VOIP/ Basic Phone Service

[Jeff Thies]

I'd like to add basic phone service to a rental house.

There seems to be a wide array of VOIP options. Any
experience/recommendations.

Jeff

[a real cheapskate]

well obviously they all require internet access, are you going to
provide that too?

for many americans just cell is becoming the norm.

with the tenants really want a VOIP phone?

[Jeff Thies]

On 3/3/2011 7:04 PM, a real cheapskate wrote:
> On Mar 3, 7:48 am, Jeff Thies<jeff_th...@att.net> wrote:
>> I'd like to add basic phone service to a rental house.
>>
>> There seems to be a wide array of VOIP options. Any
>> experience/recommendations.
>>
>> Jeff
>
> well obviously they all require internet access, are you going to
> provide that too?

Of course.

>
> for many americans just cell is becoming the norm.

But not all.

>
> with the tenants really want a VOIP phone?

I have one that needs a phone. Hence my post. I believe you have nothing
further to add.

Jeff

[Gordon]

Jeff Thies <jeff_...@att.net> wrote in
news:ikpidm$85c$1...@news.albasani.net:

Since when is it the landlord's responsibility to provide
internet and phone service for the tenents? They can go out
and get their own service.

On the other hand. If you want to provide the service as a
value added service. We just had a long drawn out discussion here
about Land line alternitives. So I'll add in my $.02 worth.

I have been using a service called Phone Power for almost a year.
I have had very good service. The response of their english
speaking CSRs has been excelent. The price is at least half
that of Vonage (one of the better known services) but Phone
Power has many more features. Also, Phone Power provides for free,
some of the features that Vonage charges extra for.

Setup is easy. Phone Power provides you with a Phone Power Adaptor
(Technicly an ATA). It's a bit bigger than a pack of cigarettes.
You plug it into your network, and a standard phone plugs into
the adaptor. Calls are made and recieved as usual. Your computer
is not used at all for any part of the call process. If you are
careful, you can hook the ATA to your internal phone wireing.

[SMS]

On 3/3/2011 6:22 PM, Jeff Thies wrote:
> On 3/3/2011 7:04 PM, a real cheapskate wrote:
>> On Mar 3, 7:48 am, Jeff Thies<jeff_th...@att.net> wrote:
>>> I'd like to add basic phone service to a rental house.
>>>
>>> There seems to be a wide array of VOIP options. Any
>>> experience/recommendations.
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>
>> well obviously they all require internet access, are you going to
>> provide that too?
>
> Of course.

Wow, I'm a landlord too and I never would have though that it was my
responsibility to pay for internet service or phone service. Is this a
vacation rental?

In any case, you could get at Ooma box, and basic service is around $4
per month plus the cost of the box, about $200.

Sipgate is around $2 a month if you want E911 service, free otherwise.
You do have to spend about $25 for a converter box.

Avoid any service that requires a PC to be on all the time to use it,
like MagicJack.