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Cellular Phone Forum / General / General Topics / December 2004Wireless Co.s ensure regret for landline droppers
This is the end of my first week after switching from landline to wireless service for my home phone. I'm using Cellsocket, which enables continued use of our existing home phone wiring and handsets, but routes the calls through a cellphone. I've been generally pleased with Cellsocket, as it seems to work as advertised...but the overall experience has SUCKED, thanks, as far as I can tell, to the vagaries of VZW service (not sure if Cellsocket is partially to blame). Amazing as it sounds, I think :-) that wireless companies must want people to stick with landline, instead of switching to wireless service for their home phone!? Might there be some backroom handshake between wireless and landline execs to stave off more rapid erosion of the landline business? - Why don't any of the wireless carriers offer a home wiring-to-cellphone device similar to Cellsocket? (www.cellsocket.com) - Why don't the carriers at least offer or encourage adoption of such 3rd-party devices? Salespeople at the wireless stores don't even know about such devices. I continue to experience various things going wrong (described below), even after configuring things carefully, ensuring proper wiring/disconnect from old POTS wires from street, updating the software in my cellphone, etc. There's plenty of RF signal, so that's not the problem. (setup details at thread titled "My Cellsocket Experiences" <http://groups.google.ca/groups?hl=en&lr=&threadm=1102876636.103866.153080%40z14g 2000cwz.googlegroups.com&prev=/groups%3Fnum%3D25%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26group%3Dalt .cellular%26start%3D25> ) - A party attempts phoning my home several times - sometimes she hears it ring (and ring) w/o pickup, other times the "VZW man" comes on ("...the cellular customer you are trying to reach is unavailable..."). Meanwhile, we don't hear any phone ringing at home; - I call home from work, hear no ringing or anything, but on our home end, my family answers a ringing phone (with nobody on the line). - Delayed Voicemail (VM), as many of us know, is a longstanding problem with wireless service. A few days ago, I suddenly received notification of 5 VMs, which were nearly 24 hours old. I called customer service, a helpful VZW tech made some settings, but also suggested a periodic cellphone reboot. I decide to disable VM service, and instead let my home answering machine pick up. This of course negates some wireless service advantages, such as multiple call handling, autorouting to VM, etc. I've wanted to make this work, tried to find all the glitch workarounds, and it STILL SUCKS. Cellsocket and similar products have been on the market (and evidently struggling) for several years now. One would think the wireless companies would have this stuff nailed by now. I guess I'm going back to paying for redundant telco services again! :-( > - Why don't any of the wireless carriers offer a home > wiring-to-cellphone device similar to Cellsocket? > > I've wanted to make this work, tried to find all the glitch > workarounds, and it STILL SUCKS. Cellsocket and similar products have > been on the market (and evidently struggling) for several years now. > One would think the wireless companies would have this stuff nailed by > now. I guess I'm going back to paying for redundant telco services > again! :-( Go figger.. The Wireless companies don't sell cellsocket, your phones don't work right with cellsocket, yet it's the cellphone companies fault that your cellsocket doesn't work as advertised!?!?!?!?! >> - Why don't any of the wireless carriers offer a home >> wiring-to-cellphone device similar to Cellsocket? [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > don't work right with cellsocket, yet it's the cellphone companies > fault that your cellsocket doesn't work as advertised!?!?!?!?! Well... I think he realizes that. Elsewhere he said he wondered why the cell providers don't sell and support that solution. I suspect they may if/when it becomes more popular. Right now it would be a 3rd party coordination nightmare. How many different phones? All have to work the same way with some sort of cellsocket? Then there is the home wiring part of it. They might say "We are not responsible for your home wiring" but the cost is unavoidable. "I bought this cellsocket thing from you and it doesn't work".... -Quick > This is the end of my first week after switching from landline to > wireless service for my home phone. I'm using Cellsocket, which [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > now. I guess I'm going back to paying for redundant telco services > again! :-( Well VZW does do a large landline business:-(( BTW I have heard that the cellsocket concept is widely used and is common in Europe. LB > Well VZW does do a large landline business:-(( VZW doesn't do landlines. Verizon does landlines. VZW is a separate company (not totally separate, but still separate). The other partner in VZW is Vodafone, a UK company that is 100% wireless and has no landline assets at all. (sorry about the nitpicking)  SignatureJustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/ Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED) Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids. > > Well VZW does do a large landline business:-(( > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED) > Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids. You are correct, but VZ still owns about half of vzw. LB > This is the end of my first week after switching from landline to > wireless service for my home phone. I'm using Cellsocket, which [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > now. I guess I'm going back to paying for redundant telco services > again! :-( I don't know-- my take is it's probably a Cellsocket issue. In November of '03, I ported my BellSouth landline home office business phone number that I've had for 18 years to my existing Verizon Wireless account. And while I had quite a lot of trouble doing that (it took 2-3 months till all the wrinkles were out due to a lack of cooperation between VZW and BellSouth with VZW not requesting the port properly from BellSouth and BellSouth refusing to release the number to VZW once they did) it works great now. I had to bump up my monthly cell minutes (add $20) but I got rid of a $120 BellSouth business line for a net savings of $100 a month. And it's great being able to take calls from clients anyplace I am in the country (I'm a management consultant). No problems with voice mail, text messaging or any of that. All in all, I heartily recommend it. Ike >This is the end of my first week after switching from landline to >wireless service for my home phone. I'm using Cellsocket, which [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >experience has SUCKED, thanks, as far as I can tell, to the vagaries >of VZW service (not sure if Cellsocket is partially to blame). I own a Cell Socket and it works fine. Granted, in order for it to work with my v60s phone, I have to remove the battery cover from the back of the phone. The bad part of the cell socket is that it doesn't drive mechanical bells very well. It can drive SOME phones with electronic ringers, but mechanical ones it may ring the bell softly, other times not at all. I've wired the second pair (black/yellow) wires in my house so they would work with the Cell Socket. The landline is on the red/green pair. It works just fine. Maybe you're in a poor signal area? Or you're not properly seating the phone in the Cell Socket? (it is a tight fit). There are other "cell socket" types of solutions. I'm sure someone will mention them. Dave >Amazing as it sounds, I think :-) that wireless companies must want >people to stick with landline, instead of switching to wireless >service for their home phone!? The wireless companies stand to make more money if you *don't* have a POTS line. > - Why don't any of the wireless carriers offer a home >wiring-to-cellphone device similar to Cellsocket? >(www.cellsocket.com) You're getting a $200 phone for free, and you want more? >I guess I'm going back to paying for redundant telco services >again! :-( That's a whole $16 per month in my area. And you get a 911 service that actually works, even if you're unable to speak. There's no way I'd trust my life to the ability of a wireless company to handle a 911 call. My life is worth $16 per month for a POTS line. >That's a whole $16 per month in my area. Likely before taxes. Probably more like $25 after taxes. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>That's a whole $16 per month in my area. > >Likely before taxes. Probably more like $25 after taxes. Uh?! Where the heck do you live? I'm in Los Angeles and my landline bill with Verizon is: Residence line - measured rate $10.00 Basic service taxes and surcharges $ 2.87 That's a whooping $12.87 per month. Of course this is without unlimited local calls ($3.00 worth of local calls is included) and no bells and whistles--caller id, call waiting, etc as I don't use my landline much to need them. I agree with the other poster. My life is worth $13/month just to be able to call 911. >><njtbob@X-verizon-X.net> wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >That's a whooping $12.87 per month. I don't believe it. You're also paying USF, state taxes, fet, possibly city taxes, 911 fee for county and city, federal line charge. The federal line charge alone is $3. I highly doubt that you're only paying $2.87 for all taxes surcharges and fees. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RE/ >I don't believe it. You're also paying USF, state taxes, fet, >possibly city taxes, 911 fee for county and city, federal line charge. >The federal line charge alone is $3. I highly doubt that you're only >paying $2.87 for all taxes surcharges and fees. My Verizon bill (Philadelphia PA area) looks like this: ------------------------------------------------------ $2.60 Local calling with allowance $4.35 Dial tone line $6.05 Federal line cost charge $ .21 Local number portability surcharge $ .56 Federal universal service fund surcharge $ .07 PA relay surcharge $1.25 Public safety emergency telephone act (911) fee $ .42 Federal tax ------ $15.51 ------------------------------------------------------ SignaturePeteCresswell > RE/ > >I don't believe it. You're also paying USF, state taxes, fet, [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > $15.51 > ------------------------------------------------------ Damn, Pete- only one true tax on the bill. How many taxes appear on your cell phone bill? RE/ >Damn, Pete- only one true tax on the bill. How many taxes appear on your >cell phone bill? The cell phone bill looks to me like fodder for some kind of consumer protection lobby. On a nominal $45/month account: ---------------------------------------------- $45.00 Monthly service charges $ 0.00 Usage charges (i.e. no extra minutes used) $10.14 Credits/Adjustments/Other charges $ 4.59 Taxes --------- 59.73 ---------------------------------------------- I wonder if the industry is shooting themselves in the foot with such extensive subtrefuge. Seems to me like it makes people reluctant to take advantage of advertised offers because, in spite of the offer telling a dollar amount, the prospective customer realizes that they have no idea how much they will be paying for the advertised competing service. SignaturePeteCresswell >I wonder if the industry is shooting themselves in the foot with such extensive >subtrefuge. Seems to me like it makes people reluctant to take advantage of >advertised offers because, in spite of the offer telling a dollar amount, the >prospective customer realizes that they have no idea how much they will be >paying for the advertised competing service. If you want to complain complain to your elected officials who allow the government to take the big chunks of money from you. Without the government's mandate none of the charges that you pay would appear on your bills. Some of the fees charged are not regulated and the companies are free to collect charges as they will, but it's the government who has mandated these charges. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >I wonder if the industry is shooting themselves in the foot with such extensive > >subtrefuge. Seems to me like it makes people reluctant to take advantage of [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Not quite- they mandated the services behind the charges, but didn't mandate that the telcos would charge for many of them. It simply gives them the regulatory ability to charge for most of them. >>><njtbob@X-verizon-X.net> wrote: >>> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >possibly city taxes, 911 fee for county and city, federal line charge. >The federal line charge alone is $3. And these are all included in the $12.87 >I highly doubt that you're only >paying $2.87 for all taxes surcharges and fees. Oh, I'm crushed... >>><njtbob@X-verizon-X.net> wrote: >>> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >The federal line charge alone is $3. I highly doubt that you're only >paying $2.87 for all taxes surcharges and fees. Yeah? Here's my landline bill's breakdown: Line charge 9.00 Federal access charge 4.49 Total for local calls 3.88 411 (1 call) 1.25 [Local 911 fee] .50 State infrastructure maintenance fee .09 State additional charges .01 Infrastructure maintenance credit .79CR Federal Universal Service fee .39 IL universal service fee .03 IL Telecom relay svc and eqp .07 {Total surcharges and other fees .30} Taxes Federal at 3% .53 Illinois at 7% 1.24 Municipal telecommunications tax .89 {Total taxes 2.66} ----- Total local charges 21.14 Long Distance Call charges 1.15 IL state telecom infrastructure maint .01 Federal tax .03 Municipal tax .14 ----- Total long distance 1.33 Total bill 22.47 This was a high month. Conclusion: if you're paying a $3 Federal Line Charge, you're getting ripped off. SignatureDavid Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time. "If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead." - Johnny Carson >>>><njtbob@X-verizon-X.net> wrote: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] >Conclusion: if you're paying a $3 Federal Line Charge, you're getting >ripped off. You yourself show how fees and taxes mount up. Almost half your cost for service is fees, surcharges and tax. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>>I don't believe it. You're also paying USF, state taxes, fet, >>>possibly city taxes, 911 fee for county and city, federal line charge. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >You yourself show how fees and taxes mount up. Almost half your cost >for service is fees, surcharges and tax. Apparently, I was asleep when I wrote that, since my Federal fee is 50% HIGHER than yours which I called a ripoff. But still, the total bill is less than what you claim as the minimum a bill can possibly be. SignatureDavid Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time. "The difference between manners and morals is that, with manners, if there are no witnesses, it doesn't count." - Miss Manners >But still, the total bill is less than what you claim as the minimum a bill >can possibly be. *Possibly be!* Of course it's possible. As I said in another response the taxes levied and the fees may be different depending on several circumstances. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>That's a whole $16 per month in my area. > >Likely before taxes. Probably more like $25 after taxes. Nope. $16 including all taxes and fees. That's for unlimited local service with TouchTone. I could get it down to $12 (including taxes) by dropping TouchTone and going to a Low Use Measured plan. >>>That's a whole $16 per month in my area. >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >service with TouchTone. I could get it down to $12 (including taxes) by >dropping TouchTone and going to a Low Use Measured plan. You're saying that you only pay $13 a month for service before the federal $3 charge! And you're saying that the $13 includes all other taxes and fees?! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >You're saying that you only pay $13 a month for service before the >federal $3 charge! And you're saying that the $13 includes all other >taxes and fees?! I don't see a $3 charge anywhere on the bill. Here's the breakdown: Individual flat rate residence $7.45 Touch Tone - per line - res +1.00 FCC Subscriber line charge +6.26 Local Number Portability Surcharge +.21 Federal Universal Service Fund Surcharge +.58 Intrastate monthly credit -.65 911 System/Emerg. Resp. Fee +.90 Federal tax +.45 NJ Sales tax +.89 ---------------------------------------- ------ Total Verizon basic charges $17.09 >>You're saying that you only pay $13 a month for service before the >>federal $3 charge! And you're saying that the $13 includes all other [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >---------------------------------------- ------ >Total Verizon basic charges $17.09 There should be a charge of $3 for the first line and $6 for each additional line as a federal charge on your bill. And here's a flash for you! Everyone has different taxing jurisdictions and people pay different rates because of different rates and also some people pay (dare I say it) more fees and taxes than you do. Don't assume that just because you pay the rates you do for taxes surcharges and fees that it's the same everywhere. It's not. Telecom is a cash cow for all branches of government and likely will remain so. We're still paying a tax on telephone service that was initiated in the Spanish American war in the 1800s which was reduced and almost went away, but government is not likely to cut off an income stream! Taxes and fees will likely get worse not better. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>Individual flat rate residence $7.45 >>Touch Tone - per line - res +1.00 [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >There should be a charge of $3 for the first line and $6 for each >additional line as a federal charge on your bill. Nope. Maybe it's part of the "FCC Subscriber line charge" shown above. From Verizon: "The Subscriber Line Charge is a fee that helps telephone companies, like Verizon, recover the additional costs of providing and maintaining operable lines to carry long distance traffic. Congress allowed this charge in 1996. "More specifically, the charge helps recover costs for outside telephone wires, underground conduits, telephone poles, and other necessary facilities and equipment..." "This charge is not a tax, but an allowed surcharge passed on to customers when their service can be used for long distance calls. This regulated charge applies whether you make long distance calls or not." Would that include the $3 / $6 fee? It sounds like I could save this charge if I dropped long distance calling. Maybe I should, since I'm paying $1.77 per month for long distance service even though I never make any long distance calls. >Don't assume that just because you pay the rates you do >for taxes surcharges and fees that it's the same everywhere. Of course not. Also the service isn't the same. The reason our rates are so low is that our local calling areas are very small. If I call a town just 6 miles from here, it's a toll call! I think it's a problem with the cellsocket itself. Thanks, All, for your thoughts and suggestions. I'm going to try: (a) attaching antenna (even though I don't think it's needed) (b) reseating (c) disconnecting an older Panasonic phone from the line driven by Cellsocket (i.e., maybe it's an "old ringer" that sucks too much current) BTW, regarding the E911 issue, I live in RI, one of the first states to have implemented enhanced 911 in their call centers (i.e., uses automatic location info in the cellphone; mine's aGPS, others use tower triangulation). Nevertheless, I've still not been able to obtain a decent answer from anyone about what happens if you, as a cellphone user, dial 911 **from home** -- will the call center have the sense and info to realize it's you calling **from home**, and not you calling from somewhere in your neighborhood within a 300foot radius of your home? >BTW, regarding the E911 issue, I live in RI, one of the first states to >have implemented enhanced 911 in their call centers (i.e., uses >automatic location info in the cellphone; mine's aGPS, others use tower >triangulation). Keep in mind, with aGPS and e911 via a cell phone, they may not be able to narrow down which house you're calling from but maybe just the block you're calling from. SignatureTo reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address. > BTW, regarding the E911 issue, I live in RI, one of the first states to > have implemented enhanced 911 in their call centers (i.e., uses [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > you calling **from home**, and not you calling from somewhere in your > neighborhood within a 300foot radius of your home? Just think it thru and consider that if your phones position could be resolved to 300' how could they know if your phone were in the apartment next door or upstairs or the house next door that is 100' away from yours? And even if your phones ID was tied into some database that associated it with your home location how or why would the dispatcher assume that you could only be in that house and not next door etc? > I think it's a problem with the cellsocket itself. New info on this from VZW tech support -- according to this tech, cellphone registrations with the VZW system go stale over time. Their system assumes that, either because you're on the move and crossing between towers, or that you power-up/power-down each day (even when not moving about), that your cellphone's registration with the system will be periodically "renewed/refreshed". In the case of a (Motorola) cellphone sitting in the Cellsocket seat indefinitely (say, for days on end), the Cellsocket forces the cellphone to remain on all the time. The problem with this is that the cellphone's registration goes stale (it hasn't moved between towers, nor has it recently powered-on and requested registration). A stale registration can readily explain the flakiness I've complained about earlier in the thread -- i.e., the system accepting a call from someone, but having trouble locating my cellphone and thus not ringing on my end, etc. The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off and on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he thought this "stale registration" issue was a "feature" or "bug" within VZW's system, and he said it's been this way forever, and evidently not perceived as a "bug". So much for enabling the home-phone landline replacement cellphone business (niche?). Advice to Cellsocket: make the base unit "intelligently" cycle power one or more times a day (i.e., not in the middle of a call!). > The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off and > on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he thought > this "stale registration" issue was a "feature" or "bug" within VZW's > system, and he said it's been this way forever, and evidently not > perceived as a "bug". So much for enabling the home-phone landline > replacement cellphone business (niche?). I wouldn't perceive it as a bug either. You don't typically expect a phone to not ever move from its current location. > Advice to Cellsocket: make the base unit "intelligently" cycle power > one or more times a day (i.e., not in the middle of a call!). SignatureJustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/ Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED) Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids. >> The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off >> and on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he thought [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> Advice to Cellsocket: make the base unit "intelligently" cycle power >> one or more times a day (i.e., not in the middle of a call!). Typically, I do not turn OFF my phone unless I get trapped in some sub sub sub menu I can't back out of. LOL Never had the issues discussed here. Signature- Philip > Typically, I do not turn OFF my phone unless I get trapped in some sub sub > sub menu I can't back out of. LOL Never had the issues discussed here. Are you moving at any time while the phone is on? If so, your phone is searching for and registering with different towers, and you WOULDN'T see the problems described here. SignatureJustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/ Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED) Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids. >> Typically, I do not turn OFF my phone unless I get trapped in some >> sub sub sub menu I can't back out of. LOL Never had the issues [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > searching for and registering with different towers, and you WOULDN'T > see the problems described here. Most definitely moving around ... ain't dead yet! Oh ... you mean driving about the landscape, hither and yon for many miles. Yes. Everyday. Even out to your area. LOL But when I'm home for two days consecutive, I still leave the phone ON and no such issues when I finally do need to make a call. Signature- Philip On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 03:32:11 GMT, "Philip" <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> chose to add this to the great equation of life, the universe, and everything: >>> Typically, I do not turn OFF my phone unless I get trapped in some >>> sub sub sub menu I can't back out of. LOL Never had the issues [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >to your area. LOL But when I'm home for two days consecutive, I still >leave the phone ON and no such issues when I finally do need to make a call. But the big question is whether you can *receive* a call after sitting at home for two or three days. SignatureDavid Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time. "I've got ten pairs of trainers. That's one for every day of the week." - Samantha Fox > On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 03:32:11 GMT, "Philip" > <1chip-state1@earthlink.net> chose to add this to the great equation [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > But the big question is whether you can *receive* a call after > sitting at home for two or three days. There have been those times .... now that I think of it ... when incoming calls go straight to voicemail yet my phone never rings. But this happens for various other reasons. How many hours (minimum) are required with the phone ON and in one location before the "stale registration" effect occurs? Signature- Philip >> The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off and >> on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he thought [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >I wouldn't perceive it as a bug either. You don't typically expect a phone to >not ever move from its current location. Says who? I don't use cell socket, but I don't think my cell has left my house in several days -- I work from home, but this isn't uncommon, kids with cells that are home for the holidays could easily do the same. SignatureIf you've had half as much fun reading this as I've had writing it, I've had twice as much fun as you. > > I think it's a problem with the cellsocket itself. > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > Advice to Cellsocket: make the base unit "intelligently" cycle power > one or more times a day (i.e., not in the middle of a call!). I live very close to my office and I know for sure that both use the same cell site. I have had occasions where my phone has been on continuously for at least 4 days and I haven't travelled anywhere except the really short trip between home & office. I know other people who have similar patterns and I just remembered a friend who was ill and was home for overt 2 weeks with the phone turned on and either in use or sitting in the charger with no issues. Thanks, ALL, again for the info. Maybe the VZW tech with the "stale registration" hypothesis is all wet? Now, getting nearly obsessive over this darn issue, I may find out after I receive and hook-up the Cidco MERGE product, which is highly similar to Cellsocket. Maybe Cellsocket is the culprit instead of VZW?? Stay tuned -- >The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off and >on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he thought >this "stale registration" issue was a "feature" or "bug" within VZW's >system, and he said it's been this way forever, and evidently not >perceived as a "bug". So much for enabling the home-phone landline >replacement cellphone business (niche?). If the Verizon system requires you to power cycle your phone every day there's something really wrong with the Verizon system. I have a CellSocket and have had it for over two years and the rare times I have to power down the phone since I've had it I can count on one hand and that's only because the phone's OS crashed. Of course maybe GSM systems are less prone to crashes than CDMA systems I have no idea. >Advice to Cellsocket: make the base unit "intelligently" cycle power >one or more times a day (i.e., not in the middle of a call!). Why? It's unnecessary if the system (Verizon's) operates OK. Evidently the Verizon system as compared to others has problems. I've only had to reset my CellSocket three or four times in the two years that I've owned it. Think about it why would you need to reset because of Verizon's system if you're stationary? That makes no sense at all. That's a problem with their system if that's what's required. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off and >>on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he thought [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >and that's only because the phone's OS crashed. Of course maybe GSM >systems are less prone to crashes than CDMA systems I have no idea. I don't know about Verizon, but I know my phone checks in with the network every 60 minutes. This reregisters the phone with the network so the network doesn't forget where the phone is located. SignatureSticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me. >>>The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off and >>>on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he thought [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >network every 60 minutes. This reregisters the phone with the network >so the network doesn't forget where the phone is located. But do you have to re-power the phone every day? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>>> The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off >>>> and on periodically, at least once a day. I asked him whether he [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hate to tell you, but that was ONE techs opinion.. Mine is that it has nothing to do with the phone/carrier, mine (work line, Kyocera 2235) works fine, sitting in the charger on my workbench (i'm a verizon tech), for weeks on end. Seems to me to be SPECIFICALLY a problem with the CDMA version of cellsocket (that just came out about 6 months ago (so the person above who claimed he has had a CDMA version of the cellsocket for two years, is a stone cold liar!). > Hate to tell you, but that was ONE techs opinion.. Yeah, I can't believe anyone would design a system that foolishly. After just receiving a call from someone who claimed to be trying for the past 1.5 hours but getting a busy signal (merely 2 hours after I had cycled power on the cellphone), my latest conjecture (still trying to give Cellsocket, and VZW, the benefit of the doubt), is **intermittent reception**(?). I'm going to move the Cellsocket to where I get 4 bars (they recommend at least 3), and see how things go. >>>If the Verizon system requires you to power cycle your phone every day >>>there's something really wrong with the Verizon system. I have a [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >But do you have to re-power the phone every day? No, no I do not. Signature"The only British idiom I know is that fag means cigarette." "Well then tell this cigarette to shut up" >> I think it's a problem with the cellsocket itself. > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >The solution, according to the VZW tech, is turn the cellphone off and >on periodically, at least once a day. I would suggest making a call at least once or twice a day, to 611 if you have no other need to call anyone. Making a call should refresh your registration just as well as a power cycle. SignatureDavid Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter Remove the naughty bit from my address to reply Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time. "Electronic voting is fast and harmless, unless they get the voltage wrong, in which case an overhead sprinkler system will automatically extinguish any flames in your hair." - Dave Barry >I would suggest making a call at least once or twice a day, to 611 if you >have no other need to call anyone. Making a call should refresh your >registration just as well as a power cycle. I've had problems where my phone didn't register properly, and would not ring on incoming calls or receive text messages. Making outgoing calls did *not* solve the problem and register the phone. Neither did power-cycling the phone or removing the phone's battery. What did work was a call to tech support, where they tickled something on their end, then had me power-cycle the phone. I also discovered I could force the phone to analog, then back to digital, then power-cycle the phone and it would be registered. I wonder if *18 would have worked, but I didn't try that. > - Why don't any of the wireless carriers offer a home > wiring-to-cellphone device similar to Cellsocket? Same reason why American shipyards can't build a ship that real-world vessel-operating companies want to buy? > - Why don't any of the wireless carriers offer a home > wiring-to-cellphone device similar to Cellsocket? > (www.cellsocket.com) Maybe because they know that the currently available products don't work too well (as you seem to be finding out)? SignatureBert Hyman | St. Paul, MN | bert@visi.com > Amazing as it sounds, I think :-) that wireless companies must want > people to stick with landline, instead of switching to wireless > service for their home phone!? Might there be some backroom handshake > between wireless and landline execs to stave off more rapid erosion of > the landline business? I use my cell phone for everything, at home and not. But I don't see the point of something like "Cellsocket". Why not just use the cell phone itself? SignatureJeremy | jeremy@exit109.com RE/ >I use my cell phone for everything, at home and not. But I don't see the >point of something like "Cellsocket". Why not just use the cell phone >itself? Different people in different rooms at different times? SignaturePeteCresswell >I use my cell phone for everything, at home and not. But I don't see the >point of something like "Cellsocket". Why not just use the cell phone >itself? Because then you have to either: 1. carry the cell phone with you all the time. or: 2. run to answer the cell phone. With the cell phone connected to your home phone wiring, you can have multiple phones around the house and answer the call from the most convenient one. >> Amazing as it sounds, I think :-) that wireless companies must want >> people to stick with landline, instead of switching to wireless [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >point of something like "Cellsocket". Why not just use the cell phone >itself? Because a regular phone is often more comfortable to use. Because if you have the CellSocket in one place you can answer/make calls from any phone in the house. You do not have to carry the cell phone with you wherever you go in the house. Some people use their cell phone as their only phone. Others use it in vacation homes and forego not installling a regular phone. Go to http://www.cellsocket.com and it gives a host of reasons you might use it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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