Anyone use Vonage or Basic land line?

[Luddly Neddite]

We let both land lines go because we never used them and just got crap sales calls on them. But, our lake house is way out in the middle of nowhere and we're thinking about getting a land line back just to have registered 911.

Don't want AT&T so considering Vonage or Basic.

Anyone have any thoughts about them?

 

[Mad_Cabbie]

I have magic-jack and I really like it. $50.00 and it works fine! No monthly fee, just $20.00 a year after first year. Easy to set up, voice mail and very affordable.

 

[Politico]

MJ is a joke. And anything VOIP based is at best secondary. Land lines are the only sure form of communication. The Philippines are learning that the hard way right now.

 

[Darkwind]

I had Vonage at one time. The service was fine and the clarity was nearly identical to a hard line. But we all use cell technology and we never used it. It was a waste of money so we rid ourselves of its cost.

 

[TNHarley]

wtf is a landline?

 

[Sunshine]

I keep the land line for 911 purposes. I have AT&T because it is the only one that works out here on the lake. My friends who visit who have other plans lose their coverage when they come down the hill. Having one that works gives me a back up phone if the other phones are out and that does occur out here in the wilderness.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Vonage etc., as noted above, and many U.S. companies who clamored to VoIP to save money - have went back to land lines.
1) If/when your internet connection fails...you now have no way to communicate period.
2) There have been numerous VoIP systems hacked, because security is a distant second priority to keeping the price cheap.
It is a very good secondary system to cell technology...but not as a primary communication method.

 

[Mad_Cabbie]

MJ is a joke. And anything VOIP based is at best secondary. Land lines are the only sure form of communication. The Philippines are learning that the hard way right now.

Well, I like it and use it all the time. Guess It's a joke to you, fine.

It's a joke to me to pay $50.00 a month when I already have a cell phone with 911 capabilities.

Don't use cable either. Find what I want to watch on the internet, then switch over to the TV.

Also, my internet is free thanks to several local stores that offer it. Eventually, it will be everywhere.

Rather spend my $ on child support, fishing trips and my retirement (if I live that long).

 

[Sunshine]

I had Vonage at one time. The service was fine and the clarity was nearly identical to a hard line. But we all use cell technology and we never used it. It was a waste of money so we rid ourselves of its cost.

I consider mine a luxury. But in reality if I keel over out in public one day, someone will be digging for it to find out who to call. Our land phones go out pretty frequently here, so I think I need to keep a back up phone working and charged up.

I have a Mac iPhone. And I don't really like it. I miss my Androids.

 

[Sunshine]

Vonage etc., as noted above, and many U.S. companies who clamored to VoIP to save money - have went back to land lines.
1) If/when your internet connection fails...you now have no way to communicate period.
2) There have been numerous VoIP systems hacked, because security is a distant second priority to keeping the price cheap.
It is a very good secondary system to cell technology...but not as a primary communication method.

The cell towers out here never go down when the land lines do.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

We let both land lines go because we never used them and just got crap sales calls on them. But, our lake house is way out in the middle of nowhere and we're thinking about getting a land line back just to have registered 911.

Don't want AT&T so considering Vonage or Basic.

Anyone have any thoughts about them?

Never heard of basic.

I do have a suggestion though, get a simple land line from your local phone company for use in emergencies and turn the ringer off. That way, even if you get a sales call, it won't bother you. The reason I would go for that over Vonage is that Vonage is VoIP, and is useless if your internet drops.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Thanks everyone.

Our cels are iPhone 5's and we like them. But, its very rural so we could have an outage so yes, that means Vonage doesn't really fill our needs. Looks like we're stuck with AT&T.

But, very good idea to turn off the ringer. The only calls I want will come in on my cel.

I don't understand how 911 works with a cel phone. To my knowledge, a 911 call is triangulated between the nearest towers but that's as close as they can get to the address. Am I missing something?

 

[Gracie]

No more cells for us. Too expensive. Besides, if I wanted to get or make phone calls...I can wait til I get home.

We went back to a landline 2 years ago. Love it. We pay 4.95 per month, unlimited calls anywhere. Came with the cable package of internet, tv, phone.

 

[Chuckt]

Vonage etc., as noted above, and many U.S. companies who clamored to VoIP to save money - have went back to land lines.
1) If/when your internet connection fails...you now have no way to communicate period.
2) There have been numerous VoIP systems hacked, because security is a distant second priority to keeping the price cheap.
It is a very good secondary system to cell technology...but not as a primary communication method.

The cell towers out here never go down when the land lines do.

We have FIOS and every once in a while we have to call the phone company on our cell phones to reset our phone line.

A relative of mine tried VOIP and we had a hard time hearing.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Thanks everyone.

Our cels are iPhone 5's and we like them. But, its very rural so we could have an outage so yes, that means Vonage doesn't really fill our needs. Looks like we're stuck with AT&T.

But, very good idea to turn off the ringer. The only calls I want will come in on my cel.

I don't understand how 911 works with a cel phone. To my knowledge, a 911 call is triangulated between the nearest towers but that's as close as they can get to the address. Am I missing something?

Most areas have switched to GPS locations for 911 cell calls. I actually thought it was everywhere, but I could be wrong. That should make your cell good enough for most things, but I would still want a landline for backup in case the cell service collapsed.

 

[PixieStix]

wtf is a landline?

 

[PixieStix]

For all of you that don't have a land line, good luck when there is a power outage

 

[Chuckt]

Thanks everyone.

Our cels are iPhone 5's and we like them. But, its very rural so we could have an outage so yes, that means Vonage doesn't really fill our needs. Looks like we're stuck with AT&T.

But, very good idea to turn off the ringer. The only calls I want will come in on my cel.

I don't understand how 911 works with a cel phone. To my knowledge, a 911 call is triangulated between the nearest towers but that's as close as they can get to the address. Am I missing something?

Most areas have switched to GPS locations for 911 cell calls. I actually thought it was everywhere, but I could be wrong. That should make your cell good enough for most things, but I would still want a landline for backup in case the cell service collapsed.

FCC Examines Shortcomings in E911 Calls’ Location Data

Even so less than half of the 1,589,580 wireless 911 calls made statewide in March 2103 included location information, according to CALNENA.

“This problem appears to be happening in all areas of the state,” wrote Danita Crombach, president of CALNENA, in an August letter to the FCC and a more than half a dozen members of Congress “but the problems seem more pronounced in urban areas, possibly suggesting that whatever 9-1-1 technologies the wireless carriers may be using lately are not working for wireless calls placed in or near high-rise buildings.”

FCC Examines Shortcomings in E911 Calls? Location Data | Inside GNSS