Junk the landline?

[medicineman]

Hi folks, anyone got rid of their landline and now just use a VoIP phone? Any problems with it? I believe you can now get standalone systems but if some one could take me through the pro's and con's and recommend a good system I would be most grateful.

TIA

[Plotloss]

Erm surely you still need the wire (and the line rental) to supply the broadband connection to power VOIP?

[Bodo]

Plotloss said:

Erm surely you still need the wire (and the line rental) to supply the broadband connection to power VOIP?

You can have DSL (over a phone line) without having a regular telephone connection, but only a VoIP phone 'round 'ere

[thepassenger]

If your broadband supplier is ADSL based your still going to need the landline I'm affraid.
If it's cable then no, you don't technically lead the landline. However when the power goes out so does your telephone with a VOIP system. I'd also check up on the avalibility of 999 though the system as well... just to be sure.

[medicineman]

Thanks for the replies so far, the broadband is cable based. One concern is 999 but surely a mobile would cover this, recepetion in my area is good (mind you watch phone have a flat battery). Is there a system I can plug in that acts like a "normal" phone?

[JamieBeeston]

I've gone one step futher and totally ditched my landlane usage.

it's there for my DSL, but I have no phones plugged in anywhere in the house..

I live of my mobile for everything and the house phone only ever took calls from Telemarketers.. so i thought sod it..

No real loss.

J

[Plotloss]

Ahh didnt think of cable.

Asterisk is your friend. Or Trixbox which is the all in one implementation.

I have a small * PBX running currently, capability of up to 10 VOIP phones all running on £100 worth of vintage PC.

Its got some great features and is the way forward for VOIP in a busy family home.

[roadsweeper]

I don't have a landlin eat all. My broadband is supplied via cable and I run VoIP from Vonage on that. It works very well for me and has done for over a year. As people say, if the power goes out you lose your phone, but I always have my mobile as a backup. Regarding emergency numbers, that was a problem in the USA with Vonage but not over here.

HTH

roadie

[thepassenger]

[quote=roadsweeperRegarding emergency numbers, that was a problem in the USA with Vonage but not over here.[/quote]

Brillaint! I've actually been meaning to ask that as a puka question

[timsta]

Plotloss said:

Asterisk is your friend. Or Trixbox which is the all in one implementation.

Cheers for that Plotless, I'm still up playing with it. (asterisk that is!)

It looks great, and should save me tons on my calls abroad.

[r988]

JamieBeeston said:

I've gone one step futher and totally ditched my landlane usage.

it's there for my DSL, but I have no phones plugged in anywhere in the house..

I live of my mobile for everything and the house phone only ever took calls from Telemarketers.. so i thought sod it..

No real loss.

J

I'm pretty much the same, though I still keep the handset around for emergencies, just not plugged in.

[Plotloss]

timsta said:

Plotloss said:

Asterisk is your friend. Or Trixbox which is the all in one implementation.

Cheers for that Plotless, I'm still up playing with it. (asterisk that is!)

It looks great, and should save me tons on my calls abroad.

The level of functionality is utterly astounding.

I've just scratched the surface with voicemail and parking etc but there is so much more there.

Getting the PBX to either present a dial tone when an extension is called so you can dial out from the PBX or putting a web request in for the PBX to call you and present a dial tone is just epic. Means pretty much free mobile (PSTN) to international calls with some services.

Its a slippery slope though, I now fancy a Hitachi IP5000 Wifi VOIP phone...

Too many toys, not enough time.

[_deano]

when Wi-Max is finally released you won't need wires at all!