Ooma Telo VoIP Free Internet Home Phone Service and HD3 Handset

This Ooma Telo device exceeded my expectations. We live where cell phone service is in nonexistent. We also don't have a landline. Our iPhones used over Internet have lags and gaps in the conversation coverage. The Ooma somehow does not have the same gaps. The base station is easy to install. You just plug it into the back of your router to start with, and if that works, you can proceed to plug it into the back of the modem. We just left it in the router because that works well. The handset is an added, plus, because it gives you all of the buttons that you might need to use menu systems and various companies. We also installed the app on our iPhones and can make calls easily when we're connected to the Internet. I have yet to receive a call to see if the notifications work as advertised, but see no reason why they will not. This is a very big improvement to our house. I wished I had purchased this years ago. I recommend it.

So, I had to change my ISP because the service was awful. I was pretty happy with my POTS which also came from the same provider as my ISP. In the process they decided that POTS without internet would actually cost me MORE than POTS plus internet. So, I said goodby to a perfectly good POTS. My choices were then Ooma or my new ISP. Cost - My new ISP wanted to charge me pretty much the same for phone plus internet as my old one. I think the service would have been fine. However, to purchase a cable modem with phone capability would have been major $$$. Renting a cable modem with phone wasn't too bad but the payback for buying a modem and this Ooma is less than a year. Ooma charges only taxes for their basic service. In my case that is under ten dollars a month. If everything keeps working for 2-3 years I'm good. By then all the hardware will be obsolete anyway. Function - It works a little bit different than a traditional phone. You have to wait a second before it works using a handset. If you use the handset that comes from Ooma it doesn't seem to work for touch tone menus when you call places with automated systems. (I just use a standard handset when that is what I am doing. ) It also doesn't work with other phones as extensions. I have even used it to send FAXs. Now, here is the great part ... you can set up your cell phone so that it rings the same time as your Ooma. So, when I am on the road I still get calls just like I am home. I haven't tried it but I can place them too. However, you have to pay a little more each month for this service. Installation - Basically plug it into your modem and that's it. The handset requires you to push a button to link it to the base unit. You do have to create an account blah blah blah. Super easy. The absolute hardest part is unhooking your POTS from the line outside your house. If you do this and plug your Ooma into any outlet everything works just like it did before. You WILL need a UPS to keep things running in power outages. Ooma sell a battery but you will need to keep your modem going too. I just bought a big UPS and plugged both into it. I think it will last a few hours but I had a real hard time finding information about how long. What's Missing - SMS messaging. I know it isn't necessary but that would really make my day. Any place to get information on power requirements to use in selecting the right UPS.

Paid almost $100 for this device, and then subscription is on top of this PLUS you have to add credits to call internationally (the whole reason we bought this phone). The phone never gave crisp audio, always had issues with it. Tried to resolve with Ooma and the only resolution was to cancel the subscription and eat the cost of the device. I should mention too when you first sign up, they add you to the premium membership and then after the trial they automatically start charging you a higher price without signing off on it. All subscription and cancellation is done via phone (no online support available for this), and phone calls take at least 10-20 minutes with all the prompting and customer service. I would not recommend this service to anyone looking for a home phone.

So far, I am very happy with Ooma!! Shipping was fast, set up was super easy, and it only took maybe 10 days to transfer our number to Ooma even though they first estimated several weeks. They even sent me emails updating me on the progress of “porting” our number. The sound quality is pretty good. We have had AT&T for years and have had nothing but issues with them. We removed long distance from our home phone to save money, but when we tried to add it back the next year, we were told that offer had expired. So we had to stay with a basic line which rose up to $80 a month …… without long distance!!!! Also, without warning or notification, they dropped my lifeline discount and I didn’t even notice for almost a year until I became concerned with how high our bill was getting. I requested 5 times for them to send me the lifeline form so that I could get back the discount, and it was never sent to me. Enough was enough, and then I struck gold and discovered Ooma!! My only concern is during power outages in which we will not be able to dial out or receive calls. This really worries me because we live in fire country and it currently is fire season. We shall see!!

Works great for us. My kids can talk to their cousins and friends without us having to worry about them getting on the internet and seeing/doing things they don't need to be seeing/doing. Also great as the kids can still contact us if we are out somewhere on the property or running to the store and there is an issue at home.

I Just purchased this Ooma phone wireless 2 version and let me tell you, this thang is great! I purchased it for use in my Grandma retirement home because she is very unable to use the modern cell phone (94 years young). Being that most places have gone away from using the traditional copper phone line systems. It causes problems trying to get phone service to people that don't use cell phones. So, I got everything delivered, set it up online with my laptop and I even was able to add the immediate family members and her friends to her phone using the laptop. After you load the phone numbers in, the system will upload it to the wireless handset. You will need to download the Oomo phone service app to your cellphone to activate the permissions of using WIFI for your signal. (The default is to use the supplied cable to plug into your router upon initial start up so that all updates can be made and downloaded.) Lastly, I mistakenly pu the wireless 🛜 kit that came with an additional piece(3rd Pic) that is supposed to put a phone jack anywhere you can plug the thing into a wall socket. Such as having your Ooma in the TV room and having your fax machine in the garage. That "wireless link" was not needed unless you will be trying something like the example mention. I hope this clears the air about this Ooma phone device and how it could be a great help for older people that don't like cellphones. Please leave a like if this helps you.. 👍

I amended this review from 2 stars to 5 start due to Ooma's fine customer service. See below the trouble I was having with my handset and charging cradle. After contacting Ooma customer service they replaced my defective handset with a new one. I enjoy my Ooma and the savings over a regular landline. After 10 plus years I upgraded my base station and added an Ooma handset. After 93 days (just outside warranty) the handset cradle died - no light, nothing. I contacted Ooma customer service and was told I would receive a response in 48 hours from their technical team. Four days later and counting; nothing. I would have loved a replacement cradle but would have been willing to buy the part. I can't find a cradle alone without buying the entire handset for $50, which is pretty steep and no guarantee a similar fate might occur. I'll wait another couple of days and then call service again. I'll update this review if anything changes.

Not recommend

Para poder activar este teléfono se requiere una dirección y un teléfono de contacto de los EEUU. No pude activarlo por esa razón.