNOT receive calls, only make outbound calls.

They keep telling me that it may take 16 days to get it running fully. It is over 16 days now.

This is a serious bug as far as I am concerned.

Don't cancel your local phone account until making sure this thing works.

 

[georgepa]

Turk-

Sunrocket uses several local VOIP to POTS switching agents. The two biggest companies they use (each with thousands of area code exchanges around the country) are Level 3 and Global Crossings. They also use a few smaller, regional carriers such as Choice One, KMD, etc. These are called CLECs. There is one CLEC SR deals with that has a bunch of numbers they made available to Sunrocket in certain areas, but unfortunately they insist on a rather archaic way of registering/assigning new phone numbers: They get the order in, THEN they go through the process of assigning and registering the new number with the phone databases, local and national. The other companies sell these numbers to Sunrocket AFTER they have already registered and assigned them by the thousands, so when SR (or any other VOIP company) buys the numbers, they are already ready to go. SR is not happy about the insistence by FOCAL, but for some regions of the country FOCAL is the only "game in town."

Since you are undoubtedly with FOCAL: The good news is that once the numbers are assigned and "ready" for incoming calls, FOCAL is known to be an excellent local VOIP to POTS switching agent, with very little, if any, problems reported at all.

 

[Alamat]

I ordered mine on the 16th of Feb, got the stuff on the 20th over the weekend and on the 24th, my number was transferred. I found out when my old phone wasn't ringing anymore. I called my POTS but apparently service was already cut as soon as the number was transferred.
I hope ur problem gets resolved soon though.

 

[tomtrike]

Dropped calls:

No dropped calls lately. But the past few days I've noted a lot of echo on calls. These are local calls. Anyone else having the "echo" problem.

I have a single computer set-up with no router. Cable modem>Innomedia Gizmo>computer. I have the Uniden 4 phone set-up plus two other phones that have a ring number of .96 each.

tomtrike

 

[Alamat]

Does it matter if the Gizmo is behind (modem-router-Gizmo) or in front (modem-Gizmo-router) of the router?

 

[boggsie]

Originally posted by: Alamat
Does it matter if the Gizmo is behind (modem-router-Gizmo) or in front (modem-Gizmo-router) of the router?

The instructions suggest that the user setup the Gizmo as the first device behind the Cable Modem. Any other network devices are then daisy chained off of the Gizmo.

There are a number of folks who have had success getting it to work the other way, but it appears that getting it to work might depend upon the router you intend to use.

 

[DoozerM]

Originally posted by: tomtrike
Dropped calls:

No dropped calls lately. But the past few days I've noted a lot of echo on calls. These are local calls. Anyone else having the "echo" problem.

I have a single computer set-up with no router. Cable modem>Innomedia Gizmo>computer. I have the Uniden 4 phone set-up plus two other phones that have a ring number of .96 each.

tomtrike

tomtrike - I get the echo. I've found some numbers get it all of the time. More often businesses - who have these "special" phone systems installed. It adds more delay to the roundtrip - hence the echo. It also depends on your network # of hops. The more hops, the more delay. I read somewhere that PPoE which is what I have with Fios, has more hops than a DHCP Ethernet network. That could also explain why I get echos more than others.... Just speculation. There are ways to tweak the jitter in the gizmo's and set it up to a smaller delay queue - hence reducing the total delay time. But that would require admin access to the gizmo.

 

[RideFree]

Modem>Router>Gizmo is best if your router is not one of the very few that refuses to work with the Gizmo behind it.

 

[TheTurk]

Their technical blah, blah is not a concern of mine.
As a full paying user, I expect the service fully.
If they have technical issue, they should not be charging my CC until the service is fully functional.
Simple as this....
I stand by that they are by far the worst..still no incoming call.
yet they charge the full ammount.

this company SUCKS guys.
I am working on cancelling my account to try Vonage. I am coordinating with my fiends who signed up to cancel theirs too.

They have the same problem.

Don't promise if you cannot keep it.

I hope this company will not make me say "VOIP sucks"..

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: TheTurk
As a full paying user, I expect the service fully.
If they have technical issue, they should not be charging my CC until the service is fully functional.

A very simple and valid point, I don't know of anyone who has made this argument with Sunrocket but I think you have a very good chance of getting them to "reset" the start date of your 1 year. They would probably do that before giving you a ~$8 credit for two weeks. Once your incoming calls start call customer service and see what they'll do.

edit: me fail english

 

[RideFree]

Vonage is informing customers the company will begin charging state-mandated and other related 911 fees "on or about March 5, 2006." "To offset the impact, we will also be reducing the regulatory recovery fee from $1.50 to $0.99," says a Vonage e-mail being sent to subscribers. As we've discussed, the "regulatory recovery fee", an idea copied from incumbent telcos, isn't an official government mandated fee at all. It's simply a rate hike disguised as a fee so you'll blame Uncle Sam instead of the company responsible.

Lifted from DSLReports

All of you preparing to jump from SunBucket to Vonage may wish to put a little more effort into S/R.

 

[jono8]

does anyone notice that the sunrocket webpage never loads fully on a Mac using firefox? I always have to use safari or my pc to log in and do anything.

 

[Kelemvor]

Well, I got an email the other day that my SunRocket stuff had shipped. Hopefully it will be here next week so I can hook it up and see what happens.

 

[georgepa]

Absolutely. Soul Assassin is correct. A simple call to SR will result in them resetting the starting date of the account to the day both incoming and outgoing work. Further: Vonage is triple the price of SR. I can see a few other companies as a good "jump to" point (like inexpensive Viatalk or Lingo) but VONAGE which just added yet another ridiculous charge on top? With a signature # Vonage now comes to almost $37, whereas SR comes to $13.28 (using the 15 months for $199 deal.) In addition Vonage has fees to get started, SR has none. Vonage charges a hefty cancellation fee, SR charges none. SR has a lot more features than Vonage, a $3 int'l call allowance, 2 free 411 calls, ....on and on....

AND... when signing up Sunrocket's TOS clearly state that establishing calls could take a while. For most they don't, of course - those who are with Global or Level 3 or Choice One, KMD, XO Communications, etc. ONLY for those with FOCAL as the CLEC. Still, it is clearly spelled out in the TOS as applying to everyone, you know the document you acknowledge to have read when you sign up to the service.

So, given that the TOS makes clear reference that it MAY take a while for incoming calls to work and the fact that those who had that happen to them typically received an extension on their account starting point (as per multiple reports on other sites) there should be no big problem in this particular instance, no?

 

[Kelemvor]

Where did you see a 15mo for $199? I only see the 12 and heard of the 13. Wonder if I can call them and ask even though I signed up last week.

 

[DoozerM]

I've enjoyed reading the vonage customers comments on dslreports about the new vonage charges. There are a bunch of vonage users who are thinking about jumping to SR now, due to these rediculous fees.

 

[agrall]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Where did you see a 15mo for $199? I only see the 12 and heard of the 13. Wonder if I can call them and ask even though I signed up last week.

And speaking of promos... Is there still a code to get month-to-month for $19.99? I am thinking I would like to try for the first month and then sign up for the year if I like it. I know you can get your annual cost refunded but...

 

[Jlensbo]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Where did you see a 15mo for $199? I only see the 12 and heard of the 13. Wonder if I can call them and ask even though I signed up last week.

The 15 month deal was a promo that ended about two months ago. A few people called and begged to get it after it expired, but none were successful to my knowledge.

Currently, a one-year renewel gets 13 months for $199 or it reverts to a monthly at $19.99.

 

[Surr]

Originally posted by: Jlensbo

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Where did you see a 15mo for $199? I only see the 12 and heard of the 13. Wonder if I can call them and ask even though I signed up last week.

The 15 month deal was a promo that ended about two months ago. A few people called and begged to get it after it expired, but none were successful to my knowledge.

Currently, a one-year renewel gets 13 months for $199 or it reverts to a monthly at $19.99.

I signed up within the last month, and got the 15 month for $199 price. I thought I got the code from this thread, but I am not sure.

 

[georgepa]

jlensbo-

Actually, the 15 month for $199 is very much alive and kicking.

Here is the link to it:

http://www.sunrocket.com/sign_up/signup.do?tcd=YAH98ks

I don't think there was ever a lapse in this link working for the 15 month deal.


FrankyJr.-

The thing is that the 15 month deal does not come with phones, so you got about the same value (just in phones, not free months) You could ebay the phones (if you already have a nice phone system) to give you the equivalent of those 3 free months.


agrall-

Here is the link for the $19.95 month-to-month promo:

http://www.sunrocket.com/sign_up/signup.do?tcd=WBFOGQ

That deal comes with the 2 free phones (worth about $55 to $60) which are yours to keep, even if you cancel service within the 31-day trial phase or anytime thereafter. Not a bad deal, as you end up with much more value than you start off with ($19.95) if things don't work out for you on the rocket ship.

 

[Betawi]

Originally posted by: Surr

Originally posted by: Jlensbo

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Where did you see a 15mo for $199? I only see the 12 and heard of the 13. Wonder if I can call them and ask even though I signed up last week.

The 15 month deal was a promo that ended about two months ago. A few people called and begged to get it after it expired, but none were successful to my knowledge.

Currently, a one-year renewel gets 13 months for $199 or it reverts to a monthly at $19.99.

I signed up within the last month, and got the 15 month for $199 price. I thought I got the code from this thread, but I am not sure.

So did I. Got the code from this thread, forgot which page though.