Reddit mentions: The best telephones

I don't typically talk about my interest in "no surf" with my IRL friends but it actually came up this weekend.

One of our friends was using too much data so they deleted Facebook and Instagram from their phone. She has been without the apps for one week but commented on how much less she checked her phone. About 6 months ago, my wife also deleted Facebook from her phone and her usage has declined significantly. She still has the Instagram app and will mindlessly scroll for 30 minutes after work. I'm trying to get her to change this.

I told everyone what I did to reduce my usage of SM. So, if I were creating a step-by-step guide to using less social media it would be this:

1. Get a password manager and auto-generate a new password for all social media accounts. Make your "Master Password" extremely cumbersome (but memorable). My "Master Password" is like 40-50 characters in length. Personally, I use LastPass but I know there are other, possibly better, alternatives. I don't even know my Facebook, Instagram or Twitter passwords.

2. Delete the apps from your phone. This is the key step. If you are one button press from a social media dopamine hit it's going to be damn near impossible to stop yourself. Acknowledge that you don't have that much self-control and just delete the apps.

3. Only login to your accounts on the browser. Delete your browser history every night which will force you to log back in manually.

Those 3 steps will help a lot. I haven't had the social media apps for about the last 2 years and if you're anything like me your interest in them will disappear in a matter of a few weeks (2-4 maybe). Once you're out of the social media loop you might not have any desire to re-engage on a significant level.

Some smaller tips would be:

4. Make an effort to stay in contact with people via texting/messaging and set up IRL events/gatherings. FOMO is real but can be mitigated by doing something. Don't quit SM and sit around your house alone. Make plans to meetup with people, learn something new (cooking, guitar, studying, whatever interests you) or get out and exercise.

5. Go silent. Turn off vibrate and sound notifications. This makes it easier to check your phone when you want and not get caught responding to every buzz or ding. I noticed that the constant email alerts would sometimes cause me to delete the email but then immediately check another app. If I didn't get alerted to the email, I would have avoided picking my phone up all together.

6. Get rid of some SM "friends." Personally, I ask myself "If I saw this person in a grocery store would I go out of my way to spend 5-10 minutes talking to them?" If I say "no" they get removed from my friends list. I went from ~ 1,000 Facebook friends to about 150. Instagram, I'm even more ruthless because I ask "would I be excited to receive a Xmas Card from this person?" This has left me with ~70 Instagram friends. The effect is the SM pages have less information to send your way.

The result is that never-ending page gets less interesting and your desire to spend time there diminishes. These sites know this too. Whenever you "Unfriend" people on Facebook the site will guilt trip you the next time you log onto the page. They realize that "Unfriending" or deleting contacts is the first step towards leaving the platform altogether.

7. Rearrange the icons on your phone periodically. I have a bi-weekly calendar reminder to move non-essential icons around. I never move the phone, camera, alarm clock, texting or email apps. I use them way too often and don't want to search for them. Everything else is rearranged that way I can't "auto-pilot" myself directly to apps that waste my time, such as Feedly, Google News, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, etc. This isn't necessarily SM related but I noticed that when I first got rid of Facebook/Instagram/Twitter apps I filled the void by reading more news/using other apps.

I will typically go on SM for ~10 minutes a week. I never use Twitter anymore. Facebook usually get a quick glance (2 minutes). I spend about 5 minutes quickly looking at photos on Instagram. I never really got that into Snapchat so I never waste time sending snaps. I will look at the ones I receive as they come in. I get maybe 8 a week so this takes a total of ~3 minutes/week.

As an aside, I want to point out the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles During. Not geared towards tech habits like the recommended reading but I think it's a good entry point into the realm of behavior change. Really easy to read and available at practically every library. The audiobook is ~8 hours long and usually available on OverDrive. The book really emphasizes how making a change to our habits is quite difficult but gets progressively easier. The website for the book has a few good resources as well.

One point that really hit home for me was the idea of "Keystone Habits". The premise is that some habits are so powerful that they can cascade into a positive feedback loop making many other positive habits easier. I've noticed that when I practice good "screen hygiene" I am able to cascade this into more productivity and better overall satisfaction at the end of a day. I'm thinking of making a few subtle changes to "force" myself to practice better screen time habits. It's a work in-progress for myself but I'll report back after I make some adjustments (analog alarm clock, ObiHai home phone).

tl;dr: YOU CANNOT DEPEND ON WILLPOWER. Use your current motivation to put barriers in place for when you lack willpower. Use the current "can-do" attitude to institute good habits that become second nature.

Hi! My name is Margy. I'm 21. :3

I like being outside, making friends with people who don't have many friends, making and listening to all kinds of music, pretending I am a dinosaur, playing with cats, feeling pretty, watching television series and movies (current favorites are Freaks and Geeks, Chuck, GoT, Sherlock, Firefly of course, and a few others), reading everything I can get my hands on, and playing video games (Borderlands, Assassin's Creed, Kingdom Hearts, Bioshock, anything Pokemon, TOO MANY TO LIST).

I also love cute things (like Totoro omg ♥♥), shiny things, cheap drinks, and horses. I'm studying Equine Business Management in college - going into my senior year! I'm also a resident assistant, which is a huge part of my life.

I'm silly and easy going, and people say that I'm easy to talk to. I also really love art, Sour Patch Kids, my boyfriend of two years, and Chinese food. And sushi, omg. I had sushi for lunch. ♥.♥

This is my item. I picked it because it's funny and adorable, just like me, heehee. But for real, you communicate with people on a phone, and I think communication is the most important thing on this world. But you have to have fun with life too, so why not communicate on a hamburger! :D

GREAT idea for a contest! I did a mystery box exchange once and I loved it!

You could skip the asterisk solution, and use the grandstream PBX. The GUI is significantly cleaner (also with less features) but should be able to have voicemail, ring groups, call queues or "agents", custom dial rules, etc. It would save you a lot of money over a traditional phone system.

The PBX would run around 300-500$ depending on where and what you get, but amazon has one for 360$ here https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-UCM6204-Innovative-PBX-Ports/dp/B01LZKCBD7/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1524428192&sr=1-1&keywords=grandstream+pbx

this pbx should be easy to setup (youtube videos are great on the subject) and the one price includes all features, and software updates are free as long as the device is still "supported".

As for your phone endpoints, grandstreams are cheap and work great. Their best phone IMO is around 100$ on amazon, and they have cheaper options as low as 50$ (on amazon)

grandstream GXP 2170 is pretty nice
https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-GS-GXP2170-VoIP-Phone-Device/dp/B019X06IFS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524428063&sr=8-1&keywords=gxp2170

Or the 1625 (for the cheaper option) for 40$ https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-GXP1625-Medium-Business-Device/dp/B00VNMWRFK/ref=pd_sim_229_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00VNMWRFK&pd_rd_r=EJ27CJTWYAPA4D2Z7HNE&pd_rd_w=YQDrV&pd_rd_wg=3Cr2u&psc=1&refRID=EJ27CJTWYAPA4D2Z7HNE

The above phones will work with any sip based phone solution

If you're looking for the "easy drop in and just works" solution, you could try ring central, or 8x8. But i think theyre crazy expensive for what they actually do.

It's so wonderful to hear that you had a great day today! I had a good day today, too, but last night I got to meet Jason Gann (Wilfred) and after his meet-and-greet, he spent most of his time talking to me. =)

(Also, everybody that went got some free doggy items and the second season of Wilfred on DVD!)

It was the best night I've had in years.

May I enter to win a gift card? If not, I would like to enter to win this cute pillow or hamburger phone. =)

Thank you very much for the contest and I hope you have an even better day tomorrow!

You will need to buy :

8-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch

An Ethernet patch panel

A punch down tool

A package of at least 6 1-foot Ethernet patch cables.

I am assuming your FIOS router is somewhere near the panel in the pics, because when you are done, you will need to run an Ethernet cable from the back of the FIOS router to your new 8-port Switch. The router doesn't have to be in the same room, but wherever it is, you do have to connect it via ethernet to the Switch.

Instructions :

1). The rooms all terminate into the left-hand panel, you can see the wires at the bottom in the pic. Each ethernet run will have 4 pairs of wires. Currently they are connected to the left-hand board, and then patched over to the right. Telephone wiring only requires a single pair for each line, currently you have 4 pairs to each room. What you need to do is first, buy a LAN line tester. Something like this :

https://www.amazon.com/Sperry-Instruments-TT64202-Cable-Tester/dp/B004Y75B5Y

You don't need to buy an expensive one, that is simply the first one which came up when I googled it. They are very easy to use, you just plug one half into a wall jack via the supplied 6-inch patch cable, and the other half into the matching port on your panel (left-side). Or you could disconnect the RJ45 connector from the matching right-side panel, and plug that directly into the tester. When you turn the tester on, it will tell you if the wires are correctly configured for Ethernet. It is almost certain they are not as telephone config is not the same as Ethernet config. If all 4 lights don't go green, that means you need an Ethernet patch panel. Likely only one light will turn on indicating only 1 pair was found (that's OK, read on...).

Here is what you are going to need to buy :

https://www.amazon.com/Steren-550-030-FastHome-Data-Hub/dp/B000EHW88Q/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=ethernet+patch+panel&qid=1573655221&s=electronics&sr=1-11

Again, doesn't have to be that one, but that is designed to provide RJ45 ports for Cat5e which is exactly what you have. Read the top comment on that page, someone named Daron Levy. That person did exactly what you need to do and even provided a shopping list of tools.

2). Remove the cover off of any Ethernet jack in your house, like the one in the first picture. Figure out which wiring config was used to attach the wires, either 568A or 568B. The back of those female ports all have a diagram showing the two possibilities, the only difference is the orange and green pairs are interchanged (brown and blue are the same in both A and B). You should be able to tell which was used by matching up the diagram on the port to the wires you can now see. Once you figure out which was used, use that everywhere.

3). It is not difficult, but what you need to do is detach each of the sets of wires from the phone board on the left hand side. That will give you 4 sets of wires per room. Using a punch-down tool, punch the wires into the new Ethernet patch panel using either 568A or 568B configuration, whichever one you figured out was used in step 2.

4). After the first room is punched into the new patch panel, test it with your tester. If you get all 4 green lights, you have successfully connected the line. You now have ethernet from your new patch panel to your room.

5). Plug a 1-foot ethernet patch cable into your newly working jack on the patch panel, and the other end into a 4 or 8-port switch. Then plug the Switch via Ethernet into your Fios router, and you should be golden. Repeat for each room.

​

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Here are the details of your telephone patch board :

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-47609-EMP-Telephone-Patching-Expansion/dp/B000U3BVNW

​

EDIT - One more thing to add. Do not assume you can reuse those patch cables I see in your picture, they are almost certainly telephone patch cables with RJ45 connectors. They look like Ethernet, but are not. Use your tester, take any one of them and plug it in between both sides of your tester, I am willing to bet that all 4 green lights will not light up. Instead you'll get at most 2 green lights indicating they are wired for phone connections, not for Ethernet.

They do sell Internet alone. You may have to push for it, but they do it. I moved from NoVA to Central VA and had to get Comcast when I did have FiOS. I used this https://gethuman.com/phone-number/Comcast site as it caters to getting live people at companies. I got a concierge sales person who set me up with a sweet deal.

If you are with Comcast, they will try and upsell later. Be strong. Try and do the Internet deal on the phone.

I have a 150/24 speed on my net roughly and it sits about 100 a month. Much better than 300 plus for unused channels. If you need OTA channels, you can get a digital antenna that is cheap. Just have to be close enough to get them.

Also, I do not use the Comcast router/wifi. It is garbage. I bought my own that is approved for use on their system and for Wifi I bought this bad boy.

I have two Amazon FireTV boxes, not usb dongles. They are faster and more stable imo. There are other devices, but i went with these as they are android, but only semi locked down. You can sideload apps and there are many many there anyway.

I went SlingTV and OAN for paid things. That is 25 a month on top of 100. Obvs I am online a lot and I do game, so its what is important to me.

As to phone. I bought an ObiHai device and linked it to a Google phone number and have a 3 cordless set hooked to that. Base and two remote locations. It is free and works very well. I know its Google, but its free and you can get a local number or possibly port your current one.

Avoid satellite at all costs. Not worth it. You're paying more for less.

Verizon FiOS is where you want to be, ideally, just due to the technology being superior. Latency, signal quality and bandwidth are all excellent. I have coworkers who have the 300Mbps plan from them and love it (they're definitely power users!). The most basic plan of FiOS will probably treat you mostly well, some others might have to jump in and comment on this as I don't know this stuff personally.

Comcast is mediocre. Their residential side is very unfriendly if you're a power user. They have strict data caps, and violating the data cap three times in a row bans you from their service forever. If you consider yourself a power user (lots of streaming content, large downloads, steam games, etc), you might want to just go with their business level service. You don't have any data caps and if you have an issue with your internet someone to look at it will be out in hours instead of days. The plan isn't awfully expensive either (60/month for 12/2mbps in my area). The drawback is the 200 dollar installation fee and the minimum year-long commitment (or 100 dollar fee for 2 years, 50 dollars for 3). If you break the contract you pay 75% of the remainder of the commitment. So if I broke my contract right now two months into the contract, I'd pay 60 10 .75 = 450 dollars, ouch!

As for your other services...

I see you're bundling phone. There's a very good chance you can get by with much less expensive VoIP phone service (especially if you already use cell phones in your family) and drop the expensive telephone plans. Check out Google Voice; it's a free telephone number that does all sorts of neat tricks and features for you. Then, combine it with the OBi100 so that you have "landline" phones that use Google Voice's free telephone service. It's free calls to the US and Canada, and pretty low international rates. What's the catch? You need your internet connection to be on to get phone calls (but you can get these forwarded to your cell phones too), and you can't make 911 calls from your Google Voice powered phones.

As far as the TV... that's more tricky and I don't have a good answer for you, because I don't even have TV installed at my place and don't care for it. Try reading up in /r/cordcutters about ways to cut the cord. There's a lot of online media options available now with netflix and hulu plus, and many other streaming options too. They can help you with those.

There used to be a company called TalkSwitch that did all of this and did it affordably, but then they sold out to Fortivoice/Fortinet and their products basically don't exist anymore, which leaves the SMB market in a bit of a bind. Sometimes you can find their stuff secondhand if you're willing to go that route, but at this point I bet those handsets and boxes are taking their last breaths.

About a year ago we took a chance on an X16 system for a small but busy dental office, hoping we wouldn't have to come up with a whole other solution a couple of weeks later. To our surprise it was easy to set up and has been working really well in that environment.

It has almost all the features you're looking for, with the possible exception of ring groups. I'd have to check with one of my guys and see if Xblue supports ring groups or not.

The one issue we ran into is that the system doesn't like having digits dialed too rapidly. You'll almost never actually encounter this, but there was one office person on site that, anytime there was a repeated digit in a phone number, like "4003", would double-tap the repeated digit. We set up a logging device between the Xblue system and their lines to the mpoe (Comcast in this case), and near as we could tell Xblue was doing everything right but the mpoe side hated it. We initially contacted Xblue support on this and found them to be friendly and wanting to help, but it wasn't something they had encountered before.

I've had to deal with Avaya in the past and I hate them with a fiery passion. Support was nonexistent unless you purchased the system from an approved vendor along with a support contract, and their entire setup was designed to be difficult and spiteful.

TV: Usenet, Netflix, and get an antenna.

You can hook up Netflix to your TV using a Roku or Boxee Box, or a smart internet-enabled TV if you have one.

Check out TVFool to find out what channels are available for free over the air in your area. If you live within 50-100 miles of the US border as the crow flies, you should be set to receive 10-30 channels for free in high quality HD, much higher quality than you can receive over cable. Pretty much anywhere in the Golden Horseshoe receives a great selection of channels for example, except maybe Newmarket and further north.

If you do decide to go the antenna route, check out this forum where people talk about reception results in different parts of Canada, and what antennas they had to install to get those channels. Best of all, this truly is a one-time investment, and it's totally legal. No need for multiple receiver boxes or any other nonsense.

If you set up usenet by following this guide, you can connect a Boxee Box to a computer that downloads things via usenet, and hook up Boxee to your TV. Your favorite shows and movies will be set to download automatically, and you can watch them on your TV.

Internet: Teksavvy. It's as good as they say it is. They still offer unlimited download plans and their standard plans involve a very reasonable 300 GB per month usage + no contracts + great support.

Home phone: Teksavvy offers phone service and long distance as well. They are a Bell reseller (in southern Ontario at least), but it feels good to not give Bell any money directly. For long distance, I make and receive calls for free using Google Voice, but I have used Teksavvy long distance occasionally and their rates are quite reasonable. If you set up a Google Voice account, you can get an adapter like this one that hooks up to your phone.

Honestly instead of a magicjack I would go with an Obihai...

I picked up the obi100 from amazon for $35 (http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telephone-Adapter-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1321670753&sr=1-2-catcorr) no referral link btw

It's awesome... first it's completely compatible with google voice.. so I can set google voice as service provider 1 (which enables free incoming and outgoing calls using google voice.. using a regular phone handset) then I used VOIP.MS for provider 2 (The device supports 2 providers).. threw $25 on the account and activated e911... programmed the obi100 to route 911 calls through provider 2 and everything else through provider 1... also picked up a toll free DID (in dial) number (just in case I ever have to use a payphone.. can use attendant to place outgoing calls on my voip through a 1-800.. and also for people to call me toll free) ....

So now.. for a total investment of $60, I have completely free phone service (until google ever changes it.. and even then I can use voip.ms for crazy cheap prices, less than 1c a minute).. fully functional 911 service going to my address, a toll free inbound number I can receive calls on or call to make outgoing calls from whatever supports toll-free calling...

One of the best investments i've made in a long time, you should check it out.. I have no idea how they got the device to allow outgoing calls using google voice (uses the gmail interface somehow.. but doesn't require your computer to even be on..)

Awesome piece of tech, the obi110 has an extra port to be connected to the POTS system as well, if you wanted to integrate that into it.. but that's not even remotely required.

Well there's far better resources for cooking on the cheap than me.

But some reliable cost savers that work for me.

1. Learn how to cook dried beans. (And rice too, but that's easy)
   Here's some recipes.
   More Recipies PuertoRican Style
   
2. Get a water filter, and learn how to drink mostly water. (If it's a pitcher, put a large container of unfiltered water near to it, and occasionally pour it into the filtered pitcher. Cuts down the hassle)
   
3. ^ In addition to this one, Crystal Light, Tang, etc etc some sort of water sweetener. Keep a cold pitcher of that in the fridge for the kids.
   
4. Eggs. They're cheap, and an easy source of protein and other nutrients.
   
5. Nature Valley granola bars in the 96 pack. If you can find a place to buy these locally, they can be as low as 12 cents each. A very flexible snack/breakfast item.
   
6. Get some good portable tupperwares for packed lunches. (Probably some insulated lunch sacks too, given the heat)
   EasyLunchboxes 3-compartment Food Containers
   EasyLunchboxes Insulated Lunch Cooler Bag
   __
   
   And of course, learn how to spend less on entertainment/phone.
   
   Depending on what cost tier you're going for.
   
   But I'm gonna guess a good internet connection, a tracphone, and maybe netflix should have all your bases covered.
   
   Everything else you can just get from the internet.
   (Although maybe Skype for another $3 a month... dunno how that compares to the cost of a landline phone)
   
   Although for phone, maybe buying one of these, and paying nothing per month would be better than skype.
   OBi110 + Google Voice = "Free" Landline phone, for nationwide calls.
   
   (Although granted, maybe even this is too expensive)
   
   __
   
   For even cheaper, a lot of libraries have free DVD rentals.
   And redbox kiosks, are $1 for a one nights movie rental for new movies.

No, you can only use a Google Voice (GV) number. I'll add some more info in the event you're unfamiliar with GV, but you can quit reading otherwise.

Google offers free phone numbers to everyone (at least in the US). Normally you can get one in your local area code. Once you get the number there are some cool things you can do with it. First, it is a real phone number that people can call or text. You can receive the calls and texts on your computer either through Hangouts or Voice. When I list stuff on Craigslist, I always tell them to text my GV# since I can answer directly from my computer. I've used a Google Voice number as my landline for years in my house with an Obihai device.

On your cell phone, you can also make & receive calls & texts with your GV number via Hangouts plus Hangouts Dialer or the Google Voice app. The Voice app just got overhauled and it offers more comprehensive functionality that can also incorporate/merge your cellular provider's phone number with your GV #.

TLDR Get a Google Voice number--they're free, and VERY useful.

Before you leave the US, transfer your cell phone number over to Google voice. Buy one of these and set it up with your Google Voice account. You can transfer your wife's phone number as well and add it as a secondary account. Incoming and outgoing calls to the US will be free.

Sign up for Amazon Prime. Your basic necessities can be found at the exchange and commissary, but they do a shit job in keeping their levels of stock maintained.

If you decide to go through a major provider for cell service, avoid Softbank. The coverage is garbage. AU is pretty decent and you can bundle with internet for a discount.

You should consider grabbing an international driver's license from your local AAA. You will need to take a short drivers ed course before you can get your base license, assuming you already have your stateside license. It's only offered on certain days, so if driving is an absolute necessity, you can rent a car with your international driver's license until you get your base license. Your sponsor should be able to take you around, so consider this tip low priority.

AFN satellite is pretty limited in their programming. If you want Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, you'll need something like a Roku or Apple TV and a DNS Proxy. I'm signed up for SMART DNS and I can access all the programming from those providers. I also have a Sling Box slinging cable from my brother's house to me over here. If you have family that is willing to pay for an additional cable box, you might want to invest in a Slingbox.

There is an auto resale lot on the base. You can find some good deals, but none of the cars have a warranty. If you decide to buy a car off base, you should avoid the places by the base that cater to Americans. A lot of cars are older and high-mileage. You should explore options off base. Try switching the language to English and browsing Crossroad. I'm sure the translation isn't perfect, but it will give you a good idea of what's offered here.

Why not try a newer Cisco phone? I upgrade all 7960's to SPA525G's, which are around $160 on Amazon. They easily go through NAT at our remote offices and allow VPN, wireless, bluetooth, custom ringers transfered from USB, etc... Very feature rich compared to the 7960s. oh, AND a very nice, friendly web GUI, instead of configuring manually or with a tftp config.

I use my phones in a Freepbx/Asterisk setup and they work amazing.

SPA525g Amazon

edit: Heres a screen of the line config page

Heres a good budget headphone option.

https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIA7NT5JX7120

Here's a mic, any mic will do as long as it's detachable.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002EQ6E9E/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_23_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FKTC7528BMW6EMA91NB1&dpPl=1&dpID=71jX0sibQ1L

And here's and audio and microphone splitter. Make sure the splitter you end up getting has a dedicated audio and dedicated microphone input.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004SP0WAQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1501544553&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=audio+and+mic+splitter&dpPl=1&dpID=41ifj0%2BHelL&ref=plSrch


This is the braided cable and heatshrink. The cable to manage the separate cables, also you can personalized the color, and it looks cool honestly. There's also some heatshrink it just seals the end of cable sleeves.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004UHJCFI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501544947&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=braided+cable+sleeves&dpPl=1&dpID=41B4XLeDZpL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NI3LOQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501545009&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=heatshrink%2B3%2F4inch&dpPl=1&dpID=41wA38KfTAL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1


And finally here's a video on what you'll be doing with the above cable and heatshrink.

https://youtu.be/xWR4yYGd3u4

One last remark, the price of all this starts at around $30 dollars or so. The rest of the price is up to you on what headphones you end up choosing.

Visit r/Headphones for recommendations and an idea of what makes good headphones...good.

The Linx Derp Lab 0.5

• Modem: Arris SB6141 with 35Mb down 5Mb up
  
• Firewall/Router: Untangle installed on Zotac 323Nano with USB 3.0 to NIC added for WAN - 8GB RAM and 120GB SSD system drive
  
• Core Switch: Cisco 3750G 24port switch
  
• ESXi host 1: HP Proliant DL380 G6 Dual Quad core with 40GB RAM and 8x73GB RAID 5
  
• ESXi host 2: HP Proliant DL380 G6 Dual Quad core with 40GB RAM and 8x73GB RAID 5
  
• CentOS07-1: Whitebox embedded AMD Quad core with 4GB RAM and 60GB SSD
  
• CentOS07-2: Whitebox socketed AMD Tri core with 4GB RAM and 60GB SSD
  
• FreeNAS: Whitebox socketed Intel Dual core (HT) with 10GB RAM and 12 x 1 TB RAID Z2 + 3x120GB SSD cache
  
• Pi2: Raspberry PI2 running raspbian
  
• UPS: APC Smart-UPS 2200
  
  Others
  
  
• Home office AP/Switch: TP-Link WR 1043ND flashed with DD-WRT
  
• Office VPN: Arubba RAP-3WNP
  
• VOIP: OBi202 with Google Voice
  
• Gaming Rig: AMD FX-8350 with 16GB RAM and 2 x 500GB Samsung Evos with a dinky XFX R7-260X
  
  Planned purchases
  
  
• Third ESXi host, similar hardware, and hope to get a VMUG membership
  
• 2nd Cisco switch so I can do A side B Side (or 2 switches of something with easy GUI setup since I lack Cisco IOS knowledge)
  
• A rack that is better than a cheap shelf (and maybe some PDUs)
  
• 10Gb cards for FreeNAS and ESXi hosts (maybe white box servers)
  
• Maybe a 10Gb switch so I don't have to mesh the servers
  
• Pretty network cables
  
• UniFi AC Pro AP , for sure one, but may add a 2nd if it doesn't cover the whole house (2 stories plus basement)
  
• A real router like an EdgeRouter
  
  Plans for lab
  
  
• Play with various flavors of linux and linux services (like understanding LAMP stack)
  
• Host a blog to record my derps of learning linux (Hence the name)
  
• Stand up a windows domain with AD (possible MS certs, but not my focus)
  
• Figure out how to integrate linux with Win AD
  
• Host a generic webserver with the blog, just for experience sake
  
• Learn ESXi beyond my basic understanding
  
• Maybe Cisco CCNA, but its not my priority
  
• Kali/Hacking/Security Lab (this is my priority since I want to get my CISSP)
  
• Learn mysql or just SQL in general (I have just enough understanding to be dangerous at work)
  
• Learn how to use the Pi2 to automate backups or reboots, or controlled shutdowns when the UPS gets low (30 min run time currently)
  
• Stand up pfSense somewhere on the lab network to learn (I tried sophos UTM and didnt like it). I have untangle paid for a year since its GUI makes setup a piece of cake. That should give me time to figure out pfSense and see if I like it better.
  

In order to use google voice to bypass the cost associated with traditional sms messaging on ting I use the following setup. My phone number is actually on google voice not on my ting account. Using the google voice app I'm able to send and receive calls and text messages using my google voice. People don't even know that my number is on google voice and not on ting. All text message are sent over the data connection or wifi. Although there are data charges the amount of data used for messaging is quite small. Since data is used to send messages you would lose the ability to send messages while roaming. Another advantage to this setup is that messages can go over wifi. This is useful if you (like me) are sometimes in a college basement and can't get a signal but you still have access to wifi.

Limitations:

-this only works with android phones

-you will lose the ability to message non traditional numbers (ex 464411)

-you can't send or receive MMS messages


Setup:

When you set up ting you should move your number to google voice not to ting. This cost $20 one time. If your not attached to your number google voice will assign you a new number for free.

Log into your google voice account and add a forwarding phone that is the number that is the number assigned to your ting phone. This is not your google voice number but the number listed in your ting account. When you do this it will place a test call to your ting phone for verification purposes. I would also recommend turning off call screening and enabling the spam filter.

Next download the google voice app and start the setup process. It's important to skip "sprint google voice integration" because your using ting and not sprint. However google voice can't tell that your a ting customer and not a sprint customer so it still prompts you. You should select the following options while setting up the app.

-use google voice to make all calls

-skip voice mail forwarding setup (this is not necessary since your call are already going through google voice)

Next you should log into your ting account and select the line that your are setting up google voice for. Select the following options.

-disable the ability to send and receive text messages

-disable voicemail

Another cool thing you can do now that you have your number on google voice is send and receive text messages in a web browser on your computer by going to voice.google.com If you make a lot of calls at home and have a reliable internet connection you can purchase an obitalk voip adapter. http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telephone-Adapter-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376716249&sr=1-1&keywords=obi100

This allows you to make unlimited calls with your google voice numbers while at home using a traditional phone.

I am not sure this will work for you, but I use www.voip.ms for my business line. They have IVRs, voicemail, virtual extensions, ring everywhere, text, fax to email, and a lot of other services. I ported my Google voice number to Verizon, then to Voip.ms, and it works fine.

I do have an ObiHai 202 VOIP adapter which connects to my phone line in my house to a regular phone. However, you can have VOIP.ms just ring to your cell phone or any other number.

I am not sure how Air BNB will treat it, but the voip.ms folks are pretty nice if you email them for support.

As an option, you may consider doing what I'm doing: Internet + Google Voice.

I have Comcast HSI only, and a nifty box, the OBi110 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge. Those two with a free Google Voice account get you, in my experience, solid telephone service.

Since I have a home run situation in my house, the cable modem, router and OBi110 are in the same place. I've hooked existing telephone cabling into the OBi, and have regular old phones plugged in all over the house.

One downside is that you will not have accurate 911 geo location service. I'm not even sure where my 911 call would be routed if I do need to make the call.

The big upside with Google Voice is that you can route your one telephone number to your cell, home, work based on rules you set up.... plus other nice features.

I hope that helps a bit.

Also - with your 1.5 connection, you may consider buying a newer cable modem that supports DOCIS v3.0. That should help your speed a bit too, unless you have some other issues on your connection.

Know what speeds you're getting from your ISP and make sure the modem you want to buy supports or exceeds that speed. Usually getting a separate router and modem is the way to go, but if you want a single device, you'll be looking for a gateway. You'll get better wifi and save money getting your own devices.

You can also drop the land line and get an internet phone adapter which you can plug into your router and make calls for free over the internet. Only downside is that you'll need to pay something like 12 per year to upgrade your line if you want to be able to call 911.

You are absolutely right! One is used by a raid card and I think the other is empty at the moment on closer look... For the USB FXO ports, will there be a slowdown due to the USB 2 interface? Also what is the difference between this and say the Obi202?(https://www.amazon.com/OBi202-Phone-Adapter-Router-2-Phone/dp/B007D930YO) Is the main difference that if you use the Obi202 you cannot use the FreePBX and you have to use their software?

 

I would want to use VMWare as it seems easier to setup but what is putting me off is it seems hard to use with a free license? Are you using a free license, paid, or perhaps thru VMUG?

 

The only complication with my current VM is I had some help before in the setup and I have actually assigned two ips thru one ethernet device due to the way I wanted to mimic two devices. I just have to figure that part out...

In case of backing out to try Vonage, I would instead recommend you try an Obi200 instead. Pretty sure it works with Voip.ms if that's where you want to stay, but it also works with Google Voice, meaning you can grab a free number from them and make calls within the US for free.

Source: Just upgraded my Obi100, which I've had for 3 years, to an Obi200 doing the same thing. Conference call for work this morning was done over the Obi200.

I'd still say give the PBX thing a whirl; I mean, this is /r/homelab after all. But for actually getting stuff working fast, Obi200.

For $39.00 I purchased this: ObiHai Obi100 and have attached it to my phone. It is now my primary home phone and works with Google voice like a charm. I get free calls to my family on the other coast, and I don't use up my mobile minutes. I also added an Anveo e911 account so that emergency calls route the police to the proper address. (it can do two SiP voice providers at once, in case you wanted one for international calling and google for just North America) Obi also has apps for android and iPhones that allow you to use your Obi on your mobile, so if I am on any wifi network, I can call from my mobile and not use minutes.)

It is the best Google voice accessory I have ever bought, and I haven't looked back since.

For that, you may need to buy a separate phone modem. I believe it depends on which VOIP service you have. If you have comcast, I don't know if they let you use any old voice modem. I use a service called voip.ms, and they let you bring your own device. I have this one, and it works fine for under $30.

If you are going to be at a place where you are hooking up new phone service, you might want to consider other solutions which I hear are extremely easy to set up, and very cheap (basically free plus taxes) such as [Ooma free telephone service]
(https://smile.amazon.com/Ooma-Telo-Free-Phone-Service/dp/B00I4XMEYA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1512014457&sr=8-5&keywords=voip+adapter)

I've used voip for my home phone service for the past several years.

I first started with an ATA connected to a Panasonic DECT cordless phone. This worked fine, but I was always having to troubleshoot issues with DTMF talk-off and echo.

A few years later, I decided to stop using the ATA and upgrade to an actual IP phone. The difference was huge. I never had echo issues or DTMF talk-off issues with the IP phone. Also, the sound quality was much better and there was less latency in the conversation.

I would highly recommend that you spend a little more money and get an IP phone. They don't have to be as expensive as a Cisco phone. Here are a few that may be worth considering (I'm not sure if you are looking for a desk phone, or a cordless one.):

https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-Enterprise-Telephone-GXP2130-Included/dp/B00JBVVZV2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1486317550&sr=8-4&keywords=ip+phone

https://www.amazon.com/Yealink-YEA-W52P-Business-Cordless-Phone/dp/B00BIV3Y26/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1486317550&sr=8-15&keywords=ip+phone

https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-KX-TGP600-Dect-Cordless-Handset/dp/B011S51ZN6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1486317617&sr=8-4&keywords=panasonic+ip+phone

https://www.amazon.com/Yealink-Professional-Gigabit-Phone-PART/dp/B00PBBAI3C/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1486317653&sr=8-7&keywords=yealink

I recommend getting an Internet only plan (the more faster & reliable the better) and for a landline, you can get an obihai device over here & here. Then, you need to sign up for a VoIP service called Google Voice, it's a free phone service that comes with a free u.s. number and once you're done setting up the account, connect that account to obihai by using Obitalk. Enjoy.

Interesting -- just curious if you've seen/heard of this beautiful device?

You basically buy it, hook it up to your LAN, configure it to use GV, and voila -- free VOIP without an asterisk/pbx box.

This is a selection of what I keep in my tech go-bag. You'll build your kit as you learn and build experience, or realize you could have helped a customer out of a jam quicker if you had that tool with you.

• cheap flashlights you wont feel bad about leaving in a ceiling or inside a rack: https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Lights-Super-Bright-White/dp/B00I45JKTA/
  
  
• torx screwdriver for lots of little devices. I have a similar set and it's pretty decent: https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Magnetic-Precision-Screwdriver-Electronics/dp/B015F734P0/
  
  
• power supply tester
  
  
• rechargable canned air
  
  
• zip ties
  
  
• velcro: https://www.amazon.com/iMBAPrice-Cable-Fastening-Tape-Yards/dp/B00FT2WHO6/
  
  
• leatherman/gerber multi-tool (needlenose) convenient when you need to do something quick and you don't have your bag with you.
  
  
• Set of pliers/wire cutters (leave the chanel locks at home): https://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GRIP-4-Piece-Traditional-2078707/dp/B000CFMCTK/
  
  
• sharpies
  
  
• electrical tape: the good kind not the cheapo stuff
  
  
• multi-screwdriver: https://www.amazon.com/Lenox-Tools-23932-Multi-Tool-Driver/dp/B0013NX2DA/
  
  
• cordless electric screwdriver if you have lots of screwing to do.
  
  
• razor knife: https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Lite-Pocket-Knife-31-000345/dp/B002RILCLY/
  
  
• cable tester/tone generator: https://www.amazon.com/ELEGIANT-Multifunction-Tracker-Measuring-Instrument/dp/B01HCQSHNG/
  
  
• analog phone for testing phone lines: https://www.amazon.com/Saytay-Telephone-Lineman-Tester-Connectors/dp/B01ABT7458/
  
  
• punch down tool: https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Punch-Krone-Blade-TC-PDT/dp/B0000AZK4D/
  
  
• cable crimper: https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-RJ-45-RJ-12-RJ-11-TC-CT68/dp/B0000AZK4G/
  
  Various extra parts I've accumulated over the years like screws, ATX Molex Power to SATA Power Adapters, ATX Molex Y splitters, SATA cables etc..
  
  Good luck and some tools overlap like multi tools and pliers so if budget is low, go with the tool that covers the most jobs.
  
  Edit: I noticed your bag is kind of expensive compared to something like a Dewalt tool bag. I use a plain Dewalt bag which is not as cool as the one in the link, but it's just as tough. This might be a good and less expensive consideration for you if you don't require the look of a briefcase for your tool bag.
  
  Edit 2: You may want to mark your tools with a wrap of some crazy bright color electrical tape to be able to recognize them when they walk away.
  
  
  

if mom needs phone and sprint coverage is good in your area i suggest you get her on this plan tonight

https://social.ringplus.net/discussion/7850/blt-2-free-plan-discussion/p1

if you can.. its 6000 mins txt mms 6gig data... pay zero per month if you don't go over and a one time signup/topup fee of I think $38 .. they may or may not have phones for sale .. you can get a cheap one .. flip phone or basic android.. and then swap in a more expensive one later like your samsung or iphone .. phones must pass their check which looks to see if you are paid up on your plan with your current provider and that its unlocked.. if you miss the sale watch them on twitter for the next sale...

then if mom likes her home phone you can get a Vtech Connect to Cell cordless phone that will use moms cellphone to make and answer calls.. it works by bluetooth and it automatically connects when you come home and put the cellphone near it.. just get a wall jack usb charger hook the cellphone up to charge and leave it on and she can use the homephones

https://www.amazon.com/VTech-DS6621-2-Cordless-Bluetooth-Answering/dp/B00KJJCL9K/


as for television you have to talk with her about what she likes and needs.. antenna offerings can be excellent in areas near cities .. you can get 2 dozen stations.

An OBi110 would probably be your cheapest bet. It's now discontinued, but works perfectly well.

It looks like it's cheaper from Amazon.com even with shipping to Canada and the currency conversion.

> or is there software that will use a Data/Fax/Voice modem?

Theoretically yes although I'm told the audio quality doing it that way is terrible.

Grandstream GXP2130:

Amazon $99 CAD, free shipping with prime (I have) - https://www.amazon.ca/Grandstream-GXP2130-Enterprise-Telephone-2-8-Inch/dp/B00JBVVZV2

VoipSupply.com $118 CAD + shipping on small orders : https://www.voipsupply.com/grandstream-gxp2130

I have a bunch of GXP21XX series in the field and people like them. I like them better than my Cisco SPA303.

Where should I be looking? Keep in mind I'm in Canada.

For a landline alternative at home, the choice is unbelievably easy. OBi100 and absolutely any modern cordpess phone. The OBi100 requires no subscription fee, only the hardware purchase. It ties to Google Voice for incoming/outgoing calls.

Google Voice on a smart phone sucks. GrooveIP and Talkatone are half-duplex, so you get cross talk a lot. They also kill batteries fast. And their quality is just not good enough. But GV on a OBi100 with your cable Internet/ethernet, and the quality is fantastic.

By the way, for my setup, I use this Gigaset cordless phone. It is expensive, at over $100, but it allows up to 6 VoIP numbers to connect to it (and regular twisted pair phone line if you wanted), plus lots of other features. I have a toll-free number for my business and a Google Voice number that connect to it. It is pretty hardcore VoIP, so I don't recommend it to many people.

Also by the way, I use Callcentric for a $4/month toll free number (1-888)

I have a ting account with 5 lines for people in my family that want a smartphone but don't use it enough to justify a major carrier sized bill. I make sure that everyone's number is ported to google voice so that all txt messages don't cost extra. I have not found a smooth way to switch between making call over wifi and cellular. Additionally any voip app I've used has always been a major battery suck since they depend on the wifi always being on.

One potential solution you may be interested in is to purchase an obitalk voip adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telephone-Adapter-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372562300&sr=8-1&keywords=obi100

This would allow a corded phone to make and receive calls on the same google voice number the android phone uses. There wouldn't ever be voice charges for call made from the obi device as long as google keeps call to the US free.

Hardware:

• Yealink T46G
  
• Cisco SPA112 (For a couple ATA handoffs around the house)
  
  SIP Software:
  
  
• Linphone
  
  VoIP Server:
  
  
• FreePBX 13
  
• QubePBX - Been playing with it, haven't deployed in production. Very nifty though.
  
  Trunking:
  
  
• Questblue - Best provider I've used both professionally and personally. Highly recommend them.

>Hardware units available to literally plug a home phone directly into GV without using a computer.

Big GV fan here. This is definitely one of my favorite tech toys, and a perfect complement to my $30/month plan from T-Mobile.

You could try something like https://smile.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A/

That way you could use the google voice number when you were home.

Otherwise Sprint is offering a year free service if you bring your own device. https://www.sprint.com/en/shop/offers/free-unlimited.html

And then there is Google Fi which is fairly cheap assuming that you keep your data usage low and just use WiFi https://fi.google.com/about/plan/

Then there is also republic wireless, they are currently offering a free month and free sim card.

https://republicwireless.com/

Ive ditched the phone cord for a prepaid cell phone that I use on the go, and for most calls I use a Obi110 and Google Voice. (4 months ongoing now)

Its lets me route all my calls from GV into the Obi for free (at least until Google decides its time to charge for it). You can use a normal landline phone with the Obi, or configure it to just use a smartphone as your "landline" phone via wifi or even plug in your existing phone system into the device and have the option of either. Obi -> Obi calls are free and you can even (with permissions) dial another Obi device and use THAT phone system to make calls from.

Anyway, I probably use my cellphone for maybe 100 minutes a month and the rest of my phone use is at home. Pretty cheap and I don't feel limited by minutes. I also don't need to have a computer running 24/7 in order to recieve calls.

Google Voice might go a long way towards getting you your fantasy solution. I use it daily.

What I did was port my cell phone number (the number everybody has known me by for 15+ years) to Google Voice. I then got a new cell phone number and an Obihai VOIP thingy. Total cost was a one-time $20 to port my number, $35 for the Obi thingy, and basic cell phone service.

I configured my Google Voice account with my new cell phone number and set up my Voice account on the Obihai. When you call my 15 year old phone number, both my cell phone and any land line phones I have plugged into the Obihai ring. Whichever picks up first gets the call. Simultaneous ring! When I pick up on an Obi phone, I'm not charged any minutes and the sound quality is far superior than cell and delay much reduced.

On my android phone, I set up Google Hangouts for text and the Google Voice app for voice calls. When I make a call on my cell phone, Voice spoofs my 15 year old phone number so people I call only ever see my Voice number, not my new cell phone number. NOBODY ever sees my cell number whether I text or call. They always see my Voice number, which is the number they've always ever seen from me.

Also, if you have Voice open in a web browser, calls and text ring through there too. So if you were to set up a PC with a set of speakers, keep Google Voice open in a web browser and calls will ring through the speakers.

I have a number of phones connected to the Obihai throughout the house. I even have a few antique rotary phones connected with a pulse to DTMF converter so I can dial out.

Do this, I did and it was a good idea.

Port your number to GV or get a new one.

Buy this: Obihai OBi100

And set it up to use your GVoice account. You can continue to use your phones as you are accustomed to, and GVoice will serve as your Voicemail/Answering machine. You can get the messages on your smartphone, Gvoice website, or call for them from the phone.

The Obihai is supposed to have a really high REN rating (5) so you could conceivably hook it directly to your house wiring and run all your phones with it.

I bought one of these a few months ago and then dug up my old cordless phone and now it's like I am living in the 90s again. Awesome.

Is she using a smart phone or a flip phone? If its a smart phone you could just transfer her number to google voice and use the hangouts app over wifi.

Theres also the tmobile line link device for $10 per month but at that point you would be better off with the obihai + google voice solution others mentioned.

http://amzn.com/B00BUV7C9A

Phone+Tone to Pulse Converter+VOIP box+Google Voice=My daughters first and only phone I provided.

For all other tech; people need yards raked, poop scooped, dogs walked, babies sat.....

BTW she loves it her friends can call her, she can call them, the old who gets to the phone first game is live. And yes slamming the phone is the only way to hang up.

I am using an Obahi box with Google Voice. The Obahi box is pretty easy to get going, and Google Voice is free.

https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523231427&sr=8-1&keywords=obahi

Headphones:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWU8FTK/

I really wanted one with a boom mic, I feel like they are superior.

Obitalk:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUV7C9A/

So what I do with this is it's connected to my router via Ethernet and then via RJ9 (regular phone cable) to a wireless phone base. I have three wireless handsets, just traditional phones. For the cost of $50 bucks for the hardware you basically have free VOIP via Google Voice for life.

If you check https://voice.google.com/rates?p=fi it says it’s free for the United States as well as Canada so if you can buy an Obihai adapter on Amazon it should work

Found one

Plus, you get the ability to set a ring group to ring however many phones you wish at the same time, and get a free voicemail on your intercom.

You can also install a VoIP phone in your apartment at no extra cost. I'd recommend a GXP1620. That's what we're using in our office, we've got 5 of them and they work really well.

We're also using this ATA, which allows us to plug in our two cordless phones we were already using before we made the switch to VoIP.

Last month's bill was about 15$ for two local DIDs and one toll-free, including communication charges. All of this with no restrictions on the amount of simultaneous calls.

Google voice + Obi 200 = free phone and GREAT control. Also it saves all voice mails.

I have mine set to not ring between 10pm and 7am (10 am on weekends) and my own JNMIL is WHY I have this set.

If you have bluetooth on your cellphone,
you buy this. It acts like a bluetooth headset, it has a great speakerphone, and you can all pickup a handset and talk on it too, just like a home phone.

If you have any interest in a simpler solution... the OBi200+Google Voice is a popular option. $50 box and free thereafter

https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A/

Have you ruled out the possibility that the phone is creating this, instead of the carrier? For example a GSM connected to a landline may be hooked up to an answering machine. For example this box allows you to install a SIM card and make it a phone line. The line could be hooked up to an answering machine like this to yield an voicemail message like that, although appearing like a cell phone. Can you provide some more background possibly?

$420 - 1 year 30/5 cable Internet

$80 - Cable modem

$90 - 1 year Netflix gift certificate to myself

$100 - 1 year Hulu gift certificate to myself

$70 - Over the air antenna

$180 - Prepaid CallCentric

$46 - Cisco ATA for CallCentric

$986 for one year of high speed Internet, 1 year of Netflix, 1 year of Hulu, all the over the air HD broadcast stations, near unlimited telephone calls, and all the equipment needed to make it run. No monthly payments or bills for one year. Accessible from my smart phone, smart TV, and computer.

I use GV in conjunction with this little box for my small business.

https://www.amazon.com/OBi202-2-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B007D930YO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1520529020&sr=1-2&keywords=Obihai

I have 2 GV numbers, so I have two lines to my business. I have it set up so if line 1 is busy, it rolls over to line two. Pair this with a two line phone system (I recommend Panasonic cordless) and you have more then enough for a small business. I also point GV to my cell phone, so I can take calls after hours, or if my business internet goes down, I can still take business calls.

The best part, is once you buy the hardware, there is no monthly fee. Im going on 6 months usage and its been rock solid.

Hope this helps.

> *EDIT: Than an Ooma VoIP with a wireless adapter at $120 package on Amazon (sweet, sweet Prime pricing)

You can certainly do better than that.

I really don't understand why people pay for home phone anymore. Just get an OBi, connect it to Google Voice, get free home phone service with call waiting, transcribed voicemails, ability to send/receive SMS/MMS from the number, have that number also ring up to 5 other numbers, etc.

If you want 911 service that's like $3/mo.

Actually, I don't know why people even want a home phone anymore...

Edit: Here is some more info

Yeah, ditch Cox phone completely and get an Obi200 for $50 and set it up with a free Google Voice number. :)

https://www.amazon.com/Obihai-OBi200-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B07FCS1NGM

Google voice +Gtalk + Obi100 = free land line

I have it and it works great!

http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-VoIP-Voice-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O

If you want VoIP telephony, you can get that for free with the Obi200. Yes, you need to buy the box, but after that cost, it's free.

So you need something like this : Cisco SPA112.

The rest of your plan seems to be really good. It will be a much better network than what it is now.

I use Callcentric and a Obi200 for my landline, the device is $47 and Callcentric is $3.47 month. I ported my landline to Callcentric and use google voice to make calls. Callcentric is very rich with automated call handling as is GV. What sorts of call handling are you looking for?

I set mine up to not ring unless the number is whitelisted all others go to voice mail (I then get an email notification along with the msg) and those that are in the Telemerketers list get a disconnected msg.

Anvio is another service provider which I'm sure has just many options for call handling as well.

Not really able to help on your question, but why not go with something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-SPA112-Port-Phone-Adapter/dp/B00684PN54

with a sip carrier or:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUV7C9A

if you really want google voice. Not sure that the second one is still supported.

Google voice with this works great for me I use it as my home phone and is free.

I've been thinking of getting an Obihai ( http://www.amazon.com/OBi110-Service-Bridge-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B0045RMEPI ), but I'll see what the service is like in my apt first.

Also, apparently if you go over it's 10 cents a minute, which would work out to 45 dollars for 450 minutes, and $75 (45 + 30) for 550 minutes is still less than I'm paying per month right now.

I'll look into your recommendation, thanks!

I set a relative up with two Google Voice lines on an Obihai 200. The cost to make the switch is:

• Obi200 = $50 (one time fee)
  
• T-mobile phone port = $10 (one time fee)
  
• Google Voice port = $20 (one time fee)
  
• Anveo e911 service = $15/year
  
  If you do this, you can configure the Google Voice number to ring on the ObiHai 200 device and mobile line. In other words, anyone can call the original landline number and it will ring the home phone and mobile phone.
  
  Before you do this, you need to make sure you meet the following requirements.
  
  

1. Verify that the landline number can be transferred to Google Voice. Go to this page and enter the landline number. If you get this message "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support," then there is no way to port the landline number to Google Voice. However, if you get this message "Ooops! We currently don't support porting from your carrier ..." then you can port the landline to Google Voice (by way of T-mobile).
   
   
2. You must have a reliable Internet connection. I don't know if there is a required minimum speed, but I've used the GV/Obi200 device on plans as low as 5Mbs down/1 Mbps up.
   
   If you meet those requirements, then you need to buy the Obi200 and a T-mobile pre-paid sim card (don't get a post paid sim card). Once you have them both, then you will need to port the landline number over to the T-mobile sim card (you might need a T-mobile compatible phone to do this). Once you've done that, you can go into GV and port the number from T-mobile over to GV (use grandma's google account; if she doesn't have one, then open one). Then you just need to setup the Obi200 including setting up Anveo e911 service. Viola! You have reduced the monthly bill from $50 to a little over a $1. Congratulations.

Have you tried a service like this? I use it as a backup landline and it works great!


OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LO098O/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8

I would skip the phone service and go with a VOIP solution. You can get an ObiHai 200 and port the number to Google Voice or Anveo and spend less than $5 a month including 911 access. https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A

You want to get the e911 from Anveo and use Google Voice for calling. That combo gives you unlimited calling and multiple 911 calls per year. I have this setup right now with a Panasonic wireless telephone set in all the rooms of my house and it works great.

Yes, I use this setup for many years now.

You can create a Google voice number (or port one in from a cell phone. You can even port your landline to a prepaid sim and then port that to Google for less than $10) then connect that to an [Obhai ATA](obi202 2-port voip phone adapter with google voice and fax support for home and soho phone service https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007D930YO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YRG5CbNRNJKSN)

You can also get any ATA device and connect it to a cheap SIP provider, I use Anveo

> They just don't seem to scale well to 300+ devices (pricing wise).

They scale horribly. For 300 users you should be looking at an on-premises PBX and using a voip trunk service.

I'm at 100 phones, so 1/3rd your load, and just went with a FOSS solution: freepbx on a commodity server, which is just a fancy web wrapper around asterisk. I went with Yealink phones because they're cheap and look nice enough to impress management. My project cost was very low for his kind of thing. I understand the DIY approach isn't for everyone but VOIP phones are simple to do if you have sysadmin experience.

>and the handsets we have are about 10 years old - but they all still work. I think we've had maybe 2-3 fail in that time.

10 years is really the EOL for phones. Its a bad practice to keep them longer. Soon your mortality rate with skyrocket and you'll have a hard time finding replacements. Or they will have a serious security vulnerability and the vendor won't provide a patch. Also from a politics perspective you don't want to be the guy associated with decade(s) old phones because, "Alan said they're good enough." Part of your job is to dazzle management a little now and again because that's how management works. They talk up ROI but ultimately go with their guts. A phone with a color screen is an executive toy they crave.

Handsets are relatively cheap nowadays. A basic voip phone is about $40:

https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-GXP1620-Medium-Business-Device/dp/B00VUU8EZM/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_229_lp_t_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TB9CWR78Z55WBJJN5GE4

A more featured phone $100:

https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-GS-GXP2170-VoIP-Phone-Device/dp/B019X06IFS/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_229_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QDJ86RDFCDNEBR3ZQARA

Or $70 for a middle ground phone:

https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-Enterprise-Telephone-GXP2130-Included/dp/B00JBVVZV2/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_229_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TB9CWR78Z55WBJJN5GE4

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BUIWA08/ref=psdc_1086954_t3_B019X06IFS

I'm too lazy to find the Yealink equivalents, but they tend to be higher quality than Grandstream at nearly the same price.


Note, resellers like voipsupply will quote you volume prices and beat this pricing.

So anywhere between $15,000 to $25,000 for you to replace all 300 phones.

>Is there some other big name I should be considering?

Probably Shoretel if you dont want to try something like Freepbx or 3CX (which I only hear good things about). You can also buy support for these products if you choose to go this route.

Have you considered porting your number to Google Voice and then just forwarding to whatever random number you get from T-mobile?

That's what I did (left Sprint for T-mobile on straight talk). I like it because it means YOU always have control of your number and you're not at the mercy of the cell provider.

And of course you get to use Google Voice which is awesome. Text from your desktop, read / listen to your messages, block spam calls / texts, and my new favorite feature I just found: present a "this number is no longer in service" message to folks you don't want to hear from again!

Plus, if you pick up an obi100 and have an old cordless phone lying around, you get a free home phone w/ unlimited minutes (through 2012 at least) and it uses your same google voice number so you can pick up calls on either your cell or your home phone.

Seriously awesome stuff! And on the cancellation, it "just worked" for Sprint (account showed no service right after port completed which took about a day). You WILL get charged an ETF if you are in contract though, so be aware of that.

My suggestion was to dump the home phone. You are spending $80 between the two. I would get internet and then purchase something like this

Ooma Telo Free Home Phone Service https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I4XMEYA/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_IlUBxbQAHWR00

or this

OBi200 VoIP Phone Adapter, T.38 Fax https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_9mUBxbYWV6XAQ

You would have an upfront cost of $50 - $100, but you would save about $10-$20 a month.

If you don't mind a quick and dirty DIY job buy one of these (there are models with more sensors if you need them) https://www.amazon.com/Fortress-Security-Store-Wireless-Detectors/dp/B00A1D907U/

and one of these -
https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A .

It's super simple to setup the system for google voice for the obi. Afterwards you run an analog cable from the obi to the security system and program the security system to call whoever. My setup was around $160 total and it's rock solid.

If I had known how easy it was, I would have done it years ago.

I bought an Obi200 interface box for about $50. It has 3 sockets: power, phone, and ethernet. I plugged its wall-wart into the power socket, my old home phone into the phone socket, and used an ethernet cable to connect it to my home router.

I used the router's configuration web-page to make the Obi200 visible to outside world.

Next step was picking a phone service provider. Obihai lists a dozen vendors that provide phone service through the device. I went with PhonePower at $33 per year. I paid $15 to port my old phone number away from AT&T. So, for better phone service, I'm paying $33 per year instead of the $545 that AT&T was charging me.

Ok peoples two secrets.

Both share the same services. The Obi adapter runs on Google voice is easy to setup and frequently updates the firmware.

http://carlosurreta.com/2011/04/25/how-i-reduced-my-69-cell-phone-contract-to-2-99/

How I Reduced my $69 Cell Phone Contract to $2.99

http://www.amazon.com/Obihai-OBi110-Service-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B0045RMEPI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/182-6152060-8778354

Obihai OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and Telephone Adapter

You can use a ATA box to convert the fax phone signal to VoIP.

This will allow you to connect to a SIP network via static IP or by registration.
I've used ATA boxes to test fax over SIP with my companies software and it worked fine. I've not used the cisco boxes linked above and can't remember the model I used. It supports G711/T.38 either way so should be fine.

Do some research on the Obihai for VOIP calling. All you need is a Google Vouce account and 50$ for the Obihai box. It's not hard to setup and it's free after the price of the hardware.

OBi200 1-Port VoIP Phone Adapter with Google Voice and Fax Support for Home and SOHO Phone Service https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YQaeBbD6WXWXY

I agree with rosi91 on the most minimalist communication tool. As for my minimalist telephone setup, I have this: http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/KX-TS500B
and this: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LO098O/

Simple, easy to setup, and unobtrusive.

EDIT: remove "?ref=" from amazon link

Just installed an Obi:

http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telephone-Adapter-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371821467&sr=8-1&keywords=obi

Free phone service if you already pay for internet. Nice to have when your cell phone dies or you are in the basement with 1/2 bar.

An ATA is a device that will register a SIP extension and hand it off to a normal POTS phone.

Like this:
Cisco SPA112 2 Port Phone Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00684PN54/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_br3.AbJJCV8X5

This way you don't need to replace all your phones.

This doohickey will allow you to connect a traditional landline phone, fax, or whatever you like for use with a variety of VOIP services, many of them free or low cost. Works with any broadband connection.

This is the right answer. OBi is even cheaper for upfront costs.

It uses your internet connection for VoIP, Voice Over Internet Protocol. You can even set up a Google Voice account to use with it, so you can give clients/whoever else one number, your Google Voice number. Then you can setup (and dynamically change) rules for forwarding calls to your house phone, cell phone(s), work phone if applicable, etc. You can vary it by number (friends/family always ring your cell, other numbers by default ring home phone), time of day, day of week, it's incredibly flexible.

If you get one of these, you can connect any house phone and make outgoing calls over gmail for free. I use mine all day.

Fair enough. I suppose I could use the existing cabling with an Obibox or similar, but everything would be on the same line (which truly is the norm in a home).

Google has offered VOIP for many years through Google Voice. You were even able to use it as a standard landline using hardware made by companies like Obihai. They make these adapters that you can connect to your landline phones and get free phone calling. Google Voice never supported 911 and these Obi boxes can't call 911. (They do sell a 911 service separately.)

Not sure if the link will work to the mic, but I'm using a GoPro with an adapter to fit this mic, which is mounted in my helmet. Insten VOIP/SKYPE Mini Flexible Microphone for VOIP/SKYPE - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002EQ6E9E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JWWVDbZ4VQHB2

You most likely only need the Obi100 which is $44. The Obi110 has some extra features that most people wouldn't use. As for your other questions, while it's possible Google will charge in the future, it probably won't be much compared to the cost of a land line. Also, it's possible Obi will go out of business. However, for $45 I was able to cancel my phone service, which saves me around $20/mo. I've only had mine for 2 months and it has already practically paid for itself. In 10 years who cares if it works, there will probably be tons of free VOIP options in 10 years.

I bought an OBi200 VoIP Phone Adapter. I got a phone plan with Phone Power for $59.99/year. Ported my number to Phone Power for a $15 fee. Quite happy.

Buy some sort of separate VOIP device and attach it to your internet if you're not attached to your phone number. I just had the same issue, cable modems with phone ports are crazy expensive, but I was looking to cut back from Time Warner. I bought an Obi100 and set it up with Google Voice, but may look into a different provider if Google makes it not free, depending on the rates they charge. Obi100 on Amazon. Otherwise, you'll need to pick up a modem that has telephony ports on it like this one - the key is to look for the word telephony and see if it mentions VOIP and has phone slots on the back: DOCSIS 3.0 modem with telephony. Depending on your internet speed you could maybe buy a DOCSIS 2 modem, but the minor savings won't buy you much future forward time. I think any of the Motorolla surfboard modems are valid with TWC's service, truth be told anything should work but they do have some compatibility lists somewhere. All you have to do is call them and give them the MAC address and it's ready to go.

4- that knob and tube on top. Is it still active?

You should have just ran another ethernet drop in place of Cat3. Use something like http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-47609-EMP-Telephone-Patching-Expansion/dp/B000U3BVNW and have patch cords to route wherever you want a phone.

1. You can purchase an Obitalk device. I personally use the Obitalk 110. Keep in mind that most VOIP providers do not offer e911. However, you can signup directly through the Obitalk's web portal. More info here
   
   
2. This will depend entirely on your area.
   
   
3. I use MLB.TV to view baseball games. Keep in mind that you'll be blacked out for your local team so you will need a VPN or Proxy service. But other than that requirement, it's still cheaper overall compared to cable. Check out /r/vpn and ask which service is the best at the moment.

Get a free Google Voice number, slap it on one of these for $50, and you've got a home phone.

For future reference, if you want to help anyone else out that still wants a landline, you can get one of these and plug in existing cordless phones (as long as they have broadband service):

https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494799970&sr=8-1&keywords=obi

You can use a free Google voice phone number with it and never have a phone bill, ever. Only downside - can't use for 911, unless you pay a couple bucks a month for another service alongside GV.

You can sign up for a free Google Voice account as it includes talk and texting. Always nice to have as a backup. You can have that number also ring on your cell phone (after your line issue is corrected). And you can also buy a Obi Talk adapter so the google voice can make/receive calls as a house phone with no monthly bill.

Yes. you will need a device like this : https://www.amazon.com/Obihai-OBi200-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B07FCS1NGM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=oova+google+voice&qid=1575045740&sr=8-1-spell

Are you using a phone adapter thing, like this http://www.amazon.com/OBi110-Service-Bridge-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B0045RMEPI/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IOIIG7CQMOV77&colid=2ZDNU5ATBRQUK or do you just use your computer for calls? I have been thinking about switching to VOIP only, and loosing the cell phone. I have also considered getting a newer smart phone, and doing VOIP over WIFI, without cell service, but I am curious about your experience.

We are utilizing this phone configured by this guide, each extension (ext1,ext2,etc) is mapped to a local phone. For dialing out you would choose the ext line then go from there.

EDIT: to answer your question below - Call quality is great, haven't had any issues so far (cross fingers).

+1 for this.

Voice quality is awesome, and everyone who calls can't tell that it is VoIP.

I have the Obi100 which only cost me $30. I paid another $12 for 911 services since Google Voice doesn't do that.

Assuming you are in the US and calling the US. If you must make the calls on your iPhone (and don't want a home phone at all) options include:

• A Skype Number and unlimited Skype calling. ~$5-6/month.

• The Talkatone app lets you make and receive Google Voice calls over wifi. I have used the android version, it mostly works as advertised. One time cost/free with ads.

If you are okay with having an actual home phone/willing to buy a handset for that you should check out the Obi. Uses google voice for calling. This is my preferred solution, though it does depend on google keeping free calling via gmail around for the free calling. Should that be discontinued you could just sign up with a SIP provider. http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telephone-Adapter-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377883447&sr=8-1&keywords=obi

Of note, none of these include emergency calling for free, with the Obi you can sign up for an emergency calling subscription too, but it'll cost you a couple bucks a month.

You want cheap? Here you go - Get a Google Voice number and port it into Anveo (https://anveo.com/enter.asp). While that port is happening, go purchase a Obi 110 (https://www.amazon.com/OBi202-2-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B007D930YO/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=obi110&qid=1554225574&s=gateway&sr=8-1). Once the port is complete you can configure Anveo cloud PBX (full features). We just use our two main lines for spam filtering really. We never pay for inbound, just outbound calls. I think I put a $50 credit on the account last year and we still have credit. Of course like I say, we really just use ti for spam filtering. Thats about the least expensive way to go.

Get an Analog Telephone Adapter like this - it will present dial tone to your burglar alarm. You can also have it put dial tone on your existing home POTS wiring so your old phones work just like they did before you cut over to voip.ms.

Set up each device that connects to voip.ms with its own subaccount.

The voip.ms wiki has lots of good advice.

The coolest thing about voip.ms is that you can set up a "Caller ID filter" to direct all incoming calls from unknown numbers to a simple IVR like "Press 5 now." If the caller doesn't press 5, they get disconnected. It blocks 100% of robocalls.

another thing that can be done with google voice is get one of the obhai boxes from amazon, the has the convince of google voice, with the ability to make the occasional outbound phone call..
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BUV7C9A/ref=s9_acsd_al_bw_c_x_1_w

Do they really need a home phone? Do they call international?

If not, then I would cancel that and just have the cell phones as their primary number. The other option is to port that home number to Google Voice and get a OBi200. The OBi200 lets you use your Google Voice number on a home cordless phone setup through VoIP. Google Voice has no monthly fee and you get free unlimited calling within US and super cheap per minute calls internationally.

You could also just get them the Google Voice app and have the home number calls forwarded to one of their cell numbers.

> i do not have a landline service to test it out

If you get one of these, you can get a free Google Voice number, and use it with your Star Trek phone!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HDATZ

Ever see Juno? Yes? No? Still cool either way

I do this with an iPod Touch. Google Voice hooked to Google TalkaTone installed on the touch. Free calls over WiFi.

Then I have a cheap MiFi account with TruConnect ($5/month plus data charges) to make/get calls when I'm away from the house.

As for a phone-jack style phone, someone mentioned an OBI 110 to me today. Would this work?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045RMEPI/ref=s9_simh_gw_p229_d0_g229_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=0RN3FCA4727BP1THSDBF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470939031&pf_rd_i=507846

I use Google Voice connected to an OBI box ( https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-VoIP-Phone-Adapter-T-38/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485550994&sr=8-1&keywords=Obi200 ). Totally free phone service.

What about this sort of thing? I have an old cell phone that I could hook-up to it for them? Seems like it would work with any phone or plan that way, right?

https://www.amazon.com/VTech-DS6621-2-Expandable-Bluetooth-Answering/dp/B00KJJCL9K/ref=pd_sbs_107_t_1/135-0766618-2293469?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00KJJCL9K&pd_rd_r=ca81653e-babc-4e46-b789-ece757397218&pd_rd_w=uMbkA&pd_rd_wg=CQmkR&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=R7QJTECZJ125SYGXQD07&psc=1&refRID=R7QJTECZJ125SYGXQD07

I love banging around on asterisk. If that is the goal take a look at elastix or pbxinaflash...Use the android phone as a SIP client.

Now -- if your goal is to make calls grab -- http://www.amazon.com/OBi110-Service-Bridge-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B0045RMEPI

Yes it cost money -- but -- you should quickly make that up when
compared to having an old computer run 24x7.

I've been using Nettalk Duo for the last 5 months with no other land line. It cost $70 including a free year of service and $30 a year each year after. Lot cheaper than $30 to $50 a month. It is similar to MagicJack, but can plug into your router instead of a computer usb port. This means a computer does not need be turned on for you to be able to use any regular home phone plugged into the Duo

http://www.walmart.com/ip/netTALK-Duo-Black-Chrome/15689187

I would have purchased an Obi110 that uses Google Voice, however it was not available when I took the VOIP leap.

http://www.amazon.com/OBi110-Service-Bridge-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B0045RMEPI

This device plugs into your router and lets you receive incoming and outgoing calls using google voice and regular home phones.
http://nerdvittles.com/?p=720

Obi110 hooked up to my FIOS Router and a DECT 6.0 compatible phone. Add in a Google Voice account and you get free local and long distance in the US. I also added in a $1.50/mo CallCentric account so that I could have e911 service.

If you have the internet you can always get:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045RMEPI/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?t=slickdeals&ie=UTF8&tag=slickdeals&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0045RMEPI

Which is $50 and will connect a land line to google voice for free US & Canada Calls.

I haven't found a windows phone app that works with google voice yet. I use google voice with an obi100 device and a cordless phone for making & receiving free calls.

If you port it to google voice you can get one of these and make it your new landline and keep using it for free.

https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-VoIP-Phone-Adapter-T-38/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=pd_lpo_229_bs_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FGCBC7Y5NPH5SJZ3SVGC

I ported my home phone to Google Voice ($20 one-time port) and use this to get calls (They regularly go on sale at Newegg too). It gives you free calls in US and Canada. You can purchase e911 for $15/year.

I see what you are saying. Thanks. So this one should work? OBi200 VoIP Phone Adapter, T.38 Fax
with Comcast?

Here you go.

Pretty sure these are the ones I have, but I'm not home yet to verify the exact model number.

You would need an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-SPA112-Port-Phone-Adapter/dp/B00684PN54/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525091775&sr=1-1&keywords=cisco+spa112

It will convert from the IP world of Asterisk to the Analog world of your home phone. Even better would be to port your phone number to a VOIP provider such as Flowroute, Google Voice, etc

If you have a spare iPhone then all you need is a WiFi connection and Hangouts to use it with Google Voice as a "landline." Hangouts is clunky for dialing out, but answering is pretty smooth. You can place the phone in Airplane mode and then enable WiFi, no need for cell service on the iPhone.

Alternatively, assuming you have a landline handset that you already like and are comfortable with is to get a Obi100 ATA ($38 on Amazon) and a Callcentric account (If you select that you are outside the US and dont care about 911, it is free incoming forever with no montly fees). Dialing out is not possible with this setup (unless you initiate things through Google Voice on the website or the GV App on your iPhone) unless you pay money.

The Obi can connect directly to your GV account to make outgoing calls, but there are a few problems with how it does that. The XMPP interface was supposed to be shutoff by Google earlier this year, but that has not happened. In addition, if you have gmail open, the phone doesn't ring because the calls are redirected there. Therefore it is advisable to have the SIP account to receive the calls with and turn off Gmail for receiving calls in Google Voice(This may also kill Hangouts, so you need to choose what is important to you).

A highly rated VoIP device. Let's you use your internet connection as a phone line, and does a very good job of it apparently (I have not personally tried one because I don't need a land line at all.)

[OBI] (http://www.amazon.com/OBi110-Service-Bridge-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B0045RMEPI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342985872&sr=8-1&keywords=obi)

If it works for you....do what I did. Buy this, setup and profit.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LO098O

Edit: more info on how to setup for your G Voice
http://www.obihai.com/googlevoice

Plug this into your network and any phone jack. Disconnect the telco line on the outside of your house. Setup with a VoIP provider and you good to go. All the phones in the house will be able to place and receive calls.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUV7C9A/

You will need to buy an MTA, either built in to the modem or a separate device. I've personally used and recommend https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00GP2HS3Y/ before, and because of the price being so inexpensive, can replace them if they go bad.

As far as AIO printers go, do you want laser or do you want inkjet? Are you concerned about print speeds?

I can suggest HP OfficeJet 3830 Wireless All-in-One or the HP OfficeJet 4650 Wireless All-in-One -- both are good inkjet printers with WiFi.

https://www.amazon.com/Converter-Antique-Rotary-Telephone-Modern/dp/B00DUDAR5M

This is the closest thing I can find. Hopefully this is a decent lead for you let me know if this is what you’re looking for

There was a recent post about this by a redditor here (link to reddit post, but actual steps are on his blog which the post title linked to). However, instead of building an asterisk box, the 2nd most upvoted commenter recommended buying this instead, which would do the same thing. That looks to be cheaper and easier than a Sheeva Plug. Either way, you can use analog phones with the device, which converts the stream to VOIP, and you can use Google as your SIP provider, provided you are using your GV number.

There is a SIP client for Android which will allow you to use GV over VOIP here, with some tutorials linked at the bottom. You'll still use your minutes when out and about, but otherwise you'll be all VOIP.

Keep in mind Google has not promised free SIP access for any length of time. If I remember right, the service was either discovered or possibly leaked, but there was never any announcement or launch for it, so it could possibly disappear, at which point you would probably want to subscribe to a SIP provider.

That's a great idea, a cheap digital answering machine for under $20.

Crate a message on the machine with a 300 baud Bell 103 encoder. There's a couple out there, but I haven't tried them in years.

Then the monitoring system can dial all the lines with a normal modem and wait for the pick up and ID data stream from the answering machine.

This would work for /u/pchov.

Just get a VoIP adapter like the OBi110. It has native Google Voice integration.

I'm in the lower Hudson Valley NY. For my home office I use Callcentric with a Cisco SPA112. Callcentric is based in NY and their quality is excellent.

I just checked my FIOS options and it looked like I could get telephone service for $5 a month. Or, for $50 you could get the ObI200 and use Google Voice.

What about something like this? VTech DS6621-2 DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone with Bluetooth Connect to Cell/Answering System, Silver/Black with 2 Handsets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KJJCL9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_EmKxCbFHS7RQ4

I really want to do that but honestly I have no use for a landline. Here's the one I've been eyeing. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BUV7C9A/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_33?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

So grandstream phones are not "supported" by 3cx. There is no reason why they should not work though. Yealink is a budget brand that is supported. If you do not have poe at home you'll need to buy the power brick for them as well. (Grandstream phones come with the power brick)

https://www.3cx.com/sip-phones/

In the 40 dollar range for grandstream I'd look at the 1625. HD audio, open vpn, backlight screen. It's a good worker phone.

https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-GXP1625-Medium-Business-Device/dp/B00VNMWRFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487030532&sr=8-1&keywords=grandstream+1625

Sorry I don't have any information about Yealink phones. =/

I use an Obihai device with Google Voice http://www.amazon.com/OBi100-Telephone-Adapter-Service-Bridge/dp/B004LO098O/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1373909268&sr=1-1. There were some issues with setup at first, something about too many signals at once but I changed some settings and adjusted my QoS so that VOIP was a priority and it worked fine. I wasn't about to pay $10 more a month for a mobile unit, so I was willing to walk away (previous owner had it installed before we bought the house) if my setup wasn't functioning.

Do not leave DVDs. Make sure you have reliable fast internet (Cable not DSL) and have an AppleTV and Chromecast, your guests can stream their own stuff. Oh, and get a $2/month phone line from http://voip.ms which you can use with an ObiTalk ATA https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-VoIP-Phone-Adapter-T-38/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=pd_lpo_229_tr_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YAM4YFT2MK567T8S7QGV

Weird you want? Weird I got.

• Bacon and Egg Ornaments
  
  
• Related to the mug you got him print
  
  
• Nyan Adventure Time Magnet
  
  
• Hamburger Phone
  
  
• Gecko Fan
  
  
• Sloth Christmas Sweater

Buy this - obi110

It connects to Google Voice, and has a regular telephone port that he can connect his phone to. It's $50, and no monthly fees, assuming Google leaves gmail calls free.

More details: http://obihai.com/googlevoice.html

Google voice plus a thingie. We use it at home for our home office service. Works well

I bought one of these for my kit:

https://amazon.com/Saytay-Telephone-Lineman-Tester-Connectors/dp/B01ABT7458/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469475891&sr=8-1&keywords=Phone+tester

It's worked well the handful of times I've needed it.

Personally I don't like being tied to any one company. I like choice. One of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004LO098O/ref=pd_aw_sbs_1?pi=SL500_SS115&simLd=1 and a callcentrics account or any similar company will do the same thing.

I had to get a new line for the BOGO phone. I'll be turning the new line into a home phone and buying a home cell connection set so my kids will have a phone to use to call for help. I don't trust them enough with an actual phone yet.


I'll also probably bring it with when we go on trips as a hotspot.

Headset suck and budget is even worse. So I would ask whats the budget? Off the top of my head the Monoprice modern retro is something to the tune of $20 and the massdrop mini mic is about the same but you could grab a 3.5mm mic like this and double sided sticky tape it in place and get an extension cord for it.

Surprised you didn't end up with this, handed to you without a word: http://www.amazon.com/Hamburger-Cheeseburger-Burger-Phone-Telephone/dp/B0016CVUR8

Perhaps this will take care of your problem?

https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A/

I use it with satellite internet service and it works just fine.

Go buy one on amazon then. They still make them. Rotary dial phone

My business uses this system. It's fairly quick and simple to setup, and as of yet (2 years of use) hasn't failed me. It can be setup to ring all phones or just 1 when calls come in.

Any electret PC microphone will work, just make sure to disable the menu item that lets PTT trigger from the socket. I too like a headset but I keep one of these mics tucked away with the rig just as a backup.

Many voip services available. I have been with these guys for years. $1 / month to keep the number + usage.

You will need a box similar to this if you want to use standard phone. Otherwise you will need an IP based phone.

http://www.amazon.com/OBi200-VoIP-Phone-Adapter-T-38/dp/B00BUV7C9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463515156&sr=8-1&keywords=obi+100

Don't forget to get an Obihai device (recently on sale for $30, now $47), so you can use your GV number as a landline too with a regular phone plugged into your router.

It can be done at very slow speeds via Google Voice, if you really want to do this. If so, you will need this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BUV7C9A

following a guide I found on here, I got rid of ATT for google voice and verizon pay as you go. I got an OBi100 from Amazon, and a cheap VTech Phone for home. This gave me unlimited talk when I was at home. This substantially reduced the amount of minutes I needed.

Secondly, I got rid of my expensive family plan from ATT, and went for the 100 minutes, unlimited data/text plan from Verizon. I was paying $135 a month from ATT (for two iPhones) and am now paying $65 a month, for the same two phones. I have a lot less minutes, but I just use my home phone and don't really talk on the phone when I'm out and about. This saves me $70 a month, or $840 a year.

Absolutely. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough in my lengthy post, but having no landline was really the motivation for the whole writeup (that, and not wanting to pay a monthly fee).

If you're already familiar with Google Voice, order an OBI 100 (not the 110, which allows you to use a landline as well) and you'll have it set up in 5 minutes.

Perhaps instead of looking for a typical business style phone maybe one of the more modern DECT cordless style phones would work, such as:

http://www.amazon.com/VTech-DS6321-3-Cordless-Silver-Handsets/dp/B002JH1C5Y

You store the names in the phone book, then perhaps the receptionist can hit flash, nav to the phonebook, pick who to transfer to & then connect the call into a 3-way, then hang-up. Could be kind of clumsy & definitely no guarantee it'll work proper.

There might also be softphone software that could do similar things using a VOIP provider, no physical phone would be needed just a headset hooked to the computer.

you can hook one of these up with a google voice number. i dont have any experience doing it though.

I have been using Google Voice with obihai OBi100 for couple of years now. Haven't had a single issue. You can port your number to google voice.

You might be making a single number port more complex than it needs to be.
One of these:
http://amzn.com/B004LO098O (which is the size of a deck of cards)
a telephone and some web set up and you are done.

If all you want is the handset, those are still sold as retro kitsch:

https://www.amazon.com/Native-Union-Phone-Retro-Handset/dp/B004Z6M918

Or you can buy the whole phone:

https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-ROTARY-fashioned-Rotary-Telephone/dp/B00A66R3YY

I think this is the device that allows you to use google voice number for a land line phone:
https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-1-Port-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B00BUV7C9A

Related.


Other side of related.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016CVUR8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vRQIDb9WP5AW9

omg $6.87, you need this:

hamburg phone!

Do you have <$2 to spare? Try this: http://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Flexible-Microphone-Laptop-Skype/dp/B002EQ6E9E/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1395685694&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Flexible-Microphone-Laptop-Skype/dp/B002EQ6E9E/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415396049&sr=1-2&keywords=microphone

ikr? so expensive

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EQ6E9E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Plugging one of these into your controller might work: http://amzn.com/B002EQ6E9E

Though I don't know if you can keep other players voices coming from your TV while using it as the PS4 would probably assume it's a full headset.

Also, if you get the Obi110 it lets you use Google voice with a home phone

The product you're looking for does not exist, and if it did exist, it would not work.

The Huawei router you've linked in your replies contains a built-in SIP Gateway. In order to get that feature back after you replace your router with one that doesn't have it, you need to plug something else into your new router to get this feature back.

Any SIP gateway like this Cisco device or this Obihai device will work. They'll still need to be configured to work with your SIP service provider.

This

Magicjack creeps me out. I use this baby for my home phone w/ my Google Voice #.

Telephone: Google Voice + [OBi110 Voice Bridge](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045RMEPI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cronkalytics-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B0045RMEPI">OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cronkalytics-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0045RMEPI&camp=217145&creative=399369)

TV: Get a Roku