Does anyone use one of the various VOIP phone services? What are your thoughts. I ditched my landline ($75 a month for not a whole lot was getting tiresome) but would like an alternative to my cell (poor service in the house)
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Does anyone use one of the various VOIP phone services? What are your thoughts. I ditched my landline ($75 a month for not a whole lot was getting tiresome) but would like an alternative to my cell (poor service in the house)
You have to have Internet access, which means a phone line(DSL) or Cable TV. Also the band width has to be wide enough or your calls will sound like two cans and a string. Some VOIP providers have low monthly rates because they only use a narrow band width for your call ( two cans and a string).
Have you looked into improving your cell service by an extender or external antenna?
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...9133b2dbf6en02
just an idea. It uses an antenna outside and one in the house.
http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/Pro...10368091_1.jpg
Yes, but its about 5x times the xost
what the "Xost" of DSL/CABLE or the one time purchase of the extender?Quote:
Originally Posted by blasted_saber
Over one year the extender costs you about $36 a month or two that is $18. Most of these things last about four or more years.
I have a Wireless router that is ten years old. I only paid about $60 for it.
Our phone bill landlines is around $20... what "plan" did you have for $75? Of course I have no call waiting call display.... voice mail. . Or anything.. just a good ol phone line...
I used to have Vonage. Since about 2006. It's a great service. It winds up being about $25 per month taxes in.
I switched a few years ago to Ooma, and its great. Taxes in i'm around $12 a month.
It's a fairly easy process to terminate the Bell cables where they come into the house, and then plug the Telecom router into an existing jack to liven up the entire house.
Bell will never again get a single cent of my money.
There are many options, some like Magic Jack and OOma other small ones. The ones you can just plug into a router allow you to take it with you as long as there is an internet connection are kind of nice if you have internet at the cottage or want to take it with you on a business trip. I have a friend I call occasionally and usually have to ask where he is at, still a local call but he might be in Hong Kong or he might be at home.
There are a few I would outright avoid that have nasty contracts and terms.... I shouldn't say which one but there is one I see advertised on the TV all the time I have heard nothing good about.
I started using Tech Savvy as an experiment for the last couple months before giving Belll the boot and other than a slight loss of quality and it not working when the internet is out (Rogers has been doing work on our street) it has been OK.
https://teksavvy.com/en/residential/phone/tektalk
For $15 a month (or less for the basic) I can live with the phone that sounds like what I grew up with at home.
Features of TekTalk Premium
Use an existing number or a new one
Caller ID
Advanced Voicemail
Visual Call Waiting
Three-Way Calling
Call Forwarding
SimRing
Caller ID Block
Call Return
Selective Call Blocking
Call Privacy
Do Not Disturb
Reminder Call
Screening List
Basic 911
Free calls between TekTalk customers
TekTalk Portal to manage the service
100 Minutes of N. American Long Distance*
*2.9¢/minute after 100 minutes
Bell. Lite package + 0.40/minute long distance.Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
Why not go no package and just basic phone line.. use a 1010100 or something for .10 a minute long distance..
I already have DSL with more then enough bandwidth to handle VOIP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker