From: fatkinson.remove-this@and-this-too.mishmash.com   
      
            I have been having a rather severe issue with my VOIP service for   
   quite some time (months).  My VOIP provider is not willing to go the distance   
   to help me resolve it.  I have had cases open with my VOIP provider, the   
   equipment vendor of the VOIP hardware that I use, and the technical support   
   for the router that I use at home (the router is not intended for residential   
   service.  It is something that would be used by a small to mid-sized business   
   and is quite configurable].   
      
           Everyone is pointing the finger elsewhere.  No one is owning the   
   problem.   
      
           I did get the router support to agree to a phone meet with my VOIP   
   provider.  But the VOIP provider is refusing to participate.  This was a very   
   effective means of resolving these issues [that I used when I worked with   
   other vendors] when I worked on MCI WATS and data lines.  We always resolved   
   the issue this way.  It certainly was better than each player denying the   
   problem was theirs and pointing to another player.   
      
           Nothing is more frustrating to a customer than the the finger pointing   
   scenario.   
      
           The audio quality is fine [once we can finally hear each other].   
      
           The issue is that [when I answer an incoming call on one of my VOIP   
   extensions] it takes fifteen to twenty seconds after I answer before I can   
   hear the calling party.  When this happens, the other extensions keep ringing   
   [even though I have answered the incoming call] until I can hear the caller.   
      
           The same is true when I make an outgoing call, it is fifteen to twenty   
   seconds after the called party answers before they can hear me.   
      
            Often, the caller or the called party hangs up before the   
   conversation can begin.   
      
            Does anyone have another suggestion as to how I might be able to   
   resolve this issue?   
      
            Regards,   
      
      
      
       Fred   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)