Vodafone at home box with prepay sim

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raytaylor

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#38190 25-Jul-2009 03:49

I have a computer in a place that needs rebooting every so often and i cant readily access it. I have a dtmf controller that connects to a phone line and when I call it, I can cut the power and restart the computer quite easily, but i have no phone line at the location of the computer.

I am thinking of getting one of those vodafone at home boxes for $199 and want to know if i can put a prepay sim card into it rather than pay the $25 each month since it wont be making outgoing calls?

Ray Taylor

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#238810 25-Jul-2009 05:31

Most of the Vodafone boxes are all SIM locked to specific SIM's to stop you doing this. They are also sold at subsidised prices since you need to use the At Home service on them.

There are plenty of other boxes that do the same thing that are sub $200 - look on TM for the odd one or eBay.

johnr

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#238826 25-Jul-2009 08:36

The vodafone @ home box is not SIM locked any SIM will work in the device.

John

raytaylor

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#238829 25-Jul-2009 09:18

Couldnt find any other than a $1,200 one on trademe that runs to an ISDN trunk port of a pabx

John I am hoping you are right - site says you can buy them for $199 so I will give it a go.

Ray Taylor

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johnr

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#238831 25-Jul-2009 09:27

Trust me any device vodafone nz sells is not SIM locked

John

bjhoogs

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#238895 25-Jul-2009 14:57

I've tried this (prepay sim in home phone wireless box) and it worked (for voice at least).

A smitch could also do what you want. It will turn the power on/off directly by calling it ($150 on trademe). However the vodafone box at $1 is probably alot more attractive if it works.

raytaylor

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#238897 25-Jul-2009 15:03

The DTMF controllers that I use have 4 outputs for USD$99 + Cost of Vodafone box so its much cheaper than buying 4 smitches. Although the controller is just a board, you still have to put it into a box and solder some parts / wire it up.

I didnt even know they had something like the smitch as a consumer product. It looks pretty cool.

Ray Taylor

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richms

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#239074 26-Jul-2009 13:35

could you not just set a phone to auto answer and plug the headset jack into the board rather then dicking around making it PSTN and then back again?

When I last asked the at home boxes didnt do any answer/disconnect signalling to the attached analog device so how does the dtmf switch know when to hang up? I can forsee it getting stuck so that the dtmf switch is offhook and you cant call into it at all.

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raytaylor

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#239092 26-Jul-2009 15:10

Good point. I am going to have to check it out.
I am guessing the dtmf controller will hang up if you dont give it any instructions for 30 seconds.

It picks up when it recieves the analog ringing high voltage signal from the vf home box, and i am hoping will hangup after say 30 seconds of inactivity. Otherwise i will have to try something else.

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zombiewan

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#239411 27-Jul-2009 17:43

johnr: Trust me any device vodafone nz sells is not SIM locked

John

Not even a very large portion of SE W910i's or Samsung E250's?

johnr

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#239415 27-Jul-2009 17:54

zombiewan:
johnr: Trust me any device vodafone nz sells is not SIM locked

John

Not even a very large portion of SE W910i's or Samsung E250's?

Huh?

bjhoogs

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#239438 27-Jul-2009 19:46

zombiewan:
johnr: Trust me any device vodafone nz sells is not SIM locked

John

Not even a very large portion of SE W910i's or Samsung E250's?

If you are refering to the handsets being locked in May 2008 that would be 'sold', not 'sells'. 'Sells' is the present tense.

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#239439 27-Jul-2009 19:55

zombiewan:
johnr: Trust me any device vodafone nz sells is not SIM locked

John

Not even a very large portion of SE W910i's or Samsung E250's?

Vodafone said at the time that locked devices that made to the channels and wound up in consumer's hands can be unlocked for free anyway.

IIRC, that was only a week worth of sales. So I don't see a reason to point this out as a big sin.