Ooma Telo Free Home Phone Service Review

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(More customer reviews)We purchased an Ooma Hub & Scout in April 2009 to replace a Vonage VoIP connection. We are very satisfied with the hub, and therefore purchased an Ooma Telo for a second location. This review describes our Ooma Telo experience so far, and compares it to the Hub/Scout.
The Telo is well designed and sleek. The controls are touch controls and very sensitive. There is a USB port in the back - presumably for future expansion. Like the hub, there are two RJ45 ethernet jacks - one to connect to the "internet", and the second to connect to one's home network. There are also two RJ11 phone jacks. One to connect to your existing landline, should you have one, and decide to integrate the landline and Telo. The other is to connect to your phone.
The setup instructions are simple. While it is recommended that the Telo be connected directly to your cable/dsl/wimax modem (i.e. before your router), it works equally well after the router. We chose to connect the Telo to the router rather than the modem.
We were treated to a red & blue patriotic light show for about 20 minutes when the Telo was first plugged in, while it apparently downloaded firmware/software updates. I was a little puzzled by this, but presumably there have been updates from the release date (October 1) to our purchase date (October 3), or the first set of units were shipped without the latest firmware/software on them. In either event, there has been a second firmware/software update since then, so clearly Ooma are keen to improve Telo as feedback/complaints from early adopters rolls in.
Unlike the Hub, the Telo doesn't support the Scout. But this doesn't mean the Telo cannot provide a dial tone at other phone jacks in your house. For this, simply connect a splitter to the phone jack in the Telo, plug one line into the telephone adjacent to the Telo, and the second into the nearest wall jack. If the phone wiring in your house is intact, you should be able to connect a standard wired phone to any other phone jack. The Ooma Hub also supports this feature, which isn't readily documented in Ooma's product literature.
The Telo and Hub are indistinguishable in every aspect of call quality. Off course the Telo supports up to four DECT 6.0 handsets, and Telo to Telo calls will offer HD voice. The Telo will also support Bluetooth, and cell-phone integration. Although these features will be available in future firmware/software updates.
There are differences in the level and cost of service that I have described below.
For current Ooma Hub owners:
Ooma Core includes 5000 minutes a month, voicemail and caller-id and is free of regulatory fees for the life of the hub.
Ooma Premiere includes a range of additional features, including a second line, 3-way calling, multi-ring, call fowarding and many others. This costs $9.99 a month or $99 a year.
For future Ooma Hub owners:
Ooma Core will include 5000 minutes a month and voicemail. From the second year, it will cost $12/yr to recover regulatory fees.
Ooma Premiere will include enhanced voicemail, and the other premiere features. Ooma Premiere will cost $9.99 a month or $120 a year.
For Ooma Telo:
Ooma core includes 5000 mins/month & voicemail, and $12/yr from the second year on to recover regulatory fees.
Ooma Premiere will include enhanced voicemail, and the other premiere features at $9.99 a month or $120 a year.
For both the Hub and Telo, the cost of Premiere includes either a free handset a year (a $49 value), or a free number port (a $39 value).
This change in pricing strategy has made some claim that Ooma is no longer "free".
Well, it never was, although current Hub owners will not have to spend another dime for the life of their unit.
New Hub & Telo users receive 5000 mins/month and voicemail for the cost of the unit, and have to pay $12/year from the second year onwards to cover regulatory fees.
In my opinion Ooma continues to remain a good value when compared to other VoIP providers, although clearly early Hub adopters received a better deal than Telo users.
I want to note two other things that are common to the Hub and Telo. Our number ports were quick and efficient. And, while customer service can be difficult to reach, there is excellent support available from the Ooma community on Ooma's website forums. The Ooma employees who moderate the forums also provide support in a very timely manner.
Bottom-line, if you have Vonage or Packet8, or have phone bundled in with your cable, strongly consider getting a Telo. You will save money for service that is as good or better. With the Hub, we saw savings with the first six months. With the Telo it will be about 14 months before we start seeing savings.
Quick summary - highly recommended!

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The Ooma Telo is a revolutionary device that allows you to call anywhere in the U.S. for free. Just pay applicable taxes and fees. You can also make international calls for next to nothing. Telo is easy to set up and even easier to use. You simply connect the device to your high-speed Internet and your existing phone, and that's it. You don't need a computer, and you don't need a headset. With the Ooma Telo, you'll be ready to start calling and saving money within minutes.
NOTE: The Ooma Telo requires high-speed Internet and a router (sold separately).



Overview Your one-time purchase of the ooma system delivers:
Free calling within U.S. and low-cost international calls
Caller-ID, call-waiting and 911
Outstanding voice quality and secure, encrypted phone calls
Easy set-up with any telephone; no PC required
Option to keep your current number and landline service
30-day money-back guarantee and extendable 1-year warranty
Free trial of Ooma Premier -- a suite of enhanced features

FeaturesFree Calls in the U.S. and Low International Rates With its sleek design and loaded features, the only thing that's not stunning about the Ooma Telo is the price tag. The Ooma Telo allows you to enjoy free home phone service, free calls within the United States, and exceptionally low international rates. The end result: you'll save hundreds of dollars a year in phone bills. Crisp, Clear Voice Quality with No Dropped Calls The Ooma system has been designed to deliver exceptional voice quality and reliability, giving you the crisp, acoustic performance of a landline. Easy Installation with your Existing Phones The Telo has been designed for an intuitive and easy installation. It connects to your router with the included Ethernet cable, and to your existing telephone with the included telephone cord. Most customers are connected and making calls within about 20 minutes. If you've got any questions, ooma's online support site is loaded with dozens of articles, diagrams, tips, and facts. Port Your Existing Phone Number For a one-time fee of $39.99, Ooma gives you the option of retaining your current telephone number. Or, if you want to change numbers, you can choose a new number in any calling area in the US to use with your Telo unit. Low-Cost Landline Option for Added Flexibility Ooma gives you the option of integrating a low-cost landline as a backup. This way, you'll be able to enjoy the assurance of traditional 911 service and seamless coverage during Internet and power outages. Supports the Ooma Telo Handset Get the most out of your Ooma Telo with the official Ooma Telo Handset. Thanks to DECT 6.0 technology, the handset enhances the already clear, crisp sound quality of ooma. It allows you to take full advantage of Ooma's premium features like Instant Second Line and personal number setting. You don't need a Telo Handset to use Ooma, but it will definitely enhance your experience. Exclusive Web Portal My Ooma is your online destination for the ooma service. You can listen to messages, check your call logs, control your account preferences, prepay for international calling, and even set up voicemail notifications, 24 hours a day. There's also an online phonebook, which can be accessed if you're using the Ooma Telo Handset (sold separately). What's in the Box Ooma Telo, Ethernet cable, phone cable, and AC adapter.


PureVoice
In today's connected home environment with Internet file sharing, video streaming, on-line gaming, Ooma's PureVoice Technology delivers clear audio even if substandard calling conditions exist. Ooma PureVoice Technology is composed of four key components.

Advanced Voice Compression
Ooma uses an advanced voice compression algorithm that reduces bandwidth consumption by 60% over standard VoIP technology. That leaves you with more bandwidth for all other online activities and increases the likelihood that your voice traffic will be delivered properly by your ISP.

Wire-speed QoS
Even though Ooma uses only a fraction of the bandwidth of standard VoIP technology, preserving voice quality requires that those packets arrive on time. The Ooma Telo prioritizes voice packets without slowing down the rest of your network. This way you can enjoy crystal clear calls even as you're uploading your latest video clips.

Adaptive Redundancy
Packet loss is the enemy of VoIP - it can cause voice to sound stuttered or garbled. The Ooma Telo detects packet loss on your Internet connection and automatically sends redundant packets to boost the clarity of your phone call.

Encrypted Calls
Ooma takes your privacy seriously. We use the same encryption technology governments use to protect classified data to protect your conversations. This makes Ooma even more secure than the traditional landline.

Discover Ooma Premier If you want to add a bundle of enhanced calling features that will get your home phone service firing on all cylinders, Ooma Telo includes a free 60-day trial to Ooma Premier, a suite of enhanced calling features. You can also add Ooma Premier to your service for $9.99/month or $119.99/year. If you sign up for a year, you'll have the option of retaining your current telephone number for free ($39.99 value), or receiving a free HD handset ($49.99 value). See the chart below for a full list of Ooma Premier features.Advanced Voicemail Features With Ooma Premier, you'll have access to several first-class voicemail options. You'll be able to enjoy the ultimate convenience of having your voicemails forwarded to e-mail, allowing you to check your phone messages from work. And for added privacy, you'll have the option of making any Ooma device a private extension. Instant Second Line If you share your house with a phone hog, Ooma's Instant Second Line feature presents a solution for you. When the line is already in use, you can simply pick up a second Ooma Handset and get a fresh dial tone. Up to two separate calls can be made simultaneously. Personal Number With an affordable Ooma Premier subscription, you gain access to the Personal Number feature. This feature allows you to create a unique phone number for everyone in the family. Multiple numbers can be mapped to the same handset, but you can make each number ring distinctively so you know who the call is for. Up to nine additional numbers are allowed. Add Unwanted Callers to Your Blacklist Ooma allows you to instantly add unwanted callers to your blocked list. If telemarketers are harassing you, use ooma Lounge to add them to your blacklist. You'll have the option to block future calls completely or send them straight to voicemail. The choice is yours. Community Blacklist Harness the power of the Ooma community and protect yourself from unwanted callers before they've even tried to call you. If enough Ooma users have blocked a certain caller, Ooma will add this caller to the community blacklist. Combine this with Ooma's special spam-detecting algorithms, and you've got the ultimate telemarketer blacklist. Multi-Ring Constantly on the go? Multi-Ring takes call forwarding to the next level. Configure your Ooma number to simultaneously ring your home phone and mobile phone at the same time. Whether you're at home or on the road, you'll never miss a call. Three-way Conference Calls Need to make dinner plans with two of your friends? Ooma's got you covered. Once you're on a call, press the second-line button to make or take a second call. Press down both line buttons at once, and you've got yourself a conference call.

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