Comcast Tips
Read these 6 Comcast Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Home Phone Service tips and hundreds of other topics.
How Does Comcast Phone Service Differ from Vonage?
Comcast phone service and Vonage both use the Internet protocol to packetize voice, and transmit the voice packets as if they were data. The key difference is that Comcast phone service operates over a private, managed digital network and Vonage operates over the public Internet. The public Internet can get congested, and this translates to delays or dropped packets. A managed private network does not have these issues - imagine that your voice data is traveling on a private road instead of a crowded freeway. This means you get the convenience and added features associated with VoIP without sacrificing call quality.
Comcast phone service also offers these additional services not provided by most Internet phone companies:
- Battery back up so your phone still works in the event of a power failure for several hours
- Professional installation
- All phone jacks in your home will be usable
- Triple-play service; one bill for Internet, voice, and television
- Full compatibility with most home alarm systems
management offered by VoIP without the loss of call quality? A digital
phone service such as Comcast offers the best of both worlds. Digital phone services such as Comcast use the latest technology without sacrificing the quality and service you expect from your home phone company.
Why Choose Comcast Phone Service?
Comcast is one of the leading providers of cable TV and Internet, and has recently added its new Comcast phone service to the mix creating "one-stop shopping" for customers.
Comcast's phone offering is based on the same principles as VoIP - the voice information is packeted and sent over a broadband line. The key difference is that Comcast's phone service operates over a private, managed broadband network rather than the public Internet. Voice quality is outstanding, with none of the delays and echos associated with public Internet VoIP.
Choosing Comcast phone service means that you get unlimited calling at one low rate, one price for your Internet, phone and cable TV, and a full service package of premium features free.
Comcast Phone Service Standard Features
Comcast's new digital phone service includes, at no extra charge, a complete package of premium features to take your home phone service to a new level of efficiency. Most competitive services that offer these features charge individually for them, and this can add up very quickly.
Comcast's feature offerings are:
- Three-way calling
- Caller ID
- Call waiting
- Call waiting with caller ID
- Repeat dialing
- Online voicemail access
- Call screening
- Anonymous call rejection
- Call screening
- Caller ID blocking
- Online account summary
- Call return
- Speed dial
- Call forwarding
- Selective call forwarding
- E911 services that transmit location to emergency personnel
As the Comcast phone service works with a telephony adapter, you get to keep your existing phones too. This means that you don't have to sacrifice your ring tones or other features that reside in the phones you already have.
Setting Up Comcast Phone Service
Switching to Comcast phone service is as simple as making one phone call to set up installation. Professional installers will come and connect an adapter box to your cable modem and existing phone, you don't have to read any manuals or handle any complicated procedures.
Because you keep your existing phone, you don't have to buy anything. You also can easily keep your existing number, but be sure to tell your Comcast representative if this is your choice so that he or she can start the number porting process for you. This usually happens quickly, but does require Comcast to submit a request for port to your current phone company.
Once your service is set up, unlike Internet telephony services, ALL phone jacks in your home will be live and usable.
Multiple lines with separate phone numbers will require additional adapter boxes, and a router to be connected to your cable modem. Also, Comcast installation is free in many areas of the US.
Comcast Phone Service Packages
If you choose to select just Comcast phone service, you can pay one flat fee (it varies by location) for unlimited calling throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Saipan/N. Mariana Islands. Low international rates apply for other countries.
If you choose bundled or "Triple-Play" service, you not only get the convenience of one bill for everything, you also get greatly reduced rates for your Internet, phone, and television service as well.
Comcast is now running a special - all three services for $99/month plus a small rental fee for your EMTA or telephony adapter. This requires a one year service agreement, and pricing is guaranteed for one year.
You get unlimited, digital home phone service for $33/month on this plan, and can port your existing phone number over so there is no need to miss important calls when you make the switch.
Comcast Digital Voice Center
Comcast phone service features the Digital Voice Center, which is an Internet site that allows you to listen to, save or delete voice mails, review incoming, missed, and outgoing call logs, and set up email notification of voice mails left.
The clear benefit of the Digital Voice Center is that it allows you to manage your home phone service from anywhere on the planet, without dialing long access codes or entering tones into your phone.
Email notification of voice mails means that you don't waste time checking for voice mails if you don't have any, and also that you retrieve critical voice mails in a timely manner.
The ability to review your call history allows you to monitor how long your teen has been on the phone instead of doing homework, retrieve important phone numbers that you can't find, and see who called you during the day while you are at work.
Phone services such as Comcast who provide online call management make an enormous difference in your productivity, and ability to be responsive to important callers.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Linda Handiak |
