Comparing Primus VOIP & FPL VOIP (for Call Quality & Fax)

[moon]

Hello,

Currently I have VOIP home tel. number with Primus Canada (TalkBroadBand), but now I am thinking about switching it to FreePhoneLine.ca (by using ATA). With Primus, I am using ATA (D-Link DVG-1120M) that I bought from Primus several years ago.

I greatly appreciate sharing your experience with me if you previously had Primus VOIP telephone (TalkBroadBand), and switched it to Free Phone Line VOIP (with ATA) for the following matters:

1- Fax: I have been able to send and receive Fax from my Primus VOIP telephone (TalkBroadBand) telephone line without any problem (using my computer software and fax-modem). Is Faxing possible with FPL without any problem?

2- Call Quality: Since I want to use FPL for my main home telephone line, Telephone Call Quality and Steadiness (consistency) of service is important for me and I would like to compare FPL service with Primus VOIP (by considering using ATA for both the services).

For more information: I have had my Primus Canada VOIP TalkBroadBand account for more than 5 years, and in average I have had only 2 short-time line disconnections per year (maximum a few hours each). With Primus TalkBroadBand, I get 18 features that I have never used many of them, but I think some of the features (including Selective incoming Call Blocking) can be very handy sometimes.

[bridonca]

Currently I have VOIP home tel. number with Primus Canada (TalkBroadBand), but now I am thinking about switching it to FreePhoneLine.ca (by using ATA). With Primus, I am using ATA (D-Link DVG-1120M) that I bought from Primus several years ago.

I greatly appreciate sharing your experience with me if you previously had Primus VOIP telephone (TalkBroadBand), and switched it to Free Phone Line VOIP (with ATA) for the following matters:

I have had TalkBroadBand. The service was fine, but the customer service was just evil. i had a real hard time porting out my number, and they were still billing me even when I cancelled the service. I hope I was a fluke case, but somehow I doubt it.

1- Fax: I have been able to send and receive Fax from my Primus VOIP telephone (TalkBroadBand) telephone line without any problem (using my computer software and fax-modem). Is Faxing possible with FPL without any problem?

Faxing over VOIP is a problem. No VOIP provider can guarantee that, and if they do say that, they are big fat liars! Saying that, it is possible to do with Freephoneline, the VOIP provider certainly does nothing to inhibit it, but results are certainly not guaranteed, nor is faxing supported. So there.

2- Call Quality: Since I want to use FPL for my main home telephone line, Telephone Call Quality and Steadiness (consistency) of service is important for me and I would like to compare FPL service with Primus VOIP (by considering using ATA for both the services).

That depends on your internet connection. Freephoneline should be as good as TalkBroadBand.

For more information: I have had my Primus Canada VOIP TalkBroadBand account for more than 5 years, and in average I have had only 2 short-time line disconnections per year (maximum a few hours each). With Primus TalkBroadBand, I get 18 features that I have never used many of them, but I think some of the features (including Selective incoming Call Blocking) can be very handy sometimes.

I liked the features of TalkBroadBand also, and it's ability to traverse NAT's through it;s proprietary VOIP protocol was really handy. But in all, I am much more happy with Freephoneline. There are other costs you have to consider with Freephoneline, $50 for the SIP settings, around $50 for the ATA, $25 for the porting fee, and maybe $50 for a good router (SIP over NAT needs a good router) but after that, you are free and clear. Those costs are about a year's subscription cost with TalkBroadBand, right?

[moon]

Thanks bridonca for your respond.

[Martin]

Hi! I use my fax and my alarm system all day and I am no problem with FPL, just setting your ATA. Your ATA purchased from Primus is not work with FPL because is locked by Primus. With FPL you have the Call Display, VoiceMail, Visual Call Waiting and the Call Forward (FollowMe) for Unavailable Calls or All Calls.

The failures are very rare and are of short duration, for the sound quality is excellent with a GrandStream ATA better than with a Linksys, Grandstream ATA is really recommended.

[Madwand]

If you have a Linksys ATA that you purchased from Primus there are people out there that will unlock it for you permanently for about $15 over the internet.

[bridonca]

They can, but you end up with a crappy ATA. I have one. It's SIP firmware is not very good. Linksys quit supporting it in 2006. Get a new ATA.

[lauren]

You can also purchase the Grandstream HT 286 from our company! It comes already configured for you, and you get free technical support if anything goes wrong. ;)One time fee of $49.99 plus shipping and handling costing $14.95.