I recently had someone write me an email telling me that I don’t need a home phone, and I could use a device called Cell2Jack instead. After looking at it, I discovered it is a very niche product, and will not replace my need for a home phone. So why wouldn’t this work? There are a few reasons of why I don’t see this working. I will go into them with this blog posting, and will not consider the device anymore.
Better Options
A Cell2Jack pairs with your phone to make it the only phone number for making calls. The advantage to this is this will work with any phone. However, if you want your cellular number to show up as the calling party, there are better options. You can buy DECT phones that will pair with up to 2 cellular phones. You can then select whether you want to use the home line, cell 1, or cell 2 when making a call. In addition, the contacts list downloads to the more effective solution therefore allowing more function. A Cell2Jack will only work with one cellular number, and as mentioned will use your cellular phone service to make the call. You simply have no choice.
Inconvenient for Callers
My home phone number is a toll-free number. There is simply no way to port my home phone to a cellular phone. This means my cellular phone will never show my toll-free number. The porting system is simply not intended for that role. So why would I care about a toll-free number? Having a toll-free number allows people in Canada, and territories of the US to reach me as if it was a local call for them. For example, without the toll-free number, someone in Canada will have to pay international rates for calling me in the US. This rate will vary depending on the carrier. The only way around this is to get a Canadian Number. But, then I will need an Alaskan number, a Hawaiian number, a Puerto Rican number, and you get the picture. Having a single phone number for Canada, non-continental states, and US territories with the ability to just pick up the phone and call 1 number rather than several. With a Cell2Jack, my cellular number will show as the caller ID when using the home phone number. There will be no toll-free number they can call as a local number.
Inconvenient for Me
There was a time I had a few international numbers. During this time, I also had to have multiple VCards for each of the phone numbers. This meant more work, and more effort. It also meant more work for the person downloading my VCard as they will have to choose the best card for them. Simply put, having multiple numbers when people don’t call the number is a waste of time, and money. It therefore becomes an inconvenience that I would rather not deal with.
Lose a Telephone Line
If I was to replace the Cell2Jack, I will lose a telephone line. This will mean that I would have just one number to choose from when making calls. There have been times I would call myself to locate my phone, and anyone with a home phone line has likely done this as well. In addition, there are times I would not want to disclose my cellular phone number. With that being said, a home phone number is essential. Yes, I have a voicemail number, and I could set that number as the Calling number, but then incoming calls will go straight to voicemail. The voicemail number serves a purpose, and it is not to display when calling someone.
Use Cellular Phone Number
The Cell2Jack is a unique device. It pairs the cellular phone with the Cell2Jack, and then you plug in a home phone into the Cell2Jack’s RJ11 port. So what does this mean? Well, I will come home, keep the cellular phone next to the Cell2Jack, and rely on the “home” phone for calls using the Cell2Jack. This leads to a problem. My cellular phone number will be disclosed when I use the home phone to make a call. There might be times where I don’t want my cellular number to be disclosed. Also, I won’t have the international rates of the home phone if I should need to call internationally. With that in mind, I would only have one choice for international calls, and cellular phone rates are typically more expensive than a SIP/VOIP account.
Will Need a New Phone
My home phone is a Wifi phone. This means the phone connects to the Wifi network to make and receive calls. The base station for the phone has a power line to plug into the wall, and that is it. There simply not telephone jack to plug into the Cell2Jack. With that being said, I would have to buy a legacy POTS phone that has a telephone jack. This means an initial extra cost for setting up. Considering the price of the phone, I don’t find any value in replacing my Wifi phone with a POTS phone.
WiFi Calling
Some people may say that the cellular phone can reside in a place with the best cellular reception in the home. And yes, that is an option, but there is something called Wifi Calling. This allows the phone to use the home’s Wifi network to make and receive calls, and uses the Wifi signal rather than trying to connect to a spotty cellular signal. Most people these days have a broadband home connection, and either their ISP provides a modem/router, or one is purchased. By using Wifi to make the call, you eliminate the need to have a Cell2Jack.
Conclusion
I hope this blog post shed some light on why a Cell2Jack may not make sense for most people. It is a novel concept, but the novelty will wear out fast as the issues noted above for me will take precidence. And yes, I am sure – there are some people with a DECT phone, but you can choose a SIP/VOIP provider, plug the DECT phone into the ATA, and have a home phone line with a dedicated provider, it won’t work for you since there is no RJ11 passthrough. Again, this device is intended to replace the home phone with a cellular connection.