Tips for New Vonage and VoIP Customers

This is obviously not going to be a theological post in any sense of the word. However, it may prove useful for people who are signing up for Vonage or any other VoIP type phone service.

Our church just switched all of our phone service to Vonage. By doing this, we will save over $700 per year. The signup process with Vonage was simple - we were able to "port" our current number to the Vonage account and add a dedicated fax line, which was something we have never had before. Vonage's customer service is some of the best I have ever experienced - a quality in corporations that is becoming sadly rare. I received my "V-Portal" in the mail, and the clear, easy instructions had my voice line up and running in no time. The fax line, however, was a different story.

The fax machine I use is an HP OfficeJet 7780 - it has been a great printer/copier/scanner for a small office like our church's. We have had it for three years, and have never used the fax capability. With Vonage, we can. I followed the instructions to hook up the fax machine, only to find that when I plugged the phone line from the fax machine into the V-Portal, my fax machine displayed a message telling me my phone was off the hook. So...to the online forums I went. I discovered many common issues, especially with all-in-one printers such as the HP 7780. For many of these machines to work with VoIP, you need to suspend certain features like, "auto correction" and you need to change the "baud rate" to 9600, which is the slowest rate setting. So, I changed these items, and still had the same message - "phone off hook" flashing on the screen. So, I called Vonage customer service.

Again, I was pleasantly surprised with the willingness of the Vonage customer service rep to actually HELP me, and not just read from a script making fake apologies for my technology woes. He actually pulled up the manual for my printer (something that I don't believe HP's Customer Service has even done), and went to work to help me solve the problem. So...what was the solution?

It's really quite simple, and the Vonage rep discovered it within 5 minutes. I was using all 4-pin phone cords for my phones. I didn't even know there were different types of phone cords to begin with. What I needed for VoIP to work correctly were 2-pin phone cords. Apparently VoIP lines require less voltage, and when multiple 4-pin cords are plugged int he V-Portal, it thinks the phone is off the hook. So, I began to scrounge around the office, grabbing every phone cord in sight, and within a couple of minutes found enough 2-pin phone cords to do the job. I switched out the cords, the Vonage rep sent me a test fax and now I am in business. So, here's a list of tips if you are about to make the switch to VoIP (and I highly recommend Vonage simply because of their customer service):

1. Read the instructions that come with your VoIP equipment.
2. Find enough 2-pin phone cords to cover each line you have - both voice and data. I discovered the 2-pin cords in a couple of old modem boxes that I had stuffed in my desk. Most newer phones come with 4-pin cords. If you cannot locate 2-pin cords in your home or office, check out: http://www.cordsforphones.com/ and they will have what you need.
3. Set the baud rate on your fax machine to 9600, turn off "auto correction" and if possible, set it to auto answer after the fewest number of rings possible.
4. Plug in and enjoy saving money with VoIP!
5. If you choose Vonage, it is much easier to sign up over the phone than it is on the web - this was something that came at the suggestion of my Vonage sales representative. So, to sign up over the phone, just call 1-800-486-6037.

I hope this post helps anyone who is discovering the many features that come with VoIP service! Our church is going to enjoy the savings and the added features.