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rdonchez
join:2010-07-17
Bethlehem, PA

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rdonchez

Member

[Phone] Questions regarding Service -Bethlehem, PA

If you are switching from another company and looking to add phone service with RCN, do you do that solely through RCN? Does RCN handle the porting of the number and cancel your existing service? Or do you still have to cancel your service first?

Also, with RCN phone service, if the power goes out do the phone lines still work?

Pacomartin
join:2013-03-18
Bethlehem, PA

2 edits

Pacomartin

Member

»ecx.images-amazon.com/im ··· 300_.jpg

RCN supplies something called a "telephony modem" which is the input of your black coaxial cable and where you plug your telephone into. There is a battery so if electricity goes out the phone will operate for four hours. The voice mail will still work, so you can collect your messages when power is restores in the event of outages that last over 4 hours. The telphone modem will allow you to plug one computer to it via a CAT6 (or ethenet) patch cord ($4 for 7 feet at Home depot).

»www.homedepot.com/catalo ··· _300.jpg

The telephony modem will not give you wireless, so you must rent or purchase another device called a "router" to give you wireless

Since most people have cell phones it isn't as much of a concern as it used to be a long time ago. If you don't have a cell phone, you can get a service for $100 through Verizon that provides 400 minutes of calling within a year. Some older people don't like cell phones or find them expensive, but you should have something for emergencies.

But if you are only comfortable with a phone that works over an extended blackout, then you must stick with landline. There is a tiny current going through a landline so that a standard wired phone has enough electricity to ring when someone calls.

Double or triple play bundling with a cable company may not be the optimal solution.
Pacomartin

Pacomartin

Member

Let me be clear about what I meant about pricing. RCN charges $30 more in the Lehigh Valley for the package that includes the phone. Now the phone is not worth $30, but the bundle also includes a router and a Tivo for the money. Those additions plus the phone are clearly worth $30/month. If your goal is not to get more for your money, but to reduce monthly payment, then there are other options.

Signature Digital TV & 25 Mbps High-Speed Internet
TV CHANNELS: 225 Channels 71 in HD
INTERNET SPEED:25 Mbps
Package includes 3 digital converter boxes, plus cable modem rental.
$79.99/mo

Signature Digital TV & 25 Mbps High-Speed Internet & Phone
TV CHANNELS: 225 Channels 71 in HD
INTERNET SPEED: 25 Mbps
CALLING: Unlimited Calling
Package includes 1 digital converter box, cable modem rental, 1 TiVo Whole Home Bundle, wireless router, and MoCA bridge.
$109.99/mo

Twi3
@rcn.com

Twi3 to rdonchez

Anon

to rdonchez
said by rdonchez:

If you are switching from another company and looking to add phone service with RCN, do you do that solely through RCN? Does RCN handle the porting of the number and cancel your existing service? Or do you still have to cancel your service first?

Also, with RCN phone service, if the power goes out do the phone lines still work?

Anytime u switch to a new provider for phone, u absolutely do not call the existing provider to cancel or you will lose your number!!! Let the new provider....in this case for you it would be rcn...handle the port and canceling of old service.

hjdiet8
join:2004-02-12
Bethlehem, PA

hjdiet8 to rdonchez

Member

to rdonchez
Having lived through this twice since switching to RCN's VOIP service... you can last longer than the 4-5 hours from the modem battery... have your modem plugged into a UPS... I can last 12 hours...

Pacomartin
join:2013-03-18
Bethlehem, PA

Pacomartin

Member

User's manual
»www.arrisi.com/support/d ··· d1-7.pdf

up to 5 hours (black)
up to 8 hours (grey)
up to 12 hours • Extended backup battery
up to 24 hours • Maximum backup battery replaces the battery door

The modem that RCN gave me has the first battery (5 hour). They may have updated some customers to a larger battery.

I suppose you could purchase batteries online and switch them out so you always have more than one charged up, but it seems expensive.When we lost power for four days, the trees took down the cable line as well as the power line. We bought a 3000 watt gasoline powered generator for $200 which should take care of some basic necessities.
rdonchez
join:2010-07-17
Bethlehem, PA

rdonchez

Member

So if you are getting the phone service does that mean you cannot use your own cable modem? Is the phone modem that is referenced the same as the cable modem that provides internet? I do already have a router so that is not a concern. When using this phone modem, do the rest of the phones in the house still plug into the normal phone jacks?

Pacomartin
join:2013-03-18
Bethlehem, PA

Pacomartin

Member

said by rdonchez:

So if you are getting the phone service does that mean you cannot use your own cable modem? Is the phone modem that is referenced the same as the cable modem that provides internet? I do already have a router so that is not a concern. When using this phone modem, do the rest of the phones in the house still plug into the normal phone jacks?

The modem that RCN provides is a Touchstone® TM602 Telephony Modem. If your own modem is not a "telephony" modem then it won't work. As they don't charge you for the modem, there is no reason not to use theirs. You may want to see if your personal router works up to 25 Mbs. The older ones only go up to 15 Mbs.
dplantz
join:2000-08-02
Bradenton, FL

dplantz

Member

you can add a second modem for internet with the phone modem. I do that. If you do this they don't charge for the phone modem. Using the same modem for internet and phone they charge a monthly fee to use the modem