Options for landline phone?

[dtcarson]

My cell phone coverage sucks at my house, and it seems to be getting worse. The only 'good' thing is that someone else, with another phone, on another provider, also had crappy coverage at my house - so it's not just my phone or my provider.
That said, I'm looking for a cheap yet reliable addition to my cell phone for home use.

Thinks I've looked into to some extent:
* Basic local landline service from AT&T - 21.00/mo. (plus I'm sure taxes etc.) I will make do with the cell for long distance, and I don't need any features (voicemail, call waiting, etc.)

* MagicJack or MJ Plus - not sure about the pricing, but i've heard wildly divergent opinions on this.

* Some other VOIP like Vonage - their regular price is 26/month, so I'd just go with the AT&T landline over this.

* Some Android app that does VOIP on my wifi? (This would sort of be a last resort, because my phone is pretty much always with me, and part of the reason for this search is to have something at home for guests/babysitter/etc).

Anyone have opinion on any of those, or other suggestions I'm not aware of? At this point I'm seriously considering reactivating the landline - as much as I like my cell phone as a portable computer, as a phone it's pretty crappy, and I'm not in a great area for home cell usage.

[D.Pham4GLTE (>60GB)]

Obihai is the cheapest, you just pay $40 to $50 for the unit,and it uses Google voice. No monthly fee. Google voice is only guaranteed until the end of the year, though google may extend it.Ooma works well,unit is $150 or so,and you pay a $4 monthly fee.I havent used mj. You can use groove IP for free calling on your android through Google voice. But the quality is not that good.

[Heat]

Whichever way you go, pick up something like this:



You would plug the base into your computer (through MagicJack or whichever route you choose), then put the cordless phones elsewhere in your house.

[dtcarson]

I don't understand Google voice. Is it a phone number that routes to a phone connection I already have? It might have a limited lifespan? I have not heard of Obihai before.

The cordless thing is definitely nice. I did have a set like that when I used Packet 8 a while ago. The intercom/paging feature was very convenient.

[D.Pham4GLTE (>60GB)]

Originally Posted by dtcarson

I don't understand Google voice. Is it a phone number that routes to a phone connection I already have? It might have a limited lifespan? I have not heard of Obihai before.

The cordless thing is definitely nice. I did have a set like that when I used Packet 8 a while ago. The intercom/paging feature was very convenient.

You create a new number for google voice. You can also port your old number to Google voice. Google only guaranteed it till end of this year, but they may extend it. They have extended it in the past few years. Obihai is a third party module that works with Google voice to allow you to receive and send calls similar to a traditional land line, but using voip. I have used it for over 6 months and it runs pretty well. Occasionally, it might get stuck and you may have to shut it off and on again. It happens to me maybe once a month. My cable modem and router needs to be reset occasionally too. Ooma is more stable, but costs a lot more. If you are worried about Ooma going under, buy from Costco, they allow for returns on most items whenever. All of these options require your own phone, a cordless phone set is nice, I have one using Obihai. I used Ooma for maybe 2 years, and gave it to my parents. I bought another set to give as a gift for use overseas. I was able to use grooveip overseas for free calls as well, but quality isn't great.

[edstein]

A friend at work just switched over to NetTalk and he really likes it. It's similar to Magicjack. $50 for the Device and a year of service and then $30 every year after that. Cool thing is you canteen your current home number. www.nettalk.com

[D.Pham4GLTE (>60GB)]

i've heard about nettalk, but based on the reviews, i did not feel comfortable recommending it.

Nettalk
http://www.amazon.com/Nettalk-Duo-VO...ews/B0045S2JE8

Obihai
http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telepho.../dp/B004LO098O

Ooma
http://www.amazon.com/Ooma-Telo-Free.../dp/B002O3W4LE

[lxl]

I have both Ooma Telo and OBi100, Ooma is much better.

[Todd B.]

VoIP is definitely the way to go, even if you get a more expensive provider like Vonage. That $21 for an AT&T landline will balloon to $30 or more after all the taxes, fees, public utilities surcharges, and federal universal service fund recovery fees.

The only extra fees on VoIP are usually sales tax and E911 recovery fee.

[sracer]

I have Skype (w/Skype In/Out) costs $60 a year for unlimited domestic calls. I purchased a FREETALK module that connects directly to your network router.(no computer needed) It communicates to the Skype servers over your internet connection and provides a standard phone jack so that any phone, including wireless base stations, can be connected to it.

This setup works wonderfully, with the added bonus of allowing any device with a Skype client to act as a phone.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by Todd B.

VoIP is definitely the way to go, even if you get a more expensive provider like Vonage. That $21 for an AT&T landline will balloon to $30 or more after all the taxes, fees, public utilities surcharges, and federal universal service fund recovery fees.

Absolutely true. All the additional taxes and fees are the reason I don't have a landline.

[dfmaverick2]

Originally Posted by Heat

Whichever way you go, pick up something like this:



You would plug the base into your computer (through MagicJack or whichever route you choose), then put the cordless phones elsewhere in your house.

FWIW

This is basically where I am at now. I was using CenturyLink's basic line at about 24-25/mo after taxes&fees.

I moved my business home but only had the wiring for 2 lines, so I had CenturyLink use those two lines for the business rather than running new lines, and I had them disconnect the home phone.

I ended up purchasing the MJ Plus (no computer req.). Installed it and have it set up as above with the phone base plugged into the MJ Plus which is plugged into the outlet as well as my router. The other handsets are located around the house. Everything works the way it did prior to going with the MJ Plus. I waited a week or two before switching over my old phone # to the MJ Plus since I wasn't sure if I'd like it.(Extra $10 a year for attaching my old # to it) Once the phone # was switched, CenturyLink automatically closed my account, so there was no need to contact them.

Thus far, I have had no problems after using 2-3 months. It is noteworthy that this is not a true "landline". Power/internet go out = no phone...but that's what cell phones are for.

Total cost for this year: $70 for MJ Plus including 1 year, $10 to transfer phone #, $10 yearly fee for transferred # = $90. Annual phone service is $30 but they offer 5/$100 when you log into the MJ site which I will probably do when it is time to renew.

EDIT One thing I should note is that I must dial the area code even though my phone # may have the same area code. Not a big deal for me, but it may be a turnoff to some.

[bralph]

I heard some of these services (like Ooma) don't work with security systems like ADT. Is that true?

[Todd B.]

VoIP works well for voice transmission, but it doesn't work that great for things that require data transmission (like fax calls, dial-up modems, POS terminals, etc.). For data transmission, it may work at reduced speed, it may work unreliably, or it may not work at all. This is because the codecs and protocols for VoIP are optimized for vocal information, not for the modulated noise of data connections.

If you need a reliable phone connection for data transmission, you'll probably need to go with a landline. I'm not sure what the requirements are for ADT.