Eight months ago I dropped my landline from Qwest ($45 a month) and replaced it with Ooma VoIP that I purchased from Costco. (Costco currently has the Ooma for $199, Best Buy for $249.)
My reception was spotty at first and too many callers said that my voice was cutting out (I could hear them just fine.). I determined that the problem was my Internet service provider, USI Wireless. USI is a great deal if you live in Minneapolis and don't need too much speed. Even when I upgraded to 6 Mbps, I still had complaints from callers who couldn't hear me. So I switched to Comcast's ISP service at 16 Mbps and my problems went away. Comcast charges me $30 a month, a 12 month special, and $52 a month after that. That's about twice what I paid for USI, but the faster speed is worth it to me.
If you're considering Ooma, I suggest that you buy it only if you have a relatively fast Internet connection. If you're not technically proficent, you might need some help installing it. Also, anyone who signed up after April 2010 now pays about $3.50 per month in connectivity charges.
I purchased mine at Costco because of its liberal return policy but have been completely satisfied. Most of the 50 reviews at Costco.com have been highly positive.
I know there are many Magicjack fans, another VoIp system, but I have read mixed reviews. It requires the user's computer to be on to receive phone calls. The Ooma system does not.
