Do you still have a land line?

[Jeff]

I am under the impression I need a home phone (connected to the wall) to make calls that require confidential information such as passwords, S.S. #, etc. Is this true or am I being too cautious?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I have one, but for different reasons - most notably VOIP can't guarantee you 911 service in the event of a power outage (e.g. earthquake that wipes out a lot of the infrastructure). Ditto mobile/cell phones. One of the first major failures in Katrina was the cell phone network - got seriously overloaded and people couldn't make calls. Those are my reasons more than SSNs and stuff.

Cellular networks are encrypted - for someone to eavesdrop on your digital cell phone conversation would have to mean they REALLY wanted you bad. This does not apply to old analog cellular networks - if you "roam", often you're using analog. Something to consider.

Cordless house phones are radios. Some are encrypted, some are not. A few years back I listened to one of my neighbors spill her guts (name, ssn, credit card numbers, etc.) over a cordless phone - I was able to hit the frequency with my bearcat scanner.

If you always treat a wireless device as a radio, you'll be safe. Using the internet with 128-bit encryption is probably safer than voice in most cases regardless though.

[Arizona_928]

yepp..

[red-beard]

Yes, one VOIP (Home number) and Standard line for the Business with the backup DSL line.

[red911sc]

Yes, still have a land line.... though I am not sure why

[gprsh924]

Originally Posted by Jeff

I am under the impression I need a home phone (connected to the wall) to make calls that require confidential information such as passwords, S.S. #, etc. Is this true or am I being too cautious?

I've done countless banking transactions with my cell phone, including credit card activation that was supposed to be from a landline.

[Jim Richards]

No. 3 years without one, and I cannot see ever having one again.

[masraum]

I have a landline. I've got DSL, but you can get DSL without telephone service these days. I pay for a line with the lowest level of service possible. I keep primarily for emergencies/911 calls.

I don't think that the "confidential information" thing is a good reason. It's probably as easy or easier to tap a landline as it is to listen in on a cell phone. I don't think it's that easy, but maybe I'm wrong.

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by masraum

I have a landline. I've got DSL, but you can get DSL without telephone service these days. I pay for a line with the lowest level of service possible. I keep primarily for emergencies/911 calls.

Yup, what he said

[rattlsnak]

I wasnt aware that you can get DSL without a land line,. Thats the ONLY reason I have one.(internet for my wife as her company requires it)

[ikarcuaso]

Yes. We live in a forest with spotty cell coverage.

[ruf-porsche]

We need a land line for our AT&T DSL.

[imcarthur]

I am over-phoned. Home land line. Wife cell. I have for business & paid by company: land line with 800 overlay, fax land line, Blackberry.

Some of our guys (we are spread over US & Can) are gradually switching to Skype & it is working well with big savings. I have been resistant because of quality. Whenever I talk to someone with a crappy connection or someone with a typical hollow speaker phone (like many Bluetooth acc), I want to smash my phone on the desk. That said, I have had some crystal clear Skype calls from my son in Australia.

Ian

[RWebb]

land lines can persist if cell towers fail in a quake, fire, etc.

pretty cheap insurance

[UconnTim97]

We have one. Makes the wife feel safe to have one for emergencies. Also, it is hardwired into our alarm system.

[911Rob]

I'm also over-phoned!!!! Yikes!

I have a home number land line; I have a designated fax line and my DSL server is same. The server is the best for my area, so I keep it all on one bill.

But.... I also have 5 cell phones! Wife, 3 kids and me. (3 kids are now paying their own way)

Way too many phones...... and here's the kicker; nobody ever answers the darn thing!

[stealthn]

Yes like others have said nice to have one in emergency.

Don't forget EVERYTHING is tapped, internet, cell and land lines. Big brother is watching...and listening....and reading. Privacy is a myth today.

[slodave]

Originally Posted by masraum

I have a landline. I've got DSL, but you can get DSL without telephone service these days. I pay for a line with the lowest level of service possible. I keep primarily for emergencies/911 calls.

Although you end up paying about the same either way.

I still have my land line - Needed it for DSL at the time, but I don't use it. There is no phone plugged into a jack.

[jyl]

My "landline" is VOIP via comcast. Seems to do anything a copper POTS landline does. I don't know how well Comcast's systems will hold up in a natural disaster. The modem has a battery backup supposedly good for several hours and so does the Comcast local equipment but an extended power outage will leave me without VOIP. But if our cellphones also go out, and my EVDO datacard too, I think I'll be reaching for the 12 gauge . . .

[slakjaw]

nope