Purchasing Your Service


After selecting the service provider that is the best fit for your priorities, you will want to get on board with its service plans and equipment. Fortunately, this is the easiest part. Not one of these providers would be in business if it made buying its services hard. A few Web forms or a few minutes on the phone, and you are done!

Take note that you have not even considered service plans until now. This is because the most important part of the selection is the feature set, not the minutes. Most providers will zip you right to the service-plan selection, completely glossing over the technical underpinnings of their services. You may soon become disenchanted with the actual performance of the service and take off to find another, perhaps paying a substantial early-cancellation penalty as you leave. By shopping for features first, you eliminate this revolving-door experience. If you are satisfied with the features and quality of your service, you might even be willing to pay slightly more for it.

In the next section, I discuss the selection of service plans, equipment, and installation support.

Selecting a service plan

Assume for a moment that you have selected your service provider. Now it is time to drive a hard bargain by deciding which of the provider's service plans best serves your needs. As you have probably already discovered, there is not much in the way of bargaining to do; you choose the basic, middle, or deluxe plan. "Good, Better, Best" is classic marketing. Show clients a progression, and they will go deluxe every time.

Take a close look at what you are getting. If you never use more than 300 minutes of calling time per month, and most of it is domestic long distance, why opt for the "Unlimited World Domination" plan? You might be better off with a 300-minute plan with low rates for additional minutes.

Read the details of each plan carefully to see how it applies to your real-world situation. Buy the one that gives you the best value for your pattern of use.

Choosing your equipment

Most VoIP providers offer a free telephone adapter or network interface unit for their services. You might be able to choose other optional equipment. These devices usually cost a bit more but may be well suited to your situation.

If you wander about during calls, you might choose the wireless handset option offered by your provider. If you do not have a broadband router, you might choose to purchase the router with integrated phone ports. Look over the available options, and select the device that best serves your needs.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Some services allow you to use your own telephone adapters and IP phones. If you currently have one of these devices, check your provider's ability to support compatible codecs and protocols. If they allow BYOD, most providers offer you the choice to use your own equipment on the device-selection page of their sign-up process (Figure 2.2). You often receive a discount on your service-activation fee if you use your own equipment.

Figure 2.2. BroadVoice's BYOD sign-up page


Retail Starter Kits

Some providers also offer retail startup kits for purchase at major computer retailers. With the purchase of one of these kits, it is possible to buy and activate your service in a single day. If this option appeals to you, be sure you select your provider before you enter the store. Standing there staring at two kits is not the time to make this decision. (My apologies to those who picked this book up from the rack next to their starter kits.)

Starter kits usually include a telephone adapter or broadband router with voice ports (Figure 2.3), cables for connecting to your computer and Internet service, and a quick-start guide. By following the instructions in the guide, you can install and activate your service in as little as 15 minutes.

Figure 2.3. The D-Link DVG-1120 is provided with some AT&T CallVantage starter kits.


Preactivated Devices

If you choose to sign up online, the device you select will usually be preactivated by your VoIP provider. When you receive the device, all you have to do is plug it in. This can simplify installation, especially for those who really dread making network devices talk to each other. Preactivated hardware is also more likely to be up to date with regard to device programming for best reliability and performance. Retail starter kits may have been on the shelf for a while and might need a firmware update (discussed in Chapter 6) to fix minor performance and stability issues.

Considering installation assistance

Most VoIP providers can assist you with setup and configuration of your service. Often, this involves a telephone support call to make sure that everything is installed and connected correctly. Retail stores may offer to install your retail starter kit for a fee. If you are not technically inclined, this might be an excellent option for you. The store will send a technician out, and he or she will leave you with a functioning telephone service.

Cable providers often require you to use their professional installation services. If this is the case, hold out for free or discounted installation. If you stick to your guns, the sales representative will often throw it in as a sign-up incentive. Just be sure to mention that you are considering other VoIP services as well.

Softphone providers usually do not offer installation assistance, but you can find many helpful folks in their online forums who can assist you with your service. These online communities are frequented by some very generous and helpful people. Be sure to thank them publicly in the forums unless they request that you refrain from doing so.

Lest you despair, don't forget that Chapter 4 is coming up soon. That chapter gets into network hookups and installation of VoIP devices in depth and should answer any questions you still have at this point.



Fire the Phone Company. A Handy Guide to Voice over IP
Fire the Phone Company: A Handy Guide to Voice Over IP
ISBN: 0321384865
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 94
Authors: David Field

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