cutting the phone cord (setup, replacement, landline, Internet)

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by matisse12

And agree landlines are perfect for serious or leisurely calls at home when you want to give someone your full attention.

This just makes zero sense to me. How is this different from a cell phone?

[oldgardener]

Originally Posted by RME40

Is there a way to connect a phone to the internet and use it that way?

You mean DSL?

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by oldgardener

You mean DSL?

Or even older school...

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by RME40

Is there a way to connect a phone to the internet and use it that way? I hope someone out there understands what I'm trying to explain. Please help and thanks!

Phones that connect straight to a router are usually very expensive (over $100), but there is one you can get for about $70.
Obihai OBi1022 IP Phone with Power Supply - Up to 10 Lines - Support for Google Voice and SIP-Based Services

The good news is you can install Google Voice onto the phone and not have to pay a monthly fee to call anywhere in the US. Calls overseas are very inexpensive.

[Peregrine]

Most of these people that think they have a landline... from their cable company... do not in fact have a landline but a phone that runs over the internet. This is not a true landline. A 'landline' is an old school POTS line.

[gemstone1]

"a phone that runs over the internet"....just for reference, it is referred to as VoIP...or Voice over Internet Protocol.

Regards
Gemstone1

[jencam]

Originally Posted by Cida

I have a landline and have no intention of getting rid of it.

Landlines tend to have better connections than cells. Landlines are physically easier to use than cells. Landlines don't get lost. Landlines don't need to be replaced as cells often do. Landlines are perfect for serious (or leisurely) calls at home when you want to give someone your full attention.

And, by the way, cell phones didn't work in NY on 9/11.

Let your mother have her landline.

I agree. I 'got my landline back' but not really. It depends on the AT&T thingy to be working. (router?)

I would very much prefer to still have a REAL landline. If the internet goes wonky, I'll need it.

It had a power back up source but the AT&T tech was like and how will that help you? If the thingy isn't operating? sigh.

[jencam]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

Phones that connect straight to a router are usually very expensive (over $100), but there is one you can get for about $70.
Obihai OBi1022 IP Phone with Power Supply - Up to 10 Lines - Support for Google Voice and SIP-Based Services

The good news is you can install Google Voice onto the phone and not have to pay a monthly fee to call anywhere in the US. Calls overseas are very inexpensive.

Onto what phone? You have to have a cell plan to use google voice.

Those 'free with wifi' text and call like TextNow are spotty at best. And I got hacked using it.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by jencam

Onto what phone? You have to have a cell plan to use google voice.

Onto the Obihai OBi1022 IP Phone like I posted. You don't require a cell plan to use google voice, but you must have a reference phone number to set it up. It could be a friend's number.

Google does not want to allow illicit operations to set up hundreds of free phone numbers, so you need a cell or a landline to start the service. But once it is set up you don't have to refer to that number again.

Most people get Google Voice as a second no cost landline, but if you don't have a cellphone and you don't want to use a friends phone number to set it up, the cheapest cell phone plan you can buy is from PAGEPLUSCELLULAR
$19.99 ALCATEL MYFLIP phone
$10.00 for 166 MINUTES 120 days

So you just have to renew the $10+$2tax three times a year. This phone service is slightly more than one minute per day so it has limited use, but it is ultra-cheap.

[jencam]

Originally Posted by Cida

I have a landline and have no intention of getting rid of it.

Landlines tend to have better connections than cells. Landlines are physically easier to use than cells. Landlines don't get lost. Landlines don't need to be replaced as cells often do. Landlines are perfect for serious (or leisurely) calls at home when you want to give someone your full attention.

And, by the way, cell phones didn't work in NY on 9/11.

Let your mother have her landline.

If she has a real landline, she absolutely must keep it.