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Old 04-24-2021, 11:42 AM   #61
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[QUOTE=RetiredAndLovingIt;2593005]You have options.
I have a free Google Voice number as my landline and use it all the time when I'm in the house. It rings to both my cellphone and the house wall phones. If you want to use it as a landline you need to buy a Polycom OBI200 Voip Adapter or if you just want it to ring to your cellphone, no extra equipment needed. After you buy the adapter there is nothing else to pay, it's totally free and I love it. I put $10 on Google back in 2012 for international calls to the UK and still have $4 left. I no longer use them for international calls, I call through Facebook app for free but here is a link to their rates
https://voice.google.com/u/0/rates

I also do the google voice using the OBI except I unplugged it and found I really don't miss it. The cell phones meet our needs. Itwas just a matter of getting use to it. I originally thought I needed that house phone, I liked the feel of the house phone better than the cell but I quickly got use to using the cell. I found this retro telephone handset that plugs into your cell phone on Amazon ($9), it gives you the feel of a house phone when using a cell. If you decide to get a google voice I recommend you have your current house phone number transferred (I think it is called ported to google, the phone companies chg around $20). The reason is assigned google number gets so much spam. Another good feature of the google system is it can convert a voice message to text and send it to your cell. Makes it easier to find that appt time or info. I hate listening to voice msgs on cell phone.
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Old 04-27-2021, 09:12 AM   #62
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Originally Posted by Vinnygret View Post
It's a phone that works even if "all circuits are busy" and it never has to be charged. It's very reliable.
I've never had and don't know anyone who has got the "all circuits are busy" message. My cell phone is just as reliable as a landline, but I don't have to be home to use it.

By the way landlines are known to have connection issues at times. They may be rare but they do exist.
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Old 04-27-2021, 09:19 AM   #63
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Originally Posted by Music Lover View Post
I've never had and don't know anyone who has got the "all circuits are busy" message. My cell phone is just as reliable as a landline, but I don't have to be home to use it.

By the way landlines are known to have connection issues at times. They may be rare but they do exist.
After Katrina, neither land lines nor cell phones would connect reliably in this area. The idea of landlines being any more reliable than cell phones in an emergency is a complete joke to anyone who lived in New Orleans in 2005. I tried and tried to report to my work using both a landline in Alabama, and my cell phone, to no avail. My work (the US government, for goodness sake!) could not get in touch with me or anybody else via voice communication, although texting sometimes (not always) came through. At that time I was "anti-texting" so I had previously insisted on Verizon turning my texting off, and they did. When things were normal again I had it turned back on. E-mail also continued to work for some reason so the only way I could report to my work chain of command that I was safe, was by email to our HQ in DC.
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Old 04-27-2021, 09:40 AM   #64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Music Lover View Post
I've never had and don't know anyone who has got the "all circuits are busy" message. My cell phone is just as reliable as a landline, but I don't have to be home to use it.

By the way landlines are known to have connection issues at times. They may be rare but they do exist.
I get it often when calling family in Alaska. Usually on "busy" holidays but I do get them; cell to cell call(s).

Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R View Post
After Katrina, neither land lines nor cell phones would connect reliably in this area. The idea of landlines being any more reliable than cell phones in an emergency is a complete joke to anyone who lived in New Orleans in 2005. I tried and tried to report to my work using both a landline in Alabama, and my cell phone, to no avail. My work (the US government, for goodness sake!) could not get in touch with me or anybody else via voice communication, although texting sometimes (not always) came through. At that time I was "anti-texting" so I had previously insisted on Verizon turning my texting off, and they did. When things were normal again I had it turned back on. E-mail also continued to work for some reason so the only way I could report to my work chain of command that I was safe, was by email to our HQ in DC.
I flew some evacuation missions down there after the hurricane and communication via cell phone was nearly impossible. Almost all the phone calls we made had to be made through the airplane's satcom or HF radio (called MARS that was established in 1925 and is nothing more than a network of volunteer amateur radio operators). That was an issue for almost a week if I recall.
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Old 05-10-2021, 11:07 PM   #65
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Thanks everyone, I figured I'd provide an update and some thoughts.

I did get rid of the landline, par of the motivation to keep it was for emergencies, after all the other VoIP based solution wouldn't help if your Internet or power are down. But the Katrina related comments that it may not be more reliable convinvced me. I also don;t live in the boonies so redundancy is not that important.

I enabled international calling on my cell phone and I'd have to call a whole lot to get even close to what the landline cost before even long-distance costs.

I still have a phone line for my DSL, just not phone service, you don't need phone service to get DSL. I also called CenturyLink and told them I would quit if they couldn't match Comcast prices. they "did me a favor" and beat it by $5 although I'm guessing after taxes, etc... it's wash. I'm also leasing my new DSL modem which adds $15/mo but I plan on purchasing one now that I know the new DSL is table and delivers the advertized speed. Technically the DSL has lower bandwidth than cable, but my friends with Comcast say they don't get the top speeds during busy times.

So I cut my Centurylink bill from $140 (+$15 long distance) to $66/mo and doubled my DSL speed. Shoulda made that call years ago.

Not having a regular phone freed up space on the kitchen counter and my nightstand as a bonus!

My work pays for my cell phone and the wife and kids are on Mint, so $15/month each.
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Old 05-10-2021, 11:15 PM   #66
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Originally Posted by BlueberryPie View Post
Thanks everyone, I figured I'd provide an update and some thoughts.

.....
My work pays for my cell phone and the wife and kids are on Mint, so $15/month each.
I like Mint for when we go to Canada. I buy international calling on top of my $15 plan, and then can make calls in Canada for 10 cents per minute.
I just refill the International $10 every time it runs down. Texts were 2 cents each.
I don't know prices since covid, but prior to Covid it was the cheapest phone service I could have in Canada and zero commitment as I'd just by a 3 month special.
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Old 05-11-2021, 10:51 AM   #67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueberryPie View Post
Thanks everyone, I figured I'd provide an update and some thoughts.

I did get rid of the landline, par of the motivation to keep it was for emergencies, after all the other VoIP based solution wouldn't help if your Internet or power are down. But the Katrina related comments that it may not be more reliable convinvced me. I also don;t live in the boonies so redundancy is not that important.

I enabled international calling on my cell phone and I'd have to call a whole lot to get even close to what the landline cost before even long-distance costs.

I still have a phone line for my DSL, just not phone service, you don't need phone service to get DSL. I also called CenturyLink and told them I would quit if they couldn't match Comcast prices. they "did me a favor" and beat it by $5 although I'm guessing after taxes, etc... it's wash. I'm also leasing my new DSL modem which adds $15/mo but I plan on purchasing one now that I know the new DSL is table and delivers the advertized speed. Technically the DSL has lower bandwidth than cable, but my friends with Comcast say they don't get the top speeds during busy times.

So I cut my Centurylink bill from $140 (+$15 long distance) to $66/mo and doubled my DSL speed. Shoulda made that call years ago.

Not having a regular phone freed up space on the kitchen counter and my nightstand as a bonus!

My work pays for my cell phone and the wife and kids are on Mint, so $15/month each.
Loved my old DSL line but AT&T never offered anything faster than 6 MBps download here, so when they price increased to $50/month I moved over to cable for 10x the speed at around half the price.
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