Consequences of getting rid of landline?

0verblood

I was thinking of getting rid of the landline at home and switching to wireless broadband or maybe getting it through NTL.

Are there any consequences that I'm not thinking of by diconnecting the landline? If I needed to open a bank account or get a credit card would I need one? Or for any sort of governmenty issues?

PogMoThoin

None, there's always Blueface, port your existing landline number to them and get calls for next to nothing with no line rental

JDxtra

If you use Sky multiroom, you need a land line. Some alarm monitoring systems also only work with a real (not VoIP) landline.

You can also port your existing number to UPC and they will cancel your existing phone line for you.

NIMAN

Be aware that many wireless broadband services are notoriously dodgy when it comes to a good quality, constant signal.

You will never get the same reliable internet service through a wireless dongle that you would get with a landline. Just my opinion.

PogMoThoin

NIMAN wrote: »

Be aware that many wireless broadband services are notoriously dodgy when it comes to a good quality, constant signal.

You will never get the same reliable internet service through a wireless dongle that you would get with a landline. Just my opinion.

You're mixing things up, with fixed wireless broadband, a receiver gets installed on Your house and cabled inside. This can be better than Dsl and have lower pings, but it all depends on the provider and technology used. Fixed wireless providers usually give greater upload speeds than Dsl with which means Voip usually works well.

Mobile internet through a dongle (not wireless broadband) is another thing completely. Note that I didn't call it broadband, it should never be allowed use the name broadband as its not always on and isn't reliable. Its classed as midband here, like fast dial up.

NIMAN

Oops

0verblood

Pwnage.

THanks for the info guy.

watty

I have Fixed Wireless (Metro) from Digiweb for over 5 years. The "built in" phone service that's similar to UPC's actually works with Fax, Analogue Modem and Sky Digibox. I have two regular numbers, one of which was the original Eircom number. I've saved over €1,400 in dialup costs, line rental and voice calls. Smart (now Digiweb) and Magnet also have similar phone services on their fibre, rather that Digiweb Metro Wireless or UPC coax cable.

Blueface has no QOS or inherent security as it's over the Internet. UPC's own phone service is only via their own private network so is more secure and higher quality. It's a third party service. Just as Skype is, except standard SIP based VOIP rather than proprietary system of Skype.

Imagine Wimax phone service is much poorer as it's not a true Broadband system, but Mobile Wimax on too high a frequency band.

Neither UPC or Digiweb will guarantee their service for Fax, analogue modems or Sky Multiroom, but it may work.

The Problem with eircom phone watch is more subtle and applies if you have ANY non-eircom phone system, even copper pair or fibre. It's not inherently a UPC or Digiweb issue. Phonewatch supply a GSM unit for people with no phone line (about 40% of households).

Soon a majority of people will have no physical copper eircom line for phone.

Nothingbetter2d

JDxtra wrote: »

If you use Sky multiroom, you need a land line.

no you dont... although i have a land line none of my 5 skyboxes are connected to it

JDxtra

Yes you do. It's part of the T&Cs of having multiroom with Sky. They have no other way of confirming the boxes are in the same house.

Do you actually have active Sky subscriptions on your Sky boxes?

Bigcheeze

JDxtra wrote: »

Yes you do. It's part of the T&Cs of having multiroom with Sky. They have no other way of confirming the boxes are in the same house.

Do you actually have active Sky subscriptions on your Sky boxes?

Sky used to write to me threatening about not having the multiroom boxes plugged in. They haven't done so in at least 2 years so maybe it's changed.

Nothingbetter2d

JDxtra wrote: »

Yes you do. It's part of the T&Cs of having multiroom with Sky. They have no other way of confirming the boxes are in the same house.

Do you actually have active Sky subscriptions on your Sky boxes?

yes all 5 have active subs (sky max) and no ive never gotten a letter from them about them not being connected to the phoneline

PogMoThoin

I'm pretty sure the contract with Sky for multiroom only ties You to having them connected to the phoneline for the first year, after that its fine. Can someone please clarify.

watty

Multi-room needs phone line as long as you have it. You are thinking of ordinary contract, where phone line isn't an issue. The phone line is used to verfiy the two boxes are same place. Some times the boxes via satellite are given different times to "freephone" home and other times the SAME time, so that one fails deliberately. Both must be on same phone port if you have more than one port.

Of course they may have changed it.