Dish Network and Vonage (program access fee)

[oldraja]

Hello Gurus,

I have emailed Dish about the possibility of hooking up my 2 dual receivers 322G and 625DVR to the vonage VoIP phone service. I was wondering in particular not if it will just work, but also if I would be charge a 5.99 program access fee. Below is there reply. What do you think? Is there any way to still make sure that program access fee is not charged with Vonage even if you do have the 2 dual receivers that the customer rep mentioned? Any workaround? thanks..please see below for Dish's response:

"
Thank you for your email. Only some of our DISH Network receivers support VoIP telephone services. This issue is being researched and we hope to have a solution for our customers with other model receivers and broadband phone users in the near future.

When using VoIP instead of a land line, there are applications that you will not be able to take advantage of such as our interactive TV services, Customer Support Application, and Caller ID. Furthermore, you will not be able to use your remote control to order any Pay-Per-View events or movies. Pay per view can still be ordered online at Dish Network at no cost. You can also call 1-877-347-4778, but please note that a $1 transaction fee will be added to the price of the movie. Another consideration is, without a standard phone line, an additional $5.00 per month access fee will be applied to your account if you have one of our dual tuner receivers (models 322, 522, 625, 622, 722 and 942).

To ensure the receiver is set up for use with VoIP, please perform the following:

1. Press the Menu button

• Select System Setup

• Select Installation

• Select Phone Setup

2. Change the Outside Line option to Prefix Code.

3. Add the prefix *99.

4. If VoIP requires a filter on the phone line, make sure that is installed as well.

Also, your VoIP provider should set the service to the highest bandwidth setting and enable fax/modem enhancement features.

Your business is greatly appreciated and we thank you for allowing us to be of assistance to you. If you have further questions you can respond to this e-mail or access our online technical support at the following link: link

A Technical Service Representative is available via live chat 24 hours a day, 7 days per week regarding your concerns. Please click the following link to use this option.

Thank you
"

so what do you think?

 

[mrschwarz]

I have 2 receivers connected to Vonage. All I did was plug them in and they worked.

 

[mountnbykr]

My 622 works well with Vonage, including caller ID and ordering PPV. I have Vonage set to the high bandwidth setting, so I didn't need to use the *99 (which switches it to high bandwidth on a per-call basis).

 

[Don_S]

I have had vonage for about 3 yrs now and had no problems with the dish receivers being able to dial out. However, I noted that in the last two billing cycles, that I was charged a $5 access fee I spent a couple of hours this morning with Tech support and after a lot of trouble-shooting (involving my having to move my big screen TV from the entertainment center to be able access the darned wireless phone jack ) they decided that the receiver was faulty because it was not dialing out and they are sending me a replacement receiver. However, after I had hung up on that call, I decided to do some investigating on my own. Just for the heck of it, I reset the wireless phone jacks (one of those RCA thingies) and lo and behold, the receiver was able to dial out! Since I had everything pulled out of the entertainment center, I decided to go ahead and plug in some ethernet cables to the receivers to connect to my home network. My question is this: If I have broadband connection enabled and connected, do I still need to keep the receivers hooked up to a phone line?

 

[delta_charlie]

---cut---I decided to go ahead and plug in some ethernet cables to the receivers to connect to my home network. My question is this: If I have broadband connection enabled and connected, do I still need to keep the receivers hooked up to a phone line?

I just tried the same thing with my ViP 222 and found the ethernet worked but the services like Dish Home customer support, order PPV did not work on the ethernet.
I had wireshark hooked up so I could see what it was doing and could see packets getting sent to dishnetwork so maybe you could save on the stupid access fee. (That would be a good question for customer service). If you call them please post back what they say about this.

Seems to me requiring that a phone be connected is really old and obsolete. Lots of people do not have POT phone lines anymore. Why the heck does the receiver have the ethernet port if it is not used?

I looked the receiver over real good but could not find the dual floppies - they must be some place. Just how old is the design anyway?

My ViP 222 link is below

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-ne...ethernet-vip-222-not-working.html#post1451579

Hope this helps, Dale

 

[harshness]

Seems to me requiring that a phone be connected is really old and obsolete.

Do you have an alternative in mind to accomplish the goals that a phone line connection does?

 

[Fear 2 Stop]

I have had vonage for about 3 yrs now and had no problems with the dish receivers being able to dial out. However, I noted that in the last two billing cycles, that I was charged a $5 access fee I spent a couple of hours this morning with Tech support and after a lot of trouble-shooting (involving my having to move my big screen TV from the entertainment center to be able access the darned wireless phone jack ) they decided that the receiver was faulty because it was not dialing out and they are sending me a replacement receiver. However, after I had hung up on that call, I decided to do some investigating on my own. Just for the heck of it, I reset the wireless phone jacks (one of those RCA thingies) and lo and behold, the receiver was able to dial out! Since I had everything pulled out of the entertainment center, I decided to go ahead and plug in some ethernet cables to the receivers to connect to my home network. My question is this: If I have broadband connection enabled and connected, do I still need to keep the receivers hooked up to a phone line?

Grrr.... please tell me the agent credited you for the $5? That's one of the first things I say to do with the Phonex units.

But yeah, if you have a 622/722, the ethernet takes the place of the phone. And honestly, it's better and more reliable. As someone who used to install U-Verse for AT&T, I can honestly say that inside phone wiring is not as sturdy as you may think.

 

[delta_charlie]

Do you have an alternative in mind to accomplish the goals that a phone line connection does?

Ok, I just have to ask - what are the goals that the phone line connection offers?

DC

 

[digiblur]

I can't speak for Vonage but with VoicePulse my 722 dials out just fine. But I have also hooked it up via broadband since the install. I have both hooked up so I can get the on screen caller ID.

 

[nelson61]

I could not get my vonage to work hard wired but read here that wireless jacks worked. It fixed my problem. Must be either conditioning the signal or perhaps eliminating an inpedance or resistance problem

 

[mrlaugh]

I just had Dish installed today, with a 722 DVR and Dish HD absolute. the tech phoned in that I didn't have a phone line and I checked my account a few minutes ago and the access fee is listed.

I called customer service, and asked about the broadband internet connection and he stated that as long as it was on the fee would be removed from my bill automatically. we'll see what happens, I guess

it's also backed up by this page on dish's website, put in /phoneline after the address (can't post a link yet)