VOIP Phone advice

[erick]

OK, we've moved away from home, left the kids. But have moved an STD call away :doh:. Time for VOIP.

Have been using Skype free between computers, but the kids never have computers on or are near them at the right time when Mum calls.

Thinking of putting a Skype VOIP phone at the old home, so Mum can call from her PC and hopefully get someone to pickup!

I have an available broadband port at the old home - extended to the family room a year or so ago and generally not used.

How about I buy and plug in one of these Philips DECT/Internet Phone VOIP841? :help:

http://search.dse.com.au/search?sessionid=4847027600c9496427 3fc0a87f9c06a1&w=f7077&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Go

The Dick's price is $299.95. I can get it elsewhere for $279.99.

I don't want anything more sophisticated then to be able to Skype to a handset at the old home, and perhaps have the kids Skype back to our Pcs from that handset. I don't intend to use the landline capabilities of the phone, nor pay Skype a cent.

Am I on the right track? (By the way I'm 1500/256 kbps at either end)

Thanks in advance :)

[JethroB76]

I was going to ask why Skype and not with just a regular VOIP provider like mynetphone until I read the rest of your post..

You can probably beat that price if thats the model you're set on:
http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=VOIP841

Or you could use the above search engine to look for other (ie cheaper) VOIP handsets..

[erick]

Thanks.

Yes it's my civic duty to keep paying landline costs and some call costs to Telstra. Someone has to support them! :D


But one day, I expect I'll say "Goodbye Telstra". :shrug:

[IanL]

Eric get a look at this web site for tons of info on VOIP. Although its a UK company their is great deal of info on what it works with and what is best.

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/default_Shop.asp?ShopID=8


Ian

[erick]

Thanks Ian, I'll have a look. Eric

[acropolite]

Eric, for a small amount you can buy skype boxes which will route the calls through the standard handset and allow the handset to access skype by dialling a code (the device I have uses ## as a prefix to select skype and the PC has to be on). Do an ebay search for Skype and see what turns up.
If you're a bit of a tech head/tinkerer, you could set up a dedicated hotline using a couple of linksys SPA3102's.

[leinad]

At work we offer VOIP and can assign a Real world number (normal phone number) such as a Perth number, Melbourne or Sydney.

You can then for instance (if you have a Melbourne number) call another Melbourne number and pay a local call(whereas you'd be paying STD) and the same can be done the other way; they call your new number and it calls through VOIP but they only pay a local call.

You can even have 1 Perth number, 1 Melbourne number, 1 Sydney number, even though you live in Melbourne and anyone from one of those places only pays a local call if calling from one of those destinations and vise-versa. From memory local call cost is 10c ?

[Amy]

My boss calls all over the world using skype. When he is out of the states....which is often....he still calls and checks on the office and Critical Care Docs regularly. (He's the top dog) The ONLY place he's had difficulty is Easter Island, where is he right now. (Chile)

Madtuna and I have skyped but it's been awhile. We need to look into the skype phone. It sounds like the better deal as far as not having to sit at the p.c. to talk.

[Zuts]

I have a HTC TyTN II mobile. I run skype on this and use Skype out so can ring a landline for around 4 cents a minute ffrom my mobile.

You need a data plan with the mobile though.

Cheers
Paul

[acropolite]

Here is a picture of the Skype device I mentioned earlier, can be had for a measley $20 on Ebay, I have a similar product, when a skype call arrives it rings my regular cordless phone, as do regular PSTN calls. To dial a skype speed dial number I simply prefix with ##. The advertising blurb says cordless phones, but the interface is POTS (Plain Old Telephone) so it will work with any home telephone. Some models (Not this one though but Search Ebay for Infoserver) can be set to call forward incoming Skype calls back out via your regular telephone line to your Mobile phone.

The hard sell.... Manual can be D/L here (http://www.eksitdata.com/download/USBTelbox.pdf)

Works flawlessly with Vonage, Skype, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, VoipBuster, VoipCheap.




Specification:
Support DECT, 2.4G, 900M and any other wireless phones.
Make/Receive both Skype/VoIP calls and regular PSTN calls
Auto-detection and auto-switch between Skype and PSTN calls
Phone rings for all incoming VoIP Skype and PSTN regular phone calls
Switch between Skype or PSTN calls by pressing the (*) on the phone
Dial out Skype call using regular phone keypads
USB and PSTN line LED indicator
Driver and sound card built-in, no external power required
PC-to-PC, PC-to-phone, Phone to Phone operation
Compact size, Metallic Look & Feel casing
System Requirements :
Windows 2000, XP or Vista
400 MHz processor and free USB1.1 or USB2.0 port
128 MB RAM and 15 MB free disk space
Internet Connection (33.6 Kbps modem, or any broadband: cable, ADSL)

[erick]

Thanks everyone. I'm still inclined to the simple solution I've identified - a purpose built Skype phone I can plug directly into the router. But my wife says $280-300 is too many dollars. It's off the plans for a while - we'll just train the kids to have a computer on and listen for the Skype call. :)