Best pre-paid plan for my situation

[alebowgm]

Fellow DHC'ers,

Could use a recommendation here. Basically my apartment building has one of those fancy intercom systems where instead of buzzing your unit, it buzzes your cell phone. All was fine and dandy until the landlord decided that they were going to remove all of the long distance phone numbers from the database. They say their new policy is only local numbers. Of course, the number I have is long distance. So, my plan is, get a barebone unlocked GSM cell phone from a family member which I will just keep plugged in 24/7 in my unit and then insert a pay-as-you-go SIM with a local number. Given my situation, all I need to do is answer the incoming call, hear who is on the other end, and press 9 to buzz them in. I have no plans to ever make outgoing calls, as that is what my post-paid company cell phone with the long distance number is used for. What are my options out there? I have looked at the prepaid for the big 3, as well as Virgin, Petro, 7-11, but the more I read, the more confused I am.

Thanks for any advice.

[envirogeek]

How about getting a local phone number that the system will dial on a VoIP service like VoIP.ms, then set it to always call forward to your cell phone?

No additional cell phone required, assuming the existing method has been working ok with your current phone. It will cost you a couple of bucks a month for the number, but you won't be building up a bank of pay as you go minutes you may never use.

[TorontoColin]

If you live within a Wind Zone, their pay as you go service has unlimited incoming calls. You'd just have to make the minimum top ups to keep the account alive ($100 gets you a year).

I'd recommend you test their signal in your building before you invest a lot though.

Edit: I see you live in Windsor. Windsor coverage is coming later this year, but for now that's not an option for you.

[alebowgm]

VOIP may be an option I didn't think of and I will have to explore.

TorontoColin, what other option outside of Wind would make the most sense then?

[TorontoColin]

I doubt prepaid is a good option at all, as you'll be paying by the minute, so you'll pay for every call to open the door.

VOIP is probably a better option. One possibility would be to get a supported Android phone and use it on wifi with the Dell Voice app, but I don't know if the app will support buzzing people in.

[Robert.Thompson]

Can't you just have it buzz your land line phone?

[alebowgm]

No land line, cell phone only.

[Robert.Thompson]

With no land line, the cheapest way to go is VOIP.

Buy an OBI 110 amazon, connect it to your router, connect a regular phone to the OBI 110.

Get a VOIP account & phone number from VOIP.ms ($0.99 per month plus $0.005 per minute).

VOIP.ms and OBI will help you set things up - not very hard.

Plus, you can use your Gmail account to make FREE long distance calls from the phone attached to the OBI 110.

[alebowgm]

Is there a model that works over WiFi and doesn't need to be hard wired in? Alternatively, does it work with a WiFi bridge? My building offers free WiFi so I can't hard wire in.

[Robert.Thompson]

I do not know.

I suggest that you call VOIP.ms and ask them: 1.877.7.VOIP.MS

But I do know this:

You can get a local phone number from VOIP.ms and have that number forwarded to your existing cell phone number.

Maybe that will solve your building's anti-long distance policy.

[Robert.Thompson]

Originally Posted by alebowgm

Is there a model that works over WiFi and doesn't need to be hard wired in? Alternatively, does it work with a WiFi bridge? My building offers free WiFi so I can't hard wire in.

http://****************/OBiWiFi-Wire...4&keywords=obi

[north49]

If you live in Windsor why is your cell # anything but a local # ?