Posted on 01/27/2008 4:12:45 PM PST by Jabba the Nutt
I bought a cell phone and then used Cingular pay as you go minutes. Buy online, around $20, lasts me about three months, if you add more before they expire, remainder rolls over, so I average $7-9/month. This is a good plan for infrequent cell users, not for those who use the cell a lot.
No power for 5 days, ice storm.. ah the memories. Me too.
I’ve considered satellite. But I run a small server, need reliability, fixed IP and VPN. Not your normal profile for picking satellite. There is a way, but it requires a pretty hefty up front cost. I’ve been tempted, but I may be moving... Kinda stuck now.
$31.94 tax included for unlimited North American calling is fantastic.
If I were you, I’d get Skype. You make and receive calls from your computer using its microphone and speakers (and a webcam, if you have one and want to do video calls). I use the same Bluetooth headset I got for my cell phone (my laptop has built-in Bluetooth; you can get a Bluetooth USB adapter for about $30 if yours doesn’t). Or you can get a cheap plug-in headset or use a normal microphone. Skype doesn’t have any per-month fees or contracts; you only pay for the minutes you use.
US-Germany is 2.4 cents/minute to call a landline, but if you can convince your wife’s relatives to also get Skype on their computers, it’s 100% free to call another Skype user. Combine that with a cheap cell phone plan for your local calls and you’re covered.
Not anymore than yours. If you are so dumb as to suggest that my complaint is a vanity then I will explain it to you. I doubt it will do much good but here goes. I didn't start a thread to post my comments. Posting inside a thread is not a vanity. Get it? Didn't think so.
75 million years ago, there was an alien galactic ruler named Xenu who was in charge of 76 planets in our sector of the galaxy, including planet Earth, whose name at that time was Teegeeack.
All of the planets Xenu controlled were over-populated by, on average, 178 billion people. Social problems dictated that Xenu rid his sector of the galaxy of this overpopulation problem, so he developed a plan.
Xenu posted thousands of vanities to FreeRepublic.com. Knowing that many heads would explode at the presence of vanities on the website, the overpopulation of Teegeeack was rectified quickly.
Other planets in the sector were much more difficult to manage as most people on other planets read DU (the name is forbidden to be uttered) which meant that they were immune to the effects of humor and logic.
Then there’s YMax MagicJack for PCs for $20 and $19.95/year subscription.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2250257,00.asp
Just doing my part to help Lord Xenu.
There seems to be a lot of misinformation in this discussion.
I have VOIP, I’ve used it solely for years now.
^^^^^^^On to VOIP itself. How does it work?^^^^^^^^
The easiest explanation I’ve been able to come up with is a comparison between old/phone service and dialup.
VOIP and your high speed internet connection are exactly backwards. Dialup relies upon a phoneline to get online. Well, VOIP relies upon a high speed connection for phone service.
The voice quality is normally good unless you have packet loss. I don’t get that often at home.
Some VOIP companies offer number portability(keep your existing phone number) and some don’t. So you may have to get a new number.
^^^^^^^I’ve checked some of the plans and VOIP companies out, what recommendations or experiences have you had with your VOIP or previous VOIP companies?^^^^^^^
I went with skype because I was able to get a stand alone phone unit, and because it’s very cheap. I have a linksys i-phone CIT400
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^What level of DSL do I need for quality VOIP?^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I had a 256k down and 128k up broadband connection about two years ago and the VOIP worked fine. I could browse webpages and talk at the same time.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^Are there other questions or issues about VOIP that I’m missing and should consider?^^^^^^^^^^^
Yes. Consider E911. Sometimes you cannot dial 911 from a VOIP line. Other times, they could literally sit there and listen to you die on the phone and they have no way to trace the call. It would be incumbent upon you to be able to state your name, address, and other pertinent information.
E911 compatible VOIP providers will have a data packet that goes along with any 911 call you place that gives your name and address.(If I remember correctly, that’s what it does)
One other thing. Many people around here say that ‘if you lose your power, you lose your phone line’. That’s not necessarily true. Just get a cheap UPS to hookup your cable/DSL modem and VOIP phone to. That’s what I do. I’ve lost power several times during several storms but never do I lose my phone connection.
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