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Ditching land line at home? (VANITY)
Self | January 9, 2014 | Self

Posted on 01/09/2014 5:33:59 AM PST by pogo101

My wife and I are considering "making the leap" by dumping our land line phone. We'd effectively still have a hard-wired connection, to a point, namely our U-verse internet connection -- although that largely becomes wireless INSIDE the house.

We are sufficiently confident in the connection that it would work in a medical or other emergency.

Also, we have gotten so many spam land-line calls in recent years, despite being on the DNC list, that our landline is largely useless anyway.

Thoughts?


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To: pogo101

We switched from a land line to an internet phone but then everyone had a cell so we have dropped that as well.


61 posted on 01/09/2014 6:44:23 AM PST by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
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To: pogo101

Did this 3 years ago and never looked back.
Also by using cell, you can put call blocker on your cell and manage it yourself instead of depending on bogus Do Not Call list.


62 posted on 01/09/2014 6:45:12 AM PST by Zathras
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To: tomkat

My unused minutes carry over as long as I renew before the expire. My wife’s phone has about $300.00 accrued.

So for $200 a year, I have two cell phones and I only need to renew yearly. I set up email reminders so I don’t space out renewing.


63 posted on 01/09/2014 6:47:12 AM PST by listenhillary (Courts, law enforcement, roads and national defense should be the extent of government)
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To: pogo101

I wouldn’t be comfortable without a landline for emergency notifications, even though it’s seldom happened.


64 posted on 01/09/2014 6:49:15 AM PST by grania
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To: MrB

Alas, I’m not in Kansas anymore.

Must be nice.


65 posted on 01/09/2014 6:51:10 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: pogo101

We live in Florida, so hurricanes are a consideration. During these storms the land line is the only thing that still works. No lights, no cable, and often no cell phones. The phone lines are buried all the way to the central distribution network. So we’ll pay the difference and keep the assurance.


66 posted on 01/09/2014 6:55:09 AM PST by impactplayer
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To: 9YearLurker

We’re blessed to have a circle of homeschooling families with teenage girls.


67 posted on 01/09/2014 6:55:15 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: BykrBayb

I also use my landline to give as a contact number when one is required but I don’t want to give my cell phone number. But I have the ringer turned off and it is connected to the fax line on the all-in-one printer auto-answer. I can review missed calls to see if there was anything of importance.

The phone line is part of the cable bundle so the cost is minimal. I like to use it on speaker for outgoing calls as the quality is much better than the cell. Plus I still use fax for a number of items.


68 posted on 01/09/2014 7:01:49 AM PST by Second Amendment First
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To: listenhillary
No, Magic Jack is connected through your router, then plugged into wall receptacle.

I installed this a year ago, NO REGRETS. I changed my phone # as well. Did not want to keep the old (which cost a little extra one time fee for that). Since then we have not had ONE annoying sales call, which we received about 10 a day before.

No one knows that new number except family members. I also kept my AT&T cell.

Magic Jack works as any land line will. I can FAX, connect to my answering machine, all the things a land line can do. I am amazed at how they can do this for about $20 per year.

69 posted on 01/09/2014 7:05:22 AM PST by annieokie
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To: MrB

You are.


70 posted on 01/09/2014 7:08:56 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: pogo101

8675309


71 posted on 01/09/2014 7:12:06 AM PST by Usagi_yo
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To: pogo101

We ditched ours for both home and business in late 2008. Not sorry, so much less expensive. We’ve had issues with calls not being clear once. Bought new phones, cured that issue. Our providers have given us good service. We live in the country next to lake with lots of hills. Our cell service has been lousy, so we bought what I guess you would call a “repeater” for the house. Made a big difference.

Big ice storm, lines down, neighbors with land line needed help, had to come to us because their line was down somewhere. None of the options are 100% in very severe weather out in the country.


72 posted on 01/09/2014 7:12:36 AM PST by Roses0508
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To: Tugo

I got rid of land line over 10 years ago. But, first I did some homework. I looked at propagation maps of my home, looked at the technology used by the cell providers, and went with Verizon: CDMA technology, PCS frequency spectrum, solid coverage map where I live. I have land line quality cell phone calls at home.


73 posted on 01/09/2014 7:17:52 AM PST by sportutegrl
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To: annieokie

I have satellite internet service and struggle to stay under my allotted usage. DSL is available, but very poor. Cable internet is 20 miles away.

Magic Jack, ooma would consume already scarce satellite bandwidth, so Magic Jack is probably not a good solution.


74 posted on 01/09/2014 7:19:05 AM PST by listenhillary (Courts, law enforcement, roads and national defense should be the extent of government)
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To: listenhillary

We dropped land lines 3 years ago...no regrets...no bill.


75 posted on 01/09/2014 7:40:21 AM PST by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: pogo101

I hate to break it to you but you are not a daredevil. We ditched the land line 3 years ago as have many of our friends. Nobody excetp solicitors ever called on it and we never made calls on it so finally it was a $35 per month waste of money.


76 posted on 01/09/2014 7:43:44 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: pogo101

Jan. 2 I switched my old landline number over to ooma. It works through your internet connection. The unit is ~$130, you only pay taxes and fees for your location. Mine is $3.72. If you go to the ooma website and put in your zip it will tell you your monthly fees. My monthly landline was $50 and I rarely used it. So my cost now was an initial $130 for the unit, $40 onetime porting fee for my old number and 3.72 a month from now on. That is now less than $50 dollars a YEAR which is what I was paying monthly. The total of onetime costs I will make up in 4 months! So far the sound quality is indistinguishable from the landline.


77 posted on 01/09/2014 7:43:55 AM PST by Duke of Milan
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To: listenhillary
I did not make myself clear, sorry.

You DO NOT use any type of cable, satellite service to use Magic Jack.

You will only use your router for hook up. No longer do you need to leave your computer on. Then plug the little magiv jack unit into a electric wall plug, simple as that.

Register the unit online and choose your phone #., Also there is and INSTANT CHAT box available, and I do mean INSTANT. On installing I had a few questions, asked them and within 5 or so seconds I had them helping me.

If you do purchase the Magic Jack, DO NOT purchase the extended warranty at the store, it is available on their website when you register.

You will not regret giving up your land line, whats the worst thing that can happen? You purchase, hook it up and if it don't work take it back. Keep your old land line in tact in the meantime.

78 posted on 01/09/2014 7:49:34 AM PST by annieokie
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To: annieokie

What is your router connected to?


79 posted on 01/09/2014 8:01:43 AM PST by listenhillary (Courts, law enforcement, roads and national defense should be the extent of government)
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To: pogo101

We have only kept our land line b/c it is tied into the house alarm and I spook easily. You can have the alarm go to your cell phone but I just thought when the SHTF I don’t want to count on my cell.....


80 posted on 01/09/2014 8:05:07 AM PST by clarissaexplainsitall
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