We've talked before about the cell phone vs. home phone debate, but today I wanted to break down the home phone space a little and discuss the pros and cons of the two types of home phone plans available: landline service and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.
First though, let's define each category. Landline service uses telephone wires and poles to send and receive call data and is marketed by traditional phone companies. VoIP service, on the other hand, uses the Internet to send and receive call data and is offered by cable companies, VoIP-only companies as well as some of the traditional phone companies.
So, which is best? Let's break it down:
- Call Quality – When VoIP first came out, there were a few glitches here and there, giving landlines a clear victory in call quality. However, as the VoIP products have evolved and Internet speeds have gotten faster and faster, call quality has improved to a level where there is no noticeable difference in call quality.
Advantage: Draw
- Requirements – Home phone service can be ordered by itself, but VoIP requires a high-speed Internet plan. If you don't have broadband service at your house this make VoIP service a much more expensive proposition.
Advantage: Landline
Continue reading "Landline vs. VoIP" »
A few months ago we started to do a feature on the blog that highlights different cities around the country, and the deals that people can find. The idea is that anyone moving to or currently living in these locations can get better deals that help them to save on their home services like home phone, TV and Internet.
For this week's feature, we're going to be taking a look at the great city of Baltimore, home of the Orioles, the Ravens and the Washington Monument. Check out the list below to see a list of the best deals in the area!
Continue reading "City Highlight: Moving to Baltimore" »

Life sure does change quickly these days. Just a few years ago, it seemed that literally almost every house in the country had a landline. However, with the rapid rise of the cell phone, people are now starting to question whether they need to keep home phone service and many people have already ditched their landline. It's not just young people either, my own mom has cut the cord!
While cell phones are great, there are still plenty of reasons to keep your landline. With that in mind, I put together a list of the pros and cons of keeping the landline and pulling the plug:
- Reliability – Cell phones suffer from dropped calls, busy
networks and other issues that keep them from being 100% reliable. In
contrast, when was the last time you dropped a call from your home
phone? Home phones are just more reliable right now and that matters,
especially during an emergency.
Advantage: Home Phone
- One Number – One benefit of going cell-only is that there's only one number people need to know. This cuts down on phone tag and lets people get in touch with you faster, no matter where you are.
Advantage: Cell Phone
Continue reading "Cell Phone vs. Home Phone" »
Summer is almost officially here, which means that the time for people to start moving is fast approaching or already underway for some people. One of the more stressful parts of any move is connecting all of your utilities and home services. Getting everything set up can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you're new to the area and don't know what's available.
Last month, we did a piece highlighting the best deals on home services in the Chicago area. This time, we wanted to do the same thing for another destination: Alanta, Georgia. Hopefully this list will be helpful for anybody moving to or in the Atlanta area.
Check out the list below to see the best specials!
Continue reading "City Highlight: Moving to Atlanta" »
Over the last few months, we've incorporated a variety of unique topics and features into the blog, including WhiteFence 101 tutorials, FAQs, and Provider Highlights. One of the new things that we want to start doing is highlighting specific cities around the country, and show what deals are available for each of them. This should be of great use to anyone moving to that area or even people that already live there and want to save some money on monthly bills.
Our first city on the list? Chicago. I admittedly don't know much about Chicago, but I have friends that live there or are from there, and they seem to be mostly alright people, minus that bizarre love of socks, bear-like animals and bulls. But regardless of whether or not I've been there or understand their fascinations, I've been able to do some digging around inside the WhiteFence engine to find some great deals for Chicagoans.
If you live around the area, you'll definitely want to check these out and see where you can cut some spending out of your expenses.
Continue reading "City Highlight: Moving to Chicago" »