Hi Bruce,
Your last statement " It's a wild, wild world out there". pretty well sums it up.
It has become a vast field full of pitfalls.
A lot of services don't live up to their advertising.
I should update my own comment about NetTalk and MagicJack.
In fact ,the equivalent of MagicJack Plus with NetTalk is the NetTalk DUO which now retails for $49 and includes 1 year of service,
so it's a lot less than MJ Plus. Renewal fee is the same at $29.95
I have no experience with NetTalk ,but did have with MagicJack.
In the beginning it was very good even for international calls ,but then deteriorated to very bad. Lots of dropped connections.
You'll find very mixed opinions on this ,from very good to lots of complaints about a myriad of problems.
NetTalk has a much better reputation with regards to customer service, but is not without its problems either,
as do any of the other devices. Check the forum https://forum.nettalk.com/
Other problems that a lot of people are not aware of:
Many rural telcos have higher termination charges and services like MagicJack or Nettalk and others simply either block access
or require extra payment although other long distance numbers for US and Canada are free.
It can be so bad that if you live in such an area ,you'd have to pay the extra charge even to numbers in your own area code,
but have free long distance calls outside this area code.
Porting your number can be problematic too. Some companies are into obstructionism so it could take a long time to port your number to the new service. You'll find out how long it may be by inquiring or starting the process .
As to simply disconnecting the service and still use the number ,is most likely not an option.
If you want to keep the same number you'd have to port it to the new service.
Conversely ,you can take a new number from the new service and just drop the old one.
Once the number is disconnected and not in service ,it will be put "on hold" for approx .3 months - I think it is - and then be put back
into the pool of available numbers.
There are many other devices and setups.
Telephone adapters (ATAs) like the HandyTone series HT502 from GrandStream
http://www.grandstream.com/index.php/products/ip-voice-telephony/consumer-analog-telephone-adaptors/ht502
Also the OBi 100 or 110 or 202 from http://obihai.com/product-primer.html
There are many others in addition to the above.
There's almost a bewildering choice of options.
You are right that a simple telephone connected to a landline is in most cases the most reliable option in case of power outage ,
but may not be true for rural areas in case of storms that would bring down telephone poles and wires.
Having listed all of the above ,there's a good case to be made to use the devices or methods, despite some problems.
It will definitely save on long distance charges.
Peter E.
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Bruce Lund"
Sent: Sunday, 03 June, 2012 9:29 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [PCSOFT] Cheapest phone service
Thanks for the recommendation on the nettalk. I had seen that in the store but didn't have any clue about reliability. And yes, Google Voice was in the mix, too. I am thinking I don't even need to port the number. Just have the phone company announce the number is no longer in service and announcing the new service, assuming that is still an option in this brave new world of telephony. These days, it is hard to know which way is up with so many options, and not knowing when and how much google will start charging January 1. And does Google really need to know any more about me than they already know? (Did anybody catch the article about how Target knew a man's daughter was pregnant before he did?)
As Peter Ekkerman noted, MagicJack can now be be used with just a router but their customer service is still atrocious. Although you do get a 30 day return period, after that you can't get your money back even if you buy multiple years of service and the device/service fails. They are adamant about that. There is no promise of satisfaction. There is no promise to even try to fix things. I have never seen terms of service so consumer hostile.
>>>Even in your local
area code you still have to dial the area code and if you don't you get a
busy signal. What they should do is give a error message reminding you
to dial 1 and the area code.
We have been dialing 1 in around here forever so I can deal with that.
>>>I was once in a 5.8 earthquake. I lost power, cable TV,
cell towers went down, and electricity... but I never lost my Verizon
land line. Analog land lines are very durable. In my case cable took
almost a week to get back up, and running and that could be a big
problem for some people.
Agreed 100%. Nothing beats Ma Bell for reliability. It was built that way and cable companies work on a far different model. My internet service occasionally goes down just past midnight for "routine maintenance." Not even a modicum of concern that other services go down with the internet. My attitude is that cell service provides at least a little back up, although in a natural disaster, that system will likely be stressed past its limits, too.
And, as an aside, in an emergency, the service most likely to get through is text messaging. So it is probably best to have a text number for emergency services as well as friends and family. Texting relies on a different infrastructure and also requires much less infrastructure. Thus why wireless companies love texting. Costs little to maintain but they can bleed customers with big fees.
>>>BTW it is hardware question.
Even if I go with Google Voice????
Thanks for the replies. It looks like I might be going from the trailing edge of technology (landlines, cable modem) to VOIP or some such thing and even a wireless card. Not even sure if Ooma would work without a wired modem.
It's a wild, wild world out that.
Bruce
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