land line or cell phone
#1
don't fail to research
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 291
land line or cell phone
I am going to show my ignorance here so apologies.
We presently have a land line through Bell and a basic cell phone package with Rogers. We communicate with my parents via messenger video and very infrequently use the phone but for hubbies mother who is in her 80s we have to phone and use the 99 cents package.
Now the question is, can we make calls to land lines and vice versa using the computer. I notice with skype and google they say you can call a land line but can a land line call the computer. Our laptop is connected 24/7 to our main tv screen so it will always ring if a call was to come through - I am just wondering how you get an actual number to call.
if you understand my gibberish above and know an answer please let me know.
thanks
We presently have a land line through Bell and a basic cell phone package with Rogers. We communicate with my parents via messenger video and very infrequently use the phone but for hubbies mother who is in her 80s we have to phone and use the 99 cents package.
Now the question is, can we make calls to land lines and vice versa using the computer. I notice with skype and google they say you can call a land line but can a land line call the computer. Our laptop is connected 24/7 to our main tv screen so it will always ring if a call was to come through - I am just wondering how you get an actual number to call.
if you understand my gibberish above and know an answer please let me know.
thanks
Last edited by No1_mom; May 27th 2011 at 5:53 pm.
#2
Re: land line or cell phone
Hey - yes you can purchase a number from Skype to receive incoming calls on so people can call you from their normal land line. Even better option is buy a cordless home phone with Skype facilities built in (see Skype web site) and plug this in to your router.
Then you can make and receive calls as you would do on a normal land line.
Then you can make and receive calls as you would do on a normal land line.
#3
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,883
Re: land line or cell phone
Hey - yes you can purchase a number from Skype to receive incoming calls on so people can call you from their normal land line. Even better option is buy a cordless home phone with Skype facilities built in (see Skype web site) and plug this in to your router.
Then you can make and receive calls as you would do on a normal land line.
Then you can make and receive calls as you would do on a normal land line.
May not sound important now but you never know when you will need that service.
#4
don't fail to research
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 291
Re: land line or cell phone
I can call 911 on my cell phone so that would not be a problem.
We are paying nearly $40 a month for a landline when we use it for 2 calls a month if we are lucky - the important thing is for them to be able to phone us.
We would rather have more updated phones with facilities but can't afford this and the land line.
We are paying nearly $40 a month for a landline when we use it for 2 calls a month if we are lucky - the important thing is for them to be able to phone us.
We would rather have more updated phones with facilities but can't afford this and the land line.
#5
Re: land line or cell phone
No you can not currently call emergency services on Skype. So you would need to keep your land line (some of the cordless phones support regular land line and Skype) or a cell phone for that one!
#6
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,883
Re: land line or cell phone
I know you can call 911 on your cell phone but does your cell phone have the capability to give the operator your location.
Edit: Disregard the above apparently all cell phones have the capability through triangulation of the cell towers used. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/t1035.htm
Edit: Disregard the above apparently all cell phones have the capability through triangulation of the cell towers used. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/t1035.htm
Last edited by Steve_P; May 27th 2011 at 7:28 pm.
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Airdrie, AB
Posts: 158
Re: land line or cell phone
I just did a re-cert for my first aid certificate at work. We discussed cell & land lines at length. Not sure if you would remember this but a couple of years ago a family dialled 911 in Calgary via their internet phone as their child was in respiratory distress - the ambulance was dispatched to an address in Toronto where they used to live, all because they did not call from a land line in the first place. The child very sadly died as it took 30 minutes for them to get there.
http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20080731/0...aces-suit.html
A 911 operator can locate you within 10 seconds calling from a land line, best hope from a cell phone is 8-10 minutes if you are lucky. If you are at home and are choking, dialling 911, police will respond to the "no response" call, usually within minutes. You wait 8-10 on that cell phone and you're gone.
KEEP THE LANDLINE
http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20080731/0...aces-suit.html
A 911 operator can locate you within 10 seconds calling from a land line, best hope from a cell phone is 8-10 minutes if you are lucky. If you are at home and are choking, dialling 911, police will respond to the "no response" call, usually within minutes. You wait 8-10 on that cell phone and you're gone.
KEEP THE LANDLINE
#8
Re: land line or cell phone
Hey - yes you can purchase a number from Skype to receive incoming calls on so people can call you from their normal land line. Even better option is buy a cordless home phone with Skype facilities built in (see Skype web site) and plug this in to your router.
Then you can make and receive calls as you would do on a normal land line.
Then you can make and receive calls as you would do on a normal land line.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=690252
I'd be very happy if you're right and they're wrong.
#9
Re: land line or cell phone
I just did a re-cert for my first aid certificate at work. We discussed cell & land lines at length. Not sure if you would remember this but a couple of years ago a family dialled 911 in Calgary via their internet phone as their child was in respiratory distress - the ambulance was dispatched to an address in Toronto where they used to live, all because they did not call from a land line in the first place. The child very sadly died as it took 30 minutes for them to get there.
http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20080731/0...aces-suit.html
A 911 operator can locate you within 10 seconds calling from a land line, best hope from a cell phone is 8-10 minutes if you are lucky. If you are at home and are choking, dialling 911, police will respond to the "no response" call, usually within minutes. You wait 8-10 on that cell phone and you're gone.
KEEP THE LANDLINE
http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20080731/0...aces-suit.html
A 911 operator can locate you within 10 seconds calling from a land line, best hope from a cell phone is 8-10 minutes if you are lucky. If you are at home and are choking, dialling 911, police will respond to the "no response" call, usually within minutes. You wait 8-10 on that cell phone and you're gone.
KEEP THE LANDLINE
#10
Re: land line or cell phone
I just did a re-cert for my first aid certificate at work. We discussed cell & land lines at length. Not sure if you would remember this but a couple of years ago a family dialled 911 in Calgary via their internet phone as their child was in respiratory distress - the ambulance was dispatched to an address in Toronto where they used to live, all because they did not call from a land line in the first place. The child very sadly died as it took 30 minutes for them to get there.
http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20080731/0...aces-suit.html
A 911 operator can locate you within 10 seconds calling from a land line, best hope from a cell phone is 8-10 minutes if you are lucky. If you are at home and are choking, dialling 911, police will respond to the "no response" call, usually within minutes. You wait 8-10 on that cell phone and you're gone.
KEEP THE LANDLINE
http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20080731/0...aces-suit.html
A 911 operator can locate you within 10 seconds calling from a land line, best hope from a cell phone is 8-10 minutes if you are lucky. If you are at home and are choking, dialling 911, police will respond to the "no response" call, usually within minutes. You wait 8-10 on that cell phone and you're gone.
KEEP THE LANDLINE
Ditch the landline. Get a Skype In number (you may have to mess around with area codes - they didn't have many for Canada last time I looked) and a phone you can plug straight in to your router. I would do the same if we didn't have excellent (and cost-effective) VoIP phone service through our cable provider.
on edit: seems the CRTC backtracked - I thought they were allowing voIP services to use Canadian area codes. Perhaps this still doesn't apply to Skype. Unlikely to be worth holding breath while waiting for CRTC to move into 21st century.
Last edited by Oakvillian; May 27th 2011 at 10:50 pm. Reason: read Novo's thread in the Lab
#13
Re: land line or cell phone
#14
Analyst for hire
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Toronto
Posts: 1,698
Re: land line or cell phone
We have a UK SkypeIn number that allows our friends and family in the UK to call us for a UK call cost. Don't see why you'd need a Canadian SkypeIn number (which isn't available due to the 911 thing) anyway if you have a cell phone. Having a Canadian SkypeIn doesn't help people calling you from the UK.
#15
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 83
Re: land line or cell phone
although apparently www.ring2skype.com offer Canadian numbers and don't appear to charge for them. Might be worth investigating for SWMBO's iPod?
you get a Canadian number and it's directed to your Skype account so you receive incoming calls via Skype for free but jet numbers charge you about $5 month for the number, you also get free voicemail to email if needed.
Last edited by Scotjames; May 28th 2011 at 12:11 pm.