Can VoIP Service Replace Your Landline? - Comments Page 1

I am in the process now of dropping my VOIP phone service and sticking with my cell phone only. There are some good pricing packages out there, but you need to include the cost of internet service also when making your decision. If you have a cell phone, do you really need a second line? I know I do not and it will save me around $20/month.

I have been a very happy MagicJack customer for about 10 years, now have the PLUS that plugs into the router instead of a PC. This fall they have added a $1.00/month charge that goes directly to the 911 service that brings the cost to $31.95/year and fixes the 911 uncertainty concern, still a great deal, and you get great extra free features like conference call number, voicemail via email, etc.

Color me happy.

Consider VERY carefully before giving up your old copper wire landline. I would say definitely NOT if you live alone and/or getting along in years. Here's a recent example from two days ago. Message from a friend asking for transportation to a doctor's office. When I tried to respond, I could not make contact. After several tries, I decided to call someone else. Met with silence, again. Both friends have "service" from Time-Warner. So I tried a couple of "test" calls to friends using a different carrier. Calls went right through--no problems. The problem was righted by the next morning but could have been disasterous. Yes, many of us have cell phones but not everyone (including me) does not "wear" them 24/7. Think long and carefully before pulling the plug on ATT and other similar companies.

To protect in case of a power outage, you can get a solar charger with a battery so you can keep your cell phone charged.

also, about 911, I use Google voice which doesn't support ANY 911 calling, but the FCC mandates that even unactivated cell phones have to connect to 911. You just have to provide your address, and they may not be able to call you back (if it's unactivated).

I have two Magic Jack phone lines. One is the original must-use-with-a-computer MJ, the second is the newer Magic Jack Plus system, which does not require that the computer remain on all the time. The router and cable modem must remain on, however.

I ported my land-line number to the MJ+ line. I abandoned landline service after the porting was complete.

For the most part, the service I have received from both Magic Jacks has been very good. There are occasional hiccups, but I think they are more related to the actual cable service itself than anything that could be ascribed to the Magic Jack system or equipment.

I have, and would continue to recommend Magic Jack as a viable alternative to landline service. It is definitely much less expensive, and offers more in the service package than the landline provider did.

My wife and I both have cellular phones as back-up systems, and I also have a solar-powered phone charger, if all else fails.

Yes it is - a simple answer from the UK.

Vonage costs us £13.97 a month. That's about the same price as 'line rental' in the UK.

BUT!!!! For that we get one UK number, one Oregon number and one California number. Plus free calls to US and UK landlines 24/7 and US cell lines 24/7.

So the relatives can call us from the States free on local numbers - we can call them free 24/7 and 'her indoors' is happy!

There are lots of add ons that would cost extra with BT call waiting etc. etc.

They have even got a message service that emails a TEXT version of the voice message left on (yes free) voicemail.

We save hundreds of pounds a year and the 'poor, half starved' kids can afford to phone their mother as it's free!

The service has been down a couple of times in a few years but less than with a British Telecom landline and at least when out of order they don't try to charge extra, like BT, as it's our fault (probably for expectinmg BT equipment to work on a BT landline!).

Jon

P.S. VOIP through 30Mb cable

Another reason to keep a landline is if you have a security system that will auto call a monitoring company if an alarm is activated. Yes, you can do with VOIP, but when we did make the change there was quite of bit of phone line "rewiring" that had to be done. But you cannnot do this with only a cell. You would have to get an additional cell number to work solely with your alarm.

I have been using Ooma VoIP for 4 years. Cost $130. Then no phone bill. Save $35 a month over a landline

I've had a Google Voice account, since Voice came out of BETA, some years back. That has been my method of making long-distance phone calls here in USA and CANADA, for free, if I'm calling a number I have to pay for calling. But I had a land line, which was handy, since Voice offers no 911 services. But a few months ago, I decided to switch to a much faster internet provider, and decided to try VOIP and Voice, for my calling.

I bought an OBIHAI 202, to add to the system I was trying to create, and got a free 911 plan from an SIP. Eveything was run through a direct connection to a CISCO GATEWAY Router/Modem, and it worked fine, besides the changes in thinking about what I had when I called, but that was all..., EXCEPT my incoming and outgoing calls, NO LONGER WORKED, being dropped every 7 or 8 days. The only way I had to notice this, is if I went to call someone, after hearing my home phone dial out, the connection was NEVER MADE, so I knew I had lost my service. With a straight pin, I'd restart the Gateway back to factory standards, and I had my phone service back. My provider, COX tried everything they could to correct it, changing all my fiber connection cable back to the outside switch box, but it didn't stop the periodic loss of the phone service, to my home phone.

I finally decided to get phone service, directly from COX for my home, and still use Voice for long distance calling. COX switched out the Cisco Gateway, and instead put a smaller Cisco modem, AND a Netgear Router, and so far, my phone service, through COX, has gave me no trouble, and I have the 911 service back again. I have a cell phone, so I at least had some sort of phone service, when mine went out, but trying to get it this way, FOR FREE, didn't always work.

One of our sons gave us an Ooma phone several years back for Christmas. No problems, no fees at all(the original ones didn't have any monthly charges). Our landline is long gone and not missed. 911 does know our location. I like that a device can also hook the house phones in w/my cell number too so they will ring, tho the Bluetooth is not the clearest connection that way.

With our cell phones we don't have access problems the rare instances that the VOIP is out. With all of the storms I see lately on the news, I guess we will opt for a solar charger also.

Of course, cell towers can be down in the case of a natural disaster (or overwhelmed). However, so can landlines. My sister's landline has acted up for years if it gets too hot(CA) and the company keeps saying there is no problem. My in-laws landline had problems every time it rained. SO landlines are not the definitive answer either.

You can't protect against every contingency, but you can plan to be prepared.

Another viable option is an ATA adapter (such as Linksys PAP2T) if you are technologically inclined. Service is available at http://voip.ms for 99 cents for a DID (your phone number) and a per minute charge of .005 (half a cent a minute) with free LD calls in North America. I bought a PAP2T off of ebay for less than $30. I had problems initially setting it up but the support at voip.ms is very good. It generally takes about ten minutes for them to help you fix your problem. The features included are amazing including IVR (a digital receptionist) and something they call DISA which allows me to call into my number from a cell phone, enter a code and password and then call long distance for free. I have had the service since March and total paid for two voice lines and all calls is about $38.00 (this includes a $1.50 charge per month for E911 service). There is also a charge (think it is $10 one time) to port your current number to the service. My suggestion would be to get a second number until such time as everything is setup to your liking and then port your number. The prices above are Canadian prices but you can check the rates etc. before actually signing up.
Also with any VOIP solution you should set up a QOS (quality of service) to reserve a small portion of your broadband signal to VOIP. This will stop the stutter in audio you sometimes hear from MagicJacks and other VOIP solution providers.

One thing about land/VOIP lines is if someone wants to talk to anyone in my family of 5, they can call 1 number. They don't have to cycle through all the cell phone numbers to get someone to answer.

I have been an Ooma customer for 3 years now, and really like it. The initial cost of the telco device may seem high at $149 (or less if on sale) but my monthly bill is only $3.75. That includes local and long distance calling in the US along with voicemail and caller id. Call forwarding and other services are available for very a reasonable price. The call quality is great. Calls sound just as good as when my service was through AT&T. The only time it goes out is when my internet is down.

We use Vonage for our business phone but found it did not work well for faxes (for which we use an internet fax company incoming and a landline-based fax machine for outgoing). Vonage has worked well most of the time, but we do not expect to drop our landline for safety and reliability reasons. I also have a cell phone, which I use when traveling, but rarely have it turned on when I am at home.

Bob, you may or may not know about "ObiTalk".
http://www.obitalk.com/obinet/
I've been using Obi for 3+ years and have not paid a landline phone bill since. That's $0 per month.
Obi is like a total telephone company in a tiny VOIP box. Too many feature to mention here.
Obi does not offer "911", but that can be added to your service by these guys "Bulk911" for $12 per year.
http://www.gv911.com/
So with my Obi ($0/mth) and Bulk911 I get a complete/polished telephone system with 911 for $1/mth. I have never had a downtime using Obi except during power outages, which is the same with all VOIP service (FIOS & Comcast & others).
Go check it out.

Good useful and helpful topic, comprehensively and excellently covered (as per usual) 5 star rating - author nominated for a place in human heaven or similar or oblivion where I'll be by the time we get comprehensive broadband in Oz ... onya Bob!

I have the Ooma phone system, purchased after reading good reviews about it in Consumer Reports magazine.
You do have an initial outlay of approximately $150 or less, but monthly phone bill is way less than $10.00.It paid for itself in less than 6 months. One does need a computer to use Ooma, but the computer doesn't need to remain on.
I love it & highly recommend it.

I need the uninterrupted availability of a land line. I have no problem using VOIP, Skype and cell phones, but the self-identifying access to 911 and the reliability of a land line more than justify the relatively minor cost of keeping it. I even keep one wired phone for use in case the electric service goes down.

My cell service went out during the NYC blackout in 2003. I used a street phone (remember those?) to call my wife and arrange for her to pick me up after I had walked from Rockefeller Center in midtown down to and across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Yes, I also have been paying for all three (MagicJack, landline & cell) for a few years now. Just last month I ported my landline number over to my MagicJack Plus for $29 and $10/year to keep my landline number.

I can no longer use my pacemaker modem for a checkup at home but the cost is the same if I go into the Doctor's office and it is nearby. I can't use dialup for my TiVo service either but I use an internet connection now for that, so all is good.

Overall, it saves me $40 to $70 a month to not have a land line.

I live in Canada, here we have two sets of gangsters for phones TV satellite cable Internet, the best thing in the world for me was to tell both sets to remove my landlines, I have been with Vonage for several years I have stuck with them in spite of friends and acquaintances saying they pay less. Why have I stuck with them? I have no problems, my friends and acquaintances say that their reception is perfect 80% percent of the time, mine is perfect one hundred percent of the time. I want to get rid of my cell phone, oh yes I heard is good in an emergency, but the hands-free on Star my car, has no problems if the lights go out.
IPhone Europe regularly one week I had seven one-hour calls to UK, no charge. That was worth $1 million to me.