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Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

Zudnic

Zudnic

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose
I am looking for a cheap option for home phone service primarily as an emergency-only device for 911. (My wife and I have cellphones but who knows where they are in the house at any given time.) Skype is a good option at €2.24/mo plus a $75 phone. I can get through to 911 using the direct phone number in my town. (911 = (978) xxx-xxxx)

I have 64 bit Windows 7. From what I understand, a lot of the phones available on the market don't play nice with 64 bit OS's.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks!
 
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Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

What about Ooma? I know nothing but what I've heard on the ads. Sounds like your phone goes through your router and you can keep your number and the long term costs are reasonable, a couple hundred bucks up front and no monthly fees.
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

how about magicjack? i was thinking of doing a similar thing, zud, just to send faxes.. but it looks like my new printer can do digital faxes i believe.
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

SteveF said:
how about magicjack? i was thinking of doing a similar thing, zud, just to send faxes.. but it looks like my new printer can do digital faxes i believe.
Click to expand...

There is something about MagicJack that just doesn't sit right. Maybe it's the Billy Banks marketing, maybe it's the vague privacy policy, maybe it's the reviews that say it doesn't play nice with 64 bit OS's.

Greyeagle, I had never heard of Ooma, thanks for the suggestion. I am looking into it and it may just work out (although not the cheapest option by a long shot). My biggest hangup with it (ha ha, pun) is that it's a startup and if you sink the $ into it and they go belly-up, I'm up a creek. Kinda like that HD-DVD player sitting under my TV :)
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

Greyeagle said:
What about Ooma? I know nothing but what I've heard on the ads. Sounds like your phone goes through your router and you can keep your number and the long term costs are reasonable, a couple hundred bucks up front and no monthly fees.
Click to expand...

I ended up buying an Ooma, I'll let you know how it goes. I bought a base + "scout" package - it blew my mind how hard it was to find out what the scout actually did. I still don't know but I bought it anyway. I also got the old version, to avoid the $12/yr bill for taxes and regulatory fees.
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

SteveF said:
how about magicjack? i was thinking of doing a similar thing, zud, just to send faxes.. but it looks like my new printer can do digital faxes i believe.
Click to expand...

well i double failed.. magicjack does not support faxes.. though they claim it may sometimes work. and my digital fax just means it sends it to the computer for saving, still need a phone line to send out.

i cant believe in this world of technology i cant use an internet line to send a message to a fax line
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

SteveF said:
how about magicjack? i was thinking of doing a similar thing, zud, just to send faxes.. but it looks like my new printer can do digital faxes i believe.
Click to expand...

Apparently a lot of people don't like Magicjack

I've looked at Vonage and Skype to replace our Verizon service, but I'd still need the Verizon DSL. The cost difference isn't all that great, so I haven't made the switch.
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

SteveP said:
Apparently a lot of people don't like Magicjack

I've looked at Vonage and Skype to replace our Verizon service, but I'd still need the Verizon DSL. The cost difference isn't all that great, so I haven't made the switch.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Ooma was described as "the iPod of VOIP" in one review, which was a pretty strong endorsement in my book. It wasn't cheap but I need reliability which isn't there with Skype and MagicJack.
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

Zudnic said:
I ended up buying an Ooma, I'll let you know how it goes. I bought a base + "scout" package - it blew my mind how hard it was to find out what the scout actually did. I still don't know but I bought it anyway. I also got the old version, to avoid the $12/yr bill for taxes and regulatory fees.
Click to expand...

I am anxious to hear how you like it. It seems almost too good to be true.....

Also, my assumption is you can only hook up one extension? Is this accurate?
 
Re: Anyone use Skype as their home phone?

Greyeagle said:
I am anxious to hear how you like it. It seems almost too good to be true.....

Also, my assumption is you can only hook up one extension? Is this accurate?
Click to expand...

Apparently the Scout allows you to hook up a 2nd room. I bought a $200 Ooma + Scout combo (best price online: Radio Shack, surprise!) and a set of portable phones. The portable phones only have to be plugged into the phone system once, but it came with three chargers and three handsets.

I want the Scout because I wanted an oldschool corded phone too, just so in an emergency we know where a phone is, always.

If you want a 2nd line you need a Scout and it costs $9 a month.

It is very hard to get a good description of what the Scout actually does.
 
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