At home I use Vonage for phone service, so my phone is attached to the > Internet.
> Finally my question, can I get SIP on my laptop, and call home,
> bypassing the POTS (and for that matter, Vonage) entirely? (I realize
> I could do PC-to-PC calling to my home computer from my laptop, but it
> will never work unless my wife can just pick up the normal phone).
If you don't mind not using SIP and just need a way to make a call from your laptop which will ring a phone, why not try
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(or something like it) in combo with skype? Alternatively just get "skype out" on your laptop and call your Vonage line from that. Rates are pretty low.
-Dean