[blu] broadband phones?

[jc at trillian.mit.edu (John Chambers)]

David Kramer writes:
|
| We're looking into VoIP as a cost-cutting measure as my current consulting
| contract comes up in a few months.  Looks like I have two big limitations,
| though:
| - I need phones throughout the house, and most of these systems are
| designed for only one phone.  I can do all the wiring if they say it will
| work, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Some are for only one phone; others are done as a box that interfaces
between IP and the local phone wiring. The latter can just be plugged
into your house wiring at any outlet and will make  all  your  phones
work. But you should make sure that this is what they're selling you.

| - I have DSL, not cable.  It's my understanding that I can't drop my
| current POTS phone line, because then my DSL won't work.

That used to be true.  We just switched our service to speakeasy, and
they  have a "no phone" DSL-only service that doesn't require a phone
number or a payment to the phone company.  I've read  that  some  DSL
suppliers are doing this now.  Speakeasy also just announced VoIP, so
we're considering switching our phone service to them. With family in
Illinois, Florida, Alabama and California, this could end up cheaper.