I'd look at Viatalk who is open enough to allow asterisk SIP connections so they should be cool with a "bring your own device" type deal. Plus they are pretty crazy cheap for 199$ for two years which works out to around 8$ a month BUT BUT BUT they don't tell you they charge a monthly recovery fee of now around 3$ so its more like 11$ a month. Maybe that's included now, I got in for even cheaper early on and perhaps they figured out that it was too cheap just ask them about it if you order. In any case that's not too bad for an unlimited plan with dual phone lines, BUT that dual line means that you have two lines on the same number so you can carry on two conversations at the same time on two different lines but you can't (as far as I know or perhaps for more money) have two different numbers on those two lines. I honestly didn't check to see if they meet all your requirements as I'm actually fairly lazy. --j On Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 12:55 AM, Chuck Cole <cncole at earthlink.net> wrote: > I'm looking to replace my home phone service with a non-Vonage but Vonage-like VoIP service. I've searched past stuff here as well > as done Google searches and called 3-4 tech support lines to get answers. Discovered that Vonage is just expensive, and that others > just don't or won't help much. > > I think a couple of the providers that offer 2 lines with a basic home plan may be my answer, but they won't or can't help and say I > gotta use their hardware which makes me suspicious whether I can use their features as I could with Vonage (Vonage requires extra > monthly payments and/ or 2nd subscription to do what I listed below: expensive and not "seamless".). > > > I'll appreciate any and all comments. Here's what I think I want: > > > VoIP home plan desired: > > Unlimited calling in US & Canada > 1 home line, replacing POTS by Frontier, and keeping same number. Only need one number. > use my Linksys RTP300 adapter for home line (Linksys info sez this will do my VoIP home connection). > online access (from anywhere) to features, forwarding, and other standard VoIP personal preferences > unlimited online changes to forwarding home number to cell phone, or > unlimited forwarding to designated laptop, etc (eg, forward to personal laptop when going to 9-5 job, vacation, etc) > unlimited changes to access/substitute home phone via my laptop at WiFi hotspots (ie, any broadband link) > via a USB adapter such as Vonage claims for their V-Phone product (tiny adapter: www.Vonage.com/V-Phone), or > via SW such as Vonage claims for their V-Pro product (SW only with headset, needs no adapter - but there's no online product > info) > > Notes: > 1) I want the ability to switch home to laptop so I don't always need to use cell "prime time" minutes, but have the choice. > 2) do I need or want a hardware adapter like the Vonage USB V-Phone for my laptop to reduce CPU load? > 3) is their an unlocked product like the V-Phone which is locked? > 4) prefer the choice for laptop to access via Ubuntu or WinXP so phone can be ready in background, regardless of my main > application. > 5) Vonage tech support said that frequent switching from home to a V-Phone (eg, daily) isn't allowed, but sales said it is > unlimited. > 6) the services which said I must use their equipment did not or would not clarify how I could use my laptop as a phone at a > hotspot. > > > I could not locate a site or something and did MANY searches before asking this here.. > > > Chuck > > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list >