Numbers
+1 4123608472 (Pittsburgh PA)
+44 2080680463 (London UK)
I have chosen to make my toll-free number a forwarding number, and instead acquired a Pittsburgh local number for people to call. When I order new contact cards in January, they will display the cellular and home phone numbers as the number options. For people referencing this page will also find that I have a London UK number.
My London UK number is for those where calling Europe might be cheaper than calling the US. This is especially true for those in the United Kingdom. Since the UK uses a closed loop system for their telephone numbers, you would have to dial the number as seen above if calling from outside of the UK. For those in the UK, you would replace +44 with 0. The preceding 0 is always removed when calling on an international level.
In addition, if I should decide to get additional telephone numbers (such as an international number), it will be tied to this service. This is because my international numbers are reasonable through this carrier if I should benefit from such a number.
Carriers
I am not going to disclose who my home phone carrier is. This is to make it harder for bad actors to use this information against me. This carrier is very affordable though offering me a number of options. This carrier uses SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) to make the phone calls. This means calls are carried across the internet rather than traditional copper line phone service. Since the calls carry over the internet, I must have an internet connection (1MBPS+, less than 100ms latency) to make/receive the call. Most SIP providers will provide a telephone number – sometimes free, and other times with a cost.
The carrier also supports E911. This will allow emergency services to know the address of the caller. This means if I was to call 911 (Emergency Services), they will have my residential address. I never had to dial 911 for a medical emergency, and if I see me needing to dial 911, I will likely use my cellular phone to make the call.
Devices
The Grandstream WP825 is used to make, and receive calls. This looks like a beefy cordless phone, but this cordless phone uses a Wifi network to connect for calls. This is unlike DECT phones which uses a particular base station. Since the WP825 is a Wifi phone, it would work as long as I am connected to an Internet connected network. This could be from home, a friend’s house, or even a coffee shoppe if that is a sort of thing to do. The phone supports 2.4Ghz, or 5Ghz for Wifi connections.
The phone can also support 2 accounts, but as of now, I only have one account available. As with the cellular phones, I only need one account for my home phone. Since I am using the same SIP provider for all of my home phone numbers, I only need 1 account. As of now, there is no need to have a second SIP account on my phone.
The phone has a dual microphone system for clearer calls, and support for HD voice calls. It also has a 2000mAh battery, and Grandstream claims 8 hours of calls. There is bluetooth support, and a configurable button for various functions. In my case, I used this button to silence the microphone. There is also a 3.5mm earphone jack to make use of a wired set.
The phone has charging pins with a dedicated charger + it has a micro-USB (2.0) port for charging the phone. Either option can be used to charge, but I usually set the phone in its charging base at night before going to bed.
Conclusion
By having a home telephone line, I can make calls from the home phone number in case for whatever reason, I don’t want to use the cellular phone for making the call. The home phone goes off the charger when I enter the living room, and is returned to the charger before going to bed. I had good experiences with the WP825, and happy to be able to use it.