Free (cheap!) VOIP landline phone options?

[Patrick Boutwell]

I've been looking to add a home phone for local calling, but it seems everything either requires a $300 box or a monthly plan. One option was to buy a VOIP box for $45, and setup Google voice through it, however I guess that will no longer be a free service come the first of the year. I can always just bundle with TW, but I'd rather not add to my bill.

Does anyone have any ideas for setting something up?

[Erin Quick-Laughlin]

We have an Oomla Telo, currently $150 at Amazon, and it only costs us $4 a month in state and fed taxes, to have unlimited local and long distance.    I'm very happy with it, and really enjoy getting an email of my voicemails.  There are a lot of extras if you get the premium package but this is not required to have great service.

[Bob Waldron]

Patrick -- just curious, where did you find out that Gvoice will be charging starting the first of the year?  -- Bob

[Patrick Boutwell]

While looking up options, sites kept saying that it would continue to be free through the end of this year. Google has no official statement but I didn't want to set something up and only be able to use it for a month. 

Sent from my iPhone

[Bob Waldron]

Ah...  Just FYI, they've said that every year since they launched Google Voice, so you may want to consider getting a Google Voice number even if you set up something else before the end of the year. My guess is that Gvoice will be continue to be free as long as Google ads continue to pull in billions.

[PhysicsStu]

This is what I use http://www.myxlink.com/index.aspx. It converts land line phones acting as a pstn for the land lines and then bluetooth's to cell to make the call. There is always linux asterisk. The current price (69-89) is more than half of what I paid. 

Carl

[Karl P. Niemuth II]

isn't magicjack still out there?