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Entered CNET Catalog: 06/25/2004
SKU: SERVVOICEPLUS
Manufacturer: VoicePulse Inc.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 07/02/2004
Setting up the adapter is a snap. A simple, six-item list clearly outlines the steps you'll take to get the service up and running. You simply plug your phone into the primary phone jack (the adapter has two), run a cable from the adapter's Ethernet jack to your router, and plug the Sipura adapter's power cord into a wall socket. In our tests, when the adapter's only indicator light stopped flashing after a couple of minutes, we had a dial tone and were ready to make calls. As a bonus, the adapter itself is as small as any we've seen for VoIP services, much smaller than the D-Link unit provided by CallVantage. For single-function items, such as a VoIP adapter, that you're likely to rest on a desk or a counter, we always appreciate a small footprint.
The Manage Features tab gives you control of most of your account settings and features.
As with all VoIP services, VoicePulse offers a Web-based interface for monitoring, configuring, and managing your account. We were impressed by the level of customization VoicePulse affords, but the Web interface could use a bit of streamlining. We feel that home users would benefit from a simple, one-page summary screen instead of the three that VoicePulse walks you through. We found ourselves having to click through too many pages to activate or tailor a feature.
During testing, we found VoicePulse's call quality to be high for all long-distance and toll-free calls, although slightly lower for some local calls. Long phone calls maintain an even consistency throughout. Overall, we found VoicePulse's call quality to be equal to that of other VoIP services during our anecdotal testing. VoicePulse offers four monthly calling plans. Two plans give you unlimited local calling in addition to 200 or 600 long-distance minutes for $14.99 or $25.99, respectively. If you're always on the phone or just don't feel like counting your minutes each month (though it's an easy figure to check from VoicePulse's Web site), the America Unlimited plan gives you as many minutes as you want to U.S. numbers for $34.99. The Business Unlimited plan ($45.99 per month) features unlimited local and long-distance calling along with six-seat conference calling--a virtual conference room with a toll-free number that you can give to clients, employees, or whomever you wish. As of this writing, the America Unlimited plan is available for $24.99 per month if you commit to a year's contract. None of the other plans have contractual obligations. VoicePulse's monthly rates are competitive with those of the other services we've reviewed; it's neither the most expensive nor the cheapest.
One drawback to VoicePulse's otherwise excellent array of calling plans is that the service treats calls from the United States to Canada as international calls and charges you per minute. Other VoIP services, such as Packet8 include Canada in their unlimited monthly plans.
The included Sipura adapter has two phone-line jacks, letting you add a second line to your account anytime you wish. Activating the second line costs $4.99 per month and gives you 200 outgoing minutes (and 3.9 cents per minute should you exceed 200 minutes). In addition, you can set up virtual numbers for each line you have, allowing friends, family, and clients to call you from their location to yours at their local rates. Virtual numbers for all plans cost $5.44 per month, with a one-time, $7.99 activation fee.
VoicePulse lets you block callers in numerous different ways. The Do Not Disturb scheduler, above, lets you sit down to dinner knowing that the phone won't ring until all the plates are clean.
If you're harboring homicidal thoughts toward telemarketers, VoicePulse is well worth considering. You can activate various blocking features on each line and number, including the ability to send not-in-service tones to telemarketers, thereby stopping their calls. You can also block anonymous calls, with an option to allow users to identify themselves by entering their phone number. As for outgoing calls, you can block your caller ID from showing up, and you can block international calls and directory assistance calls. Finally, the Do Not Disturb feature lets you stop calls from coming through either until you disable the feature or over a series of scheduled times, with an option to allow specific callers through, selected by typing their phone numbers or choosing them from your contact list. Other VoIP services offer similar call-blocking features, but VoicePulse is among the best. For example, AT&T CallVantage lets you block calls but doesn't let you specify which callers to block--it's all or nothing.
Other features include voicemail that you can check via e-mail, speed dialing (up to 99 numbers), and call forwarding, including automatic forwarding in the case of your number being temporarily unavailable--if your ISP is down, for instance. In addition, you can filter calls made to each of your phone numbers in a variety of combinations, based on incoming caller and time and date schedules, to ensure that you get all the calls you want but only the calls you want. You can phone VoicePulse's New Jersey contact number to request customer service, but the Web site offers two choices that will make such calls rare. First is the Support link, which provides an e-mail form to contact customer service. More importantly, the site contains an extensive knowledge base covering numerous FAQs, including details about setting up VoicePulse with specific routers. Our e-mail messages were answered promptly--on the same day in the case of two questions we asked--and the answers provided were clear.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
User Rating: 
10/10
Outstanding service at an amazingly low price!
Pros: Features: Filters, Do Not Disturb, Anonymous Call Rejection, Speed Dial (99), voicemail notification emails with wav file, YES, you can port your number, YES, they do have 911 service, tech support is quick, competent and thorough
Cons: absolutely no cons
Review:
We have been using VoicePulse exclusively for home phone service for over two years. The service has been outstanding, and the price is a rediculously low $15.89 per month (Local calling plan) for a wide local calling area and 200 minutes of Long Distance (US). (The unlimited plan is about $26/mo with the FED tax). We would never go back to a land line with all the outrageous taxes and fees, and this service is so reasonable, we would never drop it for cell phone only. In MD, our 'local' calling area is the entire state (ac 301, 240, 410, 443) as well as DC (202) and NOVA (703, 571). We have set the Scheduled Do Not Disturb so that we are never interrupted in the middle of the night with a mis-dialed call or prankster. Voicemail sends us an email with the message in a wav file so that we can listen to it on our cell phones without dialing in to VoicePulse. Charities and politicians that are exempt from the Do Not Call list (and those telemarketers who ignore the list) can be blocked from ever ringing the phone again, and given a busy, not in service or unavailable message, or be sent immediately to voicemail. With VoicePulse, you have total control over your phone and who you allow to call you. Set up is plug and play. With VoicePulse, you have a 30 day trial period, but you won't be disappointed with the service.
User Rating: 
9/10
Great Service
Pros: Easy to set up and use
Cons: No local 911
Review:
I've used VoicePulse for over a year now with no problems what so ever. I was skepical at first do I kept me Verizon land line for the first 6 months just to make sure. The Verizon line has been canceled and I'm only using VoicePulse and my cell and saving a whole bunch of $$$ monthly.
I would highly recommend their product.
I would highly recommend their product.
User Rating: 
1/10
The worst Service
Pros: Features when you can use them
Cons: Tech Support
Review:
How can this company stay in business?
After one year of service I started having problems and my phone would not work. Voicepulse said there was a problem with my router and wanted me to contact Linksys. So I called Linksys and they said my router was working fine. Then voicepulse wanted me to contact Sipura about the adapter, so I did and Sipura said they thought the adapter was bad and for me to contact voicepulse. Now voicepulse still says it my router so I buy a new router and still the phone does not work. Now voicepulse says maybe it is the adapter and wants me to pay for a new one. This is two weeks later with no service and I was not willing to spend any more time and money on voicepulse so I requested them to cancel my service. They still charged me for the month of October while I had no service.
Today I get a call from voicepulse saying I owe them over 100 dollars because my service is still active and also I have to pay for the broken adapter. Well you can guess what I told them!
Oh and I have signed up with a new VOIP and you know what both old and new routers work fine.
Don?t Use VoicePulse!
After one year of service I started having problems and my phone would not work. Voicepulse said there was a problem with my router and wanted me to contact Linksys. So I called Linksys and they said my router was working fine. Then voicepulse wanted me to contact Sipura about the adapter, so I did and Sipura said they thought the adapter was bad and for me to contact voicepulse. Now voicepulse still says it my router so I buy a new router and still the phone does not work. Now voicepulse says maybe it is the adapter and wants me to pay for a new one. This is two weeks later with no service and I was not willing to spend any more time and money on voicepulse so I requested them to cancel my service. They still charged me for the month of October while I had no service.
Today I get a call from voicepulse saying I owe them over 100 dollars because my service is still active and also I have to pay for the broken adapter. Well you can guess what I told them!
Oh and I have signed up with a new VOIP and you know what both old and new routers work fine.
Don?t Use VoicePulse!
User Rating: 9/10
No more SBC! Great Service/Value
Pros: Works Very Well
Cons: Still needs E-911
Review:
Service was easy to set up, has been fairly reliable and getting better. Signed up for the no commitment $14.95 month to month plan, VoicePulse supplied the equipment no charge; this way I was able to try the service without risk.
The local calling area is huge, covers all the area codes around Chicago, plus I get 200 minute long distance included with the plan. I was paying SBC $60-65 a month for service without all the features of VoicePulse.
Only problems I have had were limited outages - inbound calls then automatically route to my cellphone. I have also noticed poor call quality when uploading large files.
I have had the service for seven months now and highly recommend this service, if you a have a good high speed internet connection. VoicePulse customer service has been easy to work with and prompt to address issues.
The local calling area is huge, covers all the area codes around Chicago, plus I get 200 minute long distance included with the plan. I was paying SBC $60-65 a month for service without all the features of VoicePulse.
Only problems I have had were limited outages - inbound calls then automatically route to my cellphone. I have also noticed poor call quality when uploading large files.
I have had the service for seven months now and highly recommend this service, if you a have a good high speed internet connection. VoicePulse customer service has been easy to work with and prompt to address issues.
User Rating: 9/10
WOW!!! As close to land line quality as you can get
Pros: Call Quality, Price, Features
Cons: No 911 yet, coming in 11/2005. No 24hr Tech Support
Review:
Now this us how VOIP is meant to work. Even if you have had all the big providers, you have not had VOIP yet until you try VoicePulse. The online teck support is easy to follow and work with. I have only had to use it once and that is due to porting my number. They always update you as to Hardware news and even Market news. I like this a lot. I used to be with Lingo and that was a nigtmare.
User Rating: 9/10
Amazing Product - Saving me $$$$$
Pros: None So Far
Cons: Works all over the world, Excellent Quality, No computer experience required, No hidden charges
Review:
This is a amazing product and saving me $$$ I used to spend in calling India. I bought one of these and send to India..they plugged it in and now we can talk local....$14.99 will be the final cost..no hidden taxes or charges...SIMPLY AMAZING...Guys go for it..
Updated
Just wanted to ADD more **** for this product, I have been using this for more then 4 months now and call quality is better then landline. No problem for even a single min in 4 months..EXCELLENT PRODUCT and SERVICE.
Just wanted to ADD more **** for this product, I have been using this for more then 4 months now and call quality is better then landline. No problem for even a single min in 4 months..EXCELLENT PRODUCT and SERVICE.
Updated
Just wanted to ADD more **** for this product, I have been using this for more then 4 months now and call quality is better then landline. No problem for even a single min in 4 months..EXCELLENT PRODUCT and SERVICE.
Just wanted to ADD more **** for this product, I have been using this for more then 4 months now and call quality is better then landline. No problem for even a single min in 4 months..EXCELLENT PRODUCT and SERVICE.
User Rating: 
4/10
Not the greatest phone service
Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: No line porting, lost packets on other person's end
Review:
I received an email from their customer service prior to choosing them that they will have line porting in Texas within 1-3 months. I signed up. After 30 days, you cannot cancel the unlimited plan without paying for the rest of the year. So, I was stuck with their service for a year. Just finished the year and have switched to Lingo. They ported my line electronically in less than a week. Voicepulse also has had many outages. Some due to their generators not kicking in some because of their provider having problems. They also lost an entire day's worth of phone calls and could not restore them. They have a lot more features than any of the other providers I have looked at but for the money, have to switch to Lingo for the unlimited calls to US, Canada and Western Europe for less money. I also get 911 service with Lingo that Voicepulse still does not offer.
User Rating: 
2/10
Bad Experience All-Around
Pros: Can't think of one
Cons: Dropped calls, nothing but frustration, bad customer service
Review:
If you're thinking of going the VOIP route, think twice before signing up with these con artists.
My Voice Pulse experience has been nothing but a nightmare. From taking nearly four months to port my phone number to nasty customer service (I think they only have one guy handling all the calls and every time I ask for a supervisor, the person I'm speaking with says they are the supervisor!), and in the end my phone calls got dropped EVERY TIME within two minutes of making a call.
Worst of all, when you try to cancel, they'll tell you that you'll have to pay the balance for the year because of the one-year commitment they have. In the end, I spent $70 for the equipment (second rate), $34 each month for service (which didn't work), waited four months to get the number ported, got nothing but headaches from dropped calls, then paid to switch to another carrier (more fees) to end up back with the old reliable services of Verizon...in fact I practically was begging them to take me back.
Would recommend to those who want to move into the VOIP world, to go straight to Vonage, my friends use them and though the sound quality isn't great either (tinny, echo-y calls), at least you can manage to have a conversation and they actually have real tech support from folks who seem to care a bit more about the services they're supposed to be providing. In fact, afer this review, I'm contacting the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General's office.
My Voice Pulse experience has been nothing but a nightmare. From taking nearly four months to port my phone number to nasty customer service (I think they only have one guy handling all the calls and every time I ask for a supervisor, the person I'm speaking with says they are the supervisor!), and in the end my phone calls got dropped EVERY TIME within two minutes of making a call.
Worst of all, when you try to cancel, they'll tell you that you'll have to pay the balance for the year because of the one-year commitment they have. In the end, I spent $70 for the equipment (second rate), $34 each month for service (which didn't work), waited four months to get the number ported, got nothing but headaches from dropped calls, then paid to switch to another carrier (more fees) to end up back with the old reliable services of Verizon...in fact I practically was begging them to take me back.
Would recommend to those who want to move into the VOIP world, to go straight to Vonage, my friends use them and though the sound quality isn't great either (tinny, echo-y calls), at least you can manage to have a conversation and they actually have real tech support from folks who seem to care a bit more about the services they're supposed to be providing. In fact, afer this review, I'm contacting the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General's office.
User Rating: 
7/10
You can keep your phone number.
Pros: Inexpensive, Keep your same #. Features
Cons: NO 911...Not as reliable as Verizon land line.
Review:
I've had voicepulse for 6 months now, It has lots of features is very inexpensive. I have had no service a few times and a occasional "echo" on the phone. I am paying less for two lines than I was for one, plus I have more features and 200 min. nationwide long distance. My "Local" calling area is almost the whole state.I have faxed with no problems even though it is not supported. Not quite the quality of "Ma-Bells" but getting there. I wish they had 911 service. Over all its a good service for the money.
User Rating: 7/10
Good value in some settings
Pros: Great 2nd line for local area calls
Cons: No 911, weekday only tech support
Review:
Voicepulse's $15 plan (as of March '05) includes a large local unlimited calling area. This makes it a great 2nd line, kids line, or a supplemental landline for a heavy cellphone user. The voice quality is good and the call management features excellent. The negative features reported in the review and opinions make Vonage a better and safer choice for main-line replacement.
