how-to block ads
|
»next review in page
Review by ameritech 
Posted: 9 days ago
member for 281 days, 35 visits, last login: 2 days ago
 Winnetka,Cook,IL
 $39 per month
 about 5 days
 "Nice-looking router"
 "Too many to list..."
 "Sucks. Totally. At least you can no longer get it..."
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings well below consensus)
|
I have had CallVantage for a year, and left for cell-only (GTE Mobile Systems) in 2008. My router was a nice D-Link that had dual-line support. However, there was a issue with the WAN/LAN Pass-Thru that passes traffic on to the computer (Netgear WGR614v7). Never worked quite right before or after.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
 | »next review in page (previous review)
 Review by igotthisone
UPDATED: 21 days ago
member for 7.6 years, 567 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Davidson,Mecklenburg,NC
$19 per month (12 month contract)
about 4 days
"Voice quality, reliability, and continuous service improvements"
"Buggy call waiting indicator, start up problems"
"Overall value for your money, and it's AT&T!"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
Began my original CallVantage service at the end of August. I first signed up with a new number under the introductory plan price of $19.99 for six month and $34.99 there after. The TA arrived within 3 days, installed and was using within 15 minutes. Had no problems calling out but realized I was unable to call into the TA. I received a recorded message that the number I had called was not in service. Called tech support during the weekend and the technician informed me that I should have received a service date when incoming calls would begin arriving. Requested that I call back on Monday to find out from the customer service department the date of service. Called on Monday to find out that since this was a native (new) number this service shouldn’t be delayed after I installed the TA. Associate sent a trouble ticket into technical support to fix the problem. Called back the next evening after not hearing back from them, and was informed while on the phone that a technician was working on the problem while I was on the call. Problem was fixed within 30 minutes, and everything was working as intended. I received three separate calls within the next two days to confirm the problem had been fixed. Within two weeks I was so impressed with the service I decided to switch my POTS line to CallVantage. This is where the fun begins.....
This adventure took me four separate attempts over a two week period to complete my number porting. First attempt was the day after a major system overhaul at CallVanatage service center. They were having major problems with internal systems for days after the change. Customer service lady tried on three times to get the conversion process all the way through the process, but system kept bombing out. She took all my information, and assured me she would complete the process the next day. She said she would then e-mail me the confirmation of the change. She did tell me if I didn't hear back within three full business days, five days total, to call back.
On the third business day, after no response I called again to confirm the service had been changed over. This service center gentleman talked in circles, he confirmed the recent systems issues and assured me the lady I spoke with would complete the transfer. He would not attempt the conversion for me while on the phone, because he was certain if she took the time to record all the notations on my account about what she had tried to do and her plans to complete the switch she would do it. He was concerned about messing things up if she had begun the process. I asked if he could transfer me to her, and he said there was no way. He stated there were a thousand people in the call center and there was no way to know who she was since it just shows a number. He encouraged me to wait a couple more days....
I waited three more days until the end of the business week (Friday) after receiving no calls or e-mail communication. After explaining to this service center gentleman my experience, he attempted the conversion because there appeared to be no activity on my original calls. It seemed like everything was going fine when the process bombed out again. This associate got a technician to his desk and after nearly 30 minutes had to give up due to technical issues still on their end.....
At this point I’m on a mission!!! After the weekend I tried this yet again, giving this service center gentleman the background and doubting highly I would have any new outcome. To my surprise it appeared he was able to walk through the process without a hitch and told me the date my service would be ported. I received a confirmation e-mail within an hour after the call confirming the service, and another confirmation that my number could be ported with the date of transfer. Within this e-mail it told me to be on the look out for my TA, which I thought was odd since the service center associate instructed me to call repair on the day of transfer to walk me through the process to reprogram my current TA to receive calls under my new number.....
Within 3 days a new TA arrived!!! I called back to inform them what had happened, this gentleman said it appeared the system had set this up as a completely new account. He stated he had a couple of similar calls, but this was no problem and (get this) he would send out a USPS pickup label via FEDEX for me to ship this new TA back. He told me to follow the last associate’s instructions and call back on the day of transfer to have repair walk me through the process of changing my TA settings.....
On the day of transfer, I called repair to have them walk me through the process. The repair technician told me that because this was set up as a new account I needed to install the TA I had recently been sent. She stated she couldn’t reconfigure my TA because of the way the account transfer had been handled, and that I would need to call customer service to have them cancel the original account... Thankfully I had procrastinated for a couple days and hadn't sent back the new TA. I installed the new one and everything has worked beautifully since!
I called customer service to cancel the original account. The customer service associate, after hearing my story, refunded my entire first month service I had already paid for. Bottom-line, this gave me a full month of service free for all my troubles.
With the exception of the second gentleman I spoke with everyone of the customer service associates were excellent! They made every attempt to make things right, even with all the technical issues they faced with their system. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get returned communication as I had been assured I would. I could tell by the wait times these folks are swamped! Being in the service industry I know this stuff happens, and they will get their stuff together. Since signing up, they have added new features like the Simple Reach Number and dropped the price $5 to $29.99. Even with all the pain, I think the service is excellent. I love all the neat features, although the call waiting indicator that triggers my phones indicator light isn’t working perfectly. Based on others posts, it appears to be a problem with the service I’m sure they will address with time.
I haven’t yet received my first bill on the new number so I’m waiting to see how they have handled my six months at $19.99. My current plan information shows I have the first month free and then the $29.99 after that. Since this number transfer fiasco happened just after the price drop and introductory offer change my timing may have been perfect for more problems. Stay tuned, the drama may continue…….
-----Update: 8/26/2007-----
It's been nearly three years now that CallVantage has been my phone provider.
During these past few years, the price has come down from the original $29.99 to $24.99. My experience here was disturbing because I had to call to get my rate changed for the same service. I called to request the new rate and then explained how disappointed I was that this didn't' happen automatically after having been a loyal customer for so long. I requested a credit for the few months the price had been lower and was quickly granted it.
All prior technical issues with the call waiting indicator have not been an issue. In fact, I can't think of any technical issue I've had since my first review. Overall, it's a stable consistent experience that I would expect from AT&T.
I recently moved a couple towns away and decided to keep my service and number to make the move less painless. Since the house was new construction I didn't bother to call the local telephone company to have a phone line installed. I did call the local cable company to run a cable and subscribed to high speed cable just like I had at my old home. The good thing is my configuration is the exact same, the bad thing is I move to a prior Adelphia area that has been in the court with my local towns deciding on if they want to assume the system. This means Time Warner is acting as the temporary provider and are doing a lame duck job of it.... I've had more issue with availability in the last few months than the past three years. This has nothing to do with the service; it's all about the cable system and the dependability. I've used Broadband's monitoring service to prove to my local maintenance technician it's not my router, configuration, etc...
I learned a new thing to be aware of if you are moving to new construction. When I first moved the service prompted me to confirm my address because the adapter had lost power. I signed onto the CallVantage site to change my adapter service address to my new location. The site claimed it couldn't find my address so I called support. I was informed that AT&T's policy had changed since I first singed up and that they don't provide service to areas that don't have e911. Since the e911 system is dependent on the postal service to update their mailing database I would need to discontinue my service or (this is where the support person helped me and still followed their policy) tell the website that I had not moved when it asks me to acknowledge it's location. The representative told me that their system gets update about once a month with the new addresses. The good news was I have phone service and the bad news was if I used 911 it would go to my old homes local emergency services. I programmed the local emergency service into my speed dial and informed the family of the issue, so that was an easy work around. It took almost three months for the AT&T databases to acknowledge my new address. I now have my old number assigned to my new address and everything with 911 is as it should be. If it's not new construction I doubt you would have an issue like this, but with all the heat the VOIP providers have taken over 911 issues I understand AT&T's position on this.
-----Update: 6/14/2009-----
After receiving the "Dear John" letter from AT&T CallVantage a couple months ago I did some research and found a new love in CallCentric. They are better due to outstanding support and lower cost. I'd strongly encourage those leaving CallVantage to check them out. I've completed a detailed review of them under the CallCentric service.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next review in page (previous review)
 Review by Catmando
Posted: 32 days ago
member for 6.7 years, 646 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Montgomery,Kendall,IL
$24 per month
about 7 days
"Dependable"
"None that I've experience"
"Runs great on at&t network"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
|
Very very very good quality product that's depenable with a great value. My hope is that at&t continues with the service in none uverse areas.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next review in page (previous review)
Review by rmrper
UPDATED: 36 days ago
member for 3 years, 849 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Garland,Dallas,TX
$32 per month
about 5 days
"Excellent Call Clarity, Decent Features, Reliable (so far)"
"More $$$ than other options, not as many features, must use their TA"
"Overall great quality & price compared to POTS service"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I ordered an installed in less than a week, and after an initial snafu on my part trying to get it to work behind my router, I was up and going. For the month I have had it, call quality has been excellent. Clear sound, with no one noticing it was not a POTS line. Also, no dropped calls, echos, and any other weirdness - so far it just works like advertised. The only outages I have had so far were a result of my cable modem going offline, not a problem with Callvantage itself.
I have rewired my house with a simple disconnect of the POTS line on the side of the garage, and all three of my phones work just fine with my TA plugged into one of the wall jacks. Also the Caller ID display on my Dish Network receiver works fine, love that Caller ID on the TV. Wife and I both love the voicemail by web & email features, as well as the Locate Me forwarding list. I even noticed that for numbers that don't have a name for Caller ID, if I add them to the phone book, the name I add will appear in the Caller ID. We don't have a need for fancier features, and I realize that there are other options cheaper than Callvantage. But, the service works as advertised, the number port of my home number happened when they said it would, and it's cheaper than what I was paying before. Even with the taxes/fees I'm at $32 a month. I was paying $33.50 a month for a plain POTS line with only Caller ID, plus whatever long distance charges I racked up.
One final note, the couple times I spoke to customer service (for my number port, I ordered that after the fact), the wait time was less than 5 minutes and the reps were polite. In a time where hold times of over 30 minutes and rude reps are the norm, this was a pleasant surprise. Overall, the wife and I are satisfied at this point.
Update 5/29/09: Just signed up with VoicePulse since CallVantage is being discontinued. In the time I had ATTCV, I was very satisfied. We never had any major outages, only 3 or 4 I can recall that lasted 15-30 mins that were after 10PM. ATTCV wasn't the cheapest or the most full-feautered VOIP provider, but it was reliable with great call quality and far cheaper than Verizon's local POTS calling plans. I'm sorry to see it go.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next review in page (previous review)
 Review by NetFixer
UPDATED: 54 days ago
member for 5 years, 2823 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
Murfreesboro,Rutherford,TN
$39 per month
about 23 days
"Dual WAN support, and more likely to be around long term than Vonage,"
"It wasn't around longer than Vonage."
"AT&T: We don't care. We don't have to care!"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
|
I recently ported my two Vonage lines to AT&T CallVantage because I could get a $5.00 per line discount by also having an AT&T wireless account. The questionable long term survivability of Vonage also was a factor, but at this time the lower price for the same class of service was the trigger.
A major (for me) advantage is that the AT&T CallVantage service/ATA is able to utilize the load balancing features of my dual WAN DI-LB604 router. With the Vonage service/ATA(s), I had to setup the router to only use only one WAN port for VoIP. I don't know if this is due to the hardware/firmware in the AT&T ATA (D-Link DVG-5102S), or to how the AT&T servers handle SIP and RTP traffic, but it was an unexpected pleasant surprise.
The only operational downside so far is with the AT&T CallVantage voice mail. There is no way to disable it, and no matter how I setup the "Locate Me" function to forward unanswered calls to my cell phones, voice mail usually gets left with the AT&T CallVantage voice mail (which I have setup for the maximum 10 rings) instead of the AT&T Wireless voice mail. That means that the $5.00 per month discount will likely be eaten up by charges for the three text messages that get sent to the cell phones for each AT&T CallVantage voice mail.
The only real problems were related to delays in porting the two phone numbers, and with canceling the two Vonage accounts (one of them is still active after several attempts to cancel), but neither of those problems are related to the AT&T CallVantage service.
Update: 05/06/2009
AT&T CallVantage no longer provides my telephone service because they are discontinuing the service. The official replacement U-verse Voice was not an available choice to me, so I ported one of the CallVantage numbers to a cell phone and dropped the other one. Thanks for reminding us how much you care for your customers AT&T.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next review in page (previous review)
Review by sjhall
UPDATED: 58 days ago
member for 5.1 years, 143 visits, last login: 9 days ago
Pompano Beach,Broward,FL
Contract price not specified.
"Voice quality is great."
"Looong messsage to set up 911 after power off/reboot"
"Good"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I got CV for work. It is what we are using for work-at-home telecom.
Installation: I wasn't able to put the D-Link VoIP Gateway (TA) between my DSL modem (6M/512K) and my router as suggested. Instead, I put it behind my router (Monowall on old system) in a DMZ, ran the QoS Traffic Shaping Wizard and all is well.
Quality: I can be on a call and use NetMeeting and other screen sharing apps with no problem for either voice or screen refresh.
911: You have to sit through a long 911 message before you can press "1" to verify that you are at your correct address. That's a pain, but I have the TA on a UPS, so it is a very occasional thing. You can still receive calls, just can't make any until you set it. Even then, it then places your call after confirmation.
Messaging: I like having my voicemail forwarded to my inbox; worked great this summer when I was on vacation. You can also log into the website and check messages. It shows you who called and gives an easy way to delete all. Especially handy with all of the telemarketers despite my number being not listed.
Overall a good service.
7Apr2009 - Just got notified by corporate that we are discontinuing CV. I have 30 days to move to a new solution.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next review in page (previous review)
Review by ricep5
UPDATED: 75 days ago
member for 8.9 years, 1293 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Jacksonville,Duval,FL
$24 per month
about 1 days
"Geat call quality"
"Too many E911 notifications, call waiting squawk is too disruptive"
"Call quality the best so far, they need to reduce the price more"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
Purchased the package though Best Buy. Self-Install was seamless using Comcast as the bulk bandwidth provider. Believe them when the instructions demand you reset all of the devices in a particular order. One issue seen is that it reports my new greeting is active, but when I dial in the system greeting is used. Will wait a day to see if change goes through. The other issue is that the TA/Gateway resets itself when performing a security scan. (D-Link DVG-1120M) TA cannot contact AT&T gateway until unit is power cycled after the scan completes. AT&T automatically updated the firmware when the TA was provisioned.
Voice mail is instant and is reflected in my web mailbox immediately after completion. Call quality was excellent. No clipping or distortion heard. Depending on number dialed, did detect a small delay though there was no echo.
Will test behind a firewall to see if security issue can be addressed over short term. Since users cannot update the firmware, I am left to use my own devices.
(4/22/05)
I am still happy with the service. I did have an outage, but it was caused by a DHCP issue at the ISP. I FINALLY recv'd my rebate check. They didn't send it to the address I entered, but to the billing address of my credit card before I moved. So it had to be forwarded.
(7/2/07)
I am still using and am generally happy with the service. The E911 "your service address has changed" seems to pop up more now than usual, but no drop offs, no clipping, no issues.
(1/28/08)
Still on the service. They recently had a non-announced price drop from $29 to $24 per month. If I hadn't have gone to the promo page I would have missed it. No change in service quality after I requested the price change. Except for the occasional "E911" must answer after the TA loses contact, it still works as advertised. Same TA. Used permanently on a Comcast HSI link. The call waiting notification, which I haven't noted before and has been unchanged since the beginning is starting to annoy me. The "beep" is a squawk where I miss several words of the other person talking. If I ignore the other call that squawking can lead to missing some important conversation.
(4/20/09)
Received letter informing me that CallVantage is being shut down by AT&T with no deadline. Basically saying to start looking now and get your number ported as quickly as possible. No incentive to switch to another AT&T product, just a small mention on U-Verse. After 4 years of pretty good service it looks like adios is coming pretty soon.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next review in page (previous review)
Review by Fisamo
UPDATED: 119 days ago
member for 5.3 years, 1973 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Apex,Wake,NC
$33 per month
about 5 days
"Great sound quality; EXTREMELY reliable; decent feature set"
"Call filtering extra; 10 digit dialing; Not taking new customers, may shut down soon."
"Just like POTS, except for 10-digit dialing; haven't needed tech support in months--Great value!"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
|
UPDATE: 7 March 2009
The service just works. No complaints, no downtime. The main problem now is that they no longer take new customers and they're rumored to be shutting down soon. Holding on until that "you must transfer to another service by XX date if you want to keep your phone number" message reaches me...
UPDATE: 22 July 2007
Tech support has improved since my last review. I had to request a TA replacement due to death of the RT41P2 ATA they issued me. The symptoms (red power light, no access to web page, no 'battery' power to phones) were conclusive, and getting a replacement ATA approved took about 2 minutes talking with the first rep I connected with. The replacement TA was sent OVERNIGHT upon my call, and activation was straightforward. The replacement ATA was a 'downgrade' in that it was the device originally issued with the service, the DVG-1102-M, but IMO, they've worked all the major bugs out of that device. I couldn't be happier.
If you're looking to 'escape' POTS but still have a reliable phone, CallVantage is the way to go. I would recommend them to anyone who's considering any VoIP (or VoIP-like) phone service, including those offered by cable companies.
UPDATE: 24 October 2006
AT&T dropped the price of their Unlimited plan by $5/mo, so before taxes and fees, it's the same price as Vonage. With taxes and fees, the comparison will vary based on your area (AT&T collects taxes and E911 fees based on levels collected for POTS lines by each local agency, not as a "regulatory recovery fee"), but for me, it's about the same as Vonage in the end. AT&T also added the option of subscribing to a SoftPhone line (you must use their client software--you don't get the SIP credentials).
For all practical purposes, my wife and I don't think about the fact that we have VoIP, because the service has the reliability and sound rivaling a POTS line.
AT&T is a bit more difficult to work with in establishing new service since the FCC E911 mandate was imposed, and any interruption in the power to your TA causes outgoing calls to be blocked (incoming still work) until you verify that your TA is at your registered home address. If you put your TA on a UPS, you won't often have to deal with that call block. If you can get CallVantage service at your address (ie. AT&T supports E911 for you), I highly recommend CallVantage. Granted, my Vonage experience was about 2 years ago now, but CallVantage is, in my opinion, a better service for the same price.
I'm still using the Linksys RT41P2 TA, which doesn't seem to be available to new customers (they get the Centillium MTA-1). White noise is no longer an issue, since they eventually swapped my TA out for a new unit that does not have the noise issue.
Also, AT&T has disabled all N11 calls (except 911, of course) due to incomplete rollout across their service area (e.g. the 311 connecting all customers to San Antonio's city services line).
Original Review:
Ordering, experience (and comments regarding listed price, contract, etc):
I originally ordered the unlimited plan on Sept 30, 2004, when they offered 6 mos at 19.99 and required a 12 month commitment, hence the 12 month commitment line. I have also listed the current monthly rate for an NC customer on the unlimited plan as of May 15, 2005, including all taxes and fees (Fed 3%, NC Sales Tax, and $0.25 911 fee). For new accounts, there is no commitment required. Activation fee is offset by 1st month free for unlimited plan, and there is no disconnect fee, provided you return your TA.
Summary:
Specific good features:
+ Control-by-phone: Can access DND, LocateMe, outbound dialing on VoIP line from any location by calling any control-by-phone access number. (I would like ATT to post a list of those numbers in the subscribers' dashboards, but most CSRs will give you the closest number to you if you call and ask.)
+ DoNotDisturb: Can be scheduled (every day from 1-3PM for napping children) or activated in 30min increments, either by web or control-by-phone
+ PhoneBook: Can save multiple numbers per person; incoming calls from those numbers have custom text from the PhoneBook.
+ LocateMe: Service can call up to 5 numbers (simultaneously or in a given order) if activated. Only downside is you have to press 1 to accept the call, even on the service line, if it's activated, and the prompt takes a few seconds to play. Some callers may not wait long enough for you to take the call.
+ Call Filtering: Allows calls to be either dumped directly to VM or blocked entirely (blocked callers get a "You're blocked" recording). This feature includes anonymous call rejection, but it costs an extra $2/mo. (I don't subscribe.)
+ ATT does offer 411 service at $1.00 per call (I haven't tried it)
+ 711 connects me to NC Relay (for deaf or speech impaired-to-voice calls)
Negative points:
- Customer service is either great or horrendous. Some reps really go out of their way to help and troubleshoot. Escalations doesn't always call back; other reps are just not helpful.
- 10-digit dialing: You can dial the 1 if you want, but you can't drop the area code. This is not a big deal to me or my wife (we've gotten used to it), but when we have guests or babysitters, it's a nuisance. I'd like them to support 7-digit dialing soon.
- No distinctive ring option, even for call filtering subscribers or multi-user subscribers.
- 311 connects me to San Antonio, TX city services (I live near Raleigh, NC)
- 211 does not connect to local United Way as POTS does (no big deal to me)
- 511 does not connect to NC DOT as POTS does (also no big deal)
Bottom line: I'd recommend CV to someone looking into VoIP, but if you're going to adopt VoIP, you need to understand a few things:
- Network troubleshooting: Tech support is iffy, at best, with many providers, and ATT is no exception. However, these boards are a great resource if you aren't already so inclined.
- There will be hiccups in the service. You're not only relying on ATT, but also your ISP.
- Make sure you have at least one form of backup (e.g. cell or POTS) to your VoIP line. Most troubleshooting requires you to reboot your TA, so you won't be able to sit on the phone with a tech service rep while you're rebooting.
Narrative (My experience):
The line was provisioned immediately. Once I got my number, I dialed in, and I was greeted with a canned voicemail greeting "Hello, you have reached the mailbox of My Name. Please leave a message." (or something similar) I was impressed that they had put my name in the outgoing message upon activation. The web portal was inaccessible to me, because I hadn't activated my TA. On 10/1, I found out how to bypass the "activate TA" screen, so I was able to access (and change) my voicemail greeting and make outbound calls through the control-by-phone interface. On 10/3, by placing such calls, I discovered that outgoing CID was transmitting my name and number, as advertised. On 10/5, I received my TA and was able to activate with no problem by following the enclosed instructions. The first thing I noticed was the great call quality. There was no background noise, connection was rapid (e.g. last digit dialed to ring tone), and everything seemed reliable. VMWI was spotty, but otherwise, all service features worked as advertised. I chose to test the service for about a month prior to ordering a LNP of my BellSouth number. Testing was done by forwarding my POTS line to the CV line and disconnecting the POTS line outside so all calls would be on the CV line, and the service passed with flying colors. Just prior to making the LNP decision, I placed a test 911 call (with our local police dept's permission). The call went directly to the correct 911 dispatcher, although they did not have my street address or phone#. (This was acceptable to me, because it is how the service was described on their website.)
So, I ordered the phone number port in early November. The CSR who took my order actually set up a new account for me with a requested LNP. They shipped me a new TA (Linksys RT41P2) at no charge, but the port failed, because the CSR didn't tell me I needed to cancel RingMaster service on my POTS line. That was a little irritating, because it was an unnecessary delay in the process, but it wasn't a real big deal. I had to wait for the POTS billing cycle to end before I could re-submit the LNP request, and the second request went smoothly. The request was input on Nov 20 (or so), and the line was scheduled to port on Dec 1. (This CSR was also able to get me back on the 6 months for $19.99 promotion, so it got extended to June 11, 2005.) The port was delayed one more day (I think because I was having my calls forwarded), and the following day, the port was completed. My first bill on the ported line was incorrect (for some direct-dialed calls). ATT fixed the problem right away, and it hasn't occurred since, but I understand this problem to still be occurring today. Also, when I cancelled the 'test' line, they tried to charge me the $60 disconnect charge. Again, I had to call to dispute that charge, which was immediately reversed with no hassle from the CSR I spoke with.
The Linksys TA does have a little more white noise than the DLink, but that didn't bother me much until it grew worse over about 3 months. After spending a while troubleshooting, ATT agreed to send me the Centillium MTA-1 TA. That device sounded MUCH better than the Linksys, but I had troubles with Call Waiting. If a call came in while on the line the first caller would no longer hear me. Sometimes accepting the second call would restore audio; sometimes, I'd lose the call. Either way, this CW problem was unacceptable to me, so I switched back to the Linksys TA, which was no problem, since I hadn't sent it back to ATT yet.
Other than a little white noise, the service has been excellent, with only two or three noted downtimes (one of which was definitely our ISP's fault). In addition, ATT has added many features in that time, some of which I don't use (don't want to pay an extra $2/mo for call filtering).
Bottom Line:
Overall, I'd rate it similar to Vonage, with each having its own advantages and disadvantages (ex: ATT has call filtering, DND, LocateMe, Control-by-Phone, but costs more; Vonage has call transfer, busy # callback, 7 digit dialing, and is $5/mo cheaper). Both services were similarly reliable when I had each, but my experience with ATT is longer.
Followup comments:  | | Fisamo
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Apex, NC
 ·VOIPo
·AT&T CallVantage
| Re: I agree Ahh, but I am a cheapskate, especially when they could make the feature available without the extra charge. There's no reason to charge extra for filtering, especially since all other IVSPs (voip providers) with the capability include it without charging extra, and they already provide it for the Locate Me feature. That they charge extra is remiscent of the Ma Bell days when I had PSTN service.
Further, I'd really like to have the Anonymous call blocking feature be more like the POTS-style "Privacy Director" where callers can unblock their number or record their name for you to decide whether or not to take the call. | |
| | | | | | | Fisamo
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Apex, NC
·VOIPo
·AT&T CallVantage
| Re: I agree Your number should be going to the local directories, but that just started about March of this year. So, I don't know if you missed the cutoff for publication of the next (or most recent) directory, but it should be in one following. However, you should check your account web portal. There is an option to have your number unlisted or non-published. AT&T appears to plan to charge a monthly fee for either option, but they indicate no extra charge at present. If you want your number listed, make sure it's set that way. (It is set to "listed" by default.) | |
| access3219
join:2006-10-07
Wixom, MI
| portable ata I was told you can pick up your ata and take it "anywhere" there is a DSL or broadband access.
I am moving to Arizona for the winter, can I take my ATA there, I have quest phone service and quest dsl internet access.
I had planned to take the ATA and hook it up to the bare basic phone line quest provided me for their dsl. Like I have here in michigan. I would then use the computer phone number attvantage gave me to make my calls from there.
Is this possible? or am I dreaming, if i am dreaming why do they say its usable in hotels and its portable?
I am confused. | |
| | Fisamo
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Apex, NC
·VOIPo
·AT&T CallVantage
| Re: portable ata In technical terms, it is possible to take the TA to anywhere that has an internet connection, even overseas. However, there are a few "buts"... Some services block overseas IP addresses from registering to their network. I know for certain that ViaTalk does this, but I don't know what AT&T's IP filtering practice is. The bigger "but" is in terms of E911 service. AT&T has responded to the FCC's regulation that all "interconnected VoIP providers" (meaning has a regular phone# and can call regular phone#'s--some providers only accept calls over the internet and only allow calls to be placed over the 'net) in the following way. If you turn off your adapter for even a short period of time, you will have to 'confirm the location of your telephone adapter' before you can make outgoing calls. You confirm the location by pressing "1" to indicate that you haven't moved it, or pressing 3 or 8 (don't recall which) to indicate that you have moved it. If you indicate that you've moved the TA, your outbound service is blocked until you provide AT&T with the address where the TA is located AND AT&T verifies that they can provide E911 for that address. It's a royal pain, but I don't use my service that way, so I'm not bothered by it.
The easiest way around the problem is to always tell AT&T that you haven't moved the adapter, and never use that line to dial 911. (Otherwise, emergency personnel would be dispatched to your home address.) I suspect that course of action is somehow against the TOS, so you have to decide if that's a reasonable approach for you. If that's a deal breaker, check out other providers that are a little more flexible with E911 implementation. Good luck. | |
| | | |
| Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next review in page (previous review)
Review by bshelly
UPDATED: 141 days ago
member for 7.3 years, 2576 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Schaumburg,Cook,IL
$32 per month (12 month contract)
about 5 days
"Excellent options and flexibility"
"It's being discontinued sometime in 2009 with no replacement announced as of 2-13-2009. I am already signed up with Voipo."
"So much better than POTS. Go VOIP and always have a cell phone just in case. Especially for 911 backup in case of emergency."
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
AT&T CV is a dream and makes having a home phone well worth the money. I plan to eventually bring my 30 year old POTS number from Illinois Bell/Ameritech/SBC and now AT&T over to AT&T CV. I can save $20/month and still have a ton of features and have two lines on the same TA.
I just hope that AT&T CV sticks around for many years to come. Their service and support is second to none and I always get through right away and speak to someone here in the US.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
| »next page (previous review)
 Review by SuperNet33
UPDATED: 163 days ago
member for 6.7 years, 2884 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Harwood Heights,Cook,IL
$23 per month
about 1 days
"Service works well for the price"
"Tech Support"
"If you want VoIP, at&t is a good pick."
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
UPDATE 1-22-08
I had to Cancel At&t CallVantage after so many years.. I had Call issue problems and the stupid techs there didn't have a clue... So long ATTCV ...
P.S I am getting MagicJack service 
UPDATE 10-02-07
Still working well, I have some problems with static on the line but it does not bug me to much, I am only paying $19.99 so I can't complain to much.
UPDATE 06-28-07
Still working great, No issues any more.. I Fixed the CID issue by changing my Dlink TA to the Centillium TA .
p.s Tech Support sucks! I got the plan for $19.99 for Local and LD since I told them I had " at&t wireless ( aka Cingular ) "
UPDATE 12-27-06
AT&T CV Has been working great the calls are clear and everything works great But CID works when it wants to ( been only going on for 2 months ), so hopefully they get that fixed soon. I also switched to the $19.99 plan since I don't call out of state often enough.
p.s. I still have the DLINK- TA box
UPDATE 8-30-05
Everything is still GREAT, not one problem, VMI works great and everything else behind my router!!! (kock on wood)
UPDATE 5-7-05
Everything is still going strong and working, i am still VERY happy with them.
(Kock on wood)
UPDATE 1-27-05
Well i had att cv for about 3 months now and i LOVE the service.
the only thing i don't like is that the VMI dosn't work well.
I still work for voip ( for free)
I love helpin other people with the VoIP problems also.
So please pm me or post at my voip page.
UPDATE 12-14-04
I still have ATT CV, and i love them, i am able to use the linksys Ta with them now.
i am working with the to help there service, (for free) , so if you guys need help, just IM me and i will try to help u out.
Thanks for reading.
SuperNet33
»www.TalkAboutVoip.com
________________
I got sick of vonage after calling them every week for 1 month ( as soon as i got it) . So i decide to get ATT CV, And let me tell you, it was the best thing i ever did. The calls are great the service is great and every thing else is the best, The only thing i didn't like is that they have a dlink TA ( i am not very happy with dlink) but they came out with a linksys ( but as of 10-16-04, we can't use just yet) but when it works, i will b one happy man, so ya! get ATT CV.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of AT&T CallVantage |
|
|
(11)
(13)
(13)
·
·
·
·
·