Cheap reliable landline service?
I have Time Warner cable and internet, and I need a landline because my stupid blackberry, which I otherwise worship, drops calls all the time in my apt. Any reason not to get a Time Warner landline (or digital phone or whatever they use)? I had Vonage a while ago when I lived elsewhere, and I think it used the same or similar technology as Time Warner phone, as in going over internet rather than conventional phone lines, it and was pretty bad. But I bet the technology has improved in the 5 years or so. Thoughts?
Comments
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I have a Verizon landline + dsl and it's been very reliable. But since you already have TWC, you might want to add phone to that package. It'll probably save you money.
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Technically if you want a land line your only choice is Verizon. TWC, Vonage and the rest are dependent on your internet connection and it's being up and having power, though I think there are battery backup solutions but don't know how much they cost. I rely on having the phone working so I stick with POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service e.i. copper wires)
If your Blackberry is Verizon did you try dialing *228 option 2? If it is Sprint there is also something to do to update your roaming list but I don't know what it is. -
Yeah, *228 helped a bit, but not completely. I seem to have particularly dead dead zones near my desk and coming through the door to my apartment. The desk is metal and I think the door might be too. Does that affect anything? The metal desk doesn't affect my wireless internet strength, but I dunno.
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"TWC, Vonage and the rest are dependent on your internet connection" - uh, to clarify, aren't these dependent upon your CABLE connection - which we do not have? We have Verizon landline and DSL - no cable TV at all, which, I thought, precludes having Vonage or TWC phone service. If I'm wrong, please let me know, because we're paying a lot for phone service, but zero for cable, and DSL is $19.99 a month with Verizon.
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muggle,
The TW phone service might not be dependent on the internet connection, but only because TW owns the cable too Vonage, Skype, Packet 8, Magic Jack, Ooma or nay of the other numerous VOIP phone service require a broadband internet connection, either cable or DSL, none of them would be able to tell the difference.
We have Verizon phone and DSL. We have a bundle that includes a package of unlimited local and long distance calling, call waiting, caller ID and voice mail along with the fastest DSL connection they offer (I think it is 5mbps but don't swear by it and it is fast enough whatever it is) with taxes and everything my monthly check is around $86.
This is probably not the cheapest way to go but it is the most reliable because as I mentioned the telephone is not dependent on my internet connection or power
The cheapest is probably to get internet from Earthlink or Road Runner (both come over TW cable system) and just use your cell phone. -
try Time Warner VOIP... i have the Triple Play package from them (cable, VOIP, and internet) and i use the phone for hours every day (i work from home) and it's very reliable and with good quality... it's $33/month to start with AFAIK
that said, if you're not getting service on your cell phone in your apartment, then switch providers... it's 2010, not 1995... you don't need to put up with shitty cell service since you can get a blackberry from EVERY provider (even pre-paid)... i've found Verizon wireless to be very good in the slope (and nyc in general), so that's what i use for my cell/crackberry service -
illig wrote: try Time Warner VOIP... i have the Triple Play package from them (cable, VOIP, and internet) and i use the phone for hours every day (i work from home) and it's very reliable and with good quality... it's $33/month to start with AFAIK
i have verizon! word of mouth says it's better than any other coverage for NYC, and indeed it was fine till i got a blackberry. it drops calls elsewhere, but especially in my apartment, but i've heard the dropping-calls complaint about blackberries from a fair number of people. i updated roaming and did all the stuff people suggested and signal strength seems to have gotten better outside my apartment, many fewer dropped calls since i dial *(whatever that 3-digit roaming update number is). so i think it must be something about the location or the building.
that said, if you're not getting service on your cell phone in your apartment, then switch providers... it's 2010, not 1995... you don't need to put up with shitty cell service since you can get a blackberry from EVERY provider (even pre-paid)... i've found Verizon wireless to be very good in the slope (and nyc in general), so that's what i use for my cell/crackberry service
i thought about maybe just doing skype, but i don't like having to be in front of my computer always. i think i'll just get a portable phone and add phone service through time warner for now. those cable-free solutions will have to wait for next time i move or time warner changes its rates. (except they're about to do that soon, aren't they. boo.) -
Why not try a different phone? Sounds like the Blackberry might be the problem.
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jut got the blackberry, and otherwise i really like it. i'd almost rather get another cell phone. but that would be stupid. the blackberry doesn't drop calls more than is tolerable outside my apt.
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I make good use of the Verizon In-Calling, calls to others on the Verizon network are free, but my one friend that has a Blackberry I hate talking to. The sound is always breaking up and garbled and it is excruciating talking to him. I really have to laugh at the statements like: "Other than not working as a phone I like my (Blackberry, iPhone or whatever phone)."
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If you would consider using VOIP, this probably sounds like a crazy idea, but I have been using the MagicJack for a year now with fairly reliable service. In the first few weeks when I got it I had problems with the voice mail, and the customer service was not super helpful. After it was fixed, I haven't had any major problem with it over the 1 year period since I bought it. My father also has a MagicJack that I bought for him, and he uses it on a desktop in a foreign country. It is insanely cheaper than other VOIP phones -- I used to use Vonage for many years, but the price just doesn't even compare. On average, I am paying $20 a year! ($40 for the jack and the first year of service, and then I added $70 for 5 additional years of service)
I know this sounds like a crackpot product because of all the silly infomercials and I admit I had great doubts about it. But so far I don't really have anything to complain about. The only noticeable problem is occasionally the calls get dropped when I talk with my father. So maybe Magicjack-to-Magicjack calls can still be inconsistent. But I only notice it gets dropped when the call has gone on for a long time so it's not to the degree of very irritating. And I do like the feature of the voice mails also sent to my email account as a .WAV attachment. And btw, I have Time Warner as my internet provider. -
OP, bitch at verizon until they fix your problem... i've had 2 dropped calls on my Verizon blackberry in the past year, and i still called them and got account credit
and as far as MagicJack, it requires a PC to be on to make calls... i found that to be troublesome (i.e. it can't be in sleep mode or hibernating, but actually on)... and the damn thing wouldn't work worth a damn for me... but if it does work for you, then it's the cheapest service you can have -
I'm a Mac. (don't tell john hodgeman if you see him walking around the neighborhood...i hear he beats people up if they don't buy PC's)
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We might have to have a real landline to turn on an existing ADT system. Any idea of the cost (fees, taxes, and all) for a basic landline? Also, any idea if we really will have to use a real landline for this?
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Verizon landline service costs me $59 per month for unlimited local, regional and national calling.
What is ADT? -
^^Ha! I thought I was the only brooklynian who still has a landline. Old habits die hard. What booklaw says, about $60 for unlimited but Verizon has cheaper local plans which may work for an ADT.
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I actually have two landlines. I have a second Verizon account which also includes both international calling and a second distinctive ring tone (for a fax machine). I use the second line for my home office.
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Subject: POTS line
As an earlier poster mentioned, a pots line is typically more reliable. ADT (home security) was mentioned and I would bet they have certain requirements they could explain, one of which is most likely a pots line.
We use MagicJack which works better than Vonage and Time Warner VoIP (voice over IP (data line)) services in our experience. However, I would hesitate to call it a land line but I am sure it could be argued either way. IMO a pots line is the true land line. -
booklaw wrote: I actually have two landlines. I have a second Verizon account which also includes both international calling and a second distinctive ring tone (for a fax machine). I use the second line for my home office.
Fax machines! I still use those occasionally as well. Must be the profession (booklaw, we met at OQ's last summer in case you don't remember). -
I do remember. Excellent party!
I don't use the fax very often. I much prefer to scan and email. But every so often, someone else wants to fax me. -
I haven't had a landline in at least 6 years.
ADT is a home security system. Having it activated could greatly reduce our insurance. -
booklaw wrote: I do remember. Excellent party!
I scan and email too, and use a free e-Fax number for those rare occasions when somebody wants to fax me.
I don't use the fax very often. I much prefer to scan and email. But every so often, someone else wants to fax me.
carry on
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