Numbers
+1 8556829751 (Toll-Free)
Calling my toll-free number should count as a local call for you, but I will be paying based on the origin of the call. In example, someone across the street will call at 2¢ per minute, whereas Alaska is 23¢ per minute. With that said, I might offer to call you back. When calling from my home phone, my toll-free number is the number that shows in the caller ID. Supported NANP territories that supports toll-free numbers are as follows:
- American Samoa
- Canada
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- United States of America
- US Virgin Islanads
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
For my home phone service (also serves voicemail), I use Callcentric for my carrier. This is a very affordable carrier, and 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, and know that I live in an apartment. 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, however, I could not find a way to select which line is used to make the call. This means I will likely default to line 1 when making the call. This is fine since I only have one SIP provider.
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, and the micro-USB cable can come with me to charge the phone if I was to go somewhere for an extended stay.
Conclusion
Some people might question why I would need a home phone. Well, this is simple – flexibility. I could have send the toll-free number to my cellular phone, and avoid needing the home phone all together. However, I have used this phone a number of times, and sometimes to find my cellular phone when I misplaced it somewhere in my apartment. As mentioned, the home number could have rang a SIP client on my cellular phone, but, I feel having a dedicated home phone will serve me better.