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ooma Hub - VoIP Phone Device with No Monthly Phone Service Bills
By: ooma Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 67
More Information
 On: 2008-06-29
I was very excited about ooma. I called their customer service to ask about call forwarding. They said they will have it soon. When I asked the exact time they told me at end of this year, and the customer rep tried to argue that 6 months is soon...wow. I am skeptical about ooma. Misleading claims and poor customer service.
 On: 2008-06-20
I tried this at a friends house and the call quality is great. What scares me is the fact that the company could be gone in a blink of an eye. They promised a lot early and didnt deliver, so the current promises make me a bit edgy. I use ATT Callvantage and this would pay for itself in a year. So should you roll the dice? Im currently checking to see if they can port over my VOIP number to their service and what would happen to my number if OOMA goes to vapor.
 On: 2008-06-09
Ive been using my ooma box for a number of months and I love it.
Design: The Ooma is definitely designed well with simple, large buttons. The instructions for setup are fairly simple.
Quality: I was very surprised when I plugged in the Ooma box and listened to my welcome voice mail created by the company. The voice quality was excellent! I thought it sounded better than my old service provider. Customer service has been friendly in helping me set up and port my number. When you pick-up calls, there is a short "bling" made through the receiver I guess to let you know youre using the ooma-over-the-internet line.
Voice Mail: The Ooma service will store voice mail for you, and you can even check and listen to your voice mail online after you log into the Ooma Lounge. I love that it will send me an email whenever I receive a voicemail.
Reliable: So far so good for me concerning the phones reliability; however, if your Internet connection is completely down, you wont be able to make calls. You can set the Ooma system up to have a backup land-line connection for a minimal fee depending on who your provider is.
Porting Numbers: Check to see if your number is portable which means you can transfer your number completely over to Ooma from your old service provider. If your old number cant be ported for some reason, you can still use the land-line backup option which will retain your old number for you. You can also select the option for a brand new phone number in your area for free.
Other Features: The Ooma box lets me put my phone on "Do not disturb." I can send incoming calls straight to voice mail. As far as I understand from reading the "help" information , your voice conversations over the Internet are also digitally encrypted from your Ooma box to the Ooma main servers.
No More Phone Bill: I went with the Internet only line and I love not having my regular phone bill show up each month. Its great!
On: 2008-06-08
Please allow me to digress a little bit first - I was trying to get Vonage VOIP adaptor work with my setup consisting of cable modem, Airport extreme router (Time Capsule) and couple of Mac computers. Vonage gave me one hell of a horrible time. I wasted couple of hours on Tech support and finally thought I will give Ooma a try, based on the glowing reviews here in Amazon. If it doesnt work, Amazon is such a sport in taking it back (unlike Vonage - they transfered me to THREE different levels on stubborn representative before they would refund my money).
I am so glad for that decision - one *key* difference between the two set ups, if not already obvious, is that Vonage adaptor connects *behind* your router, whereas Ooma connects in front of it...i.e. between the modem and your router. So unlike Vonage, you dont have to do meddle with the firewall of your router to open up bazillion ports and set up port-forwadings etc etc.
To get a phone no., you go to Ooma website and in few clicks choose a snazzy number (you could port your current no. too) and submit the unique MAC id of your Ooma device. Just shut down your router, plug the beautiful Ooma device to your modem, and connect your router to Ooma. That is it - you are done! Really!
Ooma automatically configures itself to the phone no. you picked and you can start making calls in about 5 minutes!
The call clarity is great and the basic feature you expect like voice mail and call waiting work like it is supposed to. I plugged in a Vtech phone to Ooma and kept two additional handsets in different rooms and I have to tell you - the whole set up is working like a charm. Unlimited calling with Vonage is about $27 to 28 per month and in 7-8 short months Ooma would have paid for itself and from then on, it is free! I know it sounds like it is too good to be true but I checked up the company and it certainly looks like they will be around for a long time and at most may start to charge you something after three years (worst case scenario). But even then, I think it is a great deal if you are getting three years of unlimited phone service for $249. Of course not having to pay *any* monthly phone bill is a nice little relief by itself!
I have only scratched the surface of this thing - there are a lot of additional features that some of you might find very useful, such as optional land line integration (so you get real 911 instead of e911 that you get with any VOIP), instant second phone line if you are using the Ooma scout and so on. I havent tried the scout yet, so cant comment on that.
Do yourself a favor and give Ooma a try - you will be glad you did.
On: 2008-06-04
Forget about Vonage, Verizon, Qwest, AT&T. Theyre all history if people get wise and buy an ooma. I couldnt be happier and theres not enough good things to say about it.
I have used other VOIP phones before, but have never been overly impressed with the call quality. And the savings is marginal. Vonage is still $25 per month, while a local phone company is going to be around $50 + w/ long distance. The major difference between ooma and Vonage or anything other VOIP service is that ooma operates on a peer-to-peer network, like Napster (used to) or Skype. The ooma device runs on Linux and calls are routed via other ooma Hubs throughout the US while its sitting wherever you put it. You wouldnt know that other calls are passing through. I think thats what makes the sound quality so good. It doesnt have to rely exclusively on your internet connection. It feeds off of other ooma Hubs...at least that how I understand it.
Ive successfully ditched my local phone company, where I was spending between $125 - $175 per month for 3 lines in my home...one for business, one for a fax, and one for my home line.
I bought the ooma promo package on Amazon with the ooma Hub & the ooma Scout for $249. Im real sorry I didnt buy before the 1st of April 08...then ooma Premiere would have been free for life.
I now have my business, fax, and home lines all running through the ooma devices and they work perfectly. They were very easy to set up. It was simply a matter of plugging them into my router and plugging my phones into the ooma devices. Pretty easy.
With ooma, you get two lines (and two phone numbers) for free when you buy the device. You can add additional phone numbers (note: Not additional lines) for $4.95 per month. So you can make at least two calls on two lines at any given time. Thats $4.95 per month, for unlimited local and long distance calls in the US (and probably Canada and PR...I havent taken the time to check). ooma will pay for itself in my home within 1 - 2 months.
If you just want the regular ooma service, you get 2 lines, 2 numbers, and caller ID for life...with no expenses outside of the initial hardware purchase.
I will probably upgrade to ooma Premiere after my 60 days is up. It allows for 3 way conference calling. If Im on the phone when someone else calls, I can place my caller on hold and pick up the other line of look at the caller ID and simply dump them into voicemail. I can also retrieve voicemail when Im away from home very easily, and ooma even sends me an email on my Blackberry when a voicemail message is left for me. It tells me how long the VM is and what number it came from. Pretty cool.
Its a remarkable device, and an incredible savings. I also really like the way it look, and the packaging is snazzy. Ive had 3 friends all buy an ooma Hub / Scout package from Amazon and all have been incredibly pleased with the service, the call quality, and the savings. How can you not dig it?
One other note: I tried ooma with a satellite internet provider. The folks at ooma dont recommend using satellite with ooma, and I did notice a lag here or there in call quality with the satellite. How ironic was it that a week after ooma went in, I received a letter from Sprint telling me that they were discontinuing their satellite internet service. I now have screaming fast cable, and ooma works beautifully.
Do yourself a favor. Pick up this hardware and stop paying for crappy home phone service. ooma could spell the end for those companies that have been gouging us for so darned long.
On: 2008-06-03
I used Vonage before and was happy with it. Then, I found out Ooma in Amazon website and when price fell, I decided to give it a try. Wow, I was able to transfer my phone number for free and features are a lot more than Vonage. Voice quality is more than Vonage and I dont have to pay monthly fee. I dont use my home phone a lot and I know it will save me a lot of money after about 8 months. In this rough time with economy, this is the solution to save money and a good investment.
On: 2008-06-02
I have tried them all (Vonage, Packet8 and Skype) and I think ooma is the best of the bunch. I like everything about ooma. The product, service, features, voice quality, value, packaging, ease of use, customer service, website, tech support and more.
I did have a problem with my hub right out of the box, but after calling tech support, they had another one being shipped witin 2 hours with a tracking number.
I know that most people are skeptical about spending $250 with a company that barely has a track record. But I cant see this company going anywhere but up. They have really done their homework. I will get my investment back in less 10 months.
On: 2008-05-24
Initially i was hesitant to buy and then when they reduced the price with porting option, i bought it.
Voice quality is very good except a couple of calls. Since i am getting it free of charges of everything and in some cases $100 an year is really worth it.
Well i used lingo and sunrocket, and its better than for sure lingo. Lingo call quality is very bad and their customer sevice do not listen to you and always talk about rules instead of helping you.
Customer service with ooma is excellent.
Some fax calls are working and most failed in my case.
Equipment is so sleek and nice and very easy to use. i am very happy with instant second line.Literally we are getting two lines with one service.
 On: 2008-05-24
I have existing VOIP and the configuration on-line sign up only gives you the option to say you are using a land line. This caused a lot of confusion working with tech support.
I was also not very happy with tech support. They claim to be open from 8-6 but when I called at 5:00pm they answered the call but the technical staff I needed help from had already left for the day. Not impressive to say the least.
The nail in the coffin was when they wanted to charge me $79 to port my number. This was not disclosed and caught me off guard. Ive never seen a price to port a number from any VOIP provider. Now I understand why they dropped the price of the device - theyre making up the difference in other areas. Furthermore, the prting process takes at least 3 weeks.
Ive had VOIP for over three years now and had high expectations for this product. Unfortunately its time to return this item and continue my search for a better VOIP service (currently using Nuvio whom Im not happy with).
On: 2008-05-19
The Ooma hub was easy to setup. It took me about 10 minutes from opening the box to having dialtone. The service has been great. Calls are clear. I ditched my landline after a few days on the service. I am so happy to not have a monthly phone bill. I am going to recommend this product to all my friends.
On: 2008-05-19
I bought a couple of these devices for myself and my dad and it has worked out great. I have relatives that use other services which pale in comparison to ooma. Heres what I liked about it
* Ability to provide secondary line on my existing home number.
* Does internet bandwidth management so that call quality doesnt suffer even if my PC is downloading stuff
* Supports call-waiting and lets users have simulataneous calls out of the box
* Great voicemail service built-in to the device
* The site is intuitive and easy to use
* Great rates for International calls.
* Stylish packaging and sleek looking devices
* Ability to get latest updates from ooma when they roll it out.
Im sure there are more features which I havent played around with yet.
The things they can work on more:
* Site performance is poor.
* Sometimes my international calls get dropped.
On: 2008-05-02
Review updated - read initial review and see update at the end.
Let me start off by saying that I abandoned traditional telephone service back in 2002 when we switched to Vonage, and though Vonage has not been perfect, its been more than acceptable (until now) for the low fixed cost of unlimited calling throughout North America. However, I have not called Canada in over a decade (nor Europe or asia) except 800 numbers, so oomas limitation to free calls only within the US is perfectly fine with me. Even so, the rarity of a call outside the US would still make ooma a better deal than Vonages $32/month ($24.95 + $7 in taxes).
Now, Ive only had the ooma service for a little over 24 hours at the time I write this, but what immediately struck me is the amazingly clear call quality. Its not only MUCH better than Vonage, but MUCH better than any wired telephone I have ever had, and I am not just referring to my end, which with Vonage was almost always nearly perfect, but the other end, who I called or called me, often complained of my vice being cut off at the beginning/end of a sentence and audio drop-outs, occasional garbling, etc. Understand, it was never bad enough for these people to be really annoyed. They typically said I sounded like I was on a cell-phone, but all said they got used to it. When I called my wife when she was home, from a landline somewhere, I could tell what my friends meant.
However, with ooma, I waited until my long distance friends and family were surely up and about (I am in Atlanta, and my family is all in Chicago, Denver and California), and called them each. Aside from some of them wondering where I was due to the different phone number (apparently, the text portion of the Caller ID did not go through, though I did register my name when I activated the service, so it may be a glitch of some sort) they all... ALL... remarked about how close I sounded.
In particular, My Dad, who does a LOT of business with international companies and is used to VoIP issues, though he does not use a VoIP provider himself, was impressed most of all. He said I sounded clearer than most calls made over the plain old telephone service, and remarked at how I sounded like I was "next door." He was so impressed, than when I told him how much ooma costs, he decided he wanted to try it out, especially when I told him about the optional ability to use a traditional landline with basic for 911 and as a backup (he is in his late 70s after all).
My best friend in illinois, who I speak with multile times weekly and is on a cell-phone, too was "blown-away" at how clear I sounded. He said he did not recognize my voice at first as we have not spoken in person in years!).
I called my wife on her office number and her iPhone, and in both cases, she said I sounded clearer than she has ever heard my voice over the phone!
Okay, enough raving about the voice quality... How about set up?
Well, as advertised, I got it up and running in under 20 minutes from the moment I opened the box after FedEx dropped it off at 8:30am. Activation took only a couple minutes and I picked the most memorable number I have ever had in my 43 years).
Connecting it is as simple as a stand-alone answering machine, though with one extra connection to the Internet. It turned out that the extensions in our apartment were not wired, so the ooma hub would not work with them, but next time I hear the phone guy in the utility closet across the hall, Ill ask him to punch them all down to be shared (or I could get a punchdown tool at Home Depot and do it myself, as the punch block is right on the wall in the laundry closet). I doubt most people would encounter this problem though. However, in the meantime, I plugged the ooma scout into the hub directly, and it works perfectly.
I absolutely love the convenience of the buttons on the ooma to let me listen to messages, screen calls, etc, just like the good old fashioned answering machines. I always hated voice mail due to the inconvenience of how to use it. Now, I just press play, listen, skip, delete, save, pause, stop. Cant get any easier!
The dual line feature is great, I tested it out with my cell phone, and can easily see it getting used often as the cell service only works in our apartment if you stand really still whilst talking, due to a lot of radio interference on our side of the building (according to AT&T Wireless).
In all, I am really impressed. ooma is what VoIP should always have been.
Now, let me be candid on what I perceive to be oomas only real weakness compared to other VoIP providers such as Vonage. International calls. If you are someone who makes a LOT of international calls, especially to Canada, the UK, France and Italy), you should definitely do your homework and analyze your current call usage and compare Vonage (and other VoIP providers) and oomas long distance pricing. Vonage includes free calling to those countries I listed, whilst ooma charges as little as about 2 cents/minute to LANDLINES in those countries, but watch out... calling mobiles in those same countries using ooma can cost quite a bit more! But, if you are like me, and the vast majority of your calling is in the US, then ooma is definitely the better deal.
Were keeping Vonage )as a backup) for a couple more months or so, forwarding call to the ooma number to see how ooma works out, and if all goes well, when the free ooma premier service offer ends in 90s days, we will cancel Vonage and keep the ooma premier service, which costs have what Vonage costs (the extras are worth it to us). We wont port he number though since the ooma number is better than the one Vonage gave us when we moved here from out of state last month.
Thanks for reading. I hope this was helpful! I set a reminder in iCal to update this review in a month.
UPDATE: After one month with ooma, all I can say is service has been perfect. Nothing has gone wrong once. The voice quality has remained consistently outstanding. I simply have no other update to provide. 100% happy with ooma! I have iCald another reminder to update again in another month.
 On: 2008-05-02
okay, I should have purchased OOMA when it was selling at $400, it offered the second line and privacy features that I thought I would still get them when the priced dropped to $249. Bar hum bug. I may raise the rating once I see the real savings from just having a basic line and how the international feature. But disappointed that the business plan changed soo quickly after initial release. I think Ooma should rethink the pricing for premia. Right now, the annual price = savings that I have just made by cutting off the caller ID and call waiting prices. So I have paid for a box with two features that we cannot use without paying a lot of money. Cmon Ooma, this makes no sense!
Otherwise, set up was easy and the costs of no caller ID and call waiting will be not be missed!
On: 2008-05-02
Few weeks later: Purchaser awareness: to get the full advantage of OOMAs features, which are not clearly highlighted in the reviews is that you HAVE to switch/port your phone number over to Ooma. We found that the call waiting and caller ID will not work if you still have your land line carrier even if you only are paying the most basic fee. So whilst you have just the basic line, you will be charged for local calls at the local rate and any calls outside of the local area (you need to check with your carrier what that area is) will be through ooma (at zero cost for calls within US). So far, the long distance calls were good and we have experienced no dropped calls. We were disappointed that Ooma was not clear about the above. So for people who are still on a land line to think carefully, that you will need to come off your line, otherwise, you will end up paying for instrument and not get the full features of Ooma.
Note for co-ops/condo occupants that intercom will not work once you have Ooma or any VOIP. A small inconvenience as you have to alert your doorman when you are expecting guests/deliveries ahead of time. We are hoping the savings will be worth it.
For non-geeks like me: Ooma set up does require some geekiness (my husband is all geek). By this I mean, Ooma does have a mini firewall that manages your internet flow, and you do need to make sure your configuration allows all calls to come first over and above other internet activities ie download or uploads (hence no dropping of calls). This set up is manual and you may need to call on a nerdy friend.
Our next step: to convert our land line to Ooma. We were told it will take between 2-3 weeks, and in the meantime, we will be given a temporary number. There is a one-off fee charged by Ooma to convert the number at $80. Well keep you posted on this leg of the process.
On: 2008-05-02
Let me start off by saying that I abandoned traditional telephone service back in 2002 when we switched to Vonage, and though Vonage has not been perfect, its been more than acceptable (until now) for the low fixed cost of unlimited calling throughout North America. However, I have not called Canada in over a decade (nor Europe or asia) except 800 numbers, so oomas limitation to free calls only within the US is perfectly fine with me. Even so, the rarity of a call outside the US would still make ooma a better deal than Vonages $32/month ($24.95 + $7 in taxes).
Now, Ive only had the ooma service for a little over 24 hours at the time I write this, but what immediately struck me is the amazingly clear call quality. Its not only MUCH better than Vonage, but MUCH better than any wired telephone I have ever had, and I am not just referring to my end, which with Vonage was almost always nearly perfect, but the other end, who I called or called me, often complained of my vice being cut off at the beginning/end of a sentence and audio drop-outs, occasional garbling, etc. Understand, it was never bad enough for these people to be really annoyed. They typically said I sounded like I was on a cell-phone, but all said they got used to it. When I called my wife when she was home, from a landline somewhere, I could tell what my friends meant.
However, with ooma, I waited until my long distance friends and family were surely up and about (I am in Atlanta, and my family is all in Chicago, Denver and California), and called them each. Aside from some of them wondering where I was due to the different phone number (apparently, the text portion of the Caller ID did not go through, though I did register my name when I activated the service, so it may be a glitch of some sort) they all... ALL... remarked about how close I sounded.
In particular, My Dad, who does a LOT of business with international companies and is used to VoIP issues, though he does not use a VoIP provider himself, was impressed most of all. He said I sounded clearer than most calls made over the plain old telephone service, and remarked at how I sounded like I was "next door." He was so impressed, than when I told him how much ooma costs, he decided he wanted to try it out, especially when I told him about the optional ability to use a traditional landline with basic for 911 and as a backup (he is in his late 70s after all).
My best friend in illinois, who I speak with multile times weekly and is on a cell-phone, too was "blown-away" at how clear I sounded. He said he did not recognize my voice at first as we have not spoken in person in years!).
I called my wife on her office number and her iPhone, and in both cases, she said I sounded clearer than she has ever heard my voice over the phone!
Okay, enough raving about the voice quality... How about set up?
Well, as advertised, I got it up and running in under 20 minutes from the moment I opened the box after FedEx dropped it off at 8:30am. Activation took only a couple minutes and I picked the most memorable number I have ever had in my 43 years).
Connecting it is as simple as a stand-alone answering machine, though with one extra connection to the Internet. It turned out that the extensions in our apartment were not wired, so the ooma hub would not work with them, but next time I hear the phone guy in the utility closet across the hall, Ill ask him to punch them all down to be shared (or I could get a punchdown tool at Home Depot and do it myself, as the punch block is right on the wall in the laundry closet). I doubt most people would encounter this problem though. However, in the meantime, I plugged the ooma scout into the hub directly, and it works perfectly.
I absolutely love the convenience of the buttons on the ooma to let me listen to messages, screen calls, etc, just like the good old fashioned answering machines. I always hated voice mail due to the inconvenience of how to use it. Now, I just press play, listen, skip, delete, save, pause, stop. Cant get any easier!
The dual line feature is great, I tested it out with my cell phone, and can easily see it getting used often as the cell service only works in our apartment if you stand really still whilst talking, due to a lot of radio interference on our side of the building (according to AT&T Wireless).
In all, I am really impressed. ooma is what VoIP should always have been.
Now, let me be candid on what I perceive to be oomas only real weakness compared to other VoIP providers such as Vonage. International calls. If you are someone who makes a LOT of international calls, especially to Canada, the UK, France and Italy), you should definitely do your homework and analyze your current call usage and compare Vonage (and other VoIP providers) and oomas long distance pricing. Vonage includes free calling to those countries I listed, whilst ooma charges as little as about 2 cents/minute to LANDLINES in those countries, but watch out... calling mobiles in those same countries using ooma can cost quite a bit more! But, if you are like me, and the vast majority of your calling is in the US, then ooma is definitely the better deal.
Were keeping Vonage )as a backup) for a couple more months or so, forwarding call to the ooma number to see how ooma works out, and if all goes well, when the free ooma premier service offer ends in 90s days, we will cancel Vonage and keep the ooma premier service, which costs have what Vonage costs (the extras are worth it to us). We wont port he number though since the ooma number is better than the one Vonage gave us when we moved here from out of state last month.
Thanks for reading. I hope this was helpful! I set a reminder in iCal to update this review in a month.
On: 2008-04-27
This device is great! It replaced my VOIP Vonage service and I have been thrilled with the sound quality and performance.
On: 2008-04-24
Wow, I am an early adopter in general, and sometimes.. the cutting edge is the bleeding edge... however with the stock market the way it is, this has been the best investment I have made in a long time. It was easy for me to set up, and I expect it would not be hard for a less technical individual. Their support has been amazingly responsive. I always get a live person on the phone and they have been very knowledgeable. Since I got this phone system, there have been a few glitches, but they have always been fixed in a few days at most. For example, it had some problems when I dialed an extension to get to a specific person I was calling... within a few days, they had a software update (automatically pushed to the device.. I had nothing to do with the upgrade) and it just started working. I was able to port my phone number, which is very important to me as I have a business, and my ads have my number in them. A couple months ago, I received the best letter from my old phone company.. it included a CHECK! No more phone bills! The long distance is excellent (for calling canada at least) you pre-fund $10 into your account, and dial. before you connect, it tells you how many minutes you have remaining based on the location you are calling. The two line feature is amazing.. i can receive calls while on the phone, I can switch over (like call waiting,) or let the broadband answering machine pick up, or someone else can answer the phone!. This does require the extra scout, but you only need one scout, plug a wireless base into the hub, and another into the scout, and you have more phones than you know what to do with! (each of my old wireless base stations had multiple handsets...)
I could go in.. but just to sum up... Love it!
On: 2008-04-21
Received this product and had a very easy installation. My phone system is up and working. It did take 4 weeks to port my phone number over but I can be patient as no more phone bills.
On: 2008-04-20
I did it. And it will feel a bit scary. Trading copper "Bell" wire for VOIP. But it shouldnt be so scary. I have been VOIP at my office for 6 years. But THAT was with a T1 (1.5mpbs in and out)and a $8000 piece of hardware.
I knew that ADSL (what most people refer to as DSL) would not work well. It would be enough to handle OOMA, but not much left over. VOICE requires equal bandwidth in and out and A of the DSL means asynchronous - meaning different speeds. My Bell" DSL was 384k up (on a good day) and 1.5mpbs down.... Assuming that OOMA wanted 64kpbs or 128kpbs for voice alone, then more for its overhead, with 384k up speed, not so much would be left for the kids and their computers. I just refused.
I went with a cable modem and watched speeds for a week. They were a solid 1.5mpbs up and 8mpbs down. I bought OOMA.
New for OOMA is porting a phone number. They did it. It took nearly 4 weeks, but went smoothly when it occurred.
Of course, the week my number was ported, when my box was 5 weeks old, OOMA had a meltdown in their equipment. I could not use my phone for nearly 2 days. They have no way (now) to post status on the web. Like most new companies, they seemed to not have a back up handy. Their service/support people are knowledgeable, courteous and patient. BUT they are not there on nights and weekends and their days start at 11am Eastern time. They also dont seem to like to talk about the workings of the box... like how much bandwidth it uses. Trying to get them to explain to me putting the box in front of or behind the router was like pulling teeth. They would tell me how, easily and clearly.. but they would not tell me why. Not sure if they didnt know, or if they were guarding.
Voice quality is 5 out of 5 with the system working well (other than those two days). There is a 1/4 second lag, or less using the internet for VOIP with them. I know because I have a landline at the same location, call the other phone and talk. It is barely perceptable and in ordinary conversation, it will have no effect. ALL services they advertise including call waiting (which they dont advertise well) and caller ID.. and many other work perfectly EXCCEPT. There is no NAME caller ID yet. They say they are working on this. I dont know peoples phone numbers that well and its a minor issue for me.
Hooking up the handset is - - well... its stupid to plug a single handset into the back of this... unless you live in a 1 br home with no bathroom or kitchen. A portable phone system is best, but try to find one of those with more than 4 handsets or one WITHOUT an answering machine. The answering machine component is useless on the portable phones. OOMA handles messages SO AMAZINGLY well - except you cant just pick up a handset and press one button to get them. You need to dial your own number. Not a big deal. you can also play them from the box or on any computer anywhere! Cool. But 4 handsets.?? I needed 6. Sure you can split the output and put TWO portable systems with TWO base units and TWO answering machines where the OOMA box is... Uh, no.
The answer for me was to reverse feed the house wires. To do this, you have to disconnect the house wiring from your former provider. Theres usually a box somewhere where the wires feed into the house. I then plugged the OUTPUT of the OOMA box into the wall jack. Ta da - every jack in the house, line 1 (the two center wires) were OOMA. Portable, not portable... they all worked.
I did keep a second BELL line. I canceled all services on it and with tax.. fees, etc.. its $20 a month.. .I used to pay $70. I have no long distance on the second line, but do have a dedicated fax on it. I split that and plugged it into the INPUT of the OOMA box. If the internet ever goes down, OOMA switches to that second line (careful with long distance calls), but the dial tone is not OOMAs when it happens. I tested it.
OOMA has another way to distribute its signal. They take their output and also suggest plugging it into the house wiring (apparently without concern about disconnecting from BELL). They will then sell you a "SCOUT" for $40 which you can plug into any jack to access the TWO lines they provide. You can actually use a second separate line (same phone number) for a second outgoing call with a scout. I didnt need that and preferred to plug my phones in.
Apparently the box spits out a signal on its INCOMING line (where my fax is plugged into) So they recommended a DSL filter on the fax unit. I never had a problem with faxes on the BELL line and still dont after installing the filter.
This emergency back up second line plugged in is also not covered in their documents. If you dont want to port your number to them and the internet, you can keep it, plug your OOMA (its input) into the wall with your BELL line and it will use the internet for all outgoing calls and feed all of your BELL calls to your OOMA. I also hear that OOMA will discretely use your local line to route calls if you do that, but I am not sure what they do with that.
Faxes are not perfected yet, apparently for this type of VOIP. I hear that "FOIP" is coming ... I havent played with that much - with a dedicated line, but my first long distance OUT fax will cause a plug shift to OOMA to see if that works.
So, all in all on a 1-10 scale. OOMA rates a 9.7. It is exceptional. Current negatives: service rep hours, no caller ID name, no fax compatible guarantee, like all VOIP - internet speed dependent.
To deal with power outtages, I have OOMA hooked up to a battery backup along with my cable modem. Portable phones dont like power outtages either... make sure you backfeed the house and have a wired phone or
have a wired phone plugged in the system somewhere.
On: 2008-04-12
Very pleased with the product, but the action taken to port of my old phone number is far too slow. This has cost me an additional $20 with my old phone company.
I connected my entire house telephone wire network into the phone port of the hub. That permits me to have 5 phones in various locations fully functional without ooma scouts. The down side to this is that I cant have a second line or a connection to a back-up line with the telephone company, which in my case is acceptable.
On: 2008-04-05
There are excellent reviews already listed. I want to add my personal praise for the ooma. The quality has been excellent. Yes, the lounge is buggy, but getting better. The concept of the product and the fact they are off to such a solid beginning is exciting.
I would like to see them start rolling out other capabilities that I use with products like vonage and skype. I would pay a small monthly fee for certain enhancements.
As it is, ooma is still the best Voip solution out there. I encourage you to purchase it.
On: 2008-03-29
This device is excellent, the quality beats the pants off of vonage and there is no playing with ips or going to web addresses to configure it. Plug it in and use it. End of story!
Pros:
1. SIMPLE doesnt do justice...this thing was the easiest internet device I have ever configured. Plug it in - blue light comes on - you are done. NO IPs, webpages, nothing...its done.
2. NO Monthly Fees - One time $400 cost - which is a bit high but will pay for it self in a bit over one year. As compared to the vonage $24.99 per month before taxes.
3. It can easily be setup to send signal through out your home wiring and very easily setup to work with 2 line phone systems.
4. Number porting is now available.
5. Voicemail interface is easy enough with the big buttons on the device...its like a easy email program. Press to lsten, press the trashcan to delete.
6. Voicemail is emailed, just like vonage and can also be accessed through web portal with your number and pin number.
7. There are so many good things I can say about this. The customer service....AMERICAN and they answered on the first ring after I selected tech support.
Cons - Concerns:
1. My only worry is how thy will uphold the service with the business model the way it is. I mean - I dont want to lose service due to poor planning...but lets hope they thought this through.
I really have no bad things to say....I can tell you that VONAGE is history in my home now that I have used this to make calls. It kicks the pants off of any voip service I have tested. VOICE QUALITY is superb. No more bills for me on a monthly basis.....
I have no affiliation with this company..I am a prosumer/consumer that has a massive case of Gadget Envy. I heard about this on a podcast and bought it the same day. Amazon is competitive in price due to no sales tax and great shipping policies. I know it can be had for $50 cheaper (REBATE) elsewhere...but rebates take for ever and the end result was $25 in savings.
-Tarun
On: 2008-03-17
This is a great device with no-brainer setup and use. The quality of calls is exceptional for VoIP.
The device si expensive, but youll never have a monthly bill - supposedly. I am led to wonder if this business model will be sustainable for the future. Other VoIP companies have come and gone because the money wasnt there.
The device is slick and has all the great features youd expect from regular land-line service. Its a good competitor to Vonage. You do need to make sure your Internet connection is fast.
On: 2008-03-13
We have been using Ooma for the past two months, and I am totally pleased with my purchase.
Currently my wife and I, along with our three teenagers, all have cell phones. We started looking at our local phone line and wondering if we really needed the home phone any longer. Many of our friends have disconnected their home service and only use their cell phones. Being traditionalists, we werent ready to say goodbye to the home phone but we were frustrated by paying AT&T $50 per month.
Amazons ad for Ooma peeked my interest. This has been the perfect solution. The phone quality is great. We were able to keep our current phone number that Ooma ported in a transparent fashion. We love the two-line feature, the free local and long distance, and the simplicity of the answering features on the hub and scout. I find myself using the do not disturb feature more often and the family has enjoyed the three-way conference feature. In the past two months I have seen improvements to the Ooma Lounge.
This company has done everything they said that they would do. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is already paying for high speed internet and wants to stop paying local phone charges.
On: 2008-03-01
I am using ooma for more than 2 months by now and here is my finding for this product.
Good Points
1. It got four stars rating because of its clear voice, with no interruptions or lagging, I have never had this kind of experience with vonage or sunrocket.
2. Installation was a breeze. It took about 2 minutes and the blue light came up. My heart was beating that trouble is coming but it went so perfect I cant believe it.
3. Its answering machine is like a standalone answering machine, even though it will plays the message from internet. Managing the answering machine is convenient too. You can figure it out easily by looking at the image of hub.
4. A unique feature of ooma is if you want to keep a land line then it will integrate with it so seamlessly You dont even need to transfer the number or circulate your new number.
5. Prepay for international calls and you can dial the direct international number.
Negative points
1. The worst thing I wanna mention for this service is you cant use redial feature on your phone from caller id logs. When you get a call you will get a 10 digit number as a caller-id, but when you dial a number it expects you to dial 1 + 10 digit number. For me it is a single largest negative point
2. No Call forwarding
3. No Call Blocking
4. No Call Logs
5. No Online Address book
6. No Simultaneous ringing/ sequential ringing
Conclusion. Overall this is a excellent service I deduct 1 star because it dont allows 10 digit dialing ( or dont show 1+ 10 digit number in caller id). Rest of the negative point are not that worrisome me but it will depend from person to person. One more thing,When user picks up the phone users at both ends listen a different kind of ring for .5 seconds I believe, It is a indication that the caller is using Ooma service
On: 2008-02-28
I started experimenting with voip (Internet phone service) when my phone bill started hitting $100/month without us making any long distance calls. I switched to Vonage, which in my personal experience, was a nightmare. Our voices echoed, calls phased out into a digital garbled mess before they dropped. And they dropped constantly. I tried cancelling Vonage, but once they had my money, they wouldnt return it, but would charge me extra to leave.
I bring this up, because ooma is everything Vonage isnt.
The sound is perfect--no digital noise, no echoes. Vonage technical support told us our cordless phone was causing interference, so we had really long phone cords running all over the house as we tried to keep any wireless device from bothering the little Vonage box. I tried disconnecting our Wii, turned off the wireless capabilities on my Mac. Now my phone is right next to the ooma box, I have my computers wireless capabilities turned back one--no noise, no interference. The sound is clear. Hmmm. What does that tell you? With ooma, I didnt need technical support. The setup instructions couldnt be easier.
No service contract. I own the box, and as long as I own the box, it works. If I change my mind in 8 months, no one to call. It just works. Ooma uses Peer-to-Peer networking, so even if the ooma headquarters drops down a sinkhole, the ooma box still works.
I have to admit Vonage scared me a little, so Ive got the ooma running AND I have a regular phone line. What that means is that in order to have Caller ID and the required Call Forward On Busy, I have to send my old phone company about $20/month, and I had to call my phone company to get them to make the change. Thus the four stars instead of five. The advantage is that if whether the Internet is up or down or if the electricity goes out, we have phone service.
Download those files. With Vonage, I had to run around stopping every computer process, pausing every download when the phone rang so I could hear the caller. The ooma box prioritizes Internet traffic for you, so you always have a clear line.
So far Im impressed. Id be 5-star impressed, I think, if I got rid of the land line.
On: 2008-02-22
Wow, I feel like I am from a diffrent planet! Are all these other reviews for real?
When I first got Ooma I was really excited. The call quality was almost as good as a traditional landline. There were a few glitches but nothing too major. A couple of calls got dropped within first week. But things have went down hill since.
I have been experiencing many issues ranging from calls dropping, to calls breaking up, to call waiting not working as should. I have contacted support by email, with no response. I also contacted them by chat, which hasnt resolved my issues. Now, you may be thinking that it could be my internet connection. However this is the first thing I check when I am expereincing issues with Ooma or any network type problem. My hi-speed internet through Charter was steady as indicated on my modem and the icon on my computer which eliminates the internet as the cause.
On my 2nd chat with support I was told that I should not be working and downloading on the computer while making Ooma calls. They said that this affects call quality and I had happened to have been downloading at the time the calls were breaking up. Now, this seemed odd since Ooma is connected directly to the modem and calls should get priority over other internet traffic. Wrong. This is because as they said QOS is not enabled because of some bugs. So basically everyone that has Ooma will not be able to download bandwidth intensive files while talking with out it effecting call quality causing the "break-up" effect. I have a very fast 5MB connection as tested shortly after issues. And let me tell you, it is terrible while downloading (although very good while not performing downloads). But this is not acceptable. I cant simply sit here all day and not use my bandwidth for downloading just so I can make a damn decent call that is recognizable by the other party! This is an issue, as stated by their support team, that has been going on for over a month and they dont expect it to be resolved within at least two weeks!
It is very frustrating when you have been waiting on hold for like 30 minutes (like I was to the IRS) and have the stupid call drop! My Ooma box has done this over and over again while my broadband connection is going strong. One day it did this about 50 times over and over again and all the lights lit up red and were blinking erratically. As this wasnt frustrating enough, when I was able to get a call through the other party couldnt understand a word I said. I also had issues with call waiting. When I would hit the flash button to receive the call, everything worked. But when I would return to the other line, all I could hear was a very loud garble.
Ooma is a good concept and I really wanted to love it! However, it has been more trouble than it is worth to save the money of a monthly phone bill. (I am now going to try MagicJack which also eleminates monthly phone bills). With these problems and the support too slow to resolve these issues, I have no choice but to return it and try something else.
On: 2008-02-21
The decision to get an Ooma was not easy. For us though the choice was fairly easy. We were paying about $35/month for just long distance, so we would have gotten a return on the introductory cost in under a year. There are a lot of VoIP options out there now so I did a lot of research, even after I ordered my Ooma. I had read all the commentary and reviews I could find on the Ooma and the two pieces that were really pounded on were price and privacy of the distributed networking.
For price, there was no problem. Monthly savings more than make up for the asking price in under a year. In return, we got a service that had my parents say "Where are you calling from? this sounds much better than your home phone." No lag, and better than my skype experience (note: I used Skype years ago and I assume their quality has vastly improved.) The value added features like voicemail, second line... have not meant a lot to us yet, although I do enjoy universal access to my web enabled voicemail.
As for privacy, Im not too concerned with anyone hearing me talk to my mom or friends. I am a little leary of using credit card info etc. Ooma says they have technology to prevent eaves dropping, but they could be more transparent about it, or at least more reassuring. I have never heard any other conversations while I was talking. Also, many people questioned how caller ID would work. It has been flawless for me so far, but that could be because Ooma paid to terminate the calls directly and not through their distributed networking solution.
Pros:
The hardware is very nice and well built.
Voicemail options are great
Cost effective in our case
great call quality
Cons
I had some issues with dropped calls when using my wireless connection concurrently. Seems very similar to dropped access when using two computers on our wireless/comcast connection.
Some concern about privacy/security of distributed networking model
All in all, glad I have it, works great, use it a lot.
On: 2008-02-21
The Ooma is one great product. After an initial (expensive) purchase, you get to make unlimited calls to the United States. You get all the bells and whistles for free such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Privacy, a second line, etc. All of this forever free! All without charging your telephone! And you need an internet connection to hook the Ooma to. But.....
There a few buts here. To set it up, you need teh internet router, computer, and phone connection all within reach of each other to set it up. After you purchase the Ooma, you need a cord connecting the Internet Router to the OOma, so the purchase of a cord is needed. Then after setting it up, it takes up to 24 hours until the OOma is fully ready for use. Give yourself a good hour to set it all up, depending on how good you are at computers and setting things up. Its not difficult, but it takes time.
Next remember that calling 911 over the Internet is not the best way to as many times 911 cannot find where you are through the internet/ooma. So a Ooma Scout is needed for purchase (In my opinion). And most important is that if your cable Internet goes down, or if your electricity goes out (and you dont have a battery backup for the Router), then your Ooma goes out as well leaving you without a phone. So the Scout is extra, but in my opinion its needed. Here you just need to keep basic phone service which is around twelve bucks a month. The Ooma scout plugs into the phone box on the wall...nothing special. Now you could use a cellphone if your ooma /internet goes down, but again depending on the technology your area has and if the 911 center has GPS or Triangulation to find your cellphone signal (if you cant talk), then your cell may or may not work. But for 911 landlines are a must for me, and thats why I believe you need the Ooma Scout along with getting the basic local service (you pay for any calls made, except for 800, and 911), but in reality all you pay for is the local service as ooma is making all your calls and if you have to use 911 its a free call.....so basically all you are paying for is a service to use 911.
The call quality is great. No difference than a regular phone.
Another thing to think about is, will the Ooma company be around forever? There is no reason to think that it will not. But if it ever goes under for whatever reason, then all of us who have Ooma will be at the wishes of whoever purchases it and if they want to charge or keep it free as Ooma has it set up.
On: 2008-02-20
I have to admit I have been wary of adopting Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) for my phone service simply because I had been raised as a rotary-dial user who doesnt want anything to interfere with a sudden need to communicate with someone else. When I heard that a third party would need to be involved when connecting to 911 emergency call centers, I felt this was a showstopper for me. Moreover, the dependence on my sometimes unstable Internet service was another gaiting factor. What really made me turn around with the Ooma VOIP Phone Device is how I can combine the VOIP with my regular phone service and not incur any additional monthly charges. That way, I get to keep my existing phone number, and the landline is still available for those 911 calls and any call that may be necessary during an Internet outage.
The question then arises as to why I should make the switch to the Ooma device at all if I need to keep both services in operation. First, long-distance calls are cheaper over the Internet than through my current service provider. If I keep just the basic phone service on my landline, I can achieve significant net savings on this front. Second, the flexibility afforded by a virtual line allows me the ability to accept incoming calls while Im still on the phone. This is an added plus I was not anticipating at all. Third and most substantive for me on a day-to-day basis, the Ooma provides a number of advantages over the Panasonic answering machine Ive had for the past five years.
The audio quality of the broadband connection is excellent, and I like that I can pick up calls from either one of the phone units connected to two separate jacks. The call screening, three-way conferencing and "Do Not Disturb" features are terrific additions for me since I find myself working at home a lot these days. I have to state that the best feature of all is being able to access messages online through the Ooma site. Set-up was surprisingly easy. Even though the initial cost is steep at $399, I think the upfront investment is well worth it given my strongly favorable experience with the device for the past month.
On: 2008-02-20
Pros:
1) Free phone calls in the USA.
2) Cheap international calls.
3) No more telco surcharges and taxes.
4) Cool modern technology.
5) Longterm savings.
6) Did I mention free phone calls in the USA?
Cons:
1) High upfront cost.
2) Not quite a perfect landline replacement.
3) Not for everybody.
4) Cant transferr your # if totally doing away with landline.
This product/service has been reviewed to death and I basically agree with most of the positive reviews. It is a great alternative to traditional land lines and is very easy to set up and use. It is very modern and packed with features. It looks great too (must be taking cues from Apple).
While the voice quality is good (much better than most other VoIP providers), it is not quite as reliable as a land line. 911 calls should go through fine if youve set things up properly, but there is some uncertainty that you dont get with a standard land line. So you may want to keep a "basic" phone line. If you are still using a dial-up connection, then you are out of luck -- no Ooma for you.
It is a bit early to give a whole-hearted endorsement, but as I use Ooma, I will make updates to this review as need. My initial response is favorable though, this is a step forward in the technological push to have voice, phone and tv services all through one connection. It plays well with my Comcast broadband connection, very transparent. I like it, and I wager you might too.
Stop giving Ma Bell your hard earned $ and start saving $ with an Ooma system.
On: 2008-02-16
I spent several months trying to figure out from other reviews is Ooma was going to be the next solution for my home business. I had been using Vonage for over 4 years pretty happily, but in running the numbers it was clear that Id make my money back from the high initial investment within the first year.
So I finally took the plunge just before New Years and havent looked back. Ooma is working perfectly, and did so right out of the box (beautiful Apple-like packaging, if that matters to anyone). The only hiccup in the installation was my own fault, in that I didnt realize that there is a contrast knob on the right side of the hub, which was turned down all of the way so that I couldnt see the tab flashing blue and thought something was wrong.
$400 is a lot, but I was spending $60 a month with Vonage plus $20 on my home line (which we only use for the security system). Now the home line is put to much better use, my 911 service is not "virtual," the $60/month has been erased, and Im very happy with the service.
On: 2008-02-16
After a smooth, pretty quick installation, I was amazed by this phone system.
1. no monthly phone bill (unless out of country)
2. a beautifully musical dial tone
4. free voice mail
5. multiple calling at once
6. free voice mail
7. free 3-way calling
and best of all :
8. smooth,efficient phone service
Id like to mention the thee ooma Hub and the scouts have a blue glowing light and that I now rely upon as night lights.
Im thrilled to have no more telephone bills.
I highly recommend the ooma Hub.
On: 2008-02-15
Works GREAT also with the Ooma Scout. I have two Scouts and the phones work great when we want to make a call with someone on the phone, just pick up any phone and you here a dial tone. If a call comes in when someone is on the phone, the other phones will ring. Two lines for the price of low cost Verizon Land Line with only the necessary services. We are happy with the Voice Answering system. I still need to check out my Fax system. Ooma told me they might give us a phone number for the Fax free of charge, maybe in March.
On: 2008-02-13
Right from the point I got the ooma shipping box, the way the item was package & presented, easy to install instructions, I have been impressed with ooma every day that I use it.
After using it for a week, I knew that my current Vonage subscription was going out of door. Jan 2008 was the last month that I paid $28.30 for Vonage monthly subscription, which I had been using for the last 2 years. I have also used the Packet8 voice over IP phone.
So, why should you go for ooma (as a 2nd line or as a primary IP phone)
* Excellent voice quality - Better than Vonage, as good as Packet8. Way above Skype/Yahoo ...
* Great features with no monthly fee: It is no like you have pay $5 for caller ID, $5 for voice mail... All these features + 3-way conferencing + ooma lounge (online voice mail) + many more !
* User friendly Device. This thing is so intuitive that you can just use it out of the box, there are big buttons on this device each for voice mail, do not disturb ... with big visible icons on them + these buttons are back lighted. Why did we not have a phones like this before ?
* Easy to install
* Friendly and good customer support - I had once click on the Do not distrub button and did not know as to why I was not receiving any calls - My first thought was oh, probably the ooma service is like this, what else can these guys do for a subscription fee service - but when i called the customer service, he resolved the issue immediately.
OOMA guys if you are listening, this is what I need your product:
* Inbuilt Wireless router !
In the Vonage device it had a inbuild wireless router, so I just plug it into the cable and you had wireless + phone. But with the OOMA, I had to plug in another linksys wireless router.
On: 2008-02-12
I read a ton of reviews about ooma before purchasing it and they all were either passionately critical about its alleged hack-ability or deeply in love with the general concept of the system. What seemed to be lacking were any serious reviews of the overall voice quality of ooma, which, frankly, is the only thing that interests me in a voip solution. I purchased ooma in early January, 2008 and here are my sentiments about the quality of the ooma calls Ive made and received in the first month.
Call quality is only meaningful in relation to some standard. If a standard land line connection is rated as a 10, then Id rate alternatives as follows:
Skype 3
Sunrocket 5
Vonage 6
Verizon wireless 6
ooma 7-9
Land line 10
I rate ooma with a scale of 7 to 9 since the quality is not consistently great. Even though I have the ooma hub connected to my cable router directly, I still notice that, somehow, traffic on my home network seems to garble some voice transmissions. I placed a D-link voice accelerator between my router and the hub and that seems to improve it slightly. But there are still times when my callers tell me that my voice is breaking up while speaking to them and I have to repeat myself. I believe that incoming voice quality is better than outgoing, but it still ranks slightly worse than a land line call and above that of a cell phone call. It is heads and shoulders above Skype and generally better than Vonage.
Ive had few technical issues with ooma, but two worth noting. The ooma lounge, which is supposed to give you access to your voice mail messages online, doesnt seem to work quite right. Ill check for messages, and, after seeing that there arent any, will see the message light lit up on the hub. Second, while ooma worked great the first week when I used key pad presses to log into my companys voice mail system, something broke week two.. key pad presses (to enter my mailbox and my password) seemed to be registering incorrectly and Im denied access. It helps, sometimes, to enter the keypad presses slowly and for an extended moment, but it is not consistently working well. Tech support was responsive to my issue, but it is not fully resolved yet.
All in all, Im happy with the ooma experience. The call quality is good enough for my needs and the price is right, given that I expect it to be usable for the next 24 months.
On: 2008-02-11
This Product is Amazing. It was not what I expected at all and I can only see OOMA getting better.
Pros: Call anywhere in the US and Canada FREE with no monthly fee ever. Much more features offered with Ooma than other VoIP carriers. Calls sound excellent using Ooma. Ooma pays for itself in 1 1/2 years!!!
Cons: Dont like the fact that Ooma must sit between the Cable Modem and Home Router.
Bottomline: If you already have broadband and want one less bill to pay, Ooma is the perfect solution. Never pay another Phone bill again!
On: 2008-02-06
Im a fan of the VOIP concept, but have been less than impressed since its reveal. With services like Skype and Vonage out there, they are soon to be history if they dont catch up with the technology of the new love of my life, Ooma!
First off, this is very simple to setup, so have no fear. You put the ac adapter in the hub, connect it to your internet connection, and you now have a working phone line, instantly. Actually, two phone lines! You go to their web site, choose a phone number you like, setup voicemail (you can either check voicemail on the hub, or online, or in your email!), and plug in your phone to the hub.
I have a wireless phone system with multiple handsets. I simply put the wireless base as the phone on the hub, and I now have four phones in the house. If someone is using the phone, and there is another phone available, there is no waiting! You have a second line to make or receive calls. If you only have wired equipment, you use a "scout" that you can plug in to any electric outlet, and you have another phone jack. If you want to keep your normal landline and use Ooma, you can do that too, but I dont know why you would. I dont.
I was using Skype as my only service for over a year, and I promptly ended that with this experience. You do not have to leave your computer on, and remember, voicemail is online, so you dont have to use the hub for that at all if you dont want to.
Its simple, sleek, and oddly fun. I love bragging about it. I feel like I won a prize. Seriously, call anywhere in the US, anytime, with a real phone number, for free. The only cost would be minimal per minute charges calling outside the USA. But still no bill, as you fill that account like a phone card. Pay as you go. But I cannot remember the last time I ever called outside USA.
Sound quality is just like a normal phone. Unlike Skype where you take what you can get, if you get anything. Get it yesterday!
On: 2008-02-06
I could like Ooma if they would fix the web interface for voicemail (the ooma lounge). It locks up constantly, and I have to logout and relogin. This is very frustrating! Ive complained twice, but havent seen any responses. I tried it with Firefox and Internet Explorer - both had different problems.
On: 2008-02-04
I am currently a Lingo VOIP customer, and I pay about $25 per month for unlimited phone calling, local and long distance, all over the US, Canada, and about 17 countries in Europe. (Vonage, which is like Lingo costs a few more dollars than Lingo per month.) I have switched over to using Ooma, and now I pay $0 (zero) dollars per month to make unlimited local and long distance calls all over the US. If I had a cable modem, I could disconnect my regular phone line, and use Ooma exclusively. If you use DSL, which is what I have, it depends on your phone line for the connection, but you can strip down the phone line, still get your DSL through, and use it just for incoming calls, and place the rest of your incoming, or outgoing calls on the Ooma line. No more expensive local calling package, features which are all included with Ooma, or long distance charges.
Ooma connects to your broadband connection right at the modem. It does not hook up to your computer. Your computer does not need to be running. It literally has nothing to do with your computer, just your modem. Your broadband modem is on all of the time, so is your Ooma telephone.
When you use the Ooma phone you use it over your regular phone system, cordless, or wired telephone. When you pick up your regular phone that you now use to make a phone call, you hear a dial tone, and make a call, the same exact thing goes on with Ooma. Once you pop for the purchase price of the Ooma device, it is possible to say goodbye to your phone bill. Although it is recommended that you keep a basic regular phone line for making 911 calls for example, if in case the power goes out. If you lose electricity, you will lose your internet connection, and your Oooma phone usage.
I talk to a lot of people about VOIP, which is "Voice Over Internet Protocol", and a lot of them dont have the foggiest notion of what I am talking about. I realize that I am in the middle of Amazon, tech savvy central, but for those who are new to VOIP, I started this review, very clear, and plainly. Now lets get excited about what this phone does.
I love the fact that you are really getting 2 phone lines in one, although they operate under the same phone number. For the life of me, I cant see any reason not to classify it as a totally separate phone line. You can plug 2 different phones into it, 2 different people can pick up those phones, and make private phone calls, you can join those 2 calls together and make a conference call out of it, by simply pressing down on the 2 top buttons on the Ooma console hub, or scout, at the same time. So if I am on the Ooma phone, and another call comes in, the second phone will ring, or you can let the voice mail take it. Someone else can take the second phone call, on a separate phone. You need to buy an inexpensive Ooma scout, which is like a mini Ooma hub, with all the same features, and buttons in order to fully take advantage of all of second line features. Like using a totally separate second phone with it. The scout is like they took the bottom right corner of the Ooma control hub, and cut out the controls including the speaker out of it.
Ok if I can I digress but just for a moment. I love the blue light. I have little red lights on my cordless phone console, and the Ooma sitting next to it, with the clear tab extending out the top of the phone, which glows blue is something that I get a charge out of seeing. It glows when the phone is on during any time of the day, but when I turn the lights down to watch TV, or off at the end of the night, and see the red and blue accent lights on the consoles, I get a rush out of that. Ok, sorry, back to the features.
The other thing I like about Ooma is that you can send a fax with it. Lingo doesnt send faxes with there regular service. You do have to dial 99 before sending a fax, but that is a small inconvenience to being able to send faxes nationwide, without a bill, as in totally free.
The sleep button is something that is worth the price of the phone alone. It may not be important to you, but if you have your Ooma hooked up to a wireless phone with multiple stations around the house like I do, and sure enough someone is calling you, and ringing the phone when you are taking a power nap, or at 7 am in the morning. With just one button, it silences all the phones in your house, and goes into voice mail mode.
The other thing I like about Ooma is that unlike Lingo, which is really just a dumb terminal, you hook up to where it comes into the house, Ooma is really a professional workstation. Even though your voicemail is stored on the Ooma servers, something you can access from anywhere on the web, the call light flickers on the voice mail button to let you know you got a call. It is like having a fully functional answering machine console, even though the calls are stored by the Ooma service. Lets call this advanced technology.
The biggest advantage to Ooma is the clear strong signal. I do not hear any difference between my land line and the Ooma line. With Lingo, I get very good sound quality, but it technically is weaker, so much so, that sometimes when asked to press 1, to get through the techno operators, it does not register, and I have to passively sit by and wait until it runs out of options and rings through to the operator. Not so with Ooma. Both of the services that I had that problem with in Lingo, work perfectly with Ooma.
The console also has a trash can button, so with a single push, your saved message can be deleted while hearing it. (Plus Ooma stores deleted messages for 14 days for you, just in case you accidentally deleted another family members message, and want to retrieve it.) The Ooma lounge is the online web site, where you can access all of that, plus a lot more. It is Ooma central so to speak.
This review is getting really long, because I am really excited about the new Ooma freedom. One last thing I want to share with you is that I tried to use this Ooma phone in conjunction with the Lingo VOIP service. Although it works, but because you are sharing the same modem to connect through, it creates a slight hum when the phone is in use. I dont know why but when I turn off the Lingo adapter, the Ooma is perfectly quiet, the hum goes away. So from my experiment, I am going to use the Ooma phone without the Lingo line.
That makes the hookup something of interest. Normally you hook up your Ooma device directly into your broadband modem, then hook up your computer, or network router, into the Ooma device. So the Ooma takes precedence. I didnt do it that way. I have a network, and I want to give my internet connection the same priority as the Ooma hub, so I use an old Linksys router, and connect the modem directly to it, in one of the 4 middle positions, (not in the WAN port) so it strictly acts like a switch with no processing, and then hook the Ooma device up to one of the other 4 available connections on the router, and do the same with the network. So it goes from modem, to a splitter so to speak (switch ports on the router, or you could use a dedicated switch) then into whatever other devices I want. In this case the Ooma hub, and my network receive the same priority, and it works great. I do not realize any bandwidth speed differences using my 1.5 meg DSL connection with the Ooma device hooked up to it.
I knew that the other reviews, and the Ooma description covers the features really well, so it was my intention to cover some of the other more interesting aspects of using the phone. Hope this helps. Get the Ooma hub, I understand they have a 30 day return policy. When you add up what your phone bills are costing you, it doesnt take long to recapture the purchase price, let alone that you may have free phone service for the next 3 years, 10 years, or a lifetime for that matter. This is a Wow.
On: 2008-02-04
Ooma is a terrific idea and it works great, but it is not for everyone. Im not an early adopter as a rule, and I like to keep things very simple. Ooma is pretty simple and even I could hook it up in less than half an hour. (Im hoping its as easy to disconnect.)
It works either with your existing landline and phone number, or without a landline.
It can work with your cordless phone, works with your fax, it has voice mail and it gives you a second phone line (without a second phone number).
911 service on Ooma is "less than reliable" according to Ooma, so if you dont have a landline, youll need dependable cell service on the side.
Since Ooma works via the internet, if the power goes out or your ISP is out of service, Ooma doesnt work. And Ooma doesnt work with wireless internet.
Unlimited U.S. phone calls are included in your Ooma service, but international calls cost extra and you have to pre-pay.
My traditional phone service is fairly reliable, certainly more reliable than the power in our area which surges or goes out altogether whenever the wind blows. I have a rechargable phone card that costs me 3 cents a minute for U.S. long distance and a few cents more for international. Cell phones are not usable indoors in our area. So as simple and streamlined as Ooma is, it just isnt for everyone. It isnt for me. Sorry, Ooma.
On: 2008-02-03
I have been using ooma now for the past year and it is amazing.The Installation is very easy, just plugin the components.The customer service is very knowledgeable and efficient.The voice quality is excellent.
It is definitely the best.
On: 2008-02-03
The Ooma is a new VOIP (voice-over-IP) system designed to either replace, or supplement your existing phone service. Ive used a number of other VOIP options and hadnt yet found the one that was right for me, but with Ooma, Ive finally got what Ive been looking for! Most recently I had been trying MagicJack which is a very low-priced option that plugs into the USB port on your computer and requires your computer to be on in order to receive or make calls. The price couldnt be beat, but the numbers available were very limited and the sound quality not very good at all, with noticeable pauses when people tried to talk at the same time. Their website as well was a nightmare to use, with it very difficult to find any information when you needed help, links going to the wrong pages, etc. So I was ready to try something new.
The Ooma arrives in a sleek black box that brings to mind some of the Apple packaging, very attractive and fun to open up and see whats inside. The device itself was a bit larger than I expected, but it has a sleek and elegant design and has large buttons that are easy to read and use. Im not particularly fond of the silver color, and it seems strange that it doesnt have a display for things like caller ID or number of messages, but it otherwise is fine. The instruction manuals are a pleasure after so many these days that are poorly written and hard to understand. These are very clear and full of pictures and diagrams to help you get set up, with one manual for "quick-start" setup and a second more detailed manual covering all the features and options. The Ooma web site as well is very professional and easy to use, full of common questions, account access, and you can easily get hold of tech support to help with setup if needed. The device has an indicator light that shows blue when it is ready to make calls and flashes red when it is booting up or having problems, and the various buttons light up to show which line is in use, if you have voicemail, etc. The initial bootup did take several minutes so you do need to be patient when starting it up the first time.
So, is it worth the price? I would say definitely yes! Lets look at some of the features you get:
1. Can integrate with your normal landline phone. This is nice if you want to have true 911 service, and the security of a phone line in the event of a power or internet outage. If you dont own a cell phone, it really is an important feature. I personally am willing to deal with the E911 service if an emergency arises so have dropped my landline service for now. Unfortunately if you dont use the landline you do need to get a new number, it is currently not transferable.
2. Virtual second line. This is something that most VOIP services will charge you extra for, if they even offer it. This allows a second call on the same line when someone is using the first. Ive had a chance to use this a few times and it really is nice. The Ooma hub has "1" and "2" buttons for the two lines and its very easy to both select a line to accept incoming calls, or if you have an Ooma scout, you can use as second phone to place an outgoing call while one line is already in use. A great feature for homes with lots of people! I did try a 3-way conference call using the 2-line feature as well, and did find that the call quality dropped noticeably, so not sure how much I would tend to use this. As with any VOIP service, a lot depends on how much other traffic is currently going through your broadband connection, so your mileage may vary on using both lines at once, may work beautifully for some people and just may be too much for it to handle for others. Id definitely suggest you not have someone on the computer playing online games or doing massive downloads at the same time! I did find that in order to use the Scout and a second line with the non-landline install, since the scout uses your existing phone lines you will need to wire the Ooma hub to the wall jack, which normally is not needed with this method. I have not yet tried to fax through the service, as I do have an online fax service I use, but they do say it should sometimes work and they are trying to improve the quality to make it even more reliable. Faxing is typically a problem with VOIP, so no surprise there.
3. No monthly fees. So this is kind of where things get a little questionable. The company says they guarantee they will offer the service for at least 3 years. My understanding is that your service is free as long as they are in business and the box still working. So sort of like getting a lifetime membership on a Tivo. But being that they are pretty new, it will remain to be seen how successful they are and if the business model is successful.
4. Great sound quality. The first call I made on the Ooma really scared me as I could not hear the party on the other line properly at all, the sound almost sounded like it was bouncing, it was going in and out so fast. Luckily that seemed to be a one-time problem as all the calls Ive made since then have been really excellent, far better than the other VOIP services I have used and better than my cell phone even. If you get fairly poor cell reception in your house, this is a great alternative! I am using it with a wirelesss system, with a base unit plugged into the Ooma and satellite phones through the house and it works beautifully.
5. Integrated voice mail and caller ID features. This has some really nice voice mail services, you can screen calls when they come in, automatically send to voice mail, you can configure your account to send an email when voice mail comes in and tell it how long to wait before picking up. You can call in remotely to check messages, or even check your voice mail on the Ooma website. They give you a pretty good amount of storage for voicemail and individual messages can be up to 5 minutes which should be long enough for all but the most talkative of people!
So those are the major pluses for me. It does require a broadband connection, but unlike the MagicJack, does not need your computer to be on to work. It connects between my cable modem and my wireless router, however, it doesnt currently have a good option to go with you when you travel, so for someone that needs that, MagicJack would be a perfect addon to use along with this service due to its really low cost (although of course, mainly for outgoing calls as the phone number would be different. You could also use a service like GrandCentral which allows you to use one phone number that routes calls to all your different phone numbers, if you want to get your incoming calls as well.)
So overall, a very positive experience with this device. The initial cost of entry is a bit high, but its definitely got the potential to be a real winner and could be a real cost-saver fairly quickly for many people.
On: 2008-01-31
My current phone bills are over $100 a month, not including toll calls and long distance charges, and my long distance rates are about five cents per minute. With OOMA my phone bills will now be whatever the minimum is from my local landline carrier (plus about two cents per minute for my frequent calls to London) and Ill have the option of getting those costs even lower by eliminating my land line at some time in the future.
OOMA couldnt be easier to install and on a side note the packaging is the most beautiful Ive seen for any product. You know as soon as you open the shipping box that this is a company that means serious business. This setup manual and user guide are actually written in clear and easy to understand English and in less than half an hour after opening the box you get crystal-clear sound quality and a beautiful little hub that has all the features you would want in a phone: call waiting, three-way calling, voicemail, a second phone line, a do-not-disturb button and volume and brightness adjustment for the hub. It works with the phones you already have (up to three separate phones and/or cordless bases), although if you choose to keep your landline, which you may well want to do for the reasons set forth below, you will have to wait a couple of days for some of the features as OOMAs technical support needs to tie your service into your existing phone number. You will, however, be able to make calls within the United States right away. The sound quality is better than my land line and on a cordless phone is much less diminished by the lead in my walls than my land line was.
Technical support is the best of any telecommunications company Ive ever experienced. OOMA has a website through which you establish and maintain your account, but the online navigating is a bit confusing -- it was easy to figure out international rates, but I had a hard time figuring out how to pay for international calls. I sent an e-mail to tech support and got a response in about an hour. For the record, you have to log in to the online OOMA lounge, go to "my account," enter a credit card number, then go back to the my account page and pre-pay for international minutes, which you can do in various increments starting at just $10. I dont know yet whether it warns you when youre running out of minutes and whether it cuts you off when you run out of pre-paid time.
The one real downside to OOMA, and the reason it gets 4 instead of 5 stars, is that the service wont work during a power outage or if your broadband goes down. OOMA also may not work very well with fax machines, due to the possibility of packets being lost during internet transmission, something that is occasionally noticeable with voicemail, which tends to squish words together. OOMAs website says they are trying to work on this problem. Also, if you get rid of your landline and use only Internet phone access, you will not be able to keep your current phone number. So if you need to do reliable faxing and/or you want to be sure that you will have service if your broadband or power goes down, or if you just dont want to lose your current phone number, you wont quite be able to reduce your phone bills to nothing. Its also good to keep in mind that some areas may tax VOIP telephone service. Here in Los Angeles, we have a local ballot proposition on Tuesday to do just that, which would mean that I could end up being double taxed for phone service because Ive elected to keep my land line. However, OOMA does not charge at all for its service within the U.S. and international rates are extremely low.
Hopefully, OOMA will work out the problem with fax transmissions and with phone number portability in the very near future, which will make this a five star product. In the meantime, however, Im still going to save a huge amount on my phone bill. And who knows? With competition like this, maybe my local carrier will have to lower its rates.
by: mrmartyfromsf On: 2008-01-29
A good reason to change to OOMA hub is to "save money" and the convenience. To make this as easy as possible Ill explain what my monthly phone charges were eliminated or reduced. I still have my Internet DSL at $20/month. I reduced my phone landline from $11 to $6/month (so I still have 911 in case my Internet goes out). All the other charges of long distance at $5/month and per minute charges were eliminated. My total savings per month will be approximately $25. That means $300 minimum in one year. Heres the good part. The reason my long distance was already inexpensive was that I used my Cell phone for all long distance charges, but the reception was very poor. OOMA Hub has great reception. So my OOMA Hub system will pay for itself in 16 months - thats not even as great as those people who pay regular long distance on their phone bills! Compare your current costs to the future OOMS costs - it will be substantially more than mine.
The other great things about OOMA are that it is easy to hook up (less than 45 minutes for me and I am not that savvy). The three choices of hook-ups are all clearly charted and stated depending on what you have. OOMA Hub is small (5" X 8") and metallic silver with large buttons that light up red. You will enjoy unlimited US calling, exceptional voice quality, premium features with no monthly fees or contracts, Enhanced Call-Waiting, three-way conferencing, caller-ID, one touch do not disturb, low-cost international rates, and voicemail! You will never miss another call with the Instant Second Line feature - it provides two phone lines at one number! Screen incoming calls, play messages with the touch of a button, and send calls in progress to voicemail with the patented Broadband Answering Machine feature. The international calls are significantly cheaper too, but Ill wait on those until I can do more research.
Then there is the OOMA "Scout accessory", which is simply another OOMA phone system for another room. Its all integrated! Its all a great invention!
If you are REALLY worried about OOMA going bankcrupt (Im not), consider that you will still be gauranteed a one year warranty and you will save all that money. You might have to go back to your old phone company, but is that all that bad?? Relax. OOMA is here to stay!
by: mrmartyfromsf On: 2008-01-28
A good reason to change to OOMA hub is to "save money" and the convenience. To make this as easy as possible Ill explain what my monthly phone charges were eliminated or reduced. I still have my Internet DSL at $20/month. I reduced my phone landline from $11 to $6/month (so I still have 911 in case my Internet goes out). All the other charges of long distance at $5/month and per minute charges were eliminated. My total savings per month will be approximately $25. That means $300 minimum in one year. Heres the good part. The reason my long distance was already inexpensive was that I used my Cell phone for all long distance charges, but the reception was very poor. OOMA Hub has great reception. So my OOMA Hub system will pay for itself in 16 months - thats not even as great as those people who pay regular long distance on their phone bills! Compare your current costs to the future OOMS costs - it will be substantially more than mine.
The other great things about OOMA are that it is easy to hook up (less than 45 minutes for me and I am not that savvy). The three choices of hook-ups are all clearly charted and stated depending on what you have. OOMA Hub is small (5" X 8") and metallic silver with large buttons that light up red. You will enjoy unlimited US calling, exceptional voice quality, premium features with no monthly fees or contracts, Enhanced Call-Waiting, three-way conferencing, caller-ID, one touch do not disturb, low-cost international rates, and voicemail! You will never miss another call with the Instant Second Line feature - it provides two phone lines at one number! Screen incoming calls, play messages with the touch of a button, and send calls in progress to voicemail with the patented Broadband Answering Machine feature. The international calls are significantly cheaper too, but Ill wait on those until I can do more research.
Then there is the OOMA "Scout accessory", which is simply another OOMA phone system for another room. Its all integrated! Its all a great invention!
If you are REALLY worried about OOMA going bankcrupt (Im not), consider that you will still be gauranteed a one year warranty and you will save all that money. You might have to go back to your old phone company, but is that all that bad?? Relax. OOMA is here to stay!
On: 2008-01-28
Ive been using a multitude of VoIP products for years -- Vonage, Y! Messenger with Voice, Skype, VoipDiscount, and several others that are now defunct. I got into the ooma beta program and was a bit skeptical at first. Ive been using the device for about four months and Im mostly happy with it.
My setup uses a broadband connection (cable modem) and a traditional phone line. The voicemail system, three-way calling, caller ID, and do-not-disturb feature works as advertised. Occasionally, the web interface will not see messages that are on the system. This is a bit annoying if youve checked voicemail remotely, only to discover youve missed a message. Aside from that glitch, Im happy with the boxs features.
Domestic call quality is outstanding. Out of the services Ive mentioned, ooma sounds superior to Vonage and Yahoo! Messenger. It seems to be on par with Skype. All my calls have been clear and none of them have been dropped.
International calls were initially disappointing, but seemed to have improved. I make a lot of calls to Asia, but have yet to make any calls to Europe. Pricing is excellent -- many of the rates ooma charges are half of Skypes and slightly less than Yahoo!s. The first two months I experienced a lot of dropped calls and had some general difficult even connecting. More recently I have not had these problems (probably the last month or so). While Im happy with the pricing and sound quality, the connection issues can be annoying. At this time, I couldnt recommend ooma for a home-office setup that requires international calling. While I expect the international service to continue to improve, I dont think the reliability is there just yet for business purposes.
Overall Im very pleased with ooma. The features, call quality, and international pricing are fantastic. The voicemail glitches and international connection problems are the main reasons Im not giving this product five stars.
On: 2008-01-28
I have an existing digital phone service package (bundled with my cable and internet) with, local, long distance, and international calls - three way call, caller ID, voicemail, call waiting etc. The Ooma connected into that system has had the following effects, and concerns for me:
1) The Ooma "Provisions" the existing phone line and removes all existing features from your provider in favor of its own, known mainly as BCF (busy call forwarding).
2) According to Oomas own literature this "may" incur a charge from your phone company (yet to be seen, as I have not received my next bill) and may also incur a monthly "service charge" for the BCF???
3) Obviously if you have an established phone line and number already, you dont need the aggravation of changing (or losing) your existing number. Therefore you are pretty much stuck with piggybacking your own phone.
I wont get into exact pricing details but have found so far that I will be saving only around $15-$20 a month with the Ooma (chiefly on international calls). I had hoped for much more, but found that dropping my existing phone to a basic and 911 only package actually saves only $12 a month, and if the internet is out the Ooma with revert to the normal line, charging me per minute for toll and LD calls if I have no package with the phone company.
Im not saying that these savings arent great, as they are - but when you add the cost of the Hub and two Scouts together, it will take me about 2 years to fully recoup my outlay and appreciate the savings.
VOIP, is not revolutionary, (even if the Ooma in how it uses the net is) and has all the benefits thereof, and potential for problems that have been covered extensively by others, so I wont go into them here.
Please Note that I have also only been using the equipment for a short time, so any long term concerns I have will hopefully get ironed out in time.
* Its stylish, small, VERY easy to set up with the step by step instructions and discreet.
* Online access to voicemail, prepay international calling at CHEAP prices is great.
* Inexpensive Scout devices can convert all the phones you have to the Ooma setup.
* So far, it appears to be doing exactly what it says, and promises great savings (as long as the company stays in business)
However, despite the literature that suggests it works best with an existing "landline" I personally feel that the potential Ooma customer (Possibly reading this) will be saving the most money, and getting the most benefits if they have NO phone, and get a new phone number issued by Ooma (good wherever they live or move to within the US)
I also dont feel that the 911 factor is that big of an issue - most people have cordless or powered phones these days that are useless in a power cut anyway (whatever the phone company) and most people have access to a cell phone in a real emergency.
I love the device, the features and the ease of use of the Ooma - my main words of advice if youre thinking of switching - Either have it without a landline, or find out EXACTLY how much you will be saving (after all fees and charges with your phone company) before you spend over $400.
On: 2008-01-27
ooma Hub - VoIP Phone Device with No Monthly Phone Service Bills
Oomas new internet phone system offers a new twist on a market filled with alternatives for voice-over-IP (VOIP) calling. With the choice of either keeping your existing landline or using your broadband connection for a pure internet calling system, it will fill a niche for a lot of people. The simple design and quality calls are sure to get noticed.
Pros
+ No residual monthly service charges! Free domestic long distance!
+ Nice design - sleek unit with big simple buttons and lighted indicators (blue=good, red=bad! :-) )
+ Offers landline integration or pure internet phone options to meet different consumer needs
+ Landline integrated service offers real 911, not internet call center - HUGE PLUS!!!
+ Landline integrated service lets you to use it from multiple phone jacks with Ooma Scouts!!! ooma Scout - Accessory to VoIP Phone Device with No Monthly Phone Service Bills
+ You can keep your same number with existing landline service or get a new number with internet service
+ Included voicemail system can be accessed over the internet via the OOMA lounge!!!
+ GREAT international calling rates!!!
+ Great startup manual with very simple instructions for almost every possible setup
+ Works with any phone, corded or cordless
+ Instant second line allows you to put people on hold, answer another call, or conference in 2 calls
+ Call screening, do not disturb, or send to voicemail when you are not able to answer a call!
+ Voice quality is very good
+ Service includes many premium features, including caller ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, etc.
+ One year warranty on the hub or scouts
Cons
- Initial cost may seem high and keep some people away, though I personally think its worth it
- Still not able to transfer numbers to Ooma system; internet only system gives you new number; should be coming soon
- Requires an existing broadband connection; dial-up users will need to upgrade before using Ooma
- Perhaps less flexible for those who want to call from their PCs when travelling away from home
- For the internet only version, less ways to have multiple phone lines indoors
- Design doesnt include integrated caller ID screen
- No color options yet - just the basic silver / white
- Ooma system must be prioritized over your home router
- Wont work in a home or business with a home phone routing system (HPNA) already installed
Getting Started
Installation of the Ooma system varies based upon your current home phone and internet setups. As a minimum you must have broadband internet at home (DSL, Fiber Optic, or Cable Modem). It may take time, but the process is made VERY SIMPLE by a well designed "getting started" manual.
The first thing you have to do is go to the Ooma website to activate your hub. Enter your hub MAC address included on the device or box. If you will use your existing landline you can keep your phone number. If you want the pure internet service, you will have to choose a new number. Soon they will allow people to "port" their existing numbers to Ooma, but for now you have to get a new number as with most VOIP services.
The landline integrated version requires you to have basic phone service and the CFB (call forward busy) service locally installed. They will work with the phone company to install the CFB service, though I recommend doing that yourself if possible. However, they wont cancel any home regional, long distance or voicemail services you currently have on your line, so you will have to do that.
Once you finish your activation and billing information, you can start the physical setup. Plug it in directly from the broadband modem and then install the phone and home routers off of the system. Prioritizing your Ooma first in your home network will give techies pause. So far I cant tell any difference in my overall internet usage, but I will be checking this frequently.
Once you have your unit plugged in, it doesnt take long before your system starts blinking blue, which means the basic functionality is working. Once the color turns solid, all advanced features are working. If the ooma tab is red, then you have to do some troubleshooting. I didnt need to, but there are troubleshooting steps in the manual.
When you pick up the phone, you will hear a "new" ooma dialtone. Thats how you know that all your domestic calls are now free!
The Looks
The unit looks great! The buttons are big and simple, and the unit is sleek and modern. Even without the manual, you can basically figure out how to use them. Some features require more experience, like pressing both lines 1 and 2 to conference the calls together.
The only things you might want in the design would be colors other than the silver, like black. I personally would have liked a little screen for caller ID on the unit, since I use several older phones. Instead you need a newer phone with caller ID on it, or a little add-on caller ID unit.
Features
The features both on the device and in the system are clutch! You can hear your voicemails as they are being recorded, or put the do-not-disturb on and have it record silently. You can access your voicemail at home or when you are away from home with the Ooma lounge. Easy conferencing is also nice.
One feature I definitely wanted to use was the Ooma scout. The problem is, the ooma scout is designed to work with landline integrated service. As far as I can tell, for those of us that want to use internet only service you have to use a cordless phone system with multiple handsets to access the ooma across your house.
Still, most people will be using the landline / internet combo setup, because having real 911 with VOIP is a really important feature. Not to mention, when the power goes out or the internet goes down, your old landline service is a backup that stays up. You wont have free calls when the net is down, but at least you will still be able to get calls and make local calls. This is something most services dont offer.
The international calling rates were also a good surprise. I didnt know what to expect from Oomas "low rates," but they were than I expected. You can click on the website to see sample rates. They vary based upon which local area code you are dialing in some countries. Regardless, the rates are all lower than when I have been getting through different calling services or calling cards. I cant compare to the rates charged by other VOIP companies, but I will definitely look into that. For my part, Im satisfied.
The only thing that the competition offers that I dont see from Ooma yet is the ability to "take the service with you." Meaning, with some other services you can make calls when youre away from home. However, you also have additional monthly charges and add-on hardware charges with those services. Ooma really seems geared towards the home. Hopefully they will integrate a way to use the service away from home. They already seem pretty good and that would put them over the top.
The Quality
Voice quality when making local or long distance calls sound just like any phone. Thats the best compliment you can give VOIP.
As for durability, only time will tell how these things hold up. The service is free as long as you have your device. You get a one year warranty from the time you buy it. So I guess than means if your device breaks after your warranty expires, you would have to buy a new one at full price? I guess it all depends on how successful Ooma is.
I only recently got my hands on one of these, so I will have to revisit this product once Ive gotten miles on mine. So far my experience has been positive.
Overall this device offers some great features. The savings should add up over time. With continued improvements this product will only become more attractive. Give it a try!
On: 2008-01-27
What happens if the company goes out of business? That is the one thing that holds me back from giving it 5 stars.
I will try to not repeat the other reviewers.
You must have high speed internet for this to work, you can connect it to a landline but this works over you internet service and if the power does go out the calls are routed through your phone company and any charges will be billed to you by the phone company for the calls.
It only comes with 2 scout devices so if you need more than 3 phones you will have to buy extra scouts. This will not work with your phones without the scout.
Setup is OK, it was a little confusing but we were able to work through it.
It is a good system if you have a very dependable broadband internet but it only works as long as the broadband is working, if the internet goes down so does this unit.
On: 2008-01-18
This is truly a transformational VOIP product. Unlike Vonage or Skype, once you buy the hub and hook it up to your broadband connection, you get free calls in the US, as many as you want, forever--or at least for for as long as you have the device. The voice quality is great, there is a whole list of cool features that come with it (online answering machine, spam blocking, call waiting, three-way calling, caller-ID, one touch do not disturb, etc.), as well an the potential for a second line (also with free calls), when you get the ooma scout.
On: 2008-01-16
Ok, I have to admit the idea is great. However, does anyone remember SUNROCKET? There was a huge outlay of cash/investment in the beginning as well that allows you multitude of features and unlimited calls. What happens when the company cant support the number of users or if not many people invest in this device? How can this company support itself by selling such expensive device as its main source of income? Like a previous post, what happens after three years? Do the company start charging a fee? Just too many unknown makes me leery to jump in after the recent debacle with Sunrocket.
On: 2008-01-16
I have had Ooma for a month now. I had to fill out a form and fax it back so I could keep my existing phone number which was a big selling point for me. I also found out that if you plug a phone cord into the Ooma hub where it says phone and then plug it into the wall then it will activate all your phones and no scout is required. I have 5 phones that work at my house by doing this. Then I have a scout that plugs into two other phones one upstairs and one downstairs so that we can answer the other phone line without running upstairs or downstairs to answer the other phone line. I have three teenage daughters and the instant second line is a life saver! This service is the BEST!
+ Able to keep my phone number
+ Instant second phone line
+ works with all my phones without having to buy a scout for each phone
On: 2008-01-15
Ok, I have to admit the idea is great. However, does anyone remember SUNROCKET? There was a huge outlay of cash/investment in the beginning as well that allows you multitude of features and unlimited calls. What happens when the company cant support the number of users or if not many people invest in this device? How can this company support itself by selling such expensive device as its main source of income? Like a previous post, what happens after three years? Do the company start charging a fee? Just too many unknown makes me leery to jump in after the recent debacle with Sunrocket.
On: 2008-01-15
I have had Ooma for a month now. I had to fill out a form and fax it back so I could keep my existing phone number which was a big selling point for me. I also found out that if you plug a phone cord into the Ooma hub where it says phone and then plug it into the wall then it will activate all your phones and no scout is required. I have 5 phones that work at my house by doing this. Then I have a scout that plugs into two other phones one upstairs and one downstairs so that we can answer the other phone line without running upstairs or downstairs to answer the other phone line. I have three teenage daughters and the instant second line is a life saver! This service is the BEST!
+ Able to keep my phone number
+ Instant second phone line
+ works with all my phones without having to buy a scout for each phone
On: 2008-01-13
Hi. Complete idiot here about this product. Does it provide internet access? I have DSL through AT&T. will this thing still let me have high speed access? thanks. rick
On: 2008-01-12
Ive used the Ooma box for about a year. People who wonder how is this possible when it has just come out. Its called being a beta tester. You wonder how can something thats beta still work so well? I am not an Ooma employee nor was I paid to use the product. My gf lives in Texas, and I live in California. Being able to talk to each other during the day without having to worry about using my cellphone minutes is a relief. It was an easy setup, and being able to keep my phone number when I move is a plus. Also a family member of mine went to Asia and was able to call me on my cellphone from her Ooma box with her local number, and the quality was prefect. Youll probably read posts and comments about how they like a different service blah blah blah. But if you pay attention to their posts, none of them have ever owned or used the product.
On: 2008-01-11
Ooma is easy to setup, user friendly, and, most importantly, the call and service quality is superb. I love the addition of a second line for conferencing in a third part or allowing another person in the house to make a call while the first line is in use. The answering machine with remote message retrieval via the Ooma Lounge site was also elegantly designed. Need to make an international call? Add money to your account via credit card on the Ooma site. Rates are extremely low. Ive called Sweden, London, Korea, and China without issue. Last, but not least, the Ooma hardware is sleek and attractive versus the big, clunky, and outright ugly adapters and cords that must be used with other services. By OOMA! You will not be disappointed, and if you are, use their 60-day guarantee to return the equipment (less shipping). No risk. Enjoy!
On: 2008-01-09
Did anyone that bought one of these see the fine print on their webpage?
"Your one-time purchase of the ooma Hub(tm) device means you wont owe monthly charges to ooma for unlimited calling in the US using the ooma system for at least three years."
What happens after 3 years is my question...are they going to stick everyone with a huge monthly bill/charge?
On: 2008-01-08
Did anyone that bought one of these see the fine print on their webpage?
"Your one-time purchase of the ooma Hub(tm) device means you wont owe monthly charges to ooma for unlimited calling in the US using the ooma system for at least three years."
What happens after 3 years is my question...are they going to stick everyone with a huge monthly bill/charge?
On: 2008-01-08
Weve had this service for 3+ months and were very pleased. Weve been able to pare down our local phone bill by $60+ a month, so well recoup our investment by June.
On the positive side:
*Voice quality has been great. Wouldnt know we switched to Ooma for long distance if it werent for the special dial tone they have.
*Customer Service has been really, really great. When I ordered the phone and during setup I have numerous questions, and they were easy to reach and answered all of them.
*Forgotten how I like being able to press a button on the the Hub and get my messages as well as screen calls.
On the negative side:
*Cant retain your same phone number. Mitigating this is how easy Ooma integrates with you retaining your local phone service. Theyve said they will have porting in Feb.
*Not a big inventory of phone numbers. We live outside of Austin and they do not have local phone numbers for our city. Dont want to hand out a 10-digit phone number to the neighbors.
*Have to add "*82" to outgoing calls for caller ID to work. Mitigated this by editing the phone numbers in the speed dial directory of our cordless phones.
*Have to depend on ISP for connectivity. You have to tip your hat to Ma Bell that there is usually a dial tone - except where I live and it seems our service goes on the fritz if we have a heavy rain (not making this up).
If you are comfortable with your ISP then you will like this service. When I can port my number over from my local phone company so that I can cut them out of the picture, then I will add a 5th star to the rating and sing their praises from the mountain top.
On: 2008-01-08
Ive been using the Ooma device | | |
