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The next time you’re in the market for a cordless phone, you should consider purchasing a two line cordless phone. With two lines, you won’t miss important calls. You can have one line for business and one for personal use. Although it may cost a little more, it will help you avoid lots of frustration. The following post takes a closer look at the pros and cons of a two line cordless phone.
First of all, you never need to worry about missing an important call. When you have two lines to work with, you can talk as long as you like without being concerned about someone not being able to call you. This also avoids arguments at home because two people can use the phone at the same time.
A two line cordless phone is an excellent choice if you need separate lines for business and personal calls. Being able to separate the costs for business and personal use of the phone will be a great help when tax time rolls around. Using two different lines is a must when you run a business from your home.
When you start shopping for a cordless phone with two lines, you will notice that they are somewhat more expensive than single-line models. However, they won’t cost twice as much. Considering how much frustration and stress you can avoid by having two lines, you won’t be concerned about the extra cost for long. And, the phone might pay for itself if it keeps you from missing one single business deal.
So there you have it. Although they may cost a little more, two-line cordless phones are a great way to ensure that you never miss an important call again. And they are a must if you run any sort of home business.
Cordless phones can make communicating from home a lot more convenient. You can enhance their functions and convenience by adding cordless phone accessories. For example, a battery backup for your cordless phone base keeps you talking even during a power outage. Or, if you spend a lot of time talking on the phone, you might want to invest in a cordless phone headset. Let’s take a look at how these cordless phone accessories can help.
We’ve discussed cordless phone batteries elsewhere on this site. Each handset in your cordless phone system requires batteries to work. However, most base units depend on AC power to operate. This means that if there is a power outage, your cordless phone won’t work. It doesn’t matter if the batteries in the handsets are fully charged. There’s no base unit with which to connect. Adding a battery backup can eliminate this possibility. You’ll no longer need to worry about missing calls or messages during a blackout. And, more importantly, you can make emergency calls during power outages if necessary. Most battery backups for cordless phones (like the CyberPower Phonesaver) will provide up to 4 hours of power and cost about $30.
If you talk on the phone for long periods of time, you probably get tired of holding the handset to your head. A good solution for your discomfort is a cordless phone headset. This cordless phone accessory allows you to talk with your hands free while the handset hangs on your belt or sits on your desk nearby. In some cases you may need to have a “headset-ready” cordless phone system. Or, if you go with a Bluetooth cordless phone, you may be able to use a Bluetooth headset. Adding a headset will save your arm and your ear from the physical pain of long telephone conversations.
There are so many features available on today’s cordless phones that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. When shopping for a new cordless phone system, you might be tempted to give up and just buy the cheapest model or the prettiest phone. Don’t do it. There are some features that are simply “must-haves” when it comes to effective home telecommunication. Caller ID is one of those features. Any cordless phone that you buy should come with caller ID installed.
When caller ID was introduced as an option on the telephone system, it completely changed the way we answered the phone. Instead of wondering who might be calling, the caller’s number was clearly displayed. We could answer in a personal way, formally for a business, or not at all. Here’s how it works. When the caller places their call, it passes through the telephone company’s switching equipment. To keep track of everything, the call has the caller’s number attached to it. If the receiving party has caller ID service, the caller’s number is displayed on their phone. However, if the caller has chosen to block caller ID, then no information is displayed.
In the early days of caller ID, it was helpful to satisfy curiosity and useful to avoid people you didn’t want to talk to. However, with the huge increase in telemarketing calls, the use of caller ID has become essential. Even with the introduction of the do-not-call list, the average household still receives way too many unwanted calls for comfort.
Caller ID becomes even more of an advantage with a cordless phone. If your cordless phone comes with caller ID, the calling name and phone number are displayed right on the cordless handset. So if you’re enjoying an evening in front of the television or eating a meal, there’s no longer any reason to run over to the phone to see who is calling. Just pick up the handset and decide whether to talk or not. Cordless phones with caller ID put the power in your hands.
Before the era of cordless phones, extended range meant buying an extra-long phone cord. It did the job, but wasn’t exactly convenient. With today’s cordless phones, extended range is being accomplished in several different ways. Different frequencies are used in cordless phone technology, and some of the newer frequencies offer extended range. The digital enhancement of the signal is also increasing the range at which cordless phones can be used. An extended range cordless phone greatly multiplies the convenience of the device by allowing you to roam anywhere inside your home, and even outside into the yard or garden without having to interrupt your conversation or miss an important call.
You might be surprised to learn that it is actually an older technology frequency that provides the greatest range for your cordless phones. You can still find cordless phones for sale that use the 900 megahertz band for communicating. This frequency is able to achieve this because of its shorter wavelengths. When looking for 900 mhz cordless phones, try to locate models that use digital spread spectrum (DSS) technology, which can increase their range dramatically. Panasonic has recently introduced the “GigaRange” line of phones. This innovative design provides extended range cordless telecommunications by using one frequency (2.4 ghz) from the base to the handset, and another frequency (900 mhz) from the handset back to the base.
Another way to achieve extended range for your cordless telephone is to purchase a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) phone. The DECT standard was originally introduced in phones marketed in Europe and Asia. Cordless DECT phones in the United States use the 1.9 ghz frequency band. The lack of interference on this frequency, plus the enhanced sound quality using the DECT standard, provides much greater effective range than non-DECT cordless phones.
Cordless phones are convenient. But having an extended range cordless phone that doesn’t tether you to the base with an invisible cord is even better.
If you need the functions of a fax machine along with the convenience of a cordless phone, there are cordless phone systems designed just for you. These machines are often referred to as multifunction centers. Fax machines range from small thermal transfer models to full-function plain paper faxes. Usually optimized for business use, these cordless phone fax machines also feature multiple lines, answering machines and optional headsets.
It doesn’t matter how widespread or popular email becomes, the fax machine remains a staple for many business activities. Regardless of whether you run your business from an office location or from home, you need to be able to send and receive faxes. However, desktop space if often at a premium and it’s bothersome to have multiple machines taking up space. This need for combined functions in one space saving unit has spawned a full line of multifunction centers that include both fax capabilities and telecommunications. It’s a logical combination because both phone and fax signals use the same physical lines for connection to the outside world.
A typical model usually includes standard faxing capabilities along with limited copy functions. Ink film used in plain paper models can be expensive, so frequent copy use isn’t really cost effective. Most models include a cordless phone with caller ID, allowing you to screen incoming calls. An integrated answering machine is an excellent addition so you can follow up on any calls you may miss. Newer models include most of the range extending enhancements available in other cordless phones.
When purchasing a multifunction unit like a cordless phone fax machine, you’ll need to evaluate all the features to determine if its performance will meet your needs. For example, the quality of fax output can vary widely-is it good enough for your typical faxes? You should understand what consumables are needed so you can estimate cost based on your personal usage. Finally, you should listen to recorded messages on the answering machine to be sure you can understand them.
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