Talking Reinvented - Introducing Verizon Hub

[Jay-VzW]

Welcome to the Home Phone Reinvented

A New Way to Message Send text, picture or video messages to keep everyone in the loop A Fresh Way to Stay Informed Use V CAST to watch video on your home phone. A Simple Way to Plan a Trip to the Movies Get titles and trailers and buy tickets in a few touches.

Not convinced, Learn More now - or if you are ready to take the plunge, get Get Started now!

Message Edited by Jay-VzW on 04-16-2009 03:37 PM

[Techman28]

Jay,

what's the cost of a cool looking phone like this and how can people attain them.

[turrentj]

Good afternoon.

I have been reading a lot about the HUB.  One question that I still have and can't seem to find an answer to is this:

The way I understand it is that the HUB will come with it's own telephone number.  I take the HUB and plug it's router into MY router with is UVERSE.  Will they be compatible?

[turrentj]

I LOVE it!  It is SO easy.  I'm using it wirelessly to my Uverse router.  The quality of sound on the phone is great, the widgets are good...All you do is open the box, put the battery into the phone, plug in the Hub and it walks you through all the steps.  Up and running in about 15 mins. 

[Jay-VzW]

---

turrentj wrote:

Good afternoon.

I have been reading a lot about the HUB.  One question that I still have and can't seem to find an answer to is this:

The way I understand it is that the HUB will come with it's own telephone number.  I take the HUB and plug it's router into MY router with is UVERSE.  Will they be compatible?

---

Not familiar with UVERSE router in particular, but it should work with most recently manufactured routers.

[sharpen04]

The HUB can be plugged into a router or modem or set up wirelessly if your router transmits a wifi signal.  It doesn't come with a router and depends on an existing connection to the internet.  You can test it for 30 days and take it back if it's not compatible or you don't like it.  There is, however, a restocking fee of $35 if you return it, because it can't be resold as "new."

[MagicMan]

It's better to be 'talking' (wirelessly or plugged in) to a router than a modem.  Most modems only have 1 ethernet connection out so if the hub is plugged into it, then you have nothing left for your PC.   WIFI routers the way to go.

Message Edited by MagicMan on 04-25-2009 10:08 PM

[Hubuser]

Looks like my question was not clear enough.

What Verizon offers to its landline customers is a service that allows the customer to screen calls. A caller must either input a code number give by the subscriber or else state a name. The subscriber phone rings and if the code is correct, the caller is connected. If a name was given, the caller is on music hold and the subscriber hears the name given and may elect to block the call, put it in voice mail or answer. With the increase in unwanted calls for car warranties, surveys, etc., such a service is invaluable. AT&T offers it also to its land line customers and calls theirs Privacy Manager.

Does Verizon plan  to offer this to Hub customers?

Message Edited by Hubuser on 04-27-2009 01:00 PM

[Hubuser]

My other question is whether or not Verizon will expand the number of handsets beyond 4? We would like to add an ADDITIONAL 4 handsets.

(We can figure a way to add one more by taking the base unit handset to another location and using the base as a speaker phone only. But we cannot find a charger base sold separately and do not want to pay for another handset just to get a charger.)

But we still would like to buy another 4 handsets if they would be supported.

[MagicMan]

---

Hubuser wrote:

My other question is whether or not Verizon will expand the number of handsets beyond 4? We would like to add an ADDITIONAL 4 handsets.

---

I'm sure they would love you and others to purchase more handsets but I doubt that's a feature we'll see any time soon.  In terms of potential customer base, you're probably in the minority  Mostof the customers are probably satisfied with less than 2.  i"m surprised they offer four actually.

[Hubuser]

Allowing for registration of additional handsets should be a firmware-based upgrade and a trivial piece of code. It also seems that Verizon would want to allow for more sales, even if only a "minority" of users would buy additional sets. If the design was dead-ended at 4 handsets, someone should prepare a pink slip for the designer.

[Hubuser]

No, I am describing a service Verizon offers to its wireline customers. It has the same functionality as AT & T Privacy Manager.

Verizon calls their service "Call Intercept" and described it in a press release here:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-16-2002/0001800438&EDATE=

It is described in detail here:

http://www22.verizon.com/ResidentialHelp/Phone/Calling+Features/Call+Intercept/Questions+and+Answers...

[MagicMan]

---

Hubuser wrote:

Looks like my question was not clear enough.

What Verizon offers to its landline customers is a service that allows the customer to screen calls. A caller must either input a code number give by the subscriber or else state a name. The subscriber phone rings and if the code is correct, the caller is connected. If a name was given, the caller is on music hold and the subscriber hears the name given and may elect to block the call, put it in voice mail or answer. With the increase in unwanted calls for car warranties, surveys, etc., such a service is invaluable.

---

It sounds like you're describing AT&T's 'Privacy Manager' service.  I don't think verizon offers a similar service that allows callers to enter a code to bypass it.  I believe verizon only offers the abiltity to block calls that have hidden their caller id and you should be able to block specific numbers as well.  both can be found http://search.vzw.com/?do=viewdoc&id=21249&p=null 

I think that's the best you;re going to get with the hub.

[KaiserBob]

199.99 with a 2 year contract, 34.99/mo for unlimited digital voice service, M2M messaging and the other little features the HUB has.

[jfitzpa503]

I called 611 regarding this device. No one there seemed to know the answer. Do you get a seprate phone # for the device? Can you switch your cell # over to the Hub when home and back again when you leave for the day?

[Skybase]

You do get a separate phone number for the Hub.  In fact, you cannot UPGRADE a line to the hub either at this point. It must be a new line of service.  In your account info online it's not even listed with your other phone numbers, but in it's own section.  Your area must be e911 ready to be able to activate the hub as well.  Areas that are still not e911 capable the phone cannot legally be activated in.  It requires an address entered upon activation, and the system does not allow activation in non e911 areas at all.  Only way around that if you're in such an area would be to say that you'll be using it somewhere else that IS. . however when/if you call 911 on the phone it'll route you to that local department.

You cannot change the number back and forth when you're home/not home however you can set the hub to forward calls to another number. So when you go to leave the house you can set it to the correct mode, and it'll ring to your cellphone rather than the home phone.  

You can also set reminders on the calendar and have those reminders sent to any number of your cellphones at a variety of different intervals before the event.

So as you're basically asking, yes if someone calls the house and you're not there, you can set the hub to send the call to your cellphone instead.

I'm currently finding the hub to be quite buggy, however, and am strongly considering returning mine until some of the bugs are worked out.  I can't afford to have an unreliable home-phone for all of my kids, and to be paying much more for it than a standard cellphone for at home as well.

[blkwel]

Am I right in reading that you can only text from the hub to other Verizon wireless phones?  Our family currently uses alltel, and my stepdaughter ATT so does that mean I shouldn't purchase a hub?  Why wouldn't you be able to text any number?  I really like the concept of this thing for my family, but if it's that restrictive for texting it kind of loses its appeal.  Any info would be appreciated!

[MagicMan]

---

blkwel wrote:
Am I right in reading that you can only text from the hub to other Verizon wireless phones?   Any info would be appreciated!

---

Right now, the hub can only send text messages to other verizon wireless customers.  From the cnet review:

http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phone-and-smart/verizon-hub/4505-6448_7-33541040-2.html?tag=txt;page

You can send text and picture messages from the Hub, plus you can receive text, picture, and video messages. But you can only do so with Verizon Wireless cell phones, or with another Verizon Hub. You can also access your e-mail on the Hub. We mentioned earlier that you can use the Hub as a digital picture frame

[kelly1]

Is the Verizon One phone still available?  I went to ask about this "hub" and I think that it is unfair that only WIRELESS customers are able to purchase it.  You can't use the prepaid service on it either, but you need either a one or two year agreement.  I don't want to be tied into a contract, where you are charged a numerous amount of fees and other so called "charges".  Why can't non-wireless customers use this?  So, is the Verizon One still available and if not, are there any hubs that can be purchased from anywhere and used with Verizon?

[MagicMan]

---

kelly1 wrote:
Is the Verizon One phone still available?  I went to ask about this "hub" and I think that it is unfair that only WIRELESS customers are able to purchase it.  You can't use the prepaid service on it either, but you need either a one or two year agreement.  I don't want to be tied into a contract, where you are charged a numerous amount of fees and other so called "charges".  Why can't non-wireless customers use this?  So, is the Verizon One still available and if not, are there any hubs that can be purchased from anywhere and used with Verizon?

---

No, Verizon One has been discontinued for some time now.

Not being allowed to use prepaid service kind of makes sense, but, you might not agree.  This device is unlike the Verizon One in that it is a Voice over IP(VoIP) device.  The Verizon One worked with your plain old telephone service.  

I am guessing that since this is being offered by Verizon WIreless, they are probably using the same process (right or wrong) as their other non-prepaid phones.  Hence the need for a contract & early termination fees which I recall is standard Verizon wireless process.  So, it makes sense that they are doing it that way, atleast in my mind.  Do I agree?  Not really.  I would like to buy one, like you, without the need for a contract or monthly fee like the old Verizon One phone.  <sigh>

Since it is a VoIP device, you can't really bring your own telephone or internet service to the party to make the hub work.  You have to use their service for it to work.   It is not all that much different than trying to get a cell phone, say iPhone, from AT&T to work on the Verizon Wireless network.   It's all in the network. 

I wish my speculations were more in line w/what you were thinking but for now, we're stuck.  I'll have to sit on the sidelines for now. 

I have a friend who has one and he loves it.  But, he's kind of a geeky guy so I guess he would.

[Hubuser]

Jay,

We just installed the Verizon Hub this week and are happy with it and the feature set. Do you know if there are plans for two things that would really make this a "killer application":

1) Call screening that will work similar to "Privacy Manager" whereby a caller must give their name in response to a prompt or enter a pre-established code number to bypass the screening. Privacy Manager then forwards the given name (or puts through the call if the code is entered) to the subscriber who may elect to dump the call, answer or put it in VM; and

2) Providing for additonal headsets - call me lazy but we like to have them in every room, the garage, basement, kitchen, bathrooms and even utility room, even though they are wireless. We currently have a need for 5 additional headsets.

Why I believe number 1 above is a killer app is the rapidly increasing number of unwanted and sometimes illegal unsolicited commercial phone calls/messages. There is probably a dollar figure I would not agree to pay for such a feature but it is likely to be fairly high! The ability to block 12 numbers is not sufficient for two reasons, the sheer number of these callers and the fact that they spoof their caller IDs.