Phone Issues.. Any advice?

Originally Posted by EasyTarget

Quick suggestion:
If you are both on ICQ, can he download skype and you can talk through the computer. No charge if you are talking computer to computer. Or how about talking through MSN, Yahoo, etc... I am not sure if ICQ has a voice option.

Are you calling him through a phonecard? Maybe the phonecard company does not have a local access number in Krasnodar.

Originally Posted by Spakoyna

Phone service in Russia can really be hit and miss when you get outside the major cities. We have a devil of a time calling a mutual friend in a small city south of Moscow. It usually takes an average of 5 attempts before we can both hear each other. :-( I even had this problem at times calling my wife in Novosibirsk....but rarely have a problem now(3 years later) calling her family.

Off topic a little... I had a devil of a time with my email provider. Even had an employee tell me they would reject emails from a server if they rejected theirs. She went through 3 or 4 providers before we found 1 which was dependable. Well after it didn't mater a class action suit came up against my email provider for the same problems I was having.... I joined and I think I received a $10 check as my settlement! They were intentionally blocking email from certain areas anbd providers. I paid for a service... It was not their right to say who I should and should not be able to receive email from. She never had a problem receiving emails from me!

Originally Posted by X'Nedra

He will not receive messages if I send them from my house, and I will not get his either. I just use my work e-mail and set up a rule that auto forwards any of his e-mails to my home address. But I think I may have ten bucks coming my way! I think i need to call my ISP and

On another note, most of the time I still have to make several attempts as well. I feel like I am calling a radio show contest "all circuits are busy, please try your call again later" sometimes it drives me absolutley crazy, but at least I got through eventually. Thanks for the input!

Originally Posted by Spakoyna

Have you tried different phone providers? There is a difference! Some work well in some areas, some don't. I will say this... 1 time I tried to get through and couldn't on 2 calling cards...decided to try dial direct for the heck of it(most are very expensive) and call went right through!

Originally Posted by X'Nedra

I have the the international plan and go through Verizon.. I can't complain because I always get a clear connection and until this time, have never had any problems. It is still costly though I will estimate 30 cents per minute.

It wasn't such a big deal in the beginning, but now I have purchased a home for us, and with the visa expenses ... It is starting to get a little scary, I need to save where I can.

(I might add that I stupidly bought the house during the holiday season, but at least it was a buyers market. I don't think any homeowners out there require any further explanation)........ And now off topic.....

I just have to view all of this as another test of character and will. In hindsight, I have learned so much throughout this entire relationship/process, I have decided to just go with the flow

Originally Posted by Spakoyna

LOL! 30c per/m is cheap. I was referring to the good ole fashioned landline! I think it was somewhere between $3+$4 per minute for me!

Originally Posted by X'Nedra

He was in Nororrosisk the other day and when I called, we connected fine with no troubles and had a great conversation. When he returned to Krasnodar, the phone isssues began again.

I have called my cellular service and everything is all set with my phone, his service (beeline or soemthing like that) cannot provide him with any rational answers. I have tried just about everything on my end.... NO luck!

Has anyone else experienced this type of issue? If so, how did you finally resolve it?

As all of you are aware, the wait for our loved ones is murder... and when you take away telephone conversation, it is almost too much to bare E-mail, and ICQ are great.... But there is no comparison to hearing thier voices.. I can only imagine how it was for people in our situation when the internet was not so easily accessible. My RESPECT and ADMIRATION to all of you.

I'd appreciate any input.... I don't even care if it goes off topic, I am so frustrated right now I and I need a distraction..... But solving the phone problem would be nice... Please help before i end up like

Originally Posted by sudden

well i dont know if this has been suggested or not. but has anybody tried teamspeak, to talk to their, woman
its mostly used by online gamers.but i have talked to guys in russia while playing online games
you can set up your own pc as a teamspeak server, and she just needs the ip for it.and of course the soft ware

Originally Posted by CaptainCanuck

Here's the link for the above mentioned software:

http://www.goteamspeak.com/

the site information says it works for windows, apple and linux o/s. I have only seen it on windows. The voice quality is good, I was talking to a person in Australia from Canada. I didn't set up the software but from what I was told it does require someone who is capable of installing software and knows more than a little about computers. In addition it probably would not work well on dial up, although it might work, just not as well as on DSL/broadband. Being a techie or having one on hand would probably be a good idea.