Gradwell Single User review
Gradwell’s service is a slick affair, with a firm eye on its large business customer base.
This means it can be intimidating for home users. We found the website confusing, but were assured it would be re-designed soon. With its host of services for large business users, such as PBX installations, Gradwell could benefit from reducing the number of options.
The same applies to the support pages, which are comprehensive to the point of information overload. Still, if you’ve got your own IP phone or VoIP adaptor, you’re bound to find a setup guide here. Not only that but you’ll probably also find articles that troubleshoot common problems. Email support was quick and helpful.
Gradwell was one of the few services to provide free hardware. A small, pre-configured telephone adaptor arrived, which we just plugged into a LAN port on our ADSL router. We plugged in a standard analogue phone and were able to use the service straight away. Using a normal landline phone is important for anyone who doesn’t want the inconvenience of making calls from their PC. The downside is that you won’t have all the features that a softphone provides, such as call history and a contacts list.
Gradwell’s services and support are comprehensive, but call charges aren’t that competitive except for mobile rates, which are marginally better than other subscription services. Also, Gradwell doesn’t offer a single-user international package, so the service will suit only those who predominantly call UK mobiles and landlines. For a more rounded package, we recommend Connexin’s International Unlimited service.
