The right mix: wired & wireless & web.

Just as one phone isn't enough for most households anymore, one type of phone service probably isn't, either. For both safety and savings, you need at least two and possibly all three types.

Indeed, most readers of this report probably use both wired and wireless phones, and some will already have made the leap to the Internet-based phone service known as Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. In the next few pages, we'll recommend ways to combine these services that should cut your phone bills, protect you in an emergency, and, just possibly, simplify your telephone life.

Here are the two basic steps to fine-tuning your telephone service, with some ...