How much do you pay for your home phone service? Is VOIP the future?

Kastides

Kastides

Banned
I like to hear some of the positive and negative features of VOIP. Is it a reliable substitute for a phone line?


The most interesting part of VOIP technology is that you can see ingoing and outgoing calls thru your PC from work or any location and that you can access your messages thru your PC.

DEBATE.

Let's hope this is the right board for this topic.
 
Well, my cable service is a lot less reliable than my phone service. I'd do only a cell-phone if I could get reception in my house, but I swear we have 2 inches of solid lead in the walls. I'd say that all cells is the wave of the future, but for the time being a landline is pretty nice.
 
I haven't had a land line in about a year, both me and my girlfriend have cell phones but I am seriously considering VoIP. Here in the next couple of weeks I am doing a VoIP install with my job at a small company and I will be able to get a better idea of things. I will let you all know the outcome.
 
I've had Packet8 for a year and a half (I'm blacklisted from Verizon). I pay ~$21/month for unlimited local and long distance. Hasn't done me wrong. You will get issues if you clog your upload bandwidth with your file sharing stuff, but you'd be stupid to do that anyway, since it would slow your downloads down too.

Have to keep in mind that if your internet goes down, your phone goes down too. And your 911 calls will go to the town that your account is registered to, it has to be kept current.
 
$20, I only have a landline so I have a phone number to give to people I don't want to deal with but might occasionaly need to talk with (banks, electric, relatives, etc.)
 
There is a huge VOIP thread from a few months back. Run a search and you can find out more. I'm too tired to cut and paste the link here- I'm going to bed.
 
VOIP isn't bad... thought I wouldn't call it the next wave of the future just yet. I don't like my phone service going out just because of a power outtage. Currently, I just use my cell phone and Skype. Most of my local and long distance contacts have Skype anyway (it's free VOIP) so there's hardly a need to use my cell for long distance calls.
 
One thing to help the VoIP power outage thing for short term outages is to hook your router, cable modem, and phone adapter to a UPS. That does nothing for cable outages though.

I've had Vonage for a while, all calls and every feature you can think of for about $27/mo. Sometimes service is very reliable, other times it's not that great, but I'd never go back to Verizon. They cost way too much for my tastes.
 
Is broadband phone lines the future of phonelines? If so, shouldnt we all buy some stock in Vonage or other companies like that?
 
I've spoken with people who use talk through their ip addresses and its just not working too well for me. It often sounds too robotic and doesn't quite have that clarity that I would need to switch over.
 
I just got Vonage and haven't had any problems. For the first time in my life, I've got Caller ID. I feel like a millionaire!

Although I don't use my phone very often, my phone bill was always $35-$40 a month.
Now it's $15.
 
Vonage offered me a job. Told me that everyonr started as a Customer Service Rep and worked their way up. I told them to get lost.
 
I only have a cell that is my only means of talking. I got rid of land line cause no one called me at home. So I really doubt anyone would call me just cause I had a VOIP.
 
I have had sunrocket for a few months ($16.58/month, cheapest option for unlimited calls and no activation/cancelation fee) and I have found it to be a great alternative to a landline. I have found sunrocket to be extremely reliable but as said above the technology is based on two systems, 1. VOIP, 2. Your Internet. But if you are a cell phone household there really isn't much of an issue.

I think that VOIP is the future, the price difference is great I just think it takes time for the technology to perfect itself but its getting closer these days.
 
I have had vonage for about a year and half. Totally pleased with it, and its features. I pay $28 after taxes for unlimited local and long distance.

The downside of course is if the power or cable goes out. That happens here once every year or so, and I have had no problems with that since I have a cell phone as back up. Here a link to a forum entry I had last october, so I have had it for almost 2 years. Also I talk about hooking it up to all your phones instead of just one.

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35380
 
I don't understand why anyone pays for VOIP. With Skype or Google Talk for free, it just seems highly unnecessary to pay. Plus, most ppl who have VOIP likely have cell phones as well so there's I don't see the need to pay twice for something I get either free or have mobility with otherwise.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']I don't understand why anyone pays for VOIP. With Skype or Google Talk for free, it just seems highly unnecessary to pay. Plus, most ppl who have VOIP likely have cell phones as well so there's I don't see the need to pay twice for something I get either free or have mobility with otherwise.[/QUOTE]

I don't see why anyone pays for voice over twisted pair.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']I don't understand why anyone pays for VOIP. With Skype or Google Talk for free, it just seems highly unnecessary to pay. Plus, most ppl who have VOIP likely have cell phones as well so there's I don't see the need to pay twice for something I get either free or have mobility with otherwise.[/QUOTE]

You cannot call an actual landline for free with either of those and they are tied to the computer. With sunrocket I can just hook it up to my cable connection and call anywhere for insanely cheap with regular phones.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']I don't understand why anyone pays for VOIP. With Skype or Google Talk for free, it just seems highly unnecessary to pay. Plus, most ppl who have VOIP likely have cell phones as well so there's I don't see the need to pay twice for something I get either free or have mobility with otherwise.[/QUOTE]
Because you don't get a phone number with those, and you can't call real phone numbers with those (unless you pay). The services being referred to here are a replacement for a regular landline. I pay $20 a month for unlimited local and long distance. It functions just like a regular telephone line. A regular telephone line costs $40+ for local and regional, I get all that and free long distance for half. I don't have a cell phone and I have no need for one, I don't need mobility on my house phone, so I'm not paying extra for it. I don't want to pay more money, and have to worry about minutes, when I don't need a cell.

Also, I'm currently blackballed by Verizon (my local telco), so I couldn't get a regular line if I wanted one, which I don't.
 
[quote name='dafoomie']Because you don't get a phone number with those, and you can't call real phone numbers with those (unless you pay). The services being referred to here are a replacement for a regular landline. I pay $20 a month for unlimited local and long distance. It functions just like a regular telephone line. A regular telephone line costs $40+ for local and regional, I get all that and free long distance for half. I don't have a cell phone and I have no need for one, I don't need mobility on my house phone, so I'm not paying extra for it. I don't want to pay more money, and have to worry about minutes, when I don't need a cell.

Also, I'm currently blackballed by Verizon (my local telco), so I couldn't get a regular line if I wanted one, which I don't.[/QUOTE]

To further solidify your point, voip companies provide MORE options than a regular landline. The online interface for sunrocket lets me get voicemails online, check call logs, set up all my forwarding and voice mail features in addition to several more options.
 
Those people who subscribe or purchase VoIP services are actually businesses who wants to have a much affordable and maintainable phone system. PBX phone system are actually feature-packed but for a small business VoIP systems are suitable choices.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']I think practically everyone I know now has just a cell phone, no landline service whatsoever. Maybe my people are hip or something[/QUOTE]


my wife and I each have our own cells and those double as the home phone....we both literally have them on us at all times so why even bother with a home phone?
 
I've not had a home phone for 5 years or so. And probably won't have one (landline or VOIP) in the future.

My cell phone is more than sufficient. Besides, the bulk of my communication is e-mail, IM and text messaging these days anyway. Phone gets used to call my parents once a week or so and for calling my girlfriend, and that's about it aside from the occasional work related call etc.
 
I haven't had a home phone for about 6 years. I have Google Voice, so I have a second number to use for people I may not want to deal with. I used exactly 30 minutes last month out of my plan.

I get free unlimited mobile to mobile, and most I know are also with Sprint, so my bill tends to be cheap with the discounts, 50 bucks a month with unlimited data.
 
If it wasn't for 911 and the phone lines being up during a blackout, I would've abandoned landlines and went VOIP...saves so much money!

I rarely use my landline and it costs around $50 per month. :(
 
I have phone service through Uverse, which is VOIP, they brought a backup battery when they installed everything, probably doesn't last long, but it's better than nothing.
 
I don't see the need in a home phone. Everyone has a cellphone these days. The last time we had a home phone was probably around 8 years ago.
 
[quote name='Fireball03']If it wasn't for 911 and the phone lines being up during a blackout, I would've abandoned landlines and went VOIP...saves so much money!

I rarely use my landline and it costs around $50 per month. :([/QUOTE]

Why not just go Cellphone only?

Solves the 911 and blackout issues of VOIP, and should cost the same or less than the land line unless you talk a TON of daytimes minutes out of network.
 
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