My wife refuses to get rid of our landline so I was thinking of saving some cash and getting a phone line thru WOW! cable or some other VOIP like Vonage Magic Jack, etc.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Best VOIP Landline?
- Thread starter BobsArmory
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I have had great luck with Ooma also for $5/month for no frills version of it. (you get no caller id - just number called shown otherwise pay more for premium features).
The upfront fee is a new or used Ooma base unit which ranges $50(used) - $100 (new).
Same boat here, wife refuses to dump the line despite having an iPhone.
The upfront fee is a new or used Ooma base unit which ranges $50(used) - $100 (new).
Same boat here, wife refuses to dump the line despite having an iPhone.
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I've been using an Obi device with a google voice number for years, and it works great. You still need to pay for (or have) home internet service (i.e. cable internet), but you don't pay anything for the phone line. There are some other devices and services that have a monthly fee, but with obi you pay for the device and use google voice, and it's free. You can get a new google voice number for free, and try out the obi device. If you like it and it works, then you can port your landline number over to google voice for $20 and cancel your landline service. Google voice has other nice benefits as well. There's a good write-up on the obi device / service here. As long as you have home internet, there really no reason to pay for a landline as far as I know.
Google voice with Obi 200 (min, cost $40) upfront investment. Free within US and Canada, international calls very cheap.
The best thing you do not miss text messages. Everybody assumes the number you gave a cellphone.
The best thing you do not miss text messages. Everybody assumes the number you gave a cellphone.
I have used Vonage for many years. I especially like that voicemails get transcribed into emails and sent to me. I have not listened to a voicemail in 5 years or longer.
In around 2009 I signed up for a free google voice number and used it with a computer to make and receive calls while traveling.
Later I purchased an Obihai 200 and used the free Google Voice number with it. You can not port a land line to Google voice but can port a cell phone number to to Google Voice for a one time fee of $20.00. You can find some ways to get around this on You Tube.
With the Obihai 200 have it plugged in the wall where the cable company had the phone plugged in so all the jacks in the house are working and have a cordless phone with two handsets connected.
With a Google Voice number you can link the number to your cell phone number if you desire so if someone calls your Google Voice number, your cell phone will work. Lots of info on You Tube.
I only give out my Google Number so I can take calls using the phones at home, cell phone, computer, etc.
Have no issues and the service is free too!
Later I purchased an Obihai 200 and used the free Google Voice number with it. You can not port a land line to Google voice but can port a cell phone number to to Google Voice for a one time fee of $20.00. You can find some ways to get around this on You Tube.
With the Obihai 200 have it plugged in the wall where the cable company had the phone plugged in so all the jacks in the house are working and have a cordless phone with two handsets connected.
With a Google Voice number you can link the number to your cell phone number if you desire so if someone calls your Google Voice number, your cell phone will work. Lots of info on You Tube.
I only give out my Google Number so I can take calls using the phones at home, cell phone, computer, etc.
Have no issues and the service is free too!
I have a solution you never heard of I bet.
I had a home custom built and do not have phone lines in it.
My wife and I are tech savvy, but we have Panasonic Link2Cell phones.
They are cordless phones that connect to a base phone. The base phone connects to one or two cell phones via blue tooth. It's connects automatically if you always leave your blue tooth turned on. She takes her phone with her when she leaves, it disconnects, when she gets home, it automatically connects and she can answer the cordless phone. It allows her to have a cellphone and a home phone with one number.
It also informs you when you get a text.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Panason...onvergence-Solution-KX-TGE263S/205143120
I had a home custom built and do not have phone lines in it.
My wife and I are tech savvy, but we have Panasonic Link2Cell phones.
They are cordless phones that connect to a base phone. The base phone connects to one or two cell phones via blue tooth. It's connects automatically if you always leave your blue tooth turned on. She takes her phone with her when she leaves, it disconnects, when she gets home, it automatically connects and she can answer the cordless phone. It allows her to have a cellphone and a home phone with one number.
It also informs you when you get a text.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Panason...onvergence-Solution-KX-TGE263S/205143120
I have had Ooma for close to 10 years now. Have had great luck with it until recently it appears my ISP started blocking one of the required ports (UDP 53). Still working with my ISP to get it working again.
The service is outstanding and the price can't be beat at less than $5 a month.
The service is outstanding and the price can't be beat at less than $5 a month.
Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
I have had Ooma for close to 10 years now. Have had great luck with it until recently it appears my ISP started blocking one of the required ports (UDP 53). Still working with my ISP to get it working again.
I'm sure this isn't for nefarious reasons.
I have had Ooma for close to 10 years now. Have had great luck with it until recently it appears my ISP started blocking one of the required ports (UDP 53). Still working with my ISP to get it working again.
I'm sure this isn't for nefarious reasons.
Originally Posted by eljefino
I'm sure this isn't for nefarious reasons.
Is there a legitimate reason for them to block UDP 53? I'm baffled as one day Ooma worked, the next day it didn't. The Ooma setup page has a port scan tool to test the ports it requires, and only 53 UDP comes up closed. Ooma constantly flashes red twice which indicates no VPN.
I'm sure this isn't for nefarious reasons.
Is there a legitimate reason for them to block UDP 53? I'm baffled as one day Ooma worked, the next day it didn't. The Ooma setup page has a port scan tool to test the ports it requires, and only 53 UDP comes up closed. Ooma constantly flashes red twice which indicates no VPN.
DNS lives on 53/TCP/UDP.
It is going to be the next open service getting security enhancements, like open http is going the way of TLS secured http.
Maybe they are filtering it from outside sources. My ISP doesn't.
It can be abused. It can be they want you to use only their DNS so they can get a wealth of marketing information about you.
What if your ooma is hammering their nameservers though? They may disable 53/UDP to prevent your denial of service attack.
It is going to be the next open service getting security enhancements, like open http is going the way of TLS secured http.
Maybe they are filtering it from outside sources. My ISP doesn't.
It can be abused. It can be they want you to use only their DNS so they can get a wealth of marketing information about you.
What if your ooma is hammering their nameservers though? They may disable 53/UDP to prevent your denial of service attack.
Yeah right an ISP will force you to use their DNS. That would be the day.
Just ordered Ooma Premier. Dosen't look bad for $9 per month. Wife didn't want to go the route of Google/Obi for privacy concerns. Thanks!
I have been with Vonage for years (like 2004 or so, maybe eariler?)
I also have my vonage router plugged into the phone jack of the house, so I have phones throughout the house, as well as having my modem, router and vonage device on a UPS battery backup, and one "old school" corded phone, so even in a power outage the wife has a phone (for about 3 hours till the UPS dies).
I have their cheapest plan ($20, 500 outbound minutes, unlimited incoming).
Same reason as you, wife wants a "landline". And for a while we did have mediocre cell reception inside, so was kind of needed. With Wifi calling though, it is not an issue at all.
I am getting close to getting rid of it though, she rarely uses it, I never do.
I have debated going to Ooma or Obi, but just never really looked into it.
I know magic jack used to suck. My dad tried it when it first came out (had to always have it plugged into a PC that was powered on) but have heard it has gotten better, but no idea on price.
I also have my vonage router plugged into the phone jack of the house, so I have phones throughout the house, as well as having my modem, router and vonage device on a UPS battery backup, and one "old school" corded phone, so even in a power outage the wife has a phone (for about 3 hours till the UPS dies).
I have their cheapest plan ($20, 500 outbound minutes, unlimited incoming).
Same reason as you, wife wants a "landline". And for a while we did have mediocre cell reception inside, so was kind of needed. With Wifi calling though, it is not an issue at all.
I am getting close to getting rid of it though, she rarely uses it, I never do.
I have debated going to Ooma or Obi, but just never really looked into it.
I know magic jack used to suck. My dad tried it when it first came out (had to always have it plugged into a PC that was powered on) but have heard it has gotten better, but no idea on price.
We use Voip.ms as a service provider. They charge $1.50/mo per DID number + 1c/min, inbound and outbound. It has bunch of features that I never use. International calls range from about 1-2c/min for landlines to 10-15c for some countries cell phones. Caller ID name costs extra, but you pay per lookup rather than a flat charge. We use gigaset wireless VoIP phones. Our total bill for 3 lines rarely exceeds $10/mo, usually it's closer to $5. We use our cell phones for most calls.
https://www.gigaset.com/hq_en/telephones/voip-phones/
https://www.gigaset.com/hq_en/telephones/voip-phones/
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