Is Rogers Home Phone any good?

[ajay]

I've been thinking about switching over to Rogers Home Phone. I know i would save some money because i already have cable, internet and cell phone through them. It would also give the privelage of never having to deal with Bell again.
But i'm concerned about quality.

Does anyone have any experience with Rogers home phone service? Is it worth making the leap?

Thanks

 

[stang]

I'm using it.
No complaints. The phone rings, I answer it and someone's on the other end okay.
I get 15% discount to bundle it with my cell/TV/Net.

I don't really use much long-distance, so I haven't made that comparison.

 

[WhOiSyOdAdDy?]

I have used Primus "Talk Over Broadband" for almost 2 years and have no complaints!

 

[Fred Zed]

I've been thinking about switching over to Rogers Home Phone.

Thanks

Consider switching to http://www.vonage.ca
You'll save bundles.

- Rates start at $20 a month ( all features: call ID, call waiting, voice mail etc included ).
-You can track your calls online in real time.
-You can choose your phone number from ANY area code of your choice.
-24hr support.
-phone adaptar is small and fully portable : you can use it at any broadband internet connection

I use them for one of my lines and have no complaints.

 

[jwmorrice]

Fred:

Your link doesn't work. Instead use: http://www.vonage.ca

jwm

 

[Cardinal Fang]

Consider switching to http://vonage.ca
You'll save bundles.

- Rates start at $20 a month ( all features: call ID, call waiting, voice mail etc included ).
-You can track your calls online in real time.
-You can choose your phone number from ANY area code of your choice.
-24hr support.
-phone adaptar is small and fully portable : you can use it at any broadband internet connection

I use them for one of my lines and have no complaints.

In order for you to use Vonage does the party you call have to be on Vonage as well?

 

[3Tees]

In order for you to use Vonage does the party you call have to be on Vonage as well?

Nope - the person you are speaking to can be on any phone and subscribe to any type of carrier, including cell phone providers. I've been researching this a lot lately, and there are a few issues with Vonage:

1) They do not offer 416 numbers, only 647 if you want a Toronto area code.

2) There are issues with 911 service. You are not connected directly to a Toronto 911 operator, but rather you go through an intermediary.

3) If your home security system has remote monitoring, or alerts a central station, the alarm company will not use Vonage or any other internet provider to hook you up. You need to have a regular land-line for this

4) There is much difficutly with using Vonage to call Canadian toll-free numbers. Vonage calls are routed from your phone through their US servers back up to the Canadian toll-free line you may be calling. As such, your call is registered as a US call, and many Canadian toll-free numbers do not accept US calls. This is proving to be a big problem for Vonage in Canada - most government and banking toll-frees in Canada do not accept US calls. Check their site for updates, but I understand it is quite a difficult issue for them.

I'm looking into Bell Digital Voice Lite. It is the same price and has the same features as Vonage's $40 plan, which includes unlimited North American long distance. I believe this would avoid the toll-free issues

I'm not complaining about Vonage - and Fred's right - it's a great company. Call quality and customer service are quite good from what I hear. I'm investigating this for a business line from my home, so I have particular requirements, and it includes calling a lot of toll-free numbers.

I do like that I can get any area code. That means if I make a lot of calls to Vancouver, I can get a 604/250 area code and when I call there, or someone from Vancouver calls me it is a local call. I also like that I can get e-mails when I have a voicemail message, and can play the message right from the e-mail (it's attached as an mp3, I believe)

 

[Fred Zed]

1) They do not offer 416 numbers, only 647 if you want a Toronto area code.

2) There are issues with 911 service. You are not connected directly to a Toronto 911 operator, but rather you go through an intermediary.
)

Yes ..they do have 416, at least they did when I signed up.

Check for area code availability here: http://www.vonage.ca/avail.php?LNPareaCode=416&LNPexchange=916&tnf_3=9257&LNP_submit_btn=Submit

You can call 911/1-800 from your cell. When I signed up they emailed me to confirm my 911 service had been activated. Not sure about 911 calls going through an intermediary, I assume part of the problem is that your number is portable, if you call 911 the operator cannot assume you are at home. You could just as easily be calling from your cottage or from abroad.

I find call quality with Vonage to be much superior to land-line phone.

 

[3Tees]

I thought about using my cell or landline to call 1-800, but what happens is that I wind up having two phones, for my business and I don't really want that. The other thing too is that I can wait on hold for quite some time on 1-800 numbers, and I don't want my daytime cell minutes to rack-up charges or my cell battery to die (as sometimes I'm waiting 30 minutes on hold). 911 I'm not worried about really.

Yes ..they do have 416, at least they did when I signed up.

They ran-out about a month ago. I've been looking into the service for about four months. Four months ago, they did have 416, but when I checked it about a month ago, they ran-out.

I thought I could transfer my 416 cell number over, but I cannot do that either. While the website indicates that I can transfer the cell number (I typed it in), the site also says that cells can't be transfered, so I confirmed with customer service who said I could not transfer a cell.

The link you posted is an indication that Vonage SERVICE is available in 416, not that 416 AREA CODES are available. The second paragraph on the page you posted says "To see if Vonage service is available in your community simply enter your area code into the search tool below."

If you go to this link, https://secure.vonage.ca/vonageca-subscribe/index.htm, indicate that you want a new number and start the sign-up procedure the second step asks you to choose an area code and 416 area codes are not available.

 

[lustyhombre]

Nope - the person you are speaking to can be on any phone and subscribe to any type of carrier, including cell phone providers. I've been researching this a lot lately, and there are a few issues with Vonage:

1) They do not offer 416 numbers, only 647 if you want a Toronto area code.

2) There are issues with 911 service. You are not connected directly to a Toronto 911 operator, but rather you go through an intermediary.

3) If your home security system has remote monitoring, or alerts a central station, the alarm company will not use Vonage or any other internet provider to hook you up. You need to have a regular land-line for this

4) There is much difficutly with using Vonage to call Canadian toll-free numbers. Vonage calls are routed from your phone through their US servers back up to the Canadian toll-free line you may be calling. As such, your call is registered as a US call, and many Canadian toll-free numbers do not accept US calls. This is proving to be a big problem for Vonage in Canada - most government and banking toll-frees in Canada do not accept US calls. Check their site for updates, but I understand it is quite a difficult issue for them.

I'm looking into Bell Digital Voice Lite. It is the same price and has the same features as Vonage's $40 plan, which includes unlimited North American long distance. I believe this would avoid the toll-free issues

I'm not complaining about Vonage - and Fred's right - it's a great company. Call quality and customer service are quite good from what I hear. I'm investigating this for a business line from my home, so I have particular requirements, and it includes calling a lot of toll-free numbers.

I do like that I can get any area code. That means if I make a lot of calls to Vancouver, I can get a 604/250 area code and when I call there, or someone from Vancouver calls me it is a local call. I also like that I can get e-mails when I have a voicemail message, and can play the message right from the e-mail (it's attached as an mp3, I believe)

I just signed up with Vonage Canada ( have had their service in my 2nd residence in the US for almost 3 yrs now..)

1) I got a 416 # ( but live outside Metro )
2) you are right , but I am not concerned ( have never dialled 911 in all my life...)
3)you are better off having the alarm hooked up to a cell # anyhow because the smart burglar is going to cut your Bell line before he breaks in....
4)you are right , but with free long distance NA-wide you might as well dial a non-800 #

 

[3Tees]

1) I got a 416 # ( but live outside Metro )
2) you are right , but I am not concerned ( have never dialled 911 in all my life...)
3)you are better off having the alarm hooked up to a cell # anyhow because the smart burglar is going to cut your Bell line before he breaks in....
4)you are right , but with free long distance NA-wide you might as well dial a non-800 #

Now that is interesting - how did you get a 416, as I really want one. Check my previous post, and start the sign-up procedure at this link https://secure.vonage.ca/vonageca-subscribe/index.htm. They do not have them available.

911- agreed

Alarm - our alarm company wanted to charge us extra for cell numbers when I mentioned this, so we didn't bother, but you are right - it is a way around the issue

1-800... most government numbers (e.g. CRA) only list 1-800 numbers and do not provide other numbers. You're right with free LD, there's no issue, but I find that many companies and government organizations only list a toll-free and do not provide an alternate local number. From what I've read, I would like this issue cleared-up first before I committ.

 

[lustyhombre]

Now that is interesting - how did you get a 416, as I really want one. Check my previous post, and start the sign-up procedure at this link https://secure.vonage.ca/vonageca-subscribe/index.htm. They do not have them available.

I assure you I didn't pull any strings to get my 416 # ; I just signed up Oct 29 , selected 416 and got it instantaneously...
And to make it even better , it's an easy to remember # as well , all even digits....

 

[Fred Zed]

Now that is interesting - how did you get a 416, as I really want one. Check my previous post, and start the sign-up procedure at this link https://secure.vonage.ca/vonageca-subscribe/index.htm. They do not have them available.

That link is either incomplete or out of date. Did you notice it only provides a partial list of cities in Ontario ? Area code 416 is available, see this link: http://www.vonage.ca/avail.php?LNPareaCode=416&LNPexchange=916&tnf_3=9257&LNP_submit_btn=Submit

 

[3Tees]

That link is either incomplete or out of date. Did you notice it only provides a partial list of cities in Ontario ? Area code 416 is available, see this link: http://www.vonage.ca/avail.php?LNPareaCode=416&LNPexchange=916&tnf_3=9257&LNP_submit_btn=Submit

Thanks! I will try again over the next few weeks and let you know how it goes! I do prefer Vonage to Bell.

 

[to-guy69]

You will be waiting over 30 days to get installed for Rogers Home Phone because they don't have enough technicians available to meet customer demand (despite having over a year to prep for this launch). The service had quite a few issues when it first rolled out in July but is much better now.

 

[zzap]

I have Vonage as a 3rd line just to play around with... plus I like the fact I can call my sister in Richmond Hill for free from Mississauga. Where does Bell get off making this a long distance call I'll never figure out but for $20 a month with Vonage I get a line, a number that anyone can call and every single service on this line that Bell would nickel and dime you for. The voice quality is excellent.... sounds even better then Bell. I have it connected to my Router that connects to my Rogers Extreme speed modem. It's never gone down once in over 5 months. In the first month I had a 416 number and I was getting allot of wrong numbers calling me... it was getting annoying. I called Vonage and had the number changed...FREE of charge! There customer service is great... they are so nice to you ... they really do care about you not like Bell. And yes there are no 416 numbers anymore. I got the new area code 647 but I was happy to since it meant less wrong numbers and this has proven to be true.... not a single wrong number yet has called. Since Vonage is working better then I dreamed of I'm now thinking of canceling one of my Bell lines that’s costing me $70 a month!

Oh yeah when I cancel my Bell line Vonage says I can get that number from Bell on there system. So I can keep my Bell number and use it on Vonage... so really switching to Vonage you don't have to change your phone number!

 

[bigaudio]

Has anybody noticed Rogers home phone wireline service doesn't sound as clear on the Telus or Bell Mobility network

 

[Radio_Shack]

It's funny when your Rogers home phone doesn't work you are screwed cuz you can't phone them to get help cuz your phone is not working. You have to find another way to get hold of them. Thats so convenient, not. I know a few people who ran in to this. I still prefer to hang on to my old bell land line service. I can't remember the last time it wasn't working. Sure a few extra bucks but you have to pay for 100% availability which is impossible to get with Rogers.

 

[Horney_Senior]

It's funny when your Rogers home phone doesn't work you are screwed cuz you can't phone them to get help cuz your phone is not working. You have to find another way to get hold of them. Thats so convenient, not. I know a few people who ran in to this. I still prefer to hang on to my old bell land line service. I can't remember the last time it wasn't working. Sure a few extra bucks but you have to pay for 100% availability which is impossible to get with Rogers.

That problem is not unique to Rogers. My brother's Bell land line was not working and Bell refused to take the service call from anywhere other than the line that wasn't working!

 

[GlavaMan]

Anyone use Primus? They have a bundle of home phone(9 features), HS internet & long distance for $59.95 per month.