Phone Systems for Home
There are a few issues with phone systems in houses.
The first is simply that phone systems are designed for use in offices.
Each different system has telephone handsets that are designed to work specifically with that system (system phones) and make the systems features easy to access.
Whilst using any phone is relatively easy, knowing how to put one call on hold, answer a call on the second line, transfer it to your wife and resume your original call is a lot easier if you use System phones.
Some people want phones that look nice in their houses rather than system phones that are functional and easy to use.
It is usually possible to connect domestic (analogue) phones to the extensions of a phone system enabling you to use any domestic phone on the market, but with domestic phone handsets the features of the system become harder to access.
In an office you usually have your own phone on your own desk with buttons that you have programmed to access the features that you use. You would probably get on ok if you use a phone in a colleagues office as the phone will probably be similar, You might be a bit lost in-front of the receptionist console phone, but most people would not be able to put one call on hold, answer another, transfer it and resume the original call when using a standard analogue phone.
In a house you will want to use any phone so if you put a good system phone in your study, a different none display system phone in your kitchen, a domestic cordless phone on your living room and a radio-alarm clock-phone in your bedroom you will have four different phones to learn how to use. At work you’ll answer dozens of calls a day on the same phone and soon get used to operating it but at home you may only answer a few calls on any of four different types of phone, you’ll usually answer the call talk and hang up, so when you want to put the call on hold, ring your wife to find out if you are allowed to go to the pub and return to the call on a phone you aren’t used to using will you be able to remember how?
Don’t let this put you off, there is no doubt that if you need more than one line or if your house is too big to shout between the rooms you probably need a phone system.
Keep it simple
If you want easy access to the features of the phone system then put system phones everywhere.
If you want cordless phones that don’t go out of range in your large house with thick walls, concrete floors and five storeys then be prepared to spend some real money on system cordless phones.
If you are happy with a cordless phone that you only use in and around your living room but goes out of range when you walk up two flights of stairs to your study then use ordinary domestic DECT phones but be prepared to learn a few codes for accessing system features and have a little practice at transferring a call so that you can do it when you need to.
If you chose phones that are not system phones and you want to be able to put one call on hold answer a second call and return to the first or toggle between them be prepared to practice. (with system phones you’ll have a light which represents each call, the call you are on will be represented by a steady light, a ringing call will be represented by a rapidly flashing light and possibly a call waiting tone, the call on hold will have a slowly flashing light) the lights give you visual indication of each call’s status and enable you to easily put on hold and deal with the other, toggle between them or set up a conference call between all three parties.