Review: OOMA Voice Over IP Device!
OOMA is a great Voice over IP solution that requires no monthly charges after its initial purchase. It is an awesome solution that can be integrated into your existing home/office wiring and provide you crystal clear phone service. I bought an OOMA about 1 year ago with one scout (added a 2nd system later on). The current cost of the system is $199 as compared to $249 a year ago. The system, out of the box, comes with a basic set of phone features. However if you need additional features you can sign up for their premier services, which include a free second phone line, real-time message screening, one-touch Do Not Disturb and Send to Voicemail, a second personal number with private voicemail, and more.
The OOMA system is a standalone system that does not require a computer what so ever. The setup is so simple that it can be completed within 10 minutes. The recommended method is to plug your broadband model into the OOMA and then take an ethernet wire from the OOMA into your router. This way the OOMA’s traffic is prioritized. You can also plug the OOMA into a router if your router does some sort of voice prioritization.
I am sure you have more questions and thus I have taken the liberty of copying the FAQ from their website and including it below. Our setup is quite simple at home in that we have two of these systems. One that is used for our family phones and one for our home office. The router and cable modem we have are housed in our basement, out of site and out of mind. We simply plugged two OOMA’s into the routers ethernet ports and began to run phone lines from the OOMA’s into our home phone wiring. It is not as complex as it sounds as long as some simple rules are followed:
- You must disconnect wires from the local telephone company coming to your Network Interface Device (gray box on the outside of your home).
- Second, take some regular old phone wires and cut the jacks off at one end and simply splice the wires from the OOMA into the home wiring.
- Third, your phone jacks are now live and can be used with regular telephones that will use OOMA to make calls.
I have been using the system over 1 year now and now that I have my own tech blog, I figured I would do a write up about the product. We switched to it from Vonage and have not had any issues what so ever. In case you are interested, we are on cable modem service. This review may not have all of the information you need but please do use the commenting system for inquiries and I will try to answer them as best as I can.
Here is the setup:
- NO LANDLINE required.
- Use with DSL, Cable, and or Fiber (fios) based Broadband.
- Two OOMA Hubs (personal and business) and 2 OOMA Scouts.
- 2 x 2 Line Panasonic Cordless system to use dual line capabilities.
- Wired into home wiring so as to avoid unsightly clutter of hardware.
FAQ from OOMA:
ooma provides free home phone service once you purchase our device for a one-time fee. Plug your high-speed Internet and existing home phone into ooma and call anywhere in the US for free. You’ll enjoy clear, landline quality voice and bundled features like caller-ID, call-waiting and voicemail, all with no monthly fees.
All you need is a high-speed Internet connection (cable, DSL or fiber-optic) and a regular home phone.
ooma works with your existing corded or cordless home phones. Use your phone exactly like before – only now you don’t have to worry about the bill!
ooma allows you to make local and long-distance calls within the US for free. A few exceptions apply: ooma does not support 900 numbers and phone chat services. We will also charge you 99 cents for directory assistance (411) calls.
Nope. Unlike some other services, ooma lets you call anyone, at any number, anywhere in the US without charge.
When you register your ooma device online, you will get to pick a new phone number in any area code in the US (except Alaska and Hawaii). To check if we have a number available near you, please visit the OOMA site.
In most cases, yes, ooma can transfer (port) your existing phone number to ooma. Normally there is a one-time processing fee of $39.99, but if you sign-up for an annual subscription to ooma Premier ($99.99/yr), we’ll waive the porting fee. To confirm that your number can be transferred, please visit the OOMA site..
Please note that porting typically takes up to three weeks and you must keep your current phone service until the transfer is complete. For more information about number porting, please check out this support article.
Yes. ooma provides E911 service where supported. We will collect your address when you register your ooma device online, and send it to emergency response personnel when you dial 911. Since ooma works over your Internet connection, you will need to call from a mobile phone if your Internet connection is down. If you’re concerned about relying on your Internet for phone service, we’ve built the ooma system to work with a landline back-up. In this case, your 911 calls will always be routed over your landline.
No, ooma is a standalone, low-power, always-on device that works independently of your computer. This saves you from the hassle of installing anything on your computer and from having to leave your computer turned on to make and receive calls. That alone could save you up to $20 per month in energy costs!
Our patent-pending auto-configuration technology makes set-up as painless as possible. Most customers are up and dialing in less than 15 minutes. Using the ooma system is even easier! Use your existing home phones just like always, only now you don’t have to worry about a phone bill!
The ooma Core bundle has list price of $249.99. This includes an ooma Hub, ooma Scout, and a 60-day free-trial of ooma Premier.
ooma is available for purchase online and in stores nationwide. Click here for a list of our authorized resellers. You may also purchase directly from us.
The ooma Hub is the main device that connects to your high-speed Internet and existing home phones. The ooma Scout extends the benefits of ooma to another phone jack in your home over your existing in-wall phone wiring (no landline service required). The ooma Scout is an optional component of the ooma system, but allows you to connect a second phone to ooma so you can make free phone calls and access other ooma features, like voicemail and the Instant Second Line
ooma does support fax machines, but can only do so on a best effort basis. We recommend that you connect the fax machine to the back of your ooma Hub device and dial the prefix *99 before you place an outgoing fax call. If you have a high-performance Internet connection, you should have no problems with short faxes (less than 5 pages). For additional information about using ooma with a fax machine, check out this support article.
ooma is a standalone device that does not require a computer. There is no software to install and no need for a headset. ooma replaces your current phone service and delivers clear, landline quality calling over your existing phone and high-speed Internet connection. With no monthly fee or contracts, ooma will make your phone bill a thing of the past and save you hundreds of dollars per year over other phone/VoIP services.
Like all other “unlimited services” such as cell phone data plans and other VoIP services, we do have a limit of 3000 minutes per month (for outbound calling) that we can enforce on a case by case basis in the event that a subscriber is clearly abusing the service (i.e. call centers, commercial purposes, etc.). We have never terminated a customer that has used the service for residential purposes.
The ooma system can be used anywhere there is a high-speed Internet connection. Regardless of where you use it, calls to the US will be free and calls outside the US will be subject to low-cost international rates. If you plan to use the device overseas, be sure to use a phone that meets US standards, and be aware that the power supply that comes with the ooma Hub is built for US power specifications. Also, if you choose to install and use the ooma system outside the US, you’ll be solely responsible for compliance with international laws and subject to all associated fees, taxes, tariffs, and legal penalties.
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