# VoIP Questions?



## ricoba (Jun 6, 2012)

I don't want to get a land line in our Vegas house, but I'd like a traditional phone, with a 702 area code instead of using my cell phone (area code 310).

I have tried to research Voice over Internet Phones, but I am confused. Most of the companies I have never heard of though the rates of $5 to $10 per month look good on paper. This is the review page I found (but not sure it's a reliable source).

I have heard of Vonage, but it's rates are about the same as a basic land line provider. Plus I have read it's hard to get out of the contract. I am also aware of Magic Jack, but the reviews seem to be really mixed about call quality etc.

Ooma, seems expensive to start up since you have to buy a $200+ box.

What I want is clear call reception and a cheap monthly plan, I don't need a lot of extras, but I see most plans have lots of extras added in, so that is OK.

Any suggestions, advice or help would be appreciated. 

TIA


----------



## ace2000 (Jun 6, 2012)

Have you checked with your internet provider?  Chances are they'll have the best quality.  We use MagicJack and love it, especially for the price.


----------



## kherbold (Jun 6, 2012)

*voip.. magicjack*

Magicjack ..... the only way to go

karl



ricoba said:


> I don't want to get a land line in our Vegas house, but I'd like a traditional phone, with a 702 area code instead of using my cell phone (area code 310).
> 
> I have tried to research Voice over Internet Phones, but I am confused. Most of the companies I have never heard of though the rates of $5 to $10 per month look good on paper. This is the review page I found (but not sure it's a reliable source).
> 
> ...


----------



## ricoba (Jun 6, 2012)

ace2000 said:


> Have you checked with your internet provider?  Chances are they'll have the best quality.  We use MagicJack and love it, especially for the price.



Yes, it's COX cable and they have an intro rate of $10 for three months then it goes up to $34 per month for premier and $20 for basic.  So all the VoIP providers on the page I supplied can beat that rate.  I just want to know if anyone uses them or what are the options.

RE: Magic Jack, the reviews really seemed to be mixed, some like yours are great and others are really bad??????


----------



## ace2000 (Jun 6, 2012)

ricoba said:


> Yes, it's COX cable and they have an intro rate of $10 for three months then it goes up to $34 per month for premier and $20 for basic.  So all the VoIP providers on the page I supplied can beat that rate.  I just want to know if anyone uses them or what are the options.
> 
> RE: Magic Jack, the reviews really seemed to be mixed, some like yours are great and others are really bad??????



Don't know the difference with the premier, but $20/mo is not bad for a non-magic jack solution.  Also, magic jack is so cheap, it wouldn't hurt to try it out.


----------



## ampaholic (Jun 6, 2012)

*Another vote for ...*

MagicJack - once you get used to dialing the full 10 digit number it is great. good call quality, few failed connects and the voice mail is sent to you as an email attachment.

I am really getting fond of the voice mail as email - and MagicJack is great for previewing calls if you are online it pops right up on your screen.


----------



## JulieAB (Jun 6, 2012)

Tried magic jack and didn't like to have it tied to my laptop all the time. Also dropped calls, though portability is nice.

We got ooma but I think it was $120 or something about 2 years ago. I have an older white unit, so no monthly fee.  I see random deals on them, check slickdeals.net and fry's electronics, even ebay.

Of course, this is assuming you'll be paying for broadband at your house too?


----------



## vacation.memories (Jun 6, 2012)

JulieAB said:


> Tried magic jack and didn't like to have it tied to my laptop all the time. Also dropped calls, though portability is nice.



They've got a solution for this now that does not need a computer.  No computer necessary and still at a great price.  

I don't think anyone is going to argue that magic jack is going to win a quality contest, it's just a great product for the price.


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 6, 2012)

ricoba said:


> Ooma, seems expensive to start up since you have to buy a $200+ box.
> 
> What I want is clear call reception and a cheap monthly plan, I don't need a lot of extras, but I see most plans have lots of extras added in, so that is OK.
> 
> ...



Costco and Amazon sell Ooma, last time I checked I think Costco had it (at a store) for only $150. You only pay taxes on the line on a monthly basis, and the line works until the box itself no longer functions. They sell premium services such as a second line, cheap international calling, etc - but you don't need any of that. I have an Ooma line which works great and costs me ~$3.50 per month in taxes. It's also portable, as it simply needs an Ethernet connection (don't expect VoIP systems to always work in hotels/timeshares, though). 

Many VoIP providers sell for $10-25/mth with unlimited calling (which Ooma includes), so depending on which other you are considering Ooma can easily pay for itself fairly quickly.


----------



## timeos2 (Jun 6, 2012)

We moved to a cable based (TimeWarner) VOIP solution about 5 years ago. It was great - lower cost than traditional line & fully featured with voicemail, call forward, etc.  It got to about $35/month or what a land line would have cost. 

I happened to be in the Verizon store - I love looking at the various smart phones & plans - and saw a strange standalone box that said something about home phone.  I took a chance as I wasn't previously aware of that option - and ported our 35+ year old landline number that everyone we know or want to deal with has to the Verizon unit. 

It uses the cell network for your "landline" calls. Has all the features of VOIP / bundles but only cost $20/month as a new line OR you can add it to your existing cell plan for $9.99/month.  

It has been great. It even comes with battery backup so if the power goes out - unlike the cable bundle IP solution - it still works!  It was so good we ended up changing our business line over as well. The only limitations seem to be no fax use & it may not get along with a security system (you have to check on that).  But it has been extremely reliable, inexpensive and I'm glad I came across it.  See if your area Verizon offers it.


----------



## wackymother (Jun 6, 2012)

There's also Obi. A bunch of people have recommended that one to me. The only downside of VoiP is that some of these units do not provide Enhanced 911 calling.

Here's what the FCC has to say about that:
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/voip-and-911-service

I think Magic Jack and Obi do not have Enhanced 911, and Ooma does, which is why I'm planning to get Ooma over one of the others. If you have children or elderly people in the house, or if you need quick access to emergency services (and who doesn't?), this is something to consider.


----------



## capjak (Jun 6, 2012)

Have Magic Jack for 1.5 years works great.


----------



## wfillion (Jun 6, 2012)

Another thumbs up for Magic Jack. Was $40 for first year and $15 per year (for 5 years) after that. I also like getting my calls as wav files in email.


----------



## bogey21 (Jun 6, 2012)

wfillion said:


> ......... $15 per year (for 5 years) after that.



I have been 100% cell phone for over 10 years now and if I wasn't on the go so much, I'd probably jump at $15 per year!!

George


----------



## Bucky (Jun 6, 2012)

I've used Vonage for many years now with basically no problems. I pay $17.01 per month for the 300 minute plan. More than enough for us.


----------



## ricoba (Jun 6, 2012)

Thanks for your replies.

I think that right at this point the Ooma may be what I am looking for.  The outlay upfront is $199 on Amazon, but I didn't realize that once you get the device it's basically free.

How about the other smaller VoIP providers listed in the link I used, like phone.com or ring central etc?  Anyone use one of those?  They seem to be the same as Ooma but without the big outlay of cash...just curious, cuz sometimes I think these "review sites" are nothing more than direct marketing sites.


----------



## gomike (Jun 6, 2012)

get an ooma, cant believe people still pay for vonage when ooma is free


----------



## dioxide45 (Jun 6, 2012)

gomike said:


> get an ooma, cant believe people still pay for vonage when ooma is free



Ooma isn't really free, you have to pay for the Telo equipment up front. Got an e-mail or something today as my wife said that Costco is currently selling the Telo for $149.99. So that is better than what we paid for a couple years ago. I think we paid $199, but the going rate was $249.

You can pay a monthly fee of $9.99 for Premier (which we do) that gives a number of other features; calls to Canada included, free minutes on the mobile app (which doesn't work for us at the moment ), blacklist features, a second number. The blacklist feature is well worth the $10 a month. There is also a monthly tax of something like $3.25 that we now have to pay. This is the same fees that are charged on other land based systems.

We do love Ooma except for the currently non functional iPhone app.


----------



## JulieAB (Jun 6, 2012)

That's why I got one of the refurbs, old white one. No taxes!  I have paid nothing for 2 years. :whoopie:


----------



## Timeshare Von (Jun 6, 2012)

We love our Magic Jack.  We have even taken and used in during our recent trip to Ireland. It works great!


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 7, 2012)

JulieAB said:


> That's why I got one of the refurbs, old white one. No taxes!  I have paid nothing for 2 years. :whoopie:



Ooma collects taxes on every account based on your locale. Or are you referring to something else?


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 7, 2012)

gomike said:


> get an ooma, cant believe people still pay for vonage when ooma is free



+1

If you have Vonage, consider switching to Ooma. You'll get more for much less, once you figure out how much you're saving each month (which, at $18 or $25 per month, won't take long to do). 

My Ooma, which admittedly I don't use much at all, is now just over two years old and working fine. It's no longer in warranty, which means if it breaks I just buy a new one. But I'm only paying a few $$ a month so I figure it's already paid for itself a few times by now, so I won't worry if I need to buy another at some point. Now if I was only able to get rid of my land line I'd be thrilled, which was the original idea, but my alarm company won't support it on Ooma (and I don't really blame them).


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 7, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> Ooma isn't really free, you have to pay for the Telo equipment up front. Got an e-mail or something today as my wife said that Costco is currently selling the Telo for $149.99. So that is better than what we paid for a couple years ago. I think we paid $199, but the going rate was $249.
> 
> You can pay a monthly fee of $9.99 for Premier (which we do) that gives a number of other features; calls to Canada included, free minutes on the mobile app (which doesn't work for us at the moment ), blacklist features, a second number. The blacklist feature is well worth the $10 a month. There is also a monthly tax of something like $3.25 that we now have to pay. This is the same fees that are charged on other land based systems.
> 
> We do love Ooma except for the currently non functional iPhone app.



You might want to look into their annual option for Premier, as I believe it will save you some over the long term, if you paid up front for a year. 

I tried their iPhone app when they first released it over a year ago, and it didn't work then, either. I haven't bothered to try it since.


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 7, 2012)

ricoba said:


> Thanks for your replies.
> 
> I think that right at this point the Ooma may be what I am looking for.  The outlay upfront is $199 on Amazon, but I didn't realize that once you get the device it's basically free.
> 
> How about the other smaller VoIP providers listed in the link I used, like phone.com or ring central etc?  Anyone use one of those?  They seem to be the same as Ooma but without the big outlay of cash...just curious, cuz sometimes I think these "review sites" are nothing more than direct marketing sites.



Consumer VoIP accounts are, overall, almost the same. I've worked with ring central before for business accounts, and they work well. There are many others that offer excellent service for business accounts, and charge about the same as the consumer options...but you can't just order one line so it won't work for home use only. 

I'm an advocate for Ooma because I use it, I've installed several, and they work well. When I've had to call their support, it's about what you should expect...outsourced, a bit of a wait, etc. I think most of these consumer services will have the same type of support. Ooma has a well designed website for managing your account, and their box offers some options as well (such as one click button for listening to voice mail). Some of the better services require VoIP phones, which you'd likely need to buy...Ooma and Vonage and the like allow you to use any phone you want (though you should know VoIP phones typically provide better sound quality).

I'd suggest going to Costco and buying an Ooma and try it. If you don't like it, just take it back. It's that simple.


----------



## Beefnot (Jun 7, 2012)

Does Ooma transcribe voice mails as text messages?  That is admittedly a feature thay I get with vonage that my wife and I dont ever want to be without again. We get emails with the voice mail attached as a .wav file and transcribed in the body of the email. I love being able to read my voice mails.


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 7, 2012)

Beefnot said:


> Does Ooma transcribe voice mails as text messages?  That is admittedly a feature thay I get with vonage that my wife and I dont ever want to be without again. We get emails with the voice mail attached as a .wav file and transcribed in the body of the email. I love being able to read my voice mails.



I don't use their voice mail, so really don't know. However, I know there are third party services which do this. It is a nice feature.


----------



## dioxide45 (Jun 7, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> You might want to look into their annual option for Premier, as I believe it will save you some over the long term, if you paid up front for a year.
> 
> I tried their iPhone app when they first released it over a year ago, and it didn't work then, either. I haven't bothered to try it since.



We are on their monthly premier plan for the $9.99 per month. The yearly plan is $119. At times they offer a special where you can get it for $99 (this is how we covered our first year). For the most part though it is actually a few cents a year cheaper to go month to month. As a Telo owner we now have to pay the monthly taxes and fees. That just started this year as it was being covered till now.

Their iPhone app has worked will till we updated the iOS of the iPod touch to version 5, now it always crashes. Others have reported the same issue, so we hope a fix will be in place before our next vacation when we will be most likely to need it again.


----------



## dioxide45 (Jun 7, 2012)

Beefnot said:


> Does Ooma transcribe voice mails as text messages?  That is admittedly a feature thay I get with vonage that my wife and I dont ever want to be without again. We get emails with the voice mail attached as a .wav file and transcribed in the body of the email. I love being able to read my voice mails.



They do, but I believe their is an additional fee for this service. I believe they have actual humans do the transcribing instead of trying to systematically transcribe the voicemails with voice recognition technology. They split the voice mails up between several different workers to help protect privacy. This results in a better transcribed voicemail from those that use voice recognition technology, but also has additional costs that have to be paid for and are passed on to those that use the service. We do get all of our voicemails in recorded .wav file via e-mail.


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 7, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> As a Telo owner we now have to pay the monthly taxes and fees. That just started this year as it was being covered till now.



Do you mean to say that the original Ooma box didn't require you to pay taxes and fees? I wasn't aware of that. I wonder why it changed...or did Ooma pay it on your behalf (as I'm assuming the govt wanted the revenue regardless who paid). I've only started using Ooma since the Telo was released over two years ago.


----------



## Beefnot (Jun 7, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> They do, but I believe their is an additional fee for this service. I believe they have actual humans do the transcribing instead of trying to systematically transcribe the voicemails with voice recognition technology. They split the voice mails up between several different workers to help protect privacy. This results in a better transcribed voicemail from those that use voice recognition technology, but also has additional costs that have to be paid for and are passed on to those that use the service. We do get all of our voicemails in recorded .wav file via e-mail.



Wow, seriously?  That is both hilarious and disconcerting at the same time.


----------



## Bucky (Jun 8, 2012)

gomike said:


> get an ooma, cant believe people still pay for vonage when ooma is free



Free huh?

Let's see:

199.99 for initial service
  39.99 to have my number ported
119.99 for premier service to receive the same things I now get with Vonage!


Since I only pay $17 with vonage and it works with my alarm service and they just sent me a new $85 modem for free when my 8yr old one went out, I think I'll stay put.

I must admit the "blacklist" feature of ooma is very tempting but not worth shelling out enough money where it would take me almost two years to break even on the initial outlay. To each their own.


----------



## tombo (Jun 8, 2012)

*Obi 110 free afterpurchase*

I was going to buy magicjack but this was back when the only option was to have it plugged into your computer and to have your computer on so I didn't get it. We only use laptops and so our magicjack phone would not work back then unless we were on line. They have a new magicjack plus that plugs into your modem so it works anytime whether your computer is on or not.

I did a little research and instead purchased an Obi 110 from amazon for $50 and have had free phone service for the last 2 years. Free local, free long distance. It uses google voice and hooks up to your internet modem. You pick a local phone number including state, area code, city, and prefix you like best out of 1000's of choices and it is free after that. Free caller ID, free call waiting, free incoming/outgoing, free local, free long distance in the US and Canada, free 3 way calls, free answering machine type recordings, free call forwardig, and a lot of things I don't know how to do.. Google has threatened to start charging 1 cent a minute, but still free. If they ever do charge 1 cent a minut 100 minutes will cost $1. I figure I will be less than $12 a year at 1 cent a minute. The only downside is 911 does not work locally. You need to have police and fire numbers handy. The only other downside we have encountered is if internet goes down you have no phone service.
http://www.amazon.com/OBi110-Service-Bridge-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B0045RMEPI

I purchased wireless phones (which you must have to talk on any land lines) where only one main phone actually has to be plugged into the Obi and the others work off of it. I bought panasonic and have both of our cell phones connected by Blue tooth. When house line (Obi) or cell phones ring we can answer from any panasonic handset. We can have both of us talking at the same time on separate cordless panasonic phones when one of our children call one of our cell phones. We have a the main Panasonic home base in the office plugged into our modem. The other phone in the den plugged into the electric plug in the wall. No land phone line needed. And being cordless I can go anywhere in the house and out in the yard. We have loved it. Works great.

This is the phone system we bought. You can get as many as 8 additional handsets in a package. We got 2 as there is only 2 of us.
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-KX-...9YKA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339174740&sr=8-1


----------



## JeffW (Jun 9, 2012)

timeos2 said:


> ...It has been great. It even comes with battery backup so if the power goes out - unlike the cable bundle IP solution - it still works!...



All of the intergrated cable/voice modems I've seen have built in battery backup.  Now, if you have an area wide power outage (so any electronics along the cables lines wouldn't have power), or if you using a wireless phone that needs AC power, that would explain no service during a power outage.

Jeff


----------



## UWSurfer (Jun 9, 2012)

So as you can see you have lots of choices and combinations available.   A couple of thoughts based on your original post.

If you don't want to make your cell your primary house # because it's 310, you could change it to the local area code with Verizon. 

If you want a more traditional set of phones in the house, but you don't want to spend much money, start with Magic Jack+.   The "+" model plugs directly into your internet router and to your existing phone wiring or cordless.  As these offerings go it's dirt cheap.  I have the original and the "+", using the plus unit for the house and it works great.  The only note is you can't use MJ for fax calls or dial-up modems.

If you find you don't like the MJ+, you've not invested a lot and can try one of the other providers.

Also if the only issue is the area code, GET google voice (free!) and use it to be the "local" number you want for the area and have calls to it forward to your cell and any other phones you want to ring when people call it.   GV offers a whole host of free features including having it not ring on select phones given the time of day, call screening which you can deactivate, voice to text msg translation, and more.   

With a macbook pro I frequently place calls directly from it using GV without needing any other attachments.  I just dial and speak into the screen like a speaker phone...it's free and works just about anywhere that has wifi.


----------



## dioxide45 (Jun 9, 2012)

Bucky said:


> 119.99 for premier service to receive the same things I now get with Vonage!



Actually with Ooma you pay $0 to get the same things you get with Vonage. You don't have to carry the Premier service. Also if you buy a year of Premier, they will port your number for free, so you wouldn't include both the $119 and $39 fees in your example. In fact, I think if you buy a year of Premier up front when you first sign up you can get it for $99. So you would only pay the $199 and $99 fees. You can of course find the Telo for $149 these days if you look around. So your initial up front costs are $248 if you opt for Premier.

We considered Magic Jack a couple years ago when we got Ooma, but at that time Magic Jack required you to have the computer on when using it. They seem to have improved on that and are now a better option to Ooma for basic service, but the Premier features are worth the cost to us. We have covered our initial costs from what we were paying AT&T for basic land line service. Ooma also works with 911 service in many areas.


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 9, 2012)

Bucky said:


> Since I only pay $17 with vonage and it works with my alarm service and they just sent me a new $85 modem for free when my 8yr old one went out, I think I'll stay put.



I'm curious about your experience with the reliability of using Vonage with your alarm monitoring. Which alarm company do you use? It appears Vonage doesn't recommend this use, though I understand many people do so to save costs of having a land line.

https://support.vonage.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1075/~/home-alarms



> Vonage recommends you keep a basic traditional landline or a wireless/cellular connection dedicated to your home alarm system and use Vonage for the rest of your calling needs. Typically, you only need to order basic phone service to minimize the expense of this line.


----------



## Beefnot (Jun 9, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> I'm curious about your experience with the reliability of using Vonage with your alarm monitoring. Which alarm company do you use? It appears Vonage doesn't recommend this use, though I understand many people do so to save costs of having a land line.
> 
> https://support.vonage.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1075/~/home-alarms



I use vonqge with a legacy Brink's (now ADT) system since 2008 and I have had zero problems.


----------



## Bucky (Jun 10, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> I'm curious about your experience with the reliability of using Vonage with your alarm monitoring. Which alarm company do you use? It appears Vonage doesn't recommend this use, though I understand many people do so to save costs of having a land line.
> 
> https://support.vonage.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1075/~/home-alarms



I have had Monitronics for over 6yrs using Vonage with no problems.


----------



## EZ-ED (Jun 13, 2012)

For our winter home in Sun City West AZ we use Google voice. 

I was able to select the 623 area code phone number. When I receive a call on that number it rings to my cell phone where I can pick it up or send it to voice mail. If the number calling is in my contacts I will be told who the call is from. It also sends me emails with the voice mail attached. Another thing I like is that I can log on to my Google voice mail account and block calls as spam from unwanted sources and it does not require internet access at the residence.

It's free and works for us.


----------



## ricoba (Jun 19, 2012)

*Update*

Thank you all for the good advice. 

I have mulled things over and being the cheapskate that I am I decided to go with the OBi 100 @ $44.41 on Amazon Prime.

I have had a Google Voice # for along time now and just changed that number over to a 702 area code number tonight and then ordered the OBi to set it up with Google Voice.

I think that I would have liked the Ooma as well, but didn't want the larger out of pocket expense.  Also, MagicJack was an option, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on that, since the reviews online are really mixed for it vs the Ooma or OBi.

It should be here Friday, and I will set it up and try it out and let you know how it has worked out for me.

Again, thanks for all your good advice.   Tuggers truly are a very helpful and knowledgeable lot of folks. :whoopie:


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 19, 2012)

I've heard good things about the Obi, and am curious about your setup and testing with it. Please post back with an update when you've got it up and running!


----------



## KCI (Jun 19, 2012)

I realize that the originator has made a decision, but I have a question on one point brought up with OOMA. Several mentioned the pay taxes on the calls on a monthly basis. Who are you paying taxes too? We have had OOMA for 2 1/2 years and have never been asked to pay a tax of any kind. OOMA has worked out great for us. We have moved twice and just unplug it and plug it back in at the next house. All you need is an internet which just about everyone has. And someone asked if OOMA sends a written email to your email address. NO, but they do send a verbal email of the recorded message that was left at home. Only problem with that is we can't get the voice part on our ZOOM tablet. With a laptop it works fine.


----------



## dioxide45 (Jun 19, 2012)

KCI said:


> I realize that the originator has made a decision, but I have a question on one point brought up with OOMA. Several mentioned the pay taxes on the calls on a monthly basis. Who are you paying taxes too? We have had OOMA for 2 1/2 years and have never been asked to pay a tax of any kind. OOMA has worked out great for us. We have moved twice and just unplug it and plug it back in at the next house. All you need is an internet which just about everyone has. And someone asked if OOMA sends a written email to your email address. NO, but they do send a verbal email of the recorded message that was left at home. Only problem with that is we can't get the voice part on our ZOOM tablet. With a laptop it works fine.



If you have an older Ooma Hub unit then I don't believe there are taxes and fees associated with it's use because of how it was marketed. If you have a newer Telo unit, chances are that at some point in time they will begin charging you taxes and fees. For us this works out to about $3.25 a month. We bought our Telo in May 2010 and didn't start paying the taxes and fees until March 2012. I think they are notifying people based on their anniversary of when they purchased. It is possible that some Telo units are also immune to the taxes and fees. I would suggest checking out the Ooma technical forums on their website for more details.


----------



## Queen (Jun 19, 2012)

Magic Jack plus is the way to go.  I have had the MJ that is linked to the computer for 3 years and recently upgraded to the MJ plus which works with or without the computer.


----------



## ricoba (Jun 23, 2012)

*OBi 100 Update*

Today I installed the OBi 100.  

I had a couple of glitches, but I think they were my fault because the phone wasn't as fully charged as I thought it was.  But overall very easy install.  I wrote to customer service and they called me on the new OBi installed phone and in just a few minutes things were up and running.

I have made a few calls and received a couple and as of now, I think this is going to be a great way to have free calls in the US & Canada.

OBi, connects through Google Voice seamlessly.  So to use it most effectively get a Google Voice #.  You can use other VOiP providers, but I get the sense it's really designed to pair best with Google Voice.

People on the other end seem to have better quality than I have on my end, so maybe it's my handset that I got (Panasonic, which usually is pretty good).

As long as Google Voice is free to US & Canada than you can't beat the price, $41 for the OBi 100 on Amazon and another $45 for the Panasonic phone.  

Once I learn how to use some of the features etc and if I develop any glitches, I will post again, but as of now, I am pleased.

Thanks again for all the input.


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 23, 2012)

Thanks for following up, Rick. Seems this might be the new low-cost leader for VoIP (assuming google voice remains at no cost).


----------



## ricoba (Jun 23, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> Thanks for following up, Rick. Seems this might be the new low-cost leader for VoIP (assuming google voice remains at no cost).



Well, just came home and get home to no dial tone!  

So much for perfect!


----------



## ricoba (Jun 23, 2012)

ricoba said:


> Well, just came home and get home to no dial tone!
> 
> So much for perfect!



Yikes, my house is haunted!  

Somehow, and I really don't know how, the phone line disconnected from the OBi phone jack!      How this happened, I have no idea, since I didn't move or touch anything.  But at least I figured it out and now the phone is up and working again! Go figure


----------



## ricoba (Jun 25, 2012)

Groupon goods has the Ooma Teleo listed at $99, which is a good price if any one is interested.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-oom...=gg-ooma-telo-phone-service&p=1&c=deal_button


----------



## Ken555 (Jun 25, 2012)

ricoba said:


> Groupon goods has the Ooma Teleo listed at $99, which is a good price if any one is interested.
> 
> http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-oom...=gg-ooma-telo-phone-service&p=1&c=deal_button



Unfortunately, this deal requires the purchase of the premier service for $10/mth for 10 months. $149 from Costco is still better unless you want the premier service anyway.


----------



## ricoba (Jun 26, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> Unfortunately, this deal requires the purchase of the premier service for $10/mth for 10 months. $149 from Costco is still better unless you want the premier service anyway.



I didn't follow the link, since I'd just bought the OBi, but thought it looked like a good deal.  But you are right $149 is a better deal.

The one thing I am finding about OBi and the OBi website is that the device is designed by and apparently for computer geeks.  So the webpage and the forum is kind of nerdy and techie, which makes it hard to navigate through for  a layman like me.  It sure doesn't have the beauty or design aesthetic of say Apple or even the Ooma.


----------

