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MikePea
@verizon.net
| reply to B
Re: Ooma Circling the Drain....
I believe that your best choice is to use it as an expensive door-stop - probably too light for a boat anchor. But don't blame anyone but yourself, since I went out of my way to publicize the technical reasons why Ooma was a bad idea. My comments, and others', were available through any web search.
When all is said and done, your best bet is the local phone company, if you want reliable, long lasting telephone service. | |
prestonlewis
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-13
Sacramento, CA
 ·VoiceStick
| said by MikePea :
When all is said and done, your best bet is the local phone company, if you want reliable, long lasting telephone service.
I don't necessarily disagree with your opinion that a telco is long lasting, etc. However, I've been with Vonage for 5 years now with virtually no problems at all. However, when I did the math, I realized I was paying well over 5 cents per minute because I didn't use enough minutes. So I began experimenting with VoiceStick (using an adapter) and CallCentric (also using an adapter). Both are similarly price and you pay by the minute, not a flat rate. VoiceStick, in my view, is a bit on the better side offering a free local DID while CallCentric charges you for a DID by the month. Both, so far, offer fantastic call quality and reliability. On the other hand, AT&T charges $18/month for a phone without long distance, without caller ID, without ANYTHING except local calls (say 12 miles from my home roughly). In my mind, VOIP beats telcos hands down as long as your ISP provides you with a reliable connection. | |
Verizon Vet
@rr.com
| said by prestonlewis  :said by MikePea :
When all is said and done, your best bet is the local phone company, if you want reliable, long lasting telephone service.
I don't necessarily disagree with your opinion that a telco is long lasting, etc. AT&T charges $18/month for a phone without long distance, without caller ID, without ANYTHING except local calls (say 12 miles from my home roughly). In my mind, VOIP beats telcos hands down as long as your ISP provides you with a reliable connection. But that AT&T line will work without depending on your ISP to "provide a reliable connection". Seriously, you're going to trust your life to a cable modem, operated by a cable company?
No, thanks. I'll take my 911 service from a genuine phone company. They may be evil, and they may cost more than VOIP, but I like the idea of a cruiser pulling up at my door in 3 minutes flat, instead of having a 30-minute odyssey and BS dialogue with a dispatcher. Its worth $18 a month for that, alone. | |
n1zuk
My wood is stacked
Premium
join:2001-10-24
South Burlington, VT
·Future Nine Corpor..
·ViaTalk
 ·Comcast
| said by Verizon Vet :
Seriously, you're going to trust your life to a cable modem, operated by a cable company? A bit dramatic, aren't you?
It isn't like you are hanging from the top of a building with the POTS line tied around your waist.
How many people have *EVER* called 911 in an emergency? For me, I have done so twice - neither was a life threatening situation, and both times I called from my cellular telephone. (Reported automobile accidents)
If you live with a situation where immediate access to emergency services is that important, then by all means stick with POTS. For the majority of people, there are still other ways to address this issue and use VOIP.
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zagbobble
@ccc.de
| reply to Verizon Vet
But that AT&T line will work without depending on your ISP to "provide a reliable connection". Seriously, you're going to trust your life to a cable modem, operated by a cable company?
I use callcentric. It costs me about $5 dollars a month for the DID + the local and long-distance calls I make and receive - I do not use their 911 service. I use a cellphone for 911 and when I'm out of the house.
The cellphone cost me $60 + $20 credit, good for 6 months or 100 minutes of talking.
So I figure for the first year I will pay $100 for the cell phone plus $60 for callcentric and throw in the $80 I paid for the ATA. That comes to $240, which is about $20/month.
Starting with the second year I'll pay $40 for the cell phone + $60 for callcentric = $8.33 / month. If you talk more than I do, you will pay more, but you will have to talk a lot to get to the $22/month that the phone company charges for the most basic service.
And callcentric and the cell phone have lots of extra stuff - voicemail, etc. which I don't need but maybe you do, and which would cost some outrageous amount if you bought them from the phone company.
Why anybody with a broadband connection still uses a landline phone is beyond me. | |
DracoFelis
Premium
join:2003-06-15
| said by zagbobble :
Why anybody with a broadband connection still uses a landline phone is beyond me.
Some of us are required to purchase a landline, as a condition of getting our DSL service. 
That said, we still save a lot of money by using VoIP for most of our OUTBOUND calls (inbound calls are a mix of VoIP and POTS).
NOTE: If it weren't for a out DSL contract being tied to our landline, we probably would consider dropping out landline (and just going with VoIP + cell backup). However, doing so would lower our reliablity some, as there have been times when our VoIP is out (sometimes because the VoIP service is down, and even more often because our internet service is having problems) when we have been happy to have the "backup" of a POTS line we can use with a prepaid phone card. I'm not sure that "backup" is worth the high POTS costs we are paying for it (which is something of a non-issue, as our DSL is tied to our POTS service), but it non-the-less has proved useful on some occasions... | |
prestonlewis
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-13
Sacramento, CA
·VoiceStick
| reply to Verizon Vet
said by Verizon Vet :
No, thanks. I'll take my 911 service from a genuine phone company. They may be evil, and they may cost more than VOIP, but I like the idea of a cruiser pulling up at my door in 3 minutes flat, instead of having a 30-minute odyssey and BS dialogue with a dispatcher. Its worth $18 a month for that, alone.
I'm not trying to be disagreeable but it takes around 3 minutes just to get through to our 911 here in Sacramento. You get recordings that if it isn't a real emergency, call this number, etc. long before you get put on hold waiting for a live person. However, cellular 911 is worse than telco 911. I've never tried E911 so I have no experience with that. So you are right that of the 3 types of 911, telco 911 is almost certainly the winner hands down.
However, you didn't mention MY point which is that I can get quality local and long distance for a fraction of what a featureless, 12 miles distance local telco phone can provide and the telco charges about 3x as much. I only have telco because I have DSL (and cable for no down time).
Also we are lucky here in the former Pacific Bell territories. As long as a phone line (even disconnected) is physically linked to the Bell system, you can dial 911. So theoretically, I could turn my phone off and still have telco 911 service, as long as my circuit isn't needed which from my past experience, isn't that often.
Nonetheless, I see your point about superior telco 911. However, if you are pro-Verizon (yes the evil company that took over Airtouch, Bell Atlantic Mobile and other company's I liked), what is your purpose for being in the VOIP forums? | |
usa2k
Please PRAY for Rebekah
Premium,MVM
join:2003-01-26
Canton, MI
clubs:
·VOIPo
·WOW Internet and C..
·Broadvox Direct
|  Re: Ooma Circling the Drain....
I called E911 while driving (NEXTEL) and got through fast.
A car was half off and half on the road weaving.
Eventually she did a last minute lane change at a light and slammed into the back of a car making two more ahead get involved.
We were following, but the police were too slow intercepting.
Cell phones (usually two handy around me) are just fine by me.
If you have young or aged family, a cell may be a bad fit.
--
Jim -- USA2K, VoIP since 12/2002, Packet8 since 12/2006. VOIPo in Beta, former Vonage . . .
FAH-Tool Monitor | |
Mike P
@verizon.net | reply to DracoFelis
Re: Ooma Circling the Drain....
It's simple why a person with a broadband Internet connecion would still want a regular phone line - I want it to work when the power goes out or after lightning strikes nearby. Either takes out my BB connection. | |
n1zuk
My wood is stacked
Premium
join:2001-10-24
South Burlington, VT
·Future Nine Corpor..
·ViaTalk
·Comcast
| Mine works after these things happen. Just that it is my cell phone that rings once my VOIP number becomes inoperative...
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