Packet8 VoIP User Review
I have been a Packet8 VoIP user for several months, and have
logged over 10,000 minutes of calling time on this service to
date. During this time, I lost my dial tone 3 times and had
around 6 incomplete or dropped calls. Two times, the person I
was talking to said I sounded like I was in a "tunnel". Other
than that, the call quality has been excellent and I have no
complaints. Other than the "tunnel" sound that happend twice,
the other problems were due to my local network setup and had
nothing to do with Packet8 at all. Since the length of my
average call is about 45 minutes, I've used Packet8 for around
220 calls so far. With only 2 of these calls having quality
issues that I can attribute directly to Packet8 service, I can
safely say that Packet8 VoIP service has proven to be over
99% reliable. With unlimited local and long distance calling
for $19.95 a month, Packet8 unlimited local and long distance
service with +99% reliability is the bargain of the year!
My Packet8 experience has been absolutely wonderful so far. When
I received my Uniden 1868P VoIP adapter/telephone combo device,
I was able to install it in minutes due to the excellent
instructions that were enclosed. After making the necessary
cable connections, I lifted the receiver, dialed the special
code that was provided, and had an email confirming my
activation within minutes. I made my first "live" internet phone
call within 15 minutes of unpacking the adapter. As an IT
professional, I have installed hundreds of new hardware devices
and have never experienced a setup as quick and easy as this
one. Installation is so simple that I firmly believe anyone
can do it!
Most questions can be answered by reading the technical support
postings on the Packet8.com website. For issues that are not
covered, you can call a customer support number and talk to a
"real person" or send an email. I emailed a question regarding
the password to my VoIP adapter device, and had an answer within
10 minutes. This is perhaps the quickest response I have ever
had from any company's tech support! Packet8 is also very
good about keeping subscribers informed of upcoming changes via
email. I get an informative email from them every 3-4 weeks,
telling me about enhancements they are adding to services or
upgrades that are available for my adapter/phone combo device.
All account management can be done through the user section of
the Packet8 website. I can logon and see invoice history,
download updates and manage my services. The simple online
control panel allows me to tailor services to meet my needs. I
can set the number of rings before voicemail picks up, change my
voicemail password, and turn voicemail on/off. I can also turn
call waiting on/off or forward all my calls to a number of my
choice if I'm going to be away from home for awhile. Beginning
November 2005, I'll be able to enter an email address that voice
messages will be forwarded to. This is a great service that I
think I will use often; voice messages will come to me via an
email attachment that can be forwarded to anyone I wish.
The features I get for free with Packet8 are awesome - call
waiting, call forwarding, caller id, distinctive ring (this
is a feature on the Uniden 1868p phone), 3 way conference
calling, call blocking and voicemail. I never paid the extra
price for these features with my old land line service, but I
sure do enjoy them for free! I think voicemail is one of the
best features with VoIP. I was able to get rid of my answering
machine and I can now check my voicemail from anywhere with a
toll free number that Packet8 provides. If I want, I can add an
800 number or "virtual numbers" in another area code for a few
dollars per month, and the distinctive ring service will tell me
which phone number is ringing.
Needless to say, I am totally satisfied with Packet8 VoIP
service and highly recommend this provider. Their main
competitor is Vonage, who offers comparable service for about $5
more per month. If you want high quality, VoIP service for $60
less a year than Vonage, Packet8 is
definitely the way to go.