Other Web-based features include call logs (for incoming, outgoing, and missed calls) and Click To Call, which lets you dial any number from your logs or online phone book. After you click the Click To Call icon, your phone rings. When you answer it, SunRocket places the call. Cool.
The Gizmo telephone adapter is compatible with expandable wireless phone systems (the kind with one base and multiple stations). If you already have one, just plug it into the Gizmo. If not, SunRocket supplies the excellent 2.4GHz Uniden DCT 646-2 system (currently being offered as a sign-on bonus at SunRocket's Web site), which includes two handsets and supports the addition of two more. (Note: You need a promo code to get the phones. If you don't have one, just click the picture of the phone on the company's home page. It's the one with the big yellow bird perched on it.) Our only complaint with the phone is its slightly smallish dial pad.
Already ahead of the FCC's mandate for 911 services, SunRocket supports Enhanced 911, which routes your name and address to the operator in case you're unable to do so verbally. At press time, E911 wasn't available in all areas (though Basic 911 is), so check with the company before ordering. If you decide to keep your regular landline service, you can plug a phone cord from your wall jack to the Gizmo's Life Line jack and use your phone to call local 911.
SunRocket's only real shortcoming in features is its lack of support for faxing--a common limitation among VoIP services. According to a company rep, some fax machines may work with the Gizmo (which does have a second jack, so you needn't disconnect your phone), but you'll get no promise of consistent faxing.
It's worth noting that the $199 annual fee represents your sole out-of-pocket expense. SunRocket doesn't charge for activation or anything else--even shipping is free. The only time you'll pay extra is if you call directory assistance more than twice per month (additional calls cost 79 cents each) or you exceed your monthly international-call credit of $3. Calls within the United States and from the United States to Canada are free; the cost from the States to most other countries ranges from 3 to 16 cents per minute. Just as impressive, SunRocket imposes no fees if you cancel the service and will even refund your balance.
The SunRocket Internet Phone Service was tested formally by CNET Labs (following the Labs' VoIP testing methodology) and informally by our author. In our Labs' tests, the SunRocket VoIP service demonstrated nearly landline quality under baseline conditions (when nothing else was moving over the network). During uploads and downloads, however, our Labs tester found that the voice quality degraded significantly on the non-SunRocket side of the call, more so during data uploads. VoIP services differ widely in voice quality during downloads, because they implement quality of service (giving priority to voice packets over data packets) differently--some don't suffer degradation at all, while others result in distortion. During uploads, almost all VoIP services show some degradation, because most home and small-business broadband connections don't provide enough upstream bandwidth to support both voice and data transmission simultaneously.On the other hand, our reviewer was not able to reproduce the voice-quality degradations that our Labs found, even after weeks of heavy use. Like the Labs, he reported nearly landline voice quality under baseline conditions; he did notice a sound echo when the network was engaged in bandwidth-intensive tasks, such as streaming music, but no dropped calls or audio drop-outs.
In addition to toll-free phone support, SunRocket offers real-time chat via its Web site. We asked an online technician about a problem, and while he quickly identified the problem, he was unable to resolve it. Instead, he instructed us to call SunRocket's support department. It's a toll-free call, and both phone-line and chat-room help is available daily from 8 a.m. to midnight ET--generous hours, but obviously, we'd prefer 24/7 support. We e-mailed our question to SunRocket during the hours when chat and phone support were unavailable, and to the company's credit, a helpful reply arrived within an hour.
