What Are You Doing Right Now
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@scottalanmiller said:
@coliver said:
@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller Call forwarding is such a 90's technology... 8-P
I think he has a PBX that is hosted that routes to his computer via SIP or something.
Yup, hosted PBX. I get all the features of a big company including extensions for free for everyone in the family, four concurrent lines, can use it anywhere in the world but appear like I am still in the US, video calls, etc.
I don't travel near that much, but I've always liked the idea of setting up a PBX for the house. How much does the 4 "phone lines" run you a month?
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I'm told I am on a grandfathered plan but I think that there are cheaper ones available now. I'm paying $11/mo for unlimited incoming minutes (that four concurrent lines can handle) and pay per minute, but dirt cheap, for outgoing. So my family in the US can call us, unlimited, anytime that they want for the PSTN. And people like my dad can get an extension on the system and call us unlimited via an internal phone, no need to make a call over the PSTN at all.
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@scottalanmiller said:
I'm told I am on a grandfathered plan but I think that there are cheaper ones available now. I'm paying $11/mo for unlimited incoming minutes (that four concurrent lines can handle) and pay per minute, but dirt cheap, for outgoing. So my family in the US can call us, unlimited, anytime that they want for the PSTN. And people like my dad can get an extension on the system and call us unlimited via an internal phone, no need to make a call over the PSTN at all.
Where are you hosting this, and how much is that running? And what are you using for a smartphone client? I'm assuming you don't want to be teathered to a PC/laptop to make/receive calls.
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@scottalanmiller So basically "internal" family members would just use a Softphone / mobile app to call you?
I bet you are hosting it with C@C ^H^H^H Digital Ocean, aren't you?
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@Dashrender said:
Where are you hosting this, and how much is that running? And what are you using for a smartphone client? I'm assuming you don't want to be teathered to a PC/laptop to make/receive calls.
It's on RS. Any SIP client will work. I'm using Linphone on my phone. Works fine. I can have a desk phone too, of which I have a few. Those can be handy when you actually have a house.
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@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller So basically "internal" family members would just use a Softphone / mobile app to call you?
I bet you are hosting it with C@C ^H^H^H Digital Ocean, aren't you?
No, but DO would probably work fine too.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
Where are you hosting this, and how much is that running? And what are you using for a smartphone client? I'm assuming you don't want to be teathered to a PC/laptop to make/receive calls.
It's on RS. Any SIP client will work. I'm using Linphone on my phone. Works fine. I can have a desk phone too, of which I have a few. Those can be handy when you actually have a house.
What are you paying for that? So you're at $11 for inbound service plus?? for hosting?
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@Dashrender said:
What are you paying for that? So you're at $11 for inbound service plus?? for hosting?
Mine is riding on one of the NTG PBXs, so zero for me personally. If you were to host your own with DO or Vultr you should be between $5 and $10 for the needs of a home PBX.
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@scottalanmiller Sudden thoughts... Do you even really NEED a cell phone with a setup like that? Just get a iPad / iPod Touch with Mic and all built in... and keep a MiFi / mobile hotspot handy...
Just thinking out loud more than anything, lol.
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@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller Sudden thoughts... Do you even really NEED a cell phone with a setup like that? Just get a iPad / iPod Touch with Mic and all built in... and keep a MiFi / mobile hotspot handy...
Well the MiFi is a cell phone and a lot of services these days like Google Authenticator and What's App are blocked outside of cell phone service. At a technology level, no. But if you are using low end services like those or need to talk to people that use them you can get locked into some ridiculous technologies just to support those needs.
For voice communications, no I definitely have no need for a cell phone. I never take calls on it anyway.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller Sudden thoughts... Do you even really NEED a cell phone with a setup like that? Just get a iPad / iPod Touch with Mic and all built in... and keep a MiFi / mobile hotspot handy...
Well the MiFi is a cell phone and a lot of services these days like Google Authenticator and What's App are blocked outside of cell phone service. At a technology level, no. But if you are using low end services like those or need to talk to people that use them you can get locked into some ridiculous technologies just to support those needs.
For voice communications, no I definitely have no need for a cell phone. I never take calls on it anyway.
You could see if you can get a plan for a deaf person - no voice - only data and text services. The voice could be completely handled over VOIP/SIP.
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@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller Sudden thoughts... Do you even really NEED a cell phone with a setup like that? Just get a iPad / iPod Touch with Mic and all built in... and keep a MiFi / mobile hotspot handy...
Well the MiFi is a cell phone and a lot of services these days like Google Authenticator and What's App are blocked outside of cell phone service. At a technology level, no. But if you are using low end services like those or need to talk to people that use them you can get locked into some ridiculous technologies just to support those needs.
For voice communications, no I definitely have no need for a cell phone. I never take calls on it anyway.
You could see if you can get a plan for a deaf person - no voice - only data and text services. The voice could be completely handled over VOIP/SIP.
Do they offer that? I've request that before and they looked at me like I was from the moon. Verizon, I know, refuses to sell anything like that.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller Sudden thoughts... Do you even really NEED a cell phone with a setup like that? Just get a iPad / iPod Touch with Mic and all built in... and keep a MiFi / mobile hotspot handy...
Well the MiFi is a cell phone and a lot of services these days like Google Authenticator and What's App are blocked outside of cell phone service. At a technology level, no. But if you are using low end services like those or need to talk to people that use them you can get locked into some ridiculous technologies just to support those needs.
For voice communications, no I definitely have no need for a cell phone. I never take calls on it anyway.
You could see if you can get a plan for a deaf person - no voice - only data and text services. The voice could be completely handled over VOIP/SIP.
Do they offer that? I've request that before and they looked at me like I was from the moon. Verizon, I know, refuses to sell anything like that.
Pretty sure they don't, but as far as I know, only deaf people can buy it - they are forcing hearing people into buying their legacy plans.
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I really wouldn't mind getting a car with a data plan (wifi in the car)... but with the latest fiasco from Chrysler and a few others... I suddenly have changed my mind, lol.
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@dafyre said:
I really wouldn't mind getting a car with a data plan (wifi in the car)... but with the latest fiasco from Chrysler and a few others... I suddenly have changed my mind, lol.
Nothing says that the 4G of the car is connected to the car's systems. Can be completely discrete.
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@scottalanmiller Can be... But based on the way they designed the Car's computer (CAN BUS or whatever it's called), No thanks, lol. I'll just get a MiFi and keep in my pocket if I were to ditch my cell phone completely.
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Agreed, since the auto manufactures are clearly not talking security seriously, you just can't trust this technology.
There was/is a way to hack into cars via blue that the tires wireless sensors use to provide tire pressure to the car.
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Dafyre - is the mifi worth it? why not just do wireless sharing from your cell phone? why the added expense of another line on the account?
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In theory you can mount the mifi and attach an external antenna and it doesn't have a battery to kill (or not like a phone) so you can power it from the car without causing issues. It's better designed for being a permanent car wifi station.
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@Dashrender This was a hypothetical if I were to just get rid of my cell phone. 8-)
