I Have Voip Service, But Fried My Voip Router

[Dancali]

I ordered Vonage to my place in San Diego. I got it forwarded to me in Bangkok.

A nice Linksys router with two phone ports arrived. I stupidly plugged it in and blew the power supply. I went to Pantip to try to find a new power supply and the lady plugged it in to something to test if it worked and that's when my nice new router let off some horrible smells. My guess is that it, too, is fried.

So, how can I get myself set up now? I have true adsl with their zyxel modem which connects to your computer with a usb cable.

All help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel

[ace]

Skype is one way to go, no router needed as it's application level. If it's just for you to contact friends and family, that's what I'd suggest. I believe there's a thread on it here.

Ace

[Dancali]

Skype is one way to go, no router needed as it's application level. If it's just for you to contact friends and family, that's what I'd suggest. I believe there's a thread on it here.

Ace

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the advice Ace, but I've already weighed the pros and cons and have gone with voip. This phone will be my primary phone number as well as my business number so I need much more freedom than being confined to calling only those who have the same technology.

This is probably an easy technology question for somebody, any ideas?

[daxbr]

I ordered Vonage to my place in San Diego.  I got it forwarded to me in Bangkok.

A nice Linksys router with two phone ports arrived.  I stupidly plugged it in and blew the power supply.   I went to Pantip to try to find a new power supply and the lady plugged it in to something to test if it worked and that's when my nice new router let off some horrible smells.  My guess is that it, too, is fried.

So, how can I get myself set up now?  I have true adsl with their zyxel modem which connects to your computer with a usb cable.

All help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am not an expert in this but I'd think there is no other way but to get new one from vonage. I use motorola and vonage periodically updates software there so this makes me think any other router just won't do.

Also, unless they made some recent changers, there is no way to use vonage thru usb. It has to be ethernet. Sounds like you need to buy new modem too. Again, I am in now way an expert but this is my observation after using vonage service for over a year. Let us know how you make out.

Edited February 25, 2005 by daxbr

[Art]

I ordered Vonage to my place in San Diego.  I got it forwarded to me in Bangkok.

A nice Linksys router with two phone ports arrived.  I stupidly plugged it in and blew the power supply.  I went to Pantip to try to find a new power supply and the lady plugged it in to something to test if it worked and that's when my nice new router let off some horrible smells.  My guess is that it, too, is fried.

So, how can I get myself set up now?  I have true adsl with their zyxel modem which connects to your computer with a usb cable.

All help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why not just use the Vonage add-on service, SoftPhone? With this service, you use your PC's soundcard instead of a telephone. There's apparently no extra charge for it and it eliminates the need for you to request Vonage to send you replacement equipment or your having to hunt for something that's compatible with both Vonage and True. The voice quality using the PC should be the same as using the equipment (that was fried) with a telephone.

Details of SoftPhone are at:

http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=softphone

Art

[Dancali]

I ordered Vonage to my place in San Diego.  I got it forwarded to me in Bangkok.

A nice Linksys router with two phone ports arrived.  I stupidly plugged it in and blew the power supply.   I went to Pantip to try to find a new power supply and the lady plugged it in to something to test if it worked and that's when my nice new router let off some horrible smells.  My guess is that it, too, is fried.

So, how can I get myself set up now?  I have true adsl with their zyxel modem which connects to your computer with a usb cable.

All help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why not just use the Vonage add-on service, SoftPhone? With this service, you use your PC's soundcard instead of a telephone. There's apparently no extra charge for it and it eliminates the need for you to request Vonage to send you replacement equipment or your having to hunt for something that's compatible with both Vonage and True. The voice quality using the PC should be the same as using the equipment (that was fried) with a telephone.

Details of SoftPhone are at:

http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=softphone

Art

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This sounds interesting. I never thought about the softphone since I thought that was just another one of those programs that only work with others who have a softphone.

1. Will the sound quality be identical to normal vonage?

2. Will I be able to accept calls from anyone and make calls to anyone whether they have a standard phone line or the softphone?

Thanks,

Daniel

[Dancali]

Well, I have looked into it further and it seems that it really will work just as Vonage does except for a few minor things that won't affect me. The extra charge is $9.99 a month but they do throw in extra minutes with that. The only thing I need now is a good quality microphone/headset and I'm ready to go. Thanks for the great lead Art!

[jonboy]

This looks very interesting indeed! Does the 9.99(England) give you FREE local and national calls? as it advertises 'unlimited local and national calls' but doesn't mention the word free....but also doesn't mention any costs(that I can see) for local and national calls.

[bkk_mike]

Personally - I would treat the softphone as a short term alternative to a hard wired phone.

Any review I've seen seems to suggest that using a phone plugged into a router is slightly better quality than the softphone.

Now - as for the charge, I had thought that was only when you wanted a new number for the softphone, separate from the number allocated to your router, although I might be wrong...

As for the burnt out router, only thing I can think of is getting a new one in the US. - they're not that expensive, except for getting them out to Thailand. Ideally you'd want the UK power supply for it (since that's 230v too - and the router itself is the same.) I'm assuming you have tried your router with either a transformer to reduce the voltage to 110v, or a new power supply that outputs the right voltage from 220v, to make sure it really is dead...