The Product: VOIP Phone

With the rise of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone technology and the availability of high speed broadband connections, the shift from traditional landlines to (VOIP) providers such as Vonage is becoming a popular trend. Now some of the phone manufacturers out there are joining the party, providing ‘Vonage ready’ phones and hardware.

Recommendation: VTech IP8100 5.8 GHz Broadband Phone System

VTech has created the IP8100 5.8HHz cordless broadband phone system which works in conjunction with your internet connection and broadband modem. After plugging the phone router into your existing broadband modem, a wireless network is then broadcasted specifically for your phones, allowing you to place the handsets anywhere in your home. Each phone also has a small base charger.

In addition, the IP8100 also comes with features such as one-touch access to Vonage Voicemail, a 50 name/number address book, and a built-in speakerphone. The features that Vonage offers are great for anyone on the run; multiple-line call forwarding, call waiting and caller ID and the ability to e-mail voicemails to you as audio attachments.  Vonage service is about half the price of traditional phone plans and includes great rates for international calling.

Note: Get a rebate on this phone and your first month free with Vonage when you use this link.

Devil's Advocate:

The major concern with using a VOIP service is how handles emergency 911 calls. If this is your primary phone, make sure to register your address with Vonage so that they will know where to route a 911 call in the case of an emergency.