Verizon Home Phone Connect release and information thread

**Jinboman** · 07-08-2012, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by mdavej

Interesting find. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I have some bad news related to the new Share Everything plan. If your HPC is on the $10 shared minutes plan, as of 6/28/12, that will no longer be an option. You'll be forced to go to the $20 unlimited plan. I have several of these things and am not happy about the price doubling. Of course you're grandfathered into your current plan as long as you don't make any changes. If you do any upgrades on any line, all lines are forced into the new Everything plan. So it looks like I won't be making any changes or adding any lines. When my contract runs out next year, it's bye-bye Verzion, hello Sprint and VOIP. It was fun while it lasted.

I am on an older grandfathered Family Share plan with four cell phones (two smart and two "dumb") and was concerned that adding the HPC (yesterday, 7/7/2012) to our plan would've forced me to the new family share plans and rates being offered, but that didn't happen. I was able to add the HPC to my old family share for $9.99/month with no shipping, equipment OR activation fees (online purchased--I called a local Verizon store and they were offering the device for free, but warned that there was the $35 activation fee.)

As background, I am a Comcast triple play customer wanting to cut costs that are approaching $200/month (phone is VOiP through Comcast service so I know my home is disconnected from landlines since I have four in-home phones plugged into RJ-11 jacks and they all work fine.) I called yesterday to order DishNetwork Hopper with one Joey bundled with their 20mbs DSL service (in Colorado area). I got the HPC to port our home number that we still use with some frequency. The new packages will save us about $60/month for at least a year over ever-rising Comcast charges. Even full price Dish with Internet was way below Comcast. I'm hoping I can get dsl on just the jack that goes to our router and keep the other home phone jacks off the telephone network so we can still tap the HPC into our home phone jacks for all the other old landline phones. Does anyone out there know if that's easily done?

Thanks to all previous posters with great information and first hand reviews of the HPC.

**WaltA** · 07-08-2012, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Jinboman

I'm hoping I can get dsl on just the jack that goes to our router and keep the other home phone jacks off the telephone network so we can still tap the HPC into our home phone jacks for all the other old landline phones. Does anyone out there know if that's easily done?

You could run the DSL on the line #1 pair, the red and green wires, and the HPC on the line #2 pair, the yellow and black wires.

If you're not into re-wiring, you could get a few L1/L2 adapters, like Radio Shack's 55034722, and connect up all your DSL stuff to the L1 port, and all your HPC stuff to the L2 port (leaving the L1+L2 port empty).

**Jinboman** · 07-08-2012, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by WaltA

You could run the DSL on the line #1 pair, the red and green wires, and the HPC on the line #2 pair, the yellow and black wires.

If you're not into re-wiring, you could get a few L1/L2 adapters, like Radio Shack's 55034722, and connect up all your DSL stuff to the L1 port, and all your HPC stuff to the L2 port (leaving the L1+L2 port empty).

Thanks for the tip! I'll see if the dsl installer knows this stuff. If not, I'll try it myself.

**mdavej** · 07-08-2012, 06:57 PM

Great tip, Walt! And great find, Jinbo! I'm very glad to hear the early rumors of being forced off your plan if you make any changes turned out to be false. All us HPC users on the $10 plan can rest easy for now.

**Skanlez** · 07-09-2012, 10:11 AM

I believe only new customers will be forced to go on the new Share Everything Plan. Those that are on the existing plans can add lines to their existing family plan. The only thing that will change for existing customers is when they upgrade and have unlimited data, they will be forced to a 2GB Data Plan (which isn't too bad).

**Skanlez** · 07-09-2012, 10:36 AM

Question, so who in here is still planning on buying the Home Phone Connect from Verizon? If so, please contact me, send me a PM.

**taker888** · 08-16-2012, 09:46 PM

I ordered the Verizon Home Phone Connect for my Mom. I was able to get the connect system for her with no contract for 49.99. It's really 129.99 on an month to month no contract but for some reason the rep got it for me for 49.99. System came 2days later. What a easy set up it was. Once everything was connected you dial *228 option 1 and story done. We're in Brooklyn NY, So she's able to get full bars. Honestly to me the calls sounds very clear compare to the landline as that had static problems. We made sure to test out each feature the plan comes with, like 3 way, voicemail notification, call waiting, caller id etc... which all works as advertised. The only problem we came across was the share name id for 1.99 extra a month and caller id blocking. You see my mom likes to be anonymous when she calls out but when people call her she likes to see the name and state as well as the number. *We added the name id to the account which worked but it disable her caller id blocking. Verizon confirmed that you can't have both enable, you have to choose one or the other as they don't work together which is stupid because landlines and voip's does it so why not this. Anyway my mom preferred being anonymous when calling out so we just removed the 1.99 name id, and now it will just show caller number.*

Now I notice with Verizon Home Phone Connect, you must be a fast dialer. lol.. You must know the number because the minute you pause while dialing, your phone call will not connect and you will get an annoying *** Verizon error message. However if you have a cordless phone, I believed most cordless phones, you can pre dial your number without any rush then press talk as the phone will then auto dial and connect your call. Also when ordering, Verizon will not mention a $35 activation fee so don't be surprise when you see your 1st bill. It's 19.99 per month for Unlimited calling but with taxes & fees 19.99 from a NYS perspective will round to around $28-$30.
At the end I give Verizon Home Phone Connect so far an A.*

**cparke** · 08-23-2012, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by Skanlez

Question, so who in here is still planning on buying the Home Phone Connect from Verizon? If so, please contact me, send me a PM.

I am planning to change my Verizon cell phone to a Home Phone Connect. The new cell phone plans are just too expensive, particularly when you only have one line! (Share Everything with no one).

Do you think Verizon will allow me to change my device and rate plan while under 2-year contract from smartphone cell service to Home Phone Connect as a "device downgrade" and avoid the ETF?

**Skanlez** · 08-24-2012, 12:35 PM

[QUOTE=cparke;14904384]I am planning to change my Verizon cell phone to a Home Phone Connect. The new cell phone plans are just too expensive, particularly when you only have one line! (Share Everything with no one).

Do you think Verizon will allow me to change my device and rate plan while under 2-year contract from smartphone cell service to Home Phone Connect as a "device downgrade" and avoid the

The answer is yes, you will have to buy the unit at full price since your still in contract.

**cparke** · 08-25-2012, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by Skanlez

Originally Posted by cparke

I am planning to change my Verizon cell phone to a Home Phone Connect. The new cell phone plans are just too expensive, particularly when you only have one line! (Share Everything with no one).

Do you think Verizon will allow me to change my device and rate plan while under 2-year contract from smartphone cell service to Home Phone Connect as a "device downgrade" and avoid the

The answer is yes, you will have to buy the unit at full price since your still in contract.

Thanks, if that's right, that's great news! I just bought the early version of Verizon Home Phone Connect on eBay for $15, so the device cost isn't an issue for me. Just number porting and upgrade/activation fee issues remain.

**WaltA** · 08-27-2012, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by cparke

Thanks, if that's right, that's great news! I just bought the early version of Verizon Home Phone Connect on eBay for $15, so the device cost isn't an issue for me. Just number porting and upgrade/activation fee issues remain.

You should be able to simply go on-line, click on "Activate or Switch Device", and enter the (good, valid) ESN from the Home Phone Connect. The system should recognize it as a Home Phone Connect, and change your plan accordantly. Then just dial *228 from your HPC to finish the activation.

There should be no fees involved.

**slyphoxj** · 09-19-2012, 01:01 AM

One worry I have with the Home Phone Connect is that the HPC, like any cellular service, isn't regulated like a landline is and Verizon can just simply jack up the taxes and fees as much as they want whenever they want. Here in Ohio (if I understand things correctly), the PUCO (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) has to approve any rate increase on a landline... but the HPC is a cellular line not subject to such regulation.

The $19.99 (really about $25 or so I would guess with taxes & fees) could swell to $40... $50 at the end of the 2 year contract, making it not such a great deal anymore.

**WaltA** · 09-19-2012, 05:48 AM

Originally Posted by slyphoxj

Here in Ohio (if I understand things correctly), the PUCO (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) has to approve any rate increase on a landline... but the HPC is a cellular line not subject to such regulation.

Here in PA, the PUC always "rubberstamps" any rate increase request. I my 50 years, I don't remember any such request ever being denied. So, it doesn't offer any real or practical protection from rate increases.

In contrast, any VZW contract that's signed, does protect the HPC user from any rate increases for at least 2 years.

**slyphoxj** · 09-19-2012, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by WaltA

Here in PA, the PUC always "rubberstamps" any rate increase request. I my 50 years, I don't remember any such request ever being denied. So, it doesn't offer any real or practical protection from rate increases.

In contrast, any VZW contract that's signed, does protect the HPC user from any rate increases for at least 2 years.

Would the contract protection be on just on the $19.99 base rate, or would it also put a lid on the taxes and fees? Could my dad get out of the contract if Verizon ups the taxes and fees?

**WaltA** · 09-20-2012, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by slyphoxj

Would the contract protection be on just on the $19.99 base rate, or would it also put a lid on the taxes and fees? Could my dad get out of the contract if Verizon ups the taxes and fees?

Government taxes and fees can, and do, change. Well, mostly up, and rarely down. Those get passed right along, directly onto your bill.

But that is true for landlines too. The PUC does not review any government tax and fee changes, and those get passed right onto your landline bill.

Unfortunately, your dad would not be able to get out of his contract, if government taxes and fees go up, even if dramatically. Though, historically, these haven't ever increased by $20 or $30 a month.