On Sat, 1/17/2026 3:18 PM, T wrote:

On 1/17/26 11:04 AM, T wrote:

Hi All,

Any on you have any experience or opinions about ooma VoIP service?

https://www.ooma.com/home-phone-service

You only pay taxes and fees (~8 U$D) per month.ÿ And a one
time purchase of the ATA (analog telephone adapter).

Seems too good to be true.

Yours in Confusion,
-T

I had chatgpt do a review search.

Uhhhhh.ÿ I will look elsewhere.

The price is ballpark.

The transport is over existing broadband, which is why
there isn't a larger number involved there.

You could check with your ISP and see if they offer a service.

On mine, I can call everywhere in North America, with no LD charge.

If I were to call India, then there would be a charge per minute.
Even though from practical perspective, there is no trunking
going on in the picture. Normally VOIP uses local infrastructure
to go back to POTS, there is little "telecom wire" in the picture.

Via Number Portability, I can have my provider (the ISP)
"do a Pull" and the ISP gives the phone company the bad news
that you will be changing providers. This provides less
opportunity for Retention at the previous provider to
irritate you with pleas and price reductions to make you stay
with them.

If you are currently on POTS, your new provider will give you
a "dummy number" to play with for a couple weeks. With ATA in hand,
you make practice phone calls, from your current POTS line to
the dummy numbered ATA.

Then, on the day of the service cutover, at midnight you can
enter the true ported number into the ATA web interface,
and how your service is live. Because you have spent two
weeks testing one of the eight CODEC settings, you've verified
that the ATA call hangs up when you put the receiver
down, then when the real cutover (ATA changes from "dummy number"
to "the real number"), your service is ready to use.

For my cutover, the materials were:

1) New handset, to be used during the two week test period.
2) New ATA (a GrandStream).
3) There might have been an Ethernet cable in the box.

Make no mistake, this is an inferior service. When the hospital
was trying to call me regarding an appointment, they were
getting "This number is not in service". This was a problem
with the *hospital* VOIP service. Their service was split
into two pieces, a VOIP transport company, and a VOIP "number lookup"
company. The hospital ombudsman sent my line information
(three numeric strings) to the number lookup outfit, and
after that, the hospital could phone me like a normal human.

I have e911 (locate-able via my phone number) but I don't
exactly know how to test this. And when the power goes off,
there is no service. The ISP equipment has no battery backup,
my home broadband has no battery, and so on. It's not POTS
with -48V battery supply.

If my house is on fire, there isn't particularly a reason
911 will be working at the time. Whereas with a SmartPhone
and their e911 implementation, I can likely be located one
way or another.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:04:33 -0800, T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote:

Hi All,

Any on you have any experience or opinions about ooma VoIP service?

https://www.ooma.com/home-phone-service

You only pay taxes and fees (~8 U$D) per month. And a one
time purchase of the ATA (analog telephone adapter).

Seems too good to be true.

Yours in Confusion,
-T

Is this a lot like VoIPly ? If so, that might have a better reputation
and be more to your liking.

Currently my brother is getting old, walks with a walker, has lost his
cell phone twice, doesn't have or want a new one, has no home phone but
does have internet, his wife has a cell phone but she goes out without
him sometimes and he's home, often with a maid/caretaker, but sometimes
with no one and no way to call out or for others to call in. I would
gladly pay for VoIPLY or even ooma for him but I think I have to know
what ISP they use. I dont' think his wife knows that. Is there a way I
can find out if she doesn't know?

I was hoping to go to Florida to fix it up for him, but I can't go now
for several months yet.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:03:39 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

Currently my brother is getting old, walks with a walker, has lost his
cell phone twice, doesn't have or want a new one, has no home phone but
does have internet, his wife has a cell phone but she goes out without
him sometimes and he's home, often with a maid/caretaker, but sometimes
with no one and no way to call out or for others to call in. I would
gladly pay for VoIPLY or even ooma for him but I think I have to know
what ISP they use. I dont' think his wife knows that. Is there a way I
can find out if she doesn't know?

I used VoIP from about 2003 to 2019 and I never had to worry about my
ISP. They provided Internet access and that's all I needed.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 1/19/2026 6:03 PM, micky wrote:

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:04:33 -0800, T <T@invalid.invalid> wrote:

Hi All,

Any on you have any experience or opinions about ooma VoIP service?

https://www.ooma.com/home-phone-service

You only pay taxes and fees (~8 U$D) per month. And a one
time purchase of the ATA (analog telephone adapter).

Seems too good to be true.

Yours in Confusion,
-T

Is this a lot like VoIPly ? If so, that might have a better reputation
and be more to your liking.

Currently my brother is getting old, walks with a walker, has lost his
cell phone twice, doesn't have or want a new one, has no home phone but
does have internet, his wife has a cell phone but she goes out without
him sometimes and he's home, often with a maid/caretaker, but sometimes
with no one and no way to call out or for others to call in. I would
gladly pay for VoIPLY or even ooma for him but I think I have to know
what ISP they use. I dont' think his wife knows that. Is there a way I
can find out if she doesn't know?

I was hoping to go to Florida to fix it up for him, but I can't go now
for several months yet.

I receive a bill from my ISP, and that's how I know who my ISP is :-)

I use the VOIP service of my ISP because:

1) It is ballpark priced.

2) The same useless tech support that answers my TCP/IP questions,
answer my VOIP questions :-) If their TCP/IP failure breaks the
VOIP, they can tell me that. Of course, I can't talk to my tech support
when something bad happens (I'm on VOIP so I cannot ask questions about VOIP).

3) When the ISP DNS service drops, the VOIP magically continues to run.
Such may not be the case if the VOIP provider is outside the ISP.

You don't need to know the ISP, to make it work.

1) Plug an ATA into the router using Ethernet.
Or (preferred) the router already has an ATA and two RJ11 plugs
on the router body. Plug a handset into one of the RJ11. If you pay $10
per month, one of the RJ11 on the router will provide phone service.
Use the web interface on the ATA, and configure one of the two RJ11 to work.

If the ATA is "ahead" of the router, it can operate without port forwarding,
it hives off the ports it wants, and passes the rest of the TCP/IP to the downstream router that serves the rest of the house. But, you can only
do it that way, as a function of the ATA processor routing speed.
And those are typically not-even-broadband rate.

Now, this is just stupid... but it is one of the ways of doing it.

Broadband modem
or bridged modem/router ----- ATA --------------------- router/switch ---- Comp#1
in modem mode RJ11 RJ11 ---- Comp#2
| | ---- Comp#3
Just use this one ===> Phone FAX <=== what marketing thinks ---- Comp#4
that port is for... :-/

The second way is more common, and most of the diagram on the left
is how it is connected anyway. It's not exactly a big ask, to just plug
a freshly purchased ATA box into Eth Port 4.

Broadband modem ---- Broadband router --- Four port switch ---- Comp#1
---- Comp#2
\------- One box or two boxes ------/ ---- Comp#3
--------------- ATA --/ Unused Eth
RJ11 RJ11 output of ATA.
| |
Just use this one ===> Phone

This is likely to require Port Forwarding, to reach the ATA.
Well, maybe not!

But I can see Micky slipping into the quicksand now... Glub...
That is more terminology than I want to see in one thread.
It can work *without* Port Forwarding. Shirley a miracle.

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1250152

The first option works if a person is on ADSL2 15/1 as the sub-broadband
rate involved, the ATA can route that much. The ATA is on one subnet,
the computers are on a different subnet. The ATA gets first dibs on bandwidth.

But if you had Vanguards 2Gbit/sec broadband service, you cannot do the first diagram
above that exact way, because the tiny ATA routing capability is no match
for the traffic involved.

As a believer in miracles, have your brother examine the router box for an
RJ11 connector. There could be a "phone icon" next to the connector and
so on. A lot of the time, they offer two connectors. But DONT pay for
and put a FAX on the second port. It can't run 14400 fine, and can (with some luck) run at 9600, and who the hell wants to run a FAX that way, when other
FAX options are available. You could also use two RJ11 for two line phone service,
and you can even wire two lines through the house using RJ11 and the pairs on it.
Look up "Line1 Line2 RJ11" for the details.

What a hobby this will make. The stories you will tell.

"I stepped into this quicksand, and boy, did I sink fast."

Paul



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:48:10 -0600, Char
Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:03:39 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

Currently my brother is getting old, walks with a walker, has lost his
cell phone twice, doesn't have or want a new one, has no home phone but >>does have internet, his wife has a cell phone but she goes out without
him sometimes and he's home, often with a maid/caretaker, but sometimes >>with no one and no way to call out or for others to call in. I would
gladly pay for VoIPLY or even ooma for him but I think I have to know
what ISP they use. I dont' think his wife knows that. Is there a way I
can find out if she doesn't know?

I used VoIP from about 2003 to 2019 and I never had to worry about my
ISP. They provided Internet access and that's all I needed.

Great. But I would need someone to install an RJnn jack (or maybe even
some box or other?) and someone to deliver a telephone, right. I can
mail him a telephone, but I can't install the jack from here. The
phone jack is something that people normally do themselves when it's
their own home, right?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 21:05:50 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:48:10 -0600, Char
Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:03:39 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

Currently my brother is getting old, walks with a walker, has lost his >>>cell phone twice, doesn't have or want a new one, has no home phone but >>>does have internet, his wife has a cell phone but she goes out without >>>him sometimes and he's home, often with a maid/caretaker, but sometimes >>>with no one and no way to call out or for others to call in. I would >>>gladly pay for VoIPLY or even ooma for him but I think I have to know >>>what ISP they use. I dont' think his wife knows that. Is there a way I >>>can find out if she doesn't know?

I used VoIP from about 2003 to 2019 and I never had to worry about my
ISP. They provided Internet access and that's all I needed.

Great. But I would need someone to install an RJnn jack (or maybe even
some box or other?) and someone to deliver a telephone, right. I can
mail him a telephone, but I can't install the jack from here. The
phone jack is something that people normally do themselves when it's
their own home, right?

Pick up an ATA and configure it at your place, then send it down to your brother's place with instructions on making the required connections.
That should be about all you and he need.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 1/19/2026 9:05 PM, micky wrote:

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:48:10 -0600, Char
Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:03:39 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

Currently my brother is getting old, walks with a walker, has lost his
cell phone twice, doesn't have or want a new one, has no home phone but
does have internet, his wife has a cell phone but she goes out without
him sometimes and he's home, often with a maid/caretaker, but sometimes
with no one and no way to call out or for others to call in. I would
gladly pay for VoIPLY or even ooma for him but I think I have to know
what ISP they use. I dont' think his wife knows that. Is there a way I
can find out if she doesn't know?

I used VoIP from about 2003 to 2019 and I never had to worry about my
ISP. They provided Internet access and that's all I needed.

Great. But I would need someone to install an RJnn jack (or maybe even
some box or other?) and someone to deliver a telephone, right. I can
mail him a telephone, but I can't install the jack from here. The
phone jack is something that people normally do themselves when it's
their own home, right?

My phone is five feet from the ATA, and the regular phone wiring in the
house is not being used. Since I use an ATA that plugs into an Ethernet port,
I can just run an Ethernet cable to some other place in the house
and set up the ATA there.

I have a length of phone cable and a female-female phone cable extender
thing, and that allows me to run up the hall with the handset and hand it
to someone. I should be able to extend it, just with gray phone cable.
(Paying attention to male-female and having enough female-female rectangular extenders for the job.)

To connect to the regular phone network, first you have to disconnect
POTS at the demarc (so the home wiring is unpowered). The ATA will have
a load rating. Say it is "five loads". That is a scheme for determining
how many phones can be wired in parallel on a line pair. The phones also
have a load rating. Maybe a phone has a load rating of 0.8 for example.

Only one phone should go off hook at a time. You could wire the ATA into the phone wiring, but the home phone wiring must be in good shape, or the
line could end up noisier than you would like.

As a note of caution, my ATA had a hum on it. The reason for this,
is the wall adapter for the ATA is a two wire adapter (does not use
Safety Ground on mains). That means the powering is not grounded or ground referenced. On the signal side, the pair for RJ11 is also not
ground referenced. This allows the hardware to pick up some "hum". But if you run a wire from the chassis of the ATA, to the metal on a computer (which
is on Safety ground), the hum goes away :-) I love shit like this.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Mon, 19 Jan 2026 20:21:19 -0600, Char
Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 21:05:50 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:48:10 -0600, Char
Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:03:39 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

Currently my brother is getting old, walks with a walker, has lost his >>>>cell phone twice, doesn't have or want a new one, has no home phone but >>>>does have internet, his wife has a cell phone but she goes out without >>>>him sometimes and he's home, often with a maid/caretaker, but sometimes >>>>with no one and no way to call out or for others to call in. I would >>>>gladly pay for VoIPLY or even ooma for him but I think I have to know >>>>what ISP they use. I dont' think his wife knows that. Is there a way I >>>>can find out if she doesn't know?

I used VoIP from about 2003 to 2019 and I never had to worry about my >>>ISP. They provided Internet access and that's all I needed.

Great. But I would need someone to install an RJnn jack (or maybe even >>some box or other?) and someone to deliver a telephone, right. I can
mail him a telephone, but I can't install the jack from here. The
phone jack is something that people normally do themselves when it's
their own home, right?

Pick up an ATA and configure it at your place, then send it down to your >brother's place with instructions on making the required connections.
That should be about all you and he need.

Sounds like a good plan. I'm looking for an ATA now. Maybe a
Grandstream 2-Port HT802.

I didn't realize it could be configured at my house.

I didn't realize it would be this easy. But as simple as her part is,
I'm wondering if my SIL can do her part***

I see that all she had to do is plug in 3 (or 4**) wires, 6 or 8 ends of
wires, but I have my doubts. I hope she can find the router. Maybe
with video phone calls I can get her through this.

**Might plug the ATA into one jack in the apartment and plug their phone
into a jack in some other room, That's one extra wire!.That will work
well.
Paul, they're not going to have more than one extension. They have
no home phone now and they're getting along . They probably won't use
this much, but I want my brother to be able to call out and I want to be
able to call my brother when my SIL is not home. Even when I talk to my brother, he loses interest in 3 minutes. They don't need two
extensions.


***My brother is 85 and has never been technical but now he's out of it sometimes. It's hard to tell because he's always been quiet and now
he's quieter even when he's not out of it. My SIL is about 70, and is a
flake. She once sold their apartment and then refused to close, because
a woman she knew got a better price for her apartment. Cost them, that
is, my brother, about 50,000 dollars in lawyers' fees for both sides
plus living expenses for the couple that had to live for months in a
hotel or some place. There was no chance she would win. My brother was
always easy-going and let her do this (although he does complain/tell
about these things to me and my mother when she was alive.)

Another time she bought a business on time, like people buy a car, and
invested $1 or 200,000 in remodeling in a building she did not fully
own, then missed a payment. The owner could have foreclosed and sold it
to someone else with 1/200,000 worth of improvements, and just given
back to my SIL what she had in equity. He didn't but I'm sure he made
her pay quite a bit extra for her screw-up.

She's bought two other businesses in two cities far apart and 100's of
miles from where she lives, and trusts the managers to run them right.
Did this iiuc with the money from her divorce, which is all spent now.

And yet she is basically in charge of my brother's care now. Ugh.



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)