Tie Domi Comwave

[explorerzip]

Only works as long as you can keep charging the phone's battery. You may be too young, but I recall when there wasn't a live wall plug, or light bulb with AC power anywhere in Eastern North America. But some POTS (plain old phone systems) still worked because they made their own 'lectricity.

But we're now a long way from the original query about the Triple Bundle Comwave is selling. Would you be proposing to tether a 'puter to the interweebs via that smartphone and get your TERB and TV that way? I ask because it seems the sensible and coming thing — pretty much one device, one source for all varieties of communication — I'm just not sure how far off that wave is, and I'm more of a trailing edge than bleeding edge kinda guy.

I still have a phone that actually dials numbers.

You can buy a big external battery that has a USB port on it or get a car charger. You can make due without a desktop or laptop computer these days if you're only checking email, light browsing, and looking at YouTube videos. You can't easily view pirated movies or TV shows on your phone, but it's not impossible to do it.

Like you said, you can tether your phone to your computer if you absolutely must use one.

 

[oldjones]

You can buy a big external battery that has a USB port on it or get a car charger. You can make due without a desktop or laptop computer these days if you're only checking email, light browsing, and looking at YouTube videos. You can't easily view pirated movies or TV shows on your phone, but it's not impossible to do it.

Like you said, you can tether your phone to your computer if you absolutely must use one.

You don't sound like you're ready to give up your bigger screens or their wired connections either. nor do you make depending on a smartphone for all those inputs sound attractive or easy. Which is likely why you raised the issue that started the thread: What/who best supplies what services over which wires?

My vote leans to the coming Fibre-Future, but so far only Bell is opening that door, bit by bit, and only if you accept their long-term leash; outfits like Comwave assume and service copper AFAIK.

On the power-supply issue, I'd suggest looking at a computer-supplier's Uninterruptable Power Supplies, rather than batteries or car charger-packs. Although none will give as much as an hour of power, the purpose designed UPS will be easier to install and use, and you won't have to remember to charge it. But after that hour, you'll want some other plan. For the truly paranoid my recommendation would be a DC-AC inverter for the car you'll have equipped to live in for the day When The Lights Go Out All Over The World.

 

[explorerzip]

You don't sound like you're ready to give up your bigger screens or their wired connections either. nor do you make depending on a smartphone for all those inputs sound attractive or easy. Which is likely why you raised the issue that started the thread: What/who best supplies what services over which wires?

My vote leans to the coming Fibre-Future, but so far only Bell is opening that door, bit by bit, and only if you accept their long-term leash; outfits like Comwave assume and service copper AFAIK.

On the power-supply issue, I'd suggest looking at a computer-supplier's Uninterruptable Power Supplies, rather than batteries or car charger-packs. Although none will give as much as an hour of power, the purpose designed UPS will be easier to install and use, and you won't have to remember to charge it. But after that hour, you'll want some other plan. For the truly paranoid my recommendation would be a DC-AC inverter for the car you'll have equipped to live in for the day When The Lights Go Out All Over The World.

It depends on what you use a computer for. If you're heavily into gaming, photo and video editing, etc. then of course you'll need a desktop / laptop. If that's not the case, then a phone or tablet could work just fine.

I just question the need to have a home phone when you already have a cellphone. You would be paying for phone service twice and the previously mentioned setup challenges. At least Bell allows you to build a bundle with cellphone, internet and TV, but Comwave does not.

The external battery I was referring to earlier is like this: https://www.amazon.ca/AUKEY-20000mA...qid=1520612018&sr=8-8&keywords=usb+power+pack They have multiple USB plugs so any mobile device will work with it including laptops that charge via USB. I think there are backup batteries with 3 pronged AC power plugs too.

One thing to keep in mind with computer UPS's is that some don't "cold-start" meaning they cannot power on a device while in a blackout. Some UPS's can only keep a device powered on during a blackout. An easy way to check if your UPS supports cold starting is to unplug it from the wall outlet and see if you can turn on your computer.

If you really want to prepare for the zombie apocalypse, then you're looking at a gasoline generator, solar panels, etc. and shotguns.

 

[oldjones]

It depends on what you use a computer for. If you're heavily into gaming, photo and video editing, etc. then of course you'll need a desktop / laptop. If that's not the case, then a phone or tablet could work just fine.

I just question the need to have a home phone when you already have a cellphone. You would be paying for phone service twice and the previously mentioned setup challenges. At least Bell allows you to build a bundle with cellphone, internet and TV, but Comwave does not.

The external battery I was referring to earlier is like this: https://www.amazon.ca/AUKEY-20000mA...qid=1520612018&sr=8-8&keywords=usb+power+pack They have multiple USB plugs so any mobile device will work with it including laptops that charge via USB. I think there are backup batteries with 3 pronged AC power plugs too.

One thing to keep in mind with computer UPS's is that some don't "cold-start" meaning they cannot power on a device while in a blackout. Some UPS's can only keep a device powered on during a blackout. An easy way to check if your UPS supports cold starting is to unplug it from the wall outlet and see if you can turn on your computer.

If you really want to prepare for the zombie apocalypse, then you're looking at a gasoline generator, solar panels, etc. and shotguns.

To be clear, Comwave does have bundles with one phone service as you describe, but not a cellphone. I just question your assumption everyone needs, wants or has a mobile (I got rid of mine with my last job, and felt 'free at last' after decades that began with the first 'bricks'). Some folks I know can't imagine life without theirs, but when I leave home the last thing I want is a tie to anyone or anywhere.

If I wanted to watch TV, movies, game, or look at photos on something smaller than a decent chocolate bar I already would. I'm in this thread — on my 20" iMac — because I prefer This Old House, Dunkirk and River closer to life size or at least 42" diagonal.

As far as I can see, that external battery needs the electrical grid up and running after one use, or it's a dead external batttery. When my part of East York went black for a week just before Xmas a couple of years ago, that wouldn't have helped much. My landline did. If I'd still had my old PowerBook with its internal modem I coulda used it to get on the internet. And charged it from the car, while I was driving to get more gas from a part of the world where the pumps still worked. The cellphones in the household died after a couple of hours.

Now I have a little genny, big enough to run my furnace electrics, modem and MacBook, and I thank you for the cold-start UPS tip, should I go for one of those. Were I to do it again, I'd spend that genny money on a bigger inverter in the car I keep serviced and fuelled anyway, and skip the standalone small-engine with its maintenance issues.

So: That kinda settles our nice little exchange, but the OP hasn't gotten much info about ComWave from people who've used it. For me, it adds TV that I don't much want to my current services, and slightly lowers costs, but with a contracted commitment to my/Bell's aging copper cable, just when Bell's twisting my arm to contract for Fibe and get even more TV I don't want, along with internet (potentially faster) and VOIP, but for slightly more money.

So like him I'm curious.

 

[explorerzip]

To be clear, Comwave does have bundles with one phone service as you describe, but not a cellphone. I just question your assumption everyone needs, wants or has a mobile (I got rid of mine with my last job, and felt 'free at last' after decades that began with the first 'bricks'). Some folks I know can't imagine life without theirs, but when I leave home the last thing I want is a tie to anyone or anywhere.

If I wanted to watch TV, movies, game, or look at photos on something smaller than a decent chocolate bar I already would. I'm in this thread — on my 20" iMac — because I prefer This Old House, Dunkirk and River closer to life size or at least 42" diagonal.

As far as I can see, that external battery needs the electrical grid up and running after one use, or it's a dead external batttery. When my part of East York went black for a week just before Xmas a couple of years ago, that wouldn't have helped much. My landline did. If I'd still had my old PowerBook with its internal modem I coulda used it to get on the internet. And charged it from the car, while I was driving to get more gas from a part of the world where the pumps still worked. The cellphones in the household died after a couple of hours.

Now I have a little genny, big enough to run my furnace electrics, modem and MacBook, and I thank you for the cold-start UPS tip, should I go for one of those. Were I to do it again, I'd spend that genny money on a bigger inverter in the car I keep serviced and fuelled anyway, and skip the standalone small-engine with its maintenance issues.

So: That kinda settles our nice little exchange, but the OP hasn't gotten much info about ComWave from people who've used it. For me, it adds TV that I don't much want to my current services, and slightly lowers costs, but with a contracted commitment to my/Bell's aging copper cable, just when Bell's twisting my arm to contract for Fibe and get even more TV I don't want, along with internet (potentially faster) and VOIP, but for slightly more money.

So like him I'm curious.

I did go overboard with the tech talk, but the answer to the OP's question still boils down to: "it depends." If you don't much TV, then the Comwave bundle might not be that great of a value because they have a limited channel lineup.

 

[TeeJay]

It is still a hassle to need a phone adapter box at each standard phone around the house.

Another huge issue; all these boxes being sold from ComWave to Koodo
ALL of them are LOCKED and USELESS if you decide to change providers

There are many cheaper home phone providers out there and with an unlocked box you can easily switch
Notice the providers with locked hardware also tend to cost alot more for same services

 

[TeeJay]

I suspect that if you install that box at the Bell demarcation jack where their phone wire enters the house, then all the phones downstream from there will work from it. Hafta ask the Comwave folks (or experiment) to be sure though.

You seem confused
VOIP does not use RJ11, it is usually RJ45 (ethernet) or wireless

The RJ11 jack is to plug the phone into the adapter

 

[explorerzip]

You seem confused
VOIP does not use RJ11, it is usually RJ45 (ethernet) or wireless

The RJ11 jack is to plug the phone into the adapter

Voip is actually a protocol i.e. software that a device (PC, phone, tablet, IP phone, webcam) uses to send voice over the internet. It's got nothing to do with the type of jack (RJ45, RJ11, etc.) you plug into. You can use VOIP on any data network (cellular, ethernet, wireless) that connects to the internet. Oldjones and I were talking about the adapter box Comwave you need for a standard phone to work on their VOIP service.

 

[oldjones]

You seem confused
VOIP does not use RJ11, it is usually RJ45 (ethernet) or wireless

The RJ11 jack is to plug the phone into the adapter

At this point I'm confused only about how the info in your post relates to what you quoted. That post addressed only one issue raised by another poster: that every phone in the house might need its own VOIP adapter. What I was suggesting was to plug the entire home-phone network into the adapter rather than a single phone.

A VOIP adapter connects phones (via their plugs and wires) to the internet (via a modem and its wired (or rarely, wireless) connection to that network). So as you said yourself, the adapter needs, uses and has, both sorts of RJs. Without at least one RJ11 it will have no phone to adapt.