Help me decide about keeping land line phone or not

With fiber optic usually means lightening fast Internet availability. But if all you're going to get is landline it makes no sense to keep it, with your having a cellphone.
 

I rarely use my cell phone; it's almost always our (fiber) landline. Our Panasonic house phone system has six cordless handsets so we're always within a few steps of a phone. I don't want to have to worry about dragging a cell phone around the house with me all the time.

Lots of bells and whistles. Each handset gives an audible announcement of who's calling so we can easily ignore unwanted calls. Each handset can listen to current messages on the answering machine, and the provider supplies a voice messaging system that kicks in if someone calls when we're using the phone. The system also has an intercom feature so we can quickly buzz each other when we're in different parts of the house (it's a long house).

And . . . our handsets feel like real telephone receivers rather than a just slab of plastic pressed against your cheek.

For us, the landline is extremely user friendly. The cell is just a necessary evil.
 
I will keep my landline as long as possible.
I have three handsets, living room, bedroom, kitchen.
I can't imagine at this age carrying one with me in my daily routine around my apartment and with my fumbly fingers and other hand problems would be a nightmare

For me, the cell phone has , unfortunately, become a necessary evil when dealing with banks and other companies who all insist on texting us pin numbers or whatever to get to wherever we want to go on the net.
I take it with me when I go out and have used it on occasion but my preference is my landline so I say

'Long live the landline'

Thumb up big..jpg
 

Oldeagle66 said:
I still have a landline for complete privacy and only pay about $25. However it's fiber and not copper. It'll go out like smartphones and wifi now. I also keep it because I don't have to worry about losing it, cracked screen or no battery.
Click to expand...
What company is your landline? Mine has become more expensive and I'm wondering if I can get a landline through some other company.
 
I have a bluetooth capable smart phone and purchased an ...
Xtreme Technologies XLink BT HD - Only High Definiton Audio Bluetooth Cell to Home Telephone Adapter (One Cell Phone)

I have a landline phone base with two wireless landline phone extensions. But I no longer have landline phone service.

So what happens is, I plug the landline base into the bluetooth adapter linked above and the adapter pairs with my smart phone via bluetooth.

Basically what it does is allow you to have a ringing handset for your cell phone. The two wireless landline extensions still work too.

Voice quality through the high definition audio adapter during a call is very good but I can't say it is just as good as a landline, but almost just as good.

XLink (site link) has a couple of adapter options and more information is available through their site link.

Using the adapter, my cell phone service provider has no idea I'm using an adapter to link my landline phones using bluetooth. They have no need to know. So all I have is the regular cell phone bill and no landline charges.
 
Its a different thing depending upon your area and provider, here in SW Ontario I was forced to dump my hard wired landline due to it crapping out and obsolete underground wires, so went with internet connection via line of sight connection. It was fine except as with all such systems when no power or no internet no phone! I recently upgraded to underground fiber optics connection with little difference in actual use as it still connects via a similar system and (unlike landline) still needs power at my end to operate, and both have a brief pause when first picking up the phone before you can dial out.
I my case I do not have a cell phone and our cell service in this location is rather spotty anyway, so I do have automatic battery back up to power the equipment during a power out, if you need that phone in an emergency you should invest in a back up power system.
 
Naturally said:
I have a bluetooth capable smart phone and purchased an ...
Xtreme Technologies XLink BT HD - Only High Definiton Audio Bluetooth Cell to Home Telephone Adapter (One Cell Phone)

I have a landline phone base with two wireless landline phone extensions. But I no longer have landline phone service.

So what happens is, I plug the landline base into the bluetooth adapter linked above and the adapter pairs with my smart phone via bluetooth.

Basically what it does is allow you to have a ringing handset for your cell phone. The two wireless landline extensions still work too.

Voice quality through the high definition audio adapter during a call is very good but I can't say it is just as good as a landline, but almost just as good.

XLink (site link) has a couple of adapter options and more information is available through their site link.

Using the adapter, my cell phone service provider has no idea I'm using an adapter to link my landline phones using bluetooth. They have no need to know. So all I have is the regular cell phone bill and no landline charges.
Click to expand...
I've been wondering about a device like this, thanks for posting. Would it work with a cell phone the only service it has is being connected to wifi ? The smart phone I got supposedly works here, but so far I can find no actual cell service anywhere in the county, but it does using wifi.

I'm still in the trial period, but it's better than the non functioning landline service.
 
Flarbalard said:
I've been wondering about a device like this, thanks for posting. Would it work with a cell phone the only service it has is being connected to wifi ? The smart phone I got supposedly works here, but so far I can find no actual cell service anywhere in the county, but it does using wifi.

I'm still in the trial period, but it's better than the non functioning landline service.
Click to expand...
I can't see why it would not work. The XLink adapter does not require WiFi. All it requires is 1) a power source for adapter power. And 2) a bluetooth capable smartphone.

In other words, the XLink adapter does not care whether your smart phone service is through either WiFi or cell towers ... or both. All the XLink adapter cares about is if your smart phone is bluetooth capable.
 
@Flarbalard ... I will add that the XLink adapter to cell phone is only as good as the bluetooth bonding distance. So I keep my cell near the adapter when home.

When I leave home or go outside with the cell phone, the bluetooth connection with the XLink adapter is broken/lost because they are out of bluetooth signal range of each other. However, as soon as the cell phone is back within bluetooth signal range of the adapter, the connection is automatically re-established.

When out of bluetooth signal range, the cell phone still functions normally and the landline phones back at home are "out of the loop" and don't ring when I get a call.

The thing is though, XLINK makes an adapter that allows 2 cell phones to connect via bluetooth at the same time. I'm single and don't need that feature, so have the adapter that only allows 1 cell phone connection and has HD audio. BUT, the adapter that allows 2 cell phone bluetooth connections is nice for couples who may one or the other leave home with their cell phone. The other person would still have their cell phone connected to the adapter if they remain at home.
 
Thanks for the additional information. It's only going to be used so my wife doesn't have to mess with the cell phone to use the phone. It's about 10' straight line of sight, shouldn't be a problem.
 
@Flarbalard ... Here's a link to a YouTube search of XLink bluetooth gateway videos. There are a bunch of different videos about the adapter device and you may find them interesting ... xlink bluetooth gateway

There are other devices that do the same thing as the XLink adapter, and while I tried a cell2jack device, I found the XLink device to be the best quality and easiest to set up.

I will add that nothing is perfect and there have been rare occasions when the adapter and my cell phone don't link up even when in bluetooth signal range. Not sure why. The indication would be a blinking bluetooth light on the adapter indicating no bluetooth signal link. I used to go through the entire set up to get them to reconnect but eventually found that all I needed to do was open bluetooth settings on my cell phone and click on the XLink icon. Easy peasy.

Also in my cell phone settings, I added the adapter to my list of trusted devices. My home address was already in my cell phone settings list of trusted locations. If you're not sure where those trusted settings are, just open the settings app on your cell phone and use the settings search bar to find "trusted device" and/or "trusted location". Probably not required to enable those settings for the adapter to cell phone bluetooth signal connection to function properly ... After all, there is no mention of doing so anywhere in the set up instructions. BUT I found it seemed to help consistently re-establish and maintain the bluetooth signal connection between the adapter and cell phone when checking those "trusted" boxes.
 
@Flarbalard ... one final thought I will add is that when connected to the XLink adapter via bluetooth, there is no need to treat the cell phone any differently than you normally would. The cell phone will still wake up for an incoming call just as it would for any incoming cell call. The only difference is that the landline phone(s) will also ring and you can pick up the landline phone handset instead of answering the call on the cell phone. Then when ending a call, just hang up the landline phone handset (or end call on the landline wireless extension if that is what you're using) and done.
 
Straight Talk has a "home phone" monthly plan that is $15 a month with unlimited nationwide calling. You have to purchase the home phone unit that is around $50 online or I think most Wal-marts carry them too. I got one for my mom about 10 years ago.

It has jacks in the back just like you would plug in a regular land line so she was able to keep using her two portable phones and the answering machine she was used to. Basically it's a smaller device with antennas that connect to wireless towers.

If you search online for Straight Talk home phone you should see the info on their site. It's about $17 and some change with taxes etc. and was the best choice I could find for her without actually having to pay for a wired landline to her home.
 
I have caught up to most technology...have a cell and all. BUT still have the landline. I have Spectrum and have both internet and voice for a fair price. Less than $100 a month
Plus...if I am not mistaken, I have one of those medic alert buttons and I think it needs to be attached to a landline. could be wrong there..will have to check
 
@Naturally thanks again. I'd like to have a working land line, but it's a long story. We have a flip phone which works fine, but we need to have 2 lines, so if I'm gone she can make a call in an emergency. So I wandered into the world of smart phones. My big mistake was doing this without having an liquor in the house. I rectified that situation and after a couple of weeks now, I can do calls, get voice mail, and pause some things I don't want.

In an emergency though, it has to be 2nd nature for my wife to use the phone. Yes practice is imperative, but she has to be up to doing it and sometimes it's just too much.
 
@Flarbalard ... Some cell phones require changes in settings to accurately dial 911 calls. Check your phones owner/user manual about emergency calls.

Keep in mind too, even phones that have not been initialized for service on a cell network and have not been assigned a number can call 911. As long as a phone can be powered up and can locate a network, it can connect to 911 services. That's all it can do is dial emergency services if there is no cell contract otherwise on the phone.

So maybe an old cell phone left at home might be ideal for a dedicated emergency call phone, but couldn't be used for anything else. Many nonprofit organizations collect old cell phones, refurbish them and distribute them to those who just need a phone for emergencies. Most of these phones are distributed at no cost. A search on the phrase "free 911 phones" or "911 phones" will yield a list of groups who collect and distribute old cell phones for 911 use.
 
I had a landline only because it went to my alarm monitoring company, so I kept it up until last year. The company installed a unit that communicates with my smart phone for a reasonable one-time charge so I went with it Honestly, when the phone company changed my home phone number I didn't even know what it was on the landline so no one I knew contacted me on it. I haven't missed it and I'm paying a lot less.
 
One of my happiest days was when NBN fibre arrived and I could tell Telstra to stick their line rental where the sun don't shine.

I persisted with a free VOIP line using my old number for a while but found I never used it so pulled the plug on that too. Very happy with just my mobile.

Fortunately users "own" the number so you can take it with you to any provider (as long as you don't owe money).

Mobile phone charges are brilliant I pay $300 a year for unlimited domestic and international calls, texts and 230Gb data. None of this booking a three minute Christmas call overseas weeks in advance - that seems so long ago!. I chat to my brother in the UK and friends in Asia for hours.

The only thing that annoys me is all that data, I use maybe 20Gb a year on my phone and it doesn't roll over.
 
Last edited:
Tommy said:
I rarely use my cell phone; it's almost always our (fiber) landline. Our Panasonic house phone system has six cordless handsets so we're always within a few steps of a phone. I don't want to have to worry about dragging a cell phone around the house with me all the time.

Lots of bells and whistles. Each handset gives an audible announcement of who's calling so we can easily ignore unwanted calls. Each handset can listen to current messages on the answering machine, and the provider supplies a voice messaging system that kicks in if someone calls when we're using the phone. The system also has an intercom feature so we can quickly buzz each other when we're in different parts of the house (it's a long house).

And . . . our handsets feel like real telephone receivers rather than a just slab of plastic pressed against your cheek.

For us, the landline is extremely user friendly. The cell is just a necessary evil.
Click to expand...
I rarely use either phone now so I forgot about this. You are right.
When the husband was here we used the intercom a lot.
And its nice to have multiple phones. I have a big house too. :D

When I was on call I had to drag that cell everywhere. It was a royal PITA.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top