Vodafone Home Phone Wireless -- what's it like? Good? Bad? Echo-y?

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NZJon

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#87603 2-Aug-2011 15:27

Hello!

We're moving to our new house soon, out in the sticks, where there's no Telecom ADSL available. I'm looking at getting a Vodafone Home Wireless package (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/home-phone/wireless/) for our main home phone, and a wireless broadband package for our internet. I'm reasonably happy with the in's and out's of the wireless broadband, but am not too sure whether the Home Phone Wireless is going to be a good option. If anyone has got some hands on experience, I'd really appreciate hearing your opinions.

Firstly, at $25 per month (or $40 per month with national calling) the Vodafone Home Phone Wireless seems really good value for money, and easily beats Telecom's home phone line costs of about $50 per month. On that front alone it seems like a good deal.

However, I'm unsure what the call quality is like. Is it echoy? (It seems to have been reported as being echoy back in 2007 -- has it improved since then?) Is it laggy? Is it pretty much on par with a standard fixed line home phone?

It is possible to use a cell phone extender antenna, such as this http://www.tennatron.co.nz/cellphone/ with the Home Phone Wireless? Is there an antenna connection on the base station?

Finally, can any DECT phone be used with the system, or only the over-priced add-ons that Vodafone sell?

Many thanks for your time,

Jon

sbiddle

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#500866 2-Aug-2011 15:54

Quality is exactly the same as the Vodafone GSM network, because this is exactly what it uses.

You can use any phone you like.

johnr

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#500870 2-Aug-2011 15:59

The echo issue was resolved a long time ago with the unit, Its the same quality as a normal mobile call

John

scheduler

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#500901 2-Aug-2011 16:26

Hi We have had 2 Homephone wireless the Old XT Jack White Box and the new Panasonic Box. As John Said The echo Was mainly on the old white XT box but has been fixed. On the new Panasonic boxes the call quality sems pretty good. If you have the new Panasonic box which is the only one sold by Vodafone currently you will need to use the Vodafone supplied phones. I have tried to add other phones and it doesn't . If you get a white XT Jack which you would probably need to get off Trade Me then you can use any phone

NZJon

43 posts

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#500918 2-Aug-2011 17:09

Marvellous! Thanks for your replies guys, much appreciated. Have to say that I can't really see that there's likely to be many problems... so it looks like it could be a winner.

Anyone know whether an extender antenna can be used with the Panasonic "base station" box?

Cheers,
Jon

cisconz

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#501096 2-Aug-2011 23:23

NZJon: Anyone know whether an extender antenna can be used with the Panasonic "base station" box?

You shouldn't need one as the Panasonic unit uses GSM (no cell breathing) and has a 1W 1800MHz and 2W 900MHz transceiver in it, verse the average cell phone that has a 300mw transceiver.

Hmmmm

Geese

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#501134 3-Aug-2011 08:33

cisconz:You shouldn't need one as the Panasonic unit uses GSM (no cell breathing) and has a 1W 1800MHz and 2W 900MHz transceiver in it, verse the average cell phone that has a 300mw transceiver.

Hey wow thats good info. Do you know what the xjack units could do?

timmmay

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#501143 3-Aug-2011 08:44

My Mum had it a couple of years ago, not long after it launched. The call quality was so awful she returned it the next day. Hopefully they've resolved those problems.

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johnr

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#501147 3-Aug-2011 08:48

timmmay: My Mum had it a couple of years ago, not long after it launched. The call quality was so awful she returned it the next day. Hopefully they've resolved those problems.

As posted above already

nitrotech

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#501170 3-Aug-2011 09:10

I have the panasonc box and it works much better than I expected, you just can't tell the difference between this and a POTS line.

Also added benefit of caller id for free too.

You can't plug another phone into the Panasonic box it comes with a cordless phone though, you can add extra cordless phones but they have to be compatible with the box.

rev

26 posts

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#501563 3-Aug-2011 19:02

Happy user of VF Home Phone Wireless.

Built new a few years ago, the electrician put the full phone loop throughout the house but I haven't connected it to the copper line that does wind it's way the valley.

In this instance, the VF wireless unit is superb. It is the earlier model that allows any phone to be plugged in to it's two outlets. I have one outlet connected back into the wall socket, making all jack-points link to the wireless unit so could have 5 phones if desired (but not)

NB: This is not a suggestion to do the same, my house loop has no connection to the copper network so don't go doing the same if you are connected.

Call quality is perfectly fine, I wouldn't rate this as an issue really, it's a phone call so I wouldn't expect the same clarity I'd get from the Tannoys.

Price is good, we use a Vodem stick too so the combo gets ~20 bucks off the combined bill.

You get use to dialling the area code for all calls that aren't already programmed in as contacts on the handset, and the four second pause before it starts ringing is no big deal.

Just more info for your decision consideration.
Cheers.

NZJon

43 posts

Geek

#501618 3-Aug-2011 20:32

Thanks again for the feedback, guys. I think I'm going to give it a go, seeing as the consensus is that call quality is pretty darned good, and that an additional antenna is probably not needed.

Cheers,

Jon

cisconz

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#501671 3-Aug-2011 22:13

I just purchased 2 of these Panasonic units for a project of mine, so far they work really well, now I just need to see if johnr can organise me half a dozen connections for a couple of months.

Hmmmm