Lingo Review

In the crowded market place of both old and new VoIP providers, Lingo (by Primus) truly stands out. Thanks to its reliable call quality, multiple features, prompt customer service and, above all, unmatchable plan rates, Lingo is fast becoming the preferred VoIP provider for most users.

Call Quality

Feature-laden providers can be useless if the call quality is poor. Thankfully this is not the case with Lingo. While all VoIP call quality is largely dependent on the user’s internet connection quality, tests have proven that Lingo usually records the best audio quality among competitors under the same test conditions.

Set up

Setup is very simple with Lingo’s plug-and-play type adapter. All you have to do is connect the supplied router to your normal home phone and plug it in to your broadband modem. After that, Lingo is ready to use.

Customer Service

From the very beginning Lingo has always given their customers top most priority. This is reflected in the consumer-centric schemes that they run as well as their 30 day money back guarantee program. Membership entails access to 24/7 toll-free customer and technical support service. Most queries are resolved promptly and efficiently and almost always within the SLA time periods. Users can also view and modify their account information online.

Product Features:

Emergency Calling Facility
By routing emergency calls to the local Public Safety Answering Point near your registered address, Lingo acts in the same manner as 911 emergency services. Lingo was the first VoIP provider to offer this all important service.

Fax Capability on Business Plans
Recognizing that businesses often need to fax as much as they call, Lingo has added 500 free fax minutes to their business plans. Additional usage is charged at 3 cents per minute.

Virtual Phone Number
Allows users to have an international number in a country other than where they are based. All calls made and received within the same country are then treated at par with local calls, cutting rates drastically.  

Local Number Porting
Rather than holding multiple numbers, users can opt to transfer their regular phone number to Lingo by filing a request and authorization letter with them.

Other General Features
In addition to the special features described above, Lingo offers all the other basic VoIP facilities including:

• Caller Number and Name Identification
• Call Waiting
• Call Forwarding
• Conference Calling
• Voicemail (By Email as audio attachment)
• Speed Dialing
• Simultaneous Ringing (of multiple incoming calls)

Call Plans

In this department, Lingo has been unbeatable right from the time of its launch. Current promotion offers free shipping, activation and first month of usage – all of which add up to $100 USD worth of savings. Lingo’s 30 day money back guarantee program allows new users to try the product at no actual cost if they choose to terminate the service. Here’s a break up of some of their most popular plans:

• Chatter Box Monthly Plan: Unlimited calls to USA and 22 other countries at $21.95 per month. This is the lowest monthly plan rate offered by any player.
  
  
• Annual Plans: Unlimited calls to USA and Canada throughout the year at $195.00 USD per year.
  
  
• Home Plans: Three different offerings basis type and frequency of calling. Lingo Link at $7.95 USD per month; Small Talk at $14.95 USD per month and the Chatterbox plan already mentioned.
  
  
• Business Buzz Plan: Unlimited calls to USA, Canada and Puerto Rico at $49.95 USD per month and low international rates to other countries.
  
  
• International Plans: Unlimited calling to the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico through the Global Gabber Plan priced at $34.95 USD per month. Users also get 300 free call minutes to Mexico, China, Japan and UK.
  
  
• Asian & European Plan: Unlimited calling to Western Europe, Asia, Israel and parts of Russia and Mexico at $79.95 USD per month

All in all, a fantastic power-packed service that offers unmatched quality at the lowest rates – Lingo is highly recommended!

Via Talk Review

Via Talk is one of the cheapest yet reliable VoIP services available in the market today. With its current user lock-in plan that provides 2 phone lines with unlimited calls for 2 years at $199 USD, Via Talk is a real value for money option for regular VoIP users.

Buying and Setting Up

Once you complete payment for your membership via credit card, you receive the adapter by mail in about a week’s time. The rest is as easy as installing any other plug-and-play device. Via Talk also provides users the option of bringing their own device in order to reduce the fees partially. So if you have used any other VoIP service in the past, you may want to try and unlock the adapter and re-use it.

Product Features

Via Talk’s service is as feature laden as Lingo’s and hence far more than most other VoIP players in the industry today. Some of its typical features include:

• Caller Identification with name
• Call Forwarding
  
• Waiting
• Call Rejection 
• Voicemail (as well as notification through email or text message)
• Simultaneous Ringing (for multiple incoming calls)
• Emergency calling facilities (chargeable at a nominal monthly rate) 
• Do Not Disturb Facility
• Conference Calling
• Custom / Unwanted Call Blocking
• Call Alarm (Wake-Up Call via phone)

In addition, Via Talk has a few unique or not so common features:

• Call Record allows users to record up to 30 minutes of phone conversation per call, which can then be stored indefinitely.
• Toll Free Number at $ 4.95 per month. 5 cents per minute for incoming calls.
• Soft Phone Access that enables the using of a computer to make and receive calls
• Passwords for Call Log, just in case you want to keep your call data confidential
• Virtual Phone Number in most international countries at $3.95 per month
• Fax Service at $9.95 per month
• Priority Support for customer and technical service at an extra fee of $1 per month
• Complimentary 411 Directory Service  (all 411 calls charged at $0.95 per minute)

Call Quality

When used on a cable internet connection Via Talk provides superior sound quality without background sound and no call dropping. Dial-up internet connections might record poorer audio output, as is the case with any VoIP software.

Call Plans

Via Talk offers limited and unlimited plans for both home and office users. These are:

VT_500 Plan: 500 call minutes to USA and Canada at $9.95 per month. Extra minutes charged at 3.5cents per minute (2 year package)

VT Unlimited Plan: Unlimited calling to USA and Canada at $15.95 per month (2 year package)
VT Business 1500 Plan: 1500 call minutes to USA and Canada at $29.95 per month (2 tear package). Additional minutes charged at 3.5cents per minute. Fax line also provided.

VT Business Unlimited: Limitless calling to USA and Canada at $35.95 per month (2 year package). Free fax line provided.

It may not be the cheapest VoIP service but it is definitely lower than other players like AT&T, Vonage and Packet 8.

Customer Service

This is where Via Talk has had to pull up its socks. Having had trouble in meeting the exceptional demand it generated in the past, Via Talk faced early user complaints of slow and inefficient customer service and query resolution. In response, Via Talk beefed up their service staff numbers and its customer service center in now equipped to turn around queries in super fast time, with the help of a first come first serve ticketing system. Again, the web based user control panel has been modified and now allows users to gain information and make modifications to key account information online.

In conclusion, though it may not be the cheapest or best provider in the industry, Via Talk comes a very close second and is recommended. Try out their product for free today, and if it doesn’t suit you ask for a refund through their 14 day money back guarantee policy.

Phone Power Review

Phone Power is another of the Voice Over Internet Protocol options that have become available in the recent past. Run as a small business this services passes on operation cost savings to customers in the form of low plan rates, without cutting back on the features offered by the larger companies.

Buying and Setting Up
Installation is as simple as plugging in the the Grandstream Handy Tone 502 adapter,  that is provided free, on lease, by Phone Power. This can then be used in conjunction with a regular phone handset, with no need for additional complex software.

Product Features

Features

Conference Calling and ACD call queue
Available as a special feature on business connections, this makes virtual conferences a breeze.
Business Solutions suited to the smallest Business
As they serve businesses on a per line basis, it is an economical option even for smaller start-ups that do not need multiple lines.
Hold Music and Auto Attendant
Again, only for business customers, this acts as a basic call answering service.
Emergency 911 Dialling
Routes 911 calls to the nearest PSAP and uses client’s registered address as the address for emergency / distress.   
Number Porting
Users can choose to transfer their current phone or VoIP number to Phone Power, and the process usually takes ten days, but may also take a bit longer.

Other General Features
In addition to the special features described above, Phone Power comes with all the other basic VoIP facilities including:

• PBX Lines
• Caller Number and Name Identification
• Call Waiting
• Call Return
• Three way calling
• Call Forwarding
• Voicemail (as email attachment if desired)
• Speed Dialing
• Simultaneous Ringing (of multiple incoming calls)
• Find Me, Follow Me
• Contacts List
• Call Logs
• Do Not Disturb
• Virtual Phone Number (available at a nominal charge)

Call Quality
Sound quality is one of the best among VoIP providers and comes close to the quality of analog phones. Moreover, Phone Power’s service is reliable, having minimal dropped calls.

Call Plans
To begin with, Phone Power has no activation fees and no binding contracts! Their plan rates are not the lowest, but not far from being so either. They offer residential and business plans for US and Canada calling and charge international calls as per the rate card on their website.

• Residential 500: 500 allotted minutes to USA and Canada at $9.95 per month.
• Residential Freedom (6 month package): Unlimited calls to USA and Canada  at $19.95 per month.
• Residential Freedom Annual Plan with 6 months free: Unlimited calling to USA and Canada at just $199 for 18 months!
• Business Unlimited PBX Plan: Unlimited calls to USA and Canada at $39.95 per connection.  

Customer Service
Phone Power differs from quite a few mushroom VoIP providers in that their customer service calls are handled by Live executives without too long a wait. For those who prefer not to take the call route, Phone Power’s website portal has detailed FAQS and also provides web based solutions to queries with conclusive answers returned in 24 hours. One of the biggest complaints against this provider was that they offered no weekend support. However, Phone Power seems to have paid heed to this and has introduced Saturday support and is reported to be going 24/7 soon.  

With their current offer that costs half the regular price for the first 3 months of use and with no cancellation charge for quitting thereafter, Phone Power is definitely worth a try for new VoIP users.

Vonage Review

Once reputed as being the best VoIP provider around, Vonage has slipped a great deal since and lost many loyal customers, largely thanks to what users feel is poor customer service.

Buying and Setting Up
Vonage comes with a handset rather than just a router. This makes its use identical to that of an analog phone as opposed to IM based VoIP systems. The handsets currently offered by Vonage are Motorola VT1005v and Linksys RT31P2.

Product Features

911 Dialing
Vonage routs emergency calls to a PSAP and uses the registered contact details for providing the required emergency address. The facility needs to be enabled on activation of the handset.
311 Dialing
Comes with the 311 service in metro cities and can be used to get local city information, like a yellow pages service.
Virtual Phone Number
At an additional charge of $4.99 per month, users can own a second number anywhere in the USA, Canada, Mexico City and in certain parts of the United Kingdom. This allows for a great reduced call rate for the person calling the user as it is treated as a local call in the city of hosting.
Toll-free Number
Users can get a 800 number for $4.99 per month which buys 100 free minutes for the incoming caller. This is available only for calls made in the USA. 
 
Other General Features
Vonage also offers other basic VoIP facilities such as :

• Caller Number and Name Identification
• Call Waiting
• Call Forwarding (to alternate number in case original number is busy or unanswered)
• Call Return
• Three way Conference Calling
• Voicemail (By Email as .wav audio attachment)
• Fax Line (Free for business users, $9.99 for home users)
• Free Vonage to Vonage calling

Call Quality
In this department, Vonage has mixed reviews. While its call quality has been known to closely resemble that of an analog line, it seems to be facing problems since its initial days of glory. While many VoIP systems work well on DSL connections, Vonage is one of the few where quality is distinguishably better on a cable or FOIS internet connection.  Though it does not happen often, the Vonage modem sometimes slows down ones internet usage speeds to bothering levels.

Call Plans
Vonage is far more expensive than many of the newer VoIP offerings in the market. There is also an activation cost of $29.99, shipping charges of $9.95 and low federal taxes. It offers multiple plans for both home and business users. No contract or binding terms are imposed upon the user.

• Premium Unlimited Plan: Unlimited calls to USA and Canada at $24.99 per month. 500 Residential Plan: 500 allotted minutes to USA and Canada at $14.99 per month. Additional minutes charged at 3.9 cents per minute.
• Unlimited Business Plan: Unlimited calls to USA and Canada at $49.99 per month.
  
• Limited Business Plan: 1500 call minutes to USA and Canada and 3.9 cents for every minute thereafter.  

There is no specific international calling plan. Instead, long distance calls are charged as per the published schedule and are highly competitive for most countries.

Customer Service
Vonage hosts a detailed FAQs section on its website, which is sufficient to resolve basic or frequently occurring glitches. It also has an email technical support system. Customer service executives are available 24/7 via a toll-free line. Besides, customers also have access to various call related information on a user-friendly web account page. Inspite of all this, customers have complained of a terrible drop in the quality of call center service ever since the company outsourced this department.

In conclusion, Vonage is still one of the best VoIP option for most and is especially suited for those who are attached to their old telephone line’s look and feel.