@mthomtech Me too, switching over next week!

@mthomtech

Real question, why not just use Skype or Hangouts on your cell?

@mthomtech Yes, I got one last time it came up. Mine has fewer lights than this one and it cost a bit more. Sometimes I get an echo when I call out on mine. But it's great. I went from $31 bux to like $4 or something. My home line is for appointment reminders and relatives. Just posting to tell people on the fence, buy it. Also, you are not a true cheap bastard until you have one of these.

I helped them beta the original Telo, and one of my features made it into the final product which was cool. But the product works well, and call quality is great. My dealings with the company have always been top notch too. I like having a home line because I don't want my cell to be the one I give out to businesses and such. I like a lot of the premium features too. Voicemails sent via email, blacklists, etc. The also have a good app to make calls via your cell phone over data ... particularly good for traveling abroad. Anyone on the fence, you can't go wrong at this price.

@mthomtech, I agree. Been more than a year since I bought mine, switched from Vonage. Paid for itself in less than four months. Never really had any problems with it. (But don't torrent a ton and expect to make pristine calls.)

@haydesigner I use the QOS features within my router to give my voice calls priority but if you don't want to do that, Ooma has it's own QOS features. Just place the phone between your modem and your router and Ooma will automatically throttle any other packets that are interfering with a quality call.

@eze783 Two things; I have a three handset plus base Panasonic phone attached. The number is only given to family. It rings throughout the house, so no excuses from the teenagers like I left my phone in the other room. I also use the intercom feature on the phones. It's a good 911 phone as the number is registered at my address, My entire network and WAN is on battery backup.

@halnwheels gotta love those Pany phones. Especially if they have the Link-to-Cell feature. Worth having the Panys even without a landline due to that feature.

@wew it's me wew and I got to say this new unit looks like a better one because the top is flat and you can put junk on it. Mine is rounded and so I can't pile stuffs on it.

@mthomtech, @everyone - what is the difference between the 'classic' and the current one being offered at their site (I think the Telo 2) for $109?

@hockeybum Not sure what all the differences are, but you may find some detail on their forums ... here's one: http://www.ooma.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=17120 I think they streamlined some functionality and some enhancements ... but I've had the classic since beta testing, with no issues. I took it across Europe during beta in 2008 and was able to make and receive calls everywhere I had an internet connection.

@haydesigner What advantages do you see over Vonage? I had Vonage years ago ... it was a bit expensive for how much I used it, and I never did get my fax to work. I can't remember the last time I sent a fax, so that's not as big of a liability as it used to be.

@eze783 cuz you can hook up cordless phoens with six handsets and answer in the toilet or garage without always carrying a device

@whogots, primarily cost… $25/month vs $4.31/month. Have noticed no difference in quality at all. :-)

@VeeDubTDI shades of old ma bell!

@somf69 This is a VOIP phone with built in answering machine. Free calls to anywhere in the US for about $3.75 per month in taxes a fees. Like having a land line, with 911 support, caller ID, call waiting, and lots more. If you subscribe to their Premier service, you can get call forwarding, voicemail to email, blacklisting, and other features. Buy one of their handsets, and 2 people can use the phone at the same time.

@TCayer I'm pretty sure it was meant as Speaker-Dock-Fridays humor, not a request for more info about the product on offer.

@InFrom I saw it as a joke, too, but I learned something from @somf6's reply!

@marvelljones ahhh the memories.

@Superjimtendo Uma. Oprah. Uma. Have you kids met Keanu?

@Dankk I had two questions when I was hooking mine up and their online chat had answered both questions within minutes. Sooooo much better than dealing with Comcast or AT&T who's customer service is handled by mouth-breathers fresh out of the primordial goo.

@Kerig3 Agreed. I've also had good luck with their online chat.

@communist That's almost 20 hours of continuous talking per week. If you work 40 hours, that's being on the phone half of the time while you're working.

@communist The key part here is: They "enforce it on a case-by-case basis in the event that a subscriber is clearly abusing the service". In other words, this rule is for people that are running a business, but only want to pay residential rates. Legitimate users shouldn't face any problems.

@communist Ooma will gladly sell you their Ooma Business service.

@cengland0

What does this thing get you that just using Google voice doesn't?

@givemeyoursoul

@Headly That's why you want to plug it into a surge protector.

@zuruiboy for free? Yes please.

@zuruiboy What do you mean "no re-registration" fee? I was going to buy a used one and Ooma support told me that it would cost $75 to transfer ownership. It would be cheaper to just buy this refurb and register it.

@cengland0 I believe Ooma killed that used box re-registration fee. At least they told me that in a chat on their site.

@cengland0 They can transfer an active device and account and there is no fee. To register a non-active device is $75.

@jason Email me, zuruiboy(at)yahoo(dot)com

@RedOak I have doubts that fee has been killed. I've had my new Ooma less than a year so they must have changed it within that year. Their site shows charges of $19.99 to change the Caller Name, $9.99 to reactivate, and $39.99 to change the number. Not sure which of those are applicable if you buy a used one from someone else but you should call them just in case. Here's a couple snippets from their site:

"There are three ways that you can acquire an Ooma unit: purchasing a new device, purchasing a refurbished device, or purchasing a used device. If you acquired your used Ooma device through a friend or family or online through a site such as Ebay or Craigslist, chances are high that your device was previously activated. If that is the case, then you will need to reactivate the device with your own personal information.”

“How can I reactivate my used device? You can check whether your device has already been activated by visiting the activation page and typing in the activation code or MAC address on your device. If the device has previously been activated, you'll receive instructions on how to contact our Customer Care department to clear the device's current settings and reactivate it with your personal information. Reactivating an Ooma device requires a one-time fee “

“Important: Please note that used Ooma devices and refurbished devices are subject to different reactivation terms. If your Ooma device is refurbished it will be treated just like a new unit, meaning that you can activate it online without paying a reactivation fee.”

@cengland0 fees certainly could have changed since, I think, about 4-5 months ago. But looking at those fees you listed, I'd guess none of them applies to the "used" scenario. I think the $9.99 fee might apply to folks who let their service lapse. But even it applies to turning on service for a used box, it seems like a very reasonable fee.

@RedOak Well, they do mention reactivation fees three times and my own personal phone call to them said $75 so unless someone else calls to confirm there is no fee to getting a used Ooma changed to your name, I wouldn't buy a used one from anyone. Buy new or refurbished only.

@cengland0 When I called to cancel my Ooma service they offered me the option of finding someone to take over the active account in order to avoid the $75 re-activation fee. They even credited my account $10 to cover the next 2 months while I tried to find someone. I don't recall fully if there were any other smaller costs to make the transfer but the representative repeatedly said this method would avoid that $75 fee.

@zuruiboy Good to know if you take over someone else's account (probably still have their name on it), there's no fee. I was told there was a $75 fee if I bought a used one off Craigslist or eBay and wanted to activate it under my name. I think that is an unreasonable fee but I suppose they need to make money somehow because they certainly aren't doing it off my monthly service at

@cengland0 now that Ooma chat is awake, just had one with them. They confirmed there is a $9.99 fee to activate a used (not an official Ooma refurb like this one today) Ooma box. The "$75 fee" is old news.

Certainly don't take my word for it if you're about to buy a used one - do your own Ooma chat - very responsive.

But to be clear for others jumping in the middle of this dialog, there is no up front activation fee to turn on today's Ooma refurb service.

@djslack going out o' business sale, eh?

@lorend0 prolly, go to ooma.com and check

@RedOak You know you're in the write-up, right? Only slightly lazy. Now thrifty, as well.

Very tempted to buy another as a backup.

@KDemo Yep. Not lazy, but definitely cheap. That comment last time was intended for lazy folks tho - so they wouldn't be scared off since these are so easy to set up.

@RedOak - Have one. From Woot years ago. Love it. But it's made of weird stuff that's hard to dust.

@RedOak Mine did get zapped by lightning but it came through the cable to the cable modem, through the router, and then destroyed the Ooma. It was already out of any warranty so I just bought a new one. I'm also tempted to buy another one as a backup because I had to do without a phone line for a couple days while I waited for it to arrive.

@cengland0 'noticed you mentioned above you don't have the Premier service. One advantage of it is if your house loses power or Internet or your Ooma box craps out, it will auto-failover to a number of your choice. That is the way I found out our house lost Internet, I started getting home calls on my mobile while camping 250 miles away.

@RedOak just to be clear, some of the fees do stay with Ooma. The feds and local regulators give limits to some of the "recovery" charges that providers can charge customers and they can cook the books to show it is an expense on their end even if they are profiting some. Now taxes of course go to gobernment

@RedOak I use Google Voice and have it set to call my Ooma number and my cell phone number at the same time. So if I lost power (wouldn't matter anyway because I have UPS in my wiring closet), the next call could be answered by the cell phone.

I never give anyone my direct Ooma number. I always give out my google voice number instead and that gets forwarded to Ooma.

@RedOak Paying for premier service kind of goes against the whole premise. I'll stick with the three dollars a month I pay in taxes and let the box pay for itself. Call me cheap!

@halnwheels The base service works great, but aside from the several handy features in Premier, I use that included second phone number to run a consulting business on the side..

@Superjimtendo The Obihai (via Google Voice) supports texting. It's very similar to the Ooma, but without the any recurring taxes or fees. I'm not much of a texter, but I've used it from time to time and it works great.

@Superjimtendo This is a land line. Use your mobile to text.

@annwat - Ooma sold me a bluetooth dongle. Think it was about $15. Just be sure your phone has BT.

@jareza Agreed 100%. I love my obi and while I would never recommending skirting insanely outdated telecom laws, it's worth noting that neither the ooma nor the obi have a GPS in them to restrict you from using them overseas to make free calls back to the US

Yup, you can travel with your obi anywhere in the world and talk as if you were in the States. anyhow, OBI is the best! no regrets so far!

@YahSah15 well you still need an ISP you can just dump the voice part of your bill. That said Comcrap will try to increase your internet service for no buying a bundle (assuming you don't have TV) but everything is negotiable.

@shade_tree Thank you.

@ChunkyBitz Thumbs up with OBI, I call BS on OOMA monrthly "taxes"... taxes for what?

@jareza They are federal and local taxes on phone service, you'd pay the same taxes if you had a real landline. The reason Ooma has them is because they've decided to be a carrier (phone company). Obihai doesn't provide a service, they just sell hardware that lets you connect to the service of your choice. If that choice is Google Hangouts (formerly Google Chat), there are no taxes because Google doesn't call themselves a carrier. Technically, when you use the Obihai via Google Hangouts, you are using a PC to connect to Google (the Obihai emulates the PC software) and then Google is placing the outgoing call via a standard phone company. That way they avoid being a phone company and thus eliminate those taxes.

@unkabob It's a Voice-over-IP (aka VoIP) phone system. It uses your broadband Internet connection to provide you with the equivalent of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service, aka landline) home phone service. Vonage would be the most commonly-known similar service (because of their incessant commercials), but they charge around $25 a month (to pay for their incessant commercials).

@ChunkyBitz ... Thanks.. Never liked vonage, they kept telling me their prices were very reasonable but reading the small print convinced me that statement was only a temporary promise.

@unkabob I, too, got screwed by Vonage years ago. Ooma has given me great phone service for almost 5 years for $3.71-$3.83 per month. My number port took less than 3 days, my caller-ID and 911 data is all good. I enjoyed their Premier service for a trial period, but just don't use the phone enough to make it worth $12 a month more. Plus, plug a cordless phone base into it, and you've still got as many extensions as you need. I've heard you can plug it in to your existing wiring and use it with your current phones, but have not tried that. This price is awesome as well!

@TCayer ... Sounds good, thanks.

@TCayer You need to disconnect from MaBell at the box, usually located outside your house. My guess is that Ooma doesn't like the DC voltage that MaBell gives you.

@G1 That's a good tip. Since we use cordless phones, it hasn't been a problem. My house has OLD wiring, and many of the connectors are the old 4-pin plug.

i don't pay any taxes because i'm grandfathered in but I'm pretty sure you will have to pay taxes (around $5-10) each month

@lotsaboxes easy to check the taxes at the link provided by Meh above, but most folks report about $3-4/month.

@einrad Since you have relatives in other countries, you can get free Ooma to Ooma calling anywhere in the world. They would need their own Ooma device and service.

@einrad Reasons to have a landline: younger kids who don't have their own cell. Your cell is dead. You dropped your cell in the toilet. You need to call your cell to find where you left it. Shall I continue?

@cengland0 Ooma to ooma calling would require some tech aptitude. But even Ooma to POTS is cheap these days. And international calls are not affordable with US cell carriers at all.

@einrad AT&T just increased most international calls from one cent/minute to 20 cents/minute. Bummer!

@eblade Don't know about you, but my internet connection in my home is more reliable than my cell coverage. In fact, my phone is always connected to my wifi when I'm home. Sometimes it switches to wifi calling mode. We have an Ooma and use it for long phone calls so it doesn't run down my cell battery. Also good to have a backup if the kid hides the cellphone.

@eblade Have you ever lost your cell? Had the battery die? What if you break it? If/when you have kids, there's a phone in your house for emergencies. For a minimal setup cost and less than $4 a month, it cheap insurance.

@sparkyfarad Yes. Their site says this specifically, "Choose a new number in most U.S. area codes Select a local area code or one in a city far away. No matter, we’ve got your number."

@sparkyfarad we did this.

We set up to be a local number for my parents. They live in 20th century... no cell phones, only home phones.

They can call us as local.

@sparkyfarad This would be another reason (amongst many) to consider the $9.99/month Premier package for some folks. The Premier package includes a second phone number and you can pick two different area code phone numbers on a single Ooma account.

@sparkyfarad You can also port our existing number, and drop the copper

@CraigDanger the cool thing about that Ooma box, if you have a vacation home, you can pick the box up and take it with you. Of course you could forward the number, but then you wouldn't have the answering machine like functionality of the box with you. (And call screening with Premier.). . . Of course if you move the box, you'd want to change your address each time in "My Ooma" online - for the 911 service.

@PocketBrain 'Lots of people are happy and proud of their Obi-Google Voice setups, but those are a better match for geek-tending folks. Ooma is easy witht the same folks supporting the box and phone service.

@PocketBrain and with OBi don't you have to pay a small annual fee no have 911 location service? Included in the basic Ooma service, no extra cost.

@RedOak If you want 911 location service then yes, you'll have to pay a fee although not to obi - you'll have to find a SIP provider who supports it. The google voice setup simply doesn't have 911 service.

@mcanavino once setup is complete, you never have to touch it again. If she has a cordless base plugged in, that can act as their answering machine, handsets, etc. I have mine set to 6 rings, and the phone base to 4, so Ooma only grabs calls that come in while I'm on the phone. In almost 5 years, I've had maybe three problems, and those were all fixed by unplugging it and plugging it back in. $3.83 per month!

@TCayer Thanks! I'll ask the wifey about getting one for her.

@mcanavino from my post below: Very cheap, very reliable, very good quality. I also replaced my parents landline with Ooma, they are in their 80's and have had very few troubles with it, it resets with no intervention required when their internet goes out and then comes back.

@TCayer worst case, give this Ooma number out when a company requires one instead of your mobile and you don't want to give them a fake.

@sjk3 True this is not exactly POTS but there are areas where you can't get copper at all anymore. This is the next best thing. Since a regular telephone can be attached to it (touch-tone), they may not even realize the difference except for the fancy dial tone.

@halnwheels Actually, it is a matter of if the main power goes out -- due to squirrels or hurricane or thunderstorm -- so does the Internet access. Whereas the POTS copper iine is powered separately from the house.

@sjk3 You can put your Ooma and internet modem on UPS for extra security

@NetworkGuy I doubt you can add it to the same account, but I think Ooma has Wifi extenders now if you need more coverage in the house.