VoIP in lieu of landline phones?
Posted By: Nancy on 2006-02-16
In Reply to:
I read a little article in one of those free local trade publications which discussed ways of saving money on everyday household costs. VoIP was listed as a way to save a ton of money by using your Net connection for your phone service.
The article didn't explain how it all works. Is anyone doing this? Do you hook up your phone to your cable connection or are you using some speaker system/software on your PC to make calls? I just don't get it. All I know is that they said you can call anywhere in the world and it doesn't matter, it's a fixed inexpensive monthly cost. I also don't know if you trade your landline telephone number for something through thte VoIP service.
So, I'm intrigued but totally in the dark about this concept. TIA!
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VOIP - If I am not mistaken VOIP requires a high speed connection.
:(
Call United way. Dial 2-1-1 from a landline phone
or you can Google united way '_________'. fill in the blank with the name of your city. You can search their database online as well. There is help out there for you.
"In lieu of"
Ever notice a lot of docs don't know what this phrase means? It's so obvious they mean "in view of" but when they say "in lieu of" it means exactly the opposite of what they are trying to say. (FYI: It means "instead of"). Okay, so I'm on a verbatim account. This is causing me a dilemma.
In lieu of any Christmas bonuses in the future..
I would just like the opportunity to meet some of these guys in person...thank them for the work that keeps my bills paid...smile...and then smack the ever lovin' peediddle outta them for some of their, shall we say, "lackluster" dictating habits. Yeah...I think that would be a glorious bonus 
"In lieu of" sorry, my name is not check line count? nm
xx
I have used a Digital Transcribe Station from Transcription Gear in lieu of a C phone just fine nm
VOIP
I think I'm going to try Vonage/VOIP, too, as I'm paranoid about getting back charged by a regular company. I already have used Qwest ULD before and got a letter after a few months threatening to terminate (there was no 5000 minute limit when I originally signed on), but fortunately I just cancelled it and there were no back charges. I don't see any minute limit with Vonage, but I have noticed that both the residential and small business plans have the same limitations which say things like continuous call forwarding (not sure that that is). I know a lot of transcriptionists use it and seem to not have problems, so I'm going to give it a try. I don't really know what else to do unless pay by the minute, but it'd cost me a fortune, even with a low rate plan.
VOIP
I have been using Vonage and yes it is true that if your internet goes out you have no phone service but you can set it up quite easily to automatically forward any calls to a cell phone or any number you want if your internet or electricity goes out. My internet rarely goes out and I have had no problems with my Vonage service. It did require some tweaking at first but I love it and I am saving so much money over Bellsouth that I had previously.
VOIP and 911
If you are switching to VOIP for telephone service, whether it is Vonage or another company, please make sure your 911 dispatch center can find you should you need them. The location of a land line phone and more and more cell phones (eventually all because they will all have GPS) will come up on computer-aided dispatch systems. This is not always the case with VOIP. When you choose your provider, give 911 a call in the late evening/early morning when they are not so busy, tell them you have a new phone system and inquire if a location comes up for you on their computer. Actually, anyone who moves or otherwise changes their phone number can (and probably should) do this. The middle of an emergency is not the time to find that 911 thinks you are somewhere you aren't.
VoIP
I use Vonage and I have that same problem. Sometimes it depends on the time of day. Let me know if it gets any better and with what company. I was told that AT&T does not like to help with that.
I have VOIP s/m
And yes, if the power goes out, so does your phone. Power does not go out that often. I do have a cell that is a prepay phone for when I'm on the road, etc., so in case of power outage, I can use that as well if I need to. Just think about it, if the power is out, your not working anyways...
Now I do have a generator as well, so if and when the power does go out, I can get that set up and use that as well.
Voice quality is just like the regular landline for me although I know some people that have had problems with different services. It is normally because of a setting that you need to adjust on your end.
AT&T VOIP has been great! (nm)
nm
Lanier and VOIP
I use digital phone with Time Warner for my Lanier account. I also kept my unlimited LD with Verizon as a back up, but use the digital phone service for my Lanier because I'm afraid that Verizon will catch up with me. Therefore, I have TWO lines, one land one (Verizon), and one VOIP (Time Warner). Both are unlimited LD, but if the cable goes out, I still have my land line. Hope this helps.
VOIP and internet - sm
Yes, the Lanier is plugged into the phone line just like your C-phone. The phone line is connected to the cable modem, so the phone line and your internet connection come through the same modem (I think...not sure of the technicalities). The VOIP is half the price of my land line with Verizon, and VOIP is truly unlimited, while Verizon watches the minutes.
I would go AT&T or Vonage VoIP instead
of hassling with unlimited long distance since ULD becomes an issue for MTs.
VoIP problems
I have had three different VoIP companies over the years, all at the request of my employer. I never lasted more than a week with any one of them and now I absolutely refuse to do that again. Had the same issues you have with the foot pedal and I was not using a C-phone nor a wave pedal. The audio quality would be choppy, there would be gaps where multiple words were missing, etc.
Out of those three different companies, not one could fix the problem, though they all acknowledged that the choppiness could be an issue "for some people". Lucky me!
Hope you fare better!
There is no way I would use any VOIP company
for dictation. I used Skype, and I used Packet 8 for home service. I have known people who have used Vonage. They are entirely too unpredictable and the sound most times is horrid. It might be okay for home use if you didn't call much, but there is no way I would use VOIP for something as important as dictation.
Anyone using VoIP (internet phone) with a
DVI or C-phone to transcribe, and does it work well? If so, what company do you use? Are those companies cracking down on transcription like the regular LD carriers?
My employers forbids us to have VoIP because...
it fouls up lots of things. Also, I have a friend with Vonage and we are constantly cut off, or it sounds like she is talking from the bottom of a fish tank. She hates it.
VoIP plans are the only ones without restrictions
x
Anyone use VoIP phone system
and are you having problems with connectivity? We switched to internet-based phone service a few weeks ago and recently I started having problems with downloading the voice. I get the report but without any voice. If you have had this problem, how did you remedy it? I'm about at my wit's end. Thanks!
VOIP and internet connection - sm
I have VOIP with my cable provider, Roadrunner, and I can use my Lanier at the same time as I am on the Internet, no problems. In my area, this is much cheaper than unlimited long distance phone service with my land line provider (which I kept, by the way, as you have NO phone if your cable goes out). I have not had any problems at all. Hope this helps.
VOIP as second phone line
Is it possible to use VOIP as an extra phone line instead of investing in a second land phone line? I'm going to be working at my mom's a couple days a week. She has one phone line and DSL. At my house I only have dial-up. I have an account that requires two phone lines with no DSL, one for dictaphone, one for Meditech. I really hate to ask her to pay for another land phone line and was wondering if I could use VOIP. Thanks for any input.
my concern with VOIP with a C-phone is
how is the voice quality? I would be interested in something like Vonage as I can take that with me and travel.
voip.com has true unlimited
I called this morning and questioned her extensively on whether it was truly unlimited, and she assured me it was. www.voip.com - not to be confused with the generic voip service like Vonage. She did say that satellite internet users would probably not be happy with the connection, but I have DSL and it works perfectly. One warning - it disconnects at exactly 5 hours, so you have to remember to hang up and re-dial in prior to that.
Question for Vonage/VoIP users
If you are using Vonage for MT, do you use the residential or small business plan, and how many minutes a month do you use?
Thanks!
I had VoIP back in Nov with my cable provider and then went with another IP and just used..sm
my landline because they did not offer VoIP. Now my IP offers it and it works great other than the pedal. Thanks for your help!
VoIP and foot pedal issues
For anyone using VoIP, do you find that your foot pedal does not always respond? IOW, you lift your foot from the foot pedal and the dictation continues along? Or, you have to press the foot pedal twice to get the system to respond. Sometimes, I'll press the rewind pedal for a second and I'm thrown back to the beginning of the report. --- My C-phone and foot pedal are both new, so it's not with my equipment. And AT&T says they don't support my equipment (although they were helpful once before).
Any suggestions to resolve the problem?
Lingo that is who we use...VOiP, $22.95/month, six months already, no probs.
You might want to investigate further the post someone made about 2007 and VOiP. Seems the government is all hot and bothered because they need to tap phones and cannot do so with VOiP. They probably will end up taxing and surcharging eventually, as well, but for a while it can save you a lot of money...
Has anyone used Sun Rocket VOIP? If so, how is the voice quality and service? nm
I've heard C-phone with VOIP works well (sm)
and a lot cheaper, too. Forget the costly unlimited long distance and business plans! It may be a good idea to have another phone-line as a backup for your C-phone in case DSL/cable goes down.
cable phone and VoIP are the only TRUE unlimited
I can't find a single phone company that has TRUE unlimited. I've used VOiP in the past through Vonage with no problems. I got rid of it only because I didn't need ULD anymore, and they when I started needing ULD again I decided to switch to cable phone and internet. I bundle my cable, internet, and phone all together at a pretty reasonable price. Cable phone works great and no problems with heavy daily use.
C-phones
Are C-phones worth the trouble and expense of getting one? I work for a small company and now the docs want to go back to them! I thought they were rather obsolete. Also, what kind of cost is involved in unlimited long distance plus do you have to have a separate phone line for these? 
C-phones
Aren't C-phones a little outdated or it is just my imagination? I was working on a contingent basis for a wonderful small company but now the owner says the docs like the C-phone better and have switched from that after using the voice-activated equipment for awhile. I enjoyed the work but not the expense of purchasing outdated equipment that I doubt I would use anywhere else. So for now, I have virtually NO work
c phones
I have been searching for a job again and I see one that needs me to have one. Don't know anything at all about them. What are they and what do they do? thanks!
ear phones
Got them at Radio Shack. I got the less expensive ones, and am sorry I didn't get the fancier, more expensive ones. I think they would be worth it. Will be getting some better ones later.
ear phones
I have no idea, honestly. I just don't like wearing a "leash," as well. Also, the ones MQ sent are about 10 feet long.
I know when I see teenagers blasting their music directly into their ears, it not only aggravates me because I can hear it, but it makes me think they'll probably become deaf or hard-of-hearing at an early age.
Ear phones
I also have C-phone and hate the chinset ear phones. They dig into my ears, and give me a headache. I got on ebay and searched on C-phone. I ran across a pair of ear buds (like an MP3 player has) that are 2-prong, and only for the Dictaphone system. Very excited to get them!
ear phones
where to get ear phones
ear phones
Just ordered a pair from the company I work for today, but if the company does not provide them, I have, in the past ordered on line from Lanier. They have a website. Another possibility someone just brought to my attention is Radio Shack. Also Dictaphone makes them, which I have ordered also in the past. They have a website,
C-phones
A C-phone is a telephone with a foot pedal where you pick up your dictation. You dial into a number given by your employer/hospital. Used C-phones can run 100-150.00, and new ones are around 700.00-900.00. Try EBay, as I believe they have them under medical transcription. I have used one for years and really like it. Quality of the dictation is usually perfect.
What ear phones do you use?
I noticed a huge difference in my ability to hear when I switched from regular "transcription" ear phones to a really good quality Bose stereo headphone. It was a $$ investment, to be sure, but I figured it was worth it since it's tax deductible and I hear more without having to leave as many blanks.
Good luck. Hope you find a solution that works for you.
c-phones
Don't know about being the same, but I have one for sale if you are interested.
phones through router
I have Vonage (see above) and I have a C-phone connected to my phone line on the Vonage router box, but I still have regular phone lines connecting my home phone, so basically 2 different phone numbers, 2 different services.
Head phones
I have never used noise reduction head phones, but the best head phones I have ever used are the ones that came with the Olympus 4000 transcription system. You can buy the head phones separately. I think they are about $50. This is a lot, but versus the others I have bought in the past (around $25) there is simply no comparison. I also use them to listen to music on my computer. They are great! I have a Soundblaster card on one computer, but even on my other computer the sound is much better than with regular head phones.
Wav files vs. C-Phones
Think I'd better get a laptap in the future! Sitting outside typing sounds wonderful but since I am only doing this on a contingent basis, guess I'll stick with my big old computer. Thanks for your input!
interpreter phones in the ER
How does that work in the ER when they need an interpreter for a patient? I'm thinking there are on-call interpreters (or translators) for specific languages but I'm curious if anyone knows anything about this. 
cell phones
I was just at the hospital Friday evening attending a death, and one of the family members said, "Oh, we can't use the cell phones," and a nurse said, "Sure you can. It's okay." Things have changed. There may be some places in a hospital where they are still not allowed, but they are becoming accepted in more and more parts of the hospitals.
Cell phones
The candidates running in our state (LA) are calling cell phones. It was on the news a little bit ago that the phone numbers are the ones that were wrote on the voter registration and if you don't want the calls, to write the voter registrar.
You might need a better set of phones and/or speakers, too. nm
s
cell phones
It seems to mean i read it was against the HIPAA (?) for doctors to dictate on cell phones. I've heard stories, though, of many doctors who do. What about dictating from home--are they taking medical records at home to do this. Seems like that is a violation, too. But who is going to say anything to doctors about diddly squat stuff like rules or slowing down a little so we can understand what the heck you are saying?
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