# What does Vonage actually do for me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330 "2009-01-08T03:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/41 "2009-01-08T21:23:01Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I just have the $9.99 a month plan with 500 minutes. Without looking it up, I think the unlimited plan is maybe double that at $19.99? > > Something to think about is that you can choose any area code you want. So if you wanted to, you could pick your wife’s sisters area code and she could call you guys. Good thought, but then, my kids would need to call us LD and they live in towns that border mine here in CT. 🙂 No, I’m very happy to have my wife call her sister. I’m one of the lucky ones with a great sister in law. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/42 "2009-01-08T21:28:09Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > [sup]\*Oh shit… does that mean we’re slated for Ark B?[/sup] Yes, we’ve reserved a berth for you right next to the telephone sanitisers. > [@Folly](#): > > I like the fact that they email you .wav files of any voicemail you recieve. Vonage does that too. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/43 "2009-01-08T21:31:48Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > I heard that they’re offering TV everywhere but no one I know could get it. So, in your area, what does AT&T provide in the way of TV, please? And how do they compare in price to Cable? (If you don’t mind answering.) The U-Verse TV service comes with a DVR and additional boxes for up to four TVs. I get most of the same channels I used to get with Time Warner plus a lot of new ones that TW never had. The on screen functions and guide are an order of magnitude better than TW and the actual TV picture seems to be better as well. We don’t have HDTV yet but the service is free when we do decide to pull the trigger. We got the HBO package along with another package that includes Starz, Encore, and some others. With internet, phone and TV bundled together I am basically saving what I was sending to TW every month (~ $90). ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/44 "2009-01-08T22:55:40Z")
Sadly, U-Verse isn’t availble in my town yet. Talked the AT&T Business Office to ask how much they’re charging me for Unlimited LD ($50) and Internet ($20). Told her about my VoIP intentions. She played the fear card: “No 911.” Told her they do have it. Power Shutdown, loss of phone. \_“We have a cell phone.” Surprise,surprise, I got a $10 discount and a faster version of my DSL effective 1/12. Stil thinking VoIP, however. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/45 "2009-01-09T05:53:01Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > Good thought, but then, my kids would need to call us LD and they live in towns that border mine here in CT. 🙂 > > No, I’m very happy to have my wife call her sister. I’m one of the lucky ones with a great sister in law. Even better, Vonage will give you a free toll-free phone number to give to your friends and family that will ring to your phone, so they will not have to pay any long distance charges when calling you. Sadly, they can’t port existing toll-free numbers to this service, or else MCI/Verizon would be out of another line’s worth of business from me :mad: ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/46 "2009-01-09T12:21:08Z")
In a couple of posts up, I tell how I will get a faster DSL on January 12th. Woman at the Business Office said i must shut down my computer on that day after 8 pm and the new faster version will install - maybe over 10 days or so. This sounds like barefaced BS. Please suggest something for me to do about this. The obvious idea, i suppose, is to call back for an explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/47 "2009-01-09T13:26:07Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > In a couple of posts up, I tell how I will get a faster DSL on January 12th. > > Woman at the Business Office said i must shut down my computer on that day after 8 pm and the new faster version will install - maybe over 10 days or so. > This sounds like barefaced BS. Please suggest something for me to do about this. The obvious idea, i suppose, is to call back for an explanation. Shut down your computer for 10 days? Huh? You shouldn’t have to do anything on your end except _maybe_ power cycle the modem (or replace it if it’s really old). I think you need to run a couple of speed tests and then after the upgrade run them again. If the speed doesn’t go up, threaten to cancel again. Oh, and I would just call them and ask them WHY you would have to shut down your computer at all? If all you need to do is reset it, I would do that when they ask. But if they want you to turn it off for ten days, tell them nevermind, you can’t be without a computer for that long and start talking to them about VOIP again. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330/48 "2009-01-09T13:30:03Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Shut down your computer for 10 days? Huh? You shouldn’t have to do anything on your end except _maybe_ power cycle the modem (or replace it if it’s really old). I think you need to run a couple of speed tests and then after the upgrade run them again. If the speed doesn’t go up, threaten to cancel again. Excellent advice. Iwill do the tets, multiple times. Then I’ll call the Business Office again to ask why they can’t upgrade me immediately. Thanks again, **Joey**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vonage-actually-do-for-me/480330.md?page=2)