Comments for Packet8 Firmware Causes Outage?

Packet8 Firmware Causes Outage?

2005-07-08T14:01:33Z

I just received an email newsletter from Packet8 regarding firmware upgrades. Let me paste an excerpt:

8x8 is constantly working to improve the Packet8 service, and frequently pushes out new firmware to upgrade Packet8 communication devices (adapters, VideoPhones, and the Uniden UIP1868P). Sometimes these upgrades will take a few moments to upload the latest firmware. While this process occurs, your phone service will be unavailable. To avoid having the upgrade occur during an emergency, you can dial 012-0002 on your phone to reach the Packet8 upgrade server which will determine whether your device has the latest upgrade. If you need an upgrade, the voice prompt will advise you on what to do next.

So let me get this straight. Packet8 upgrades their firmware "frequently" and during these "frequent" firmware upgrades, your Packet8 phone service will the unavailable/down? I'm not sure this is something a broadband VoIP provider wants to advertise in their email newsletter. Simply changing the word "frequently" to "occasionally" would at least "soften" the blow of knowing your Packet8 phone service will experience an outage during the firmware upgrade. But I keep tripping over this word "frequently". Or maybe I'm just "tripping"? You tell me. Am I just being nit-picky?

Comment from Kaynam Hedayat on 2005-07-08

2005-07-08T14:16:25Z

Lack of attention to quality and reliability of the service by VoIP providers is one of the biggest problems we are facing in this industry. My primary residential line is through a prominent VoIP provider and I have become accustomed to weekly outages.

VoIP providers must start taking these issues seriously, start deploying troubleshooting and service assurance technologies similar to the free portal www.testyourvoip.com, and start promoting VoIP as a more reliable and better quality service than the traditional PSTN service.

Regards,
Kaynam

Comment from john meredith on 2005-07-08

2005-07-08T16:11:21Z

i am a packet 8 subscriber at home (since march)
i use vonage at my office (since nov "04)

the packet 8 service has been very spotty.
vonage has been pretty solid.
i would rather use packet 8 and save some $$

is the problem one of capacity?
is it a system design issue?

any feedback would be welcome.
thanks for a great website!

Comment from Kaynam Hedayat on 2005-07-11

2005-07-11T15:10:03Z

The problem is a combination of system design issues, the nature of IP with its best effort delivery characteristics, and lack of perfromance assurance in their offering. Try www.testyourvoip.com to get a feel of underlying issues when there is a problem.

Regards,
Kaynam Hedayat
CTO, Brix Networks

Comment from Jason Stiles on 2005-07-28

2005-07-28T07:16:30Z

I've had packet8 for over a year now. In that time they have updated the software from version 13.10 to version 13.15

Automatic updating was not supported until version 13.12. I have never really thought about the service interruptions because I have always upgraded my DTA manually before the new firmware was ever pushed to the device.

Back in the earlier days each new firmware solved so many problems I was constantly checking to see if there were updates.

These days I just check about once a week out curiosity. My Packet8 service is great, but as far as service interruptions I find that more are caused by the fact that when my power goes out I guess the DTA comes back faster than my cable modem and I have to unplug my DTA to get it going again.

Comment from joseph casseus on 2005-07-30

2005-07-30T04:17:45Z

-i use packet8 since 3 months . Communication is clear with it. I didn'nt really use it enough may and june to be factured for the total amount of the original contrat. I thing this is not fair. Now it is outage, a DTA 310 and i need to upgrade it. Would you please help me .

thanks you for understanding me

Joseph Casseus