Ok,the new job has me working from home. I have almost everything that I need to make a decent home office. One thing that I'm lacking is a phone.

I'm wanting to set up a VOIP phone in there but I need to be able to use a headset with it, and preferably a wireless headset at that.

Do any of you guys have a set up like that in your office? If so, what phone do you like and what headset do you like?

I remember the first day I cognitively walked outside my office unbeknownst of the new technology. Saw folks talking to themselves with waving arm motions,cussing and other body languages working in sync.

Freaked the ever loving schit out of me since I had left my AR15 Zombie vaporizer in my truck.

WhyTF do you need that Bluetooth stuff when you're just working at home?

Your better question is how is the best way to write off my home office without red flagging my returns.

Walking around the house and neighborhood with a phone sex toy in your ear is for young,inexperienced BMW 300 series yuppies.

Seasoned pros give the clients the attention they deserve and exert the energy to pick up the damn phone and talk in privacy,not at the day care center or mall.

Ear [bleep] are for rookie wannabes, not professionals.

That could explain the permanent crick in your neck at 30 degrees, from cradling a landline handset to your ear while you're taking notes on a yellow pad with a No. 2 pencil.

I would agree, but keep in mind, my job requires me to talk and type at the same time...

I like the stuff that works everytime and that isn't the newest technology. Keep it simple and keep your costs down. Voip may make sense it should keep your long distance cost down. If you can't justify it that simply you probably don't need it. Costs kill small businesses.

I'm even wondering if I need an actual phone even?

With VOIP, since it's via the internet, I wonder if there is good software available to make and receive calls from the computer itself, and just have the headset feed off of the computer...

again, wirelessly...

Plantronics SAVI

I like the 720 or 710 and Microsoft LYNC, love it.

And no you don't even need a phone, works with cell phones, desktops and laptops.

kup

VOIP makes sense for a lot of business simply because you're already paying for the internet service. Some ISP's offer VOIP service as a part of your internet service.

I do long conference calls (up to 2-3 hours, sometimes) while working on my computer. I just use a Panasonic cordless phone that has a belt clip and a jack. I plug in a compatible Panasonic earpiece with a mike. If I have to get up and retrieve something from a file or a bookcase, or just get another cup of coffee, I move can about with no problem. Bought this setup at Best Buy. You can probably find them cheaper on the net.

That's pretty impressive! Thanks!

I'm certainly going to read up on that one!

That has potential as well. Thanks for the tip! I'll look around Office Depot and Best Buy and take a look at this kind of set up. It might work for what I need, or it might not, but certainly worth a look.

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27 years of it will give you that crick. I don't miss a beat though, as I would with ear toys. Even from a deer stand, my clients get one on one with no distractions in the grand scheme. I'll simply text and say I'll call you when I can give your call the attention it deserves.

They love that schit. Plus, I charge them for the text...and the next 10 minutes of processing on top of it. If they text back and say, "thank you, I appreciate your effort", then it's 10 minutes more.

I'll make 500 bucks before my sweat from walking to my stand turns cold.

Yes. I don't have VOIP, but I've used several Plantronics products over the years and have settled on the CT14. Battery is long-lived and range is several hundred feet. I carry the little dial pad clipped to my shirt pocket and wear the headset. I like it alot. Would never go back to picking up a phone. Like being hands free.

Jordan

I like the way that you work!

Whatever you do, just go grab your oyster Mark.

My wife works from home. Calls are placed and received through her company's managed system over the computer. She has gone through two Logitech headsets, both have broken. Cheap crap that wasn't cheap.

Quality of VoIP is lacking IMHO. I generally use a simple speaker phone or headset if I need to be mobile. I made sure my office was designed in such a way that the acoustics of a speaker phone wouldn't sound hollow or echoey. Lately I've been using my iPhone. I can do everything including setting up conference calls. A portion of my calling is international and I haven't had any problems yet. I can't dump my landline because some people still use fax machines.

Just a tip if you've never worked from home before, wear shoes. It gives you purpose.

what lil of it my wife has used she agrees, i think its better to have a dedicated line unless your guys' internet is a hell of alot better than what we can get up here.....

I spend many hours running GoToMeeting classes online. I use the Logitech H360, and it does very well. It's a corded, behind the head outfit.

If you sit close to your wireless router, you probably will get interference with a Bluetooth connection.

With a good headset, and with good internet, you can have very high quality audio online. If your internet is not a "business grade" line, you'll experience times when your audio will just stall for a second or two, and that is very annoying. That's latency in the system. The cheap way to check it out is to use Skype for a few hours at peak traffic times. It will even let you record your voice and listen to it to check our outgoing audio quality.

I use Google Voice a lot. It's free outgoing calls, but won't work satisfactorily for most people for incoming.

Want VOIP, here you go:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/

It's what I use on my work laptop. However I use a wired Plantronics headset.

I often have to conference in to a meeting but communicating with groups isn't a major part of every day. When it is we try to keep it short and to the point. For my use the simple speaker on my cell works great. Before you go make a purchase or jump through hoops try the simple things first...they may be all you need.

What Bob mentioned above is true.

Cisco. Jabra.

Before you throw 450.00 at a bluetooth headset, make sure they will replace the .05 cent ear clip when it breaks. I had a nice 50.00 Motorola and the plastic clip snapped, I called Motorola and they said "sorry, we don't sell the clip separately".

Luckily, I don't talk on the phone more than 4 or 5 times a week and it's usually with my wife.
I have a very long neck and I've never been able to cradle any phone under my chin. I also use high scope mounts and can't shoot a straight stocked shotgun worth a darn. If I had to talk on the phone a lot, an ear bud would be my only option.
That said, I always get a kick out of someone walking around town with a wireless telephone jack sticking out of one ear. They look like kids with toys.

That is what I use, VOIP can get a bit a bit choppy at times even with a good connection. The Panasonic uses AAA rechargeable, so it's cheap and easy to have a spare set. Make sure and get a good office chair.

I strongly recommend 2 computer screens, hands free headset that has a handy mute button.

HAJ - I also work from home. I have a cordless phone with a speaker button. Usually the call TO me is about some design change or a fubar I made that the other end of the call has found. The speaker allows me to work the confuser without a headset OR "the cradle". Been doing it from home for 8 1/2 years now and if this phone goes belly up, I'll get another . . . YMMV.

Screw the headset. I would setup one of those keginators and some oxygen right by your desk cos you're gonna' need it!

See, now that's the advice that I need!

If you do end up going with a headset-go with Plantronics. Logitech sux.
Just my experience/.02 from selling both brands. Many, many more returns with L-Tech.

Thanks guys!

Good advice here.