# Can I use a cell phone as a home phone?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 10, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937 "2014-02-10T01:45:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/1 "2014-02-10T01:45:47Z")
Can I use a cell phone as my home phone? I know many people have dropped land lines, but that’s not exactly what I’m asking.
My land-line telephone cost me $40 per month for trivial usage. A pay-as-you-go cell phone would cost about $10 per month, but my reception is poor inside the house. My land-line has four hand sets throughout the house.
Does anyone sell equipment such that (A) I could attach a cell phone to an external antenna which would go on the roof (for better reception), and (B) allow me to use my existing in-house network of extension lines such that I could call from any phone in the house and also allow my wife to get on the line when the grandchildren call us.
Ideally, I could detach the cell phone and bring it on vacation or to a 2nd home.
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/2 "2014-02-10T01:50:52Z")
Do you have hi-speed Internet? ATT gave me a MicroCell that uses my dsl to make and receive cell calls. I live in the sticks and cell service is not too strong. There are cell repeaters that mount outside. I believe Wilson sells some. [http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/](http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/)
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/3 "2014-02-10T02:45:36Z")
You can also get Bluetooth [cordless phones](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1 ~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031~~ cabcat0800000%23%230%23%23o5 ~~cabcat0802000%23%230%23%232d~~ cabcat0802001%23%230%23%231q~~nf67%7C%7C426c7565746f6f74682d456e61626c6564&list=y&nrp=15&sc=phoneOfficeSP&sp=-bestsellingsort+skuid&usc=abcat0800000) that connect to your cell to use in multiple rooms. I’m not sure if you can use two at once though - would speaker phone be ok?
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### Author:  [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/4 "2014-02-10T03:30:57Z")
A couple of years ago I saw articles about a device that did the opposite: you place your cell phone in a place in the house where reception is good and hook it to this device, and when someone calls your cell it gets routed to your landline and that phone rings.
I don’t know of a device that does what you’re asking for, but I agree with those above who suggested a VOIP phone might suit your needs. I have even read that cordless phones that are designed for VOIP have an undocumented feature - they work _anywhere_ there is wifi. The author had the habit of putting his phone in his pocket when he was gardening, then forgetting he had done so. In line at Burger King, phone in his pocket rang. At the airport in Frankfort, phone in his pocket rang.
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/5 "2014-02-10T04:02:51Z")
Get a magic jack. It’s under $30 a year and works great. You can use any regular phone on it you want.
You can program your cell phone to transfer calls to it to the Magic Jack phone.
I’ve had one for a couple of years now and couldn’t be happier.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/6 "2014-02-10T06:26:37Z")
Many smart phones can use Wi Fi Calling, where you use your home Wi Fi network to connect to their phone service. That makes poor cell reception in the house a non-issue.
Of course, it doesn’t get you use of multiple home handsets, but it’s a start.
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### Author:  [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/7 "2014-02-10T14:08:23Z")
The bad reception could just be your provider or phone. See if friends or family who use a different provider or phone have the same problem.
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### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/8 "2014-02-10T14:15:28Z")
I have a T-Mobile phone that supports WiFi calling which would take care of a weak signal (although that’s not a problem for me on T-Mobile).
To get multi-room, you can get phone systems that connect to your mobile via bluetooth. For example, I use this:
[http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/KX-TG6582T](http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/KX-TG6582T)
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-use-a-cell-phone-as-a-home-phone/680937/9 "2014-02-10T14:21:58Z")
We use Voice Over IP. The company is conveniently called [voip.ms](https://www.voip.ms/). I connect the [device](http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Business-PAP2T-NA-Internet-Adapter/dp/B000HCX7UG/) directly into my old in-house wiring. (Using a crossover phone wire and disconnecting my service at the box.) So all the old outlets work. Or you could connect to one cordless phone with several handsets. Or both (which we do).
Since we use the phone _very_ little, the costs are almost negligible. We spend in 4+ months what we used to spend in 1 month with a land line.
This works the same as the VOIP options offered by cable companies. Who charge an absurd amount. $20+ a month as an intro rate? Egads, what a ripoff.
When traveling, we route the “home” phone number to our cell phone. Very convenient.