MotorSeven
Elite Member
We live in a spotty cell coverage(bounces from one bar to zero bars) area which forces us to use a AT&T land line to the tune of $79 a month. Recently Verizon has come out with a new Home Phone device that gathers spotty signal and amplify's it so your calls don't drop.
It is kinda like an X-link in the sense that you plug your landline phone into it, plug the device into a power outlet then talk. It comes with it's own cell phone number and has a type of cell phone receiver and signal booster/repeater built-in. Our home AT&T number can be ported to it so we can keep our old number. This device does not allow us to now use our cell phones here (you would need a $300 aftermarket gain Antenna for that with no guarantee that it would work).
I bought the external antenna($10) and tried it this morning. I made three calls, the first one had a echo of my voice but not who I called. The other two calls out of state were flawless. The echo thing happens now from time to time on the AT&T landline, so I am not sure what causes it. Verizon said we can try it out at no charge/return it if it didn't work. Anyway, the device is free and a two year contract with Verizon is $20 for unlimited long distance in the US with caller ID an additional $3. So, this will be a $56 savings a month. You can add a line to your existing plan for $10, but then your are restricted to your minute usage per month, so I think the $20 is a better deal. Oh, and it has a battery back-up in it, so when the power goes out you can still use your phone as long as those battery's last.
Has anyone tried this thing for any length of time, and if so how did it perform? Keep in mind this new device replaces an older one that had 80% less power output. I do wonder how much more Verizon can charge at the end of the 2 year contract, but I think it's worth a chance. I can always go back to AT&T and pay through the nose........
It is kinda like an X-link in the sense that you plug your landline phone into it, plug the device into a power outlet then talk. It comes with it's own cell phone number and has a type of cell phone receiver and signal booster/repeater built-in. Our home AT&T number can be ported to it so we can keep our old number. This device does not allow us to now use our cell phones here (you would need a $300 aftermarket gain Antenna for that with no guarantee that it would work).
I bought the external antenna($10) and tried it this morning. I made three calls, the first one had a echo of my voice but not who I called. The other two calls out of state were flawless. The echo thing happens now from time to time on the AT&T landline, so I am not sure what causes it. Verizon said we can try it out at no charge/return it if it didn't work. Anyway, the device is free and a two year contract with Verizon is $20 for unlimited long distance in the US with caller ID an additional $3. So, this will be a $56 savings a month. You can add a line to your existing plan for $10, but then your are restricted to your minute usage per month, so I think the $20 is a better deal. Oh, and it has a battery back-up in it, so when the power goes out you can still use your phone as long as those battery's last.
Has anyone tried this thing for any length of time, and if so how did it perform? Keep in mind this new device replaces an older one that had 80% less power output. I do wonder how much more Verizon can charge at the end of the 2 year contract, but I think it's worth a chance. I can always go back to AT&T and pay through the nose........