Cygnion/Ericsson CyberGenie 2.4 GHz,2-Line, Multi-User PC Cordless Phone System

[chexi]

The handset is the size of most cell phones. I think it's actually a bit too small, because it's hard to hold between your head and shoulder when playing games. The sound quality is not as good as most 900mhz phones, but the features are nice. I haven't explored all of the advanced features, but I will be in the near future. Most people who got these things to work like them, but the voice quality was a bit disappointing.

 

[ObviousMan]

1.If comuter goes dead, all of the advanced functions are gone, like answer system or calling handset to handset. The phone book uploads to the handset, so it's still there.

2.The message is .wav file, so you can load any .wav file you want. The default message sound quality is good.

3.Baby monitor will only work if computer is on, since it's essentially handset to handset call.

4.Mine interfered w/ my X10 video sender. Since the phone is never connected to the base, the base is always pinging, so the only way to avoid that was to unplug the base.

5.I found sound quality to be quite good. I also used it with the Jabra headset and it picked up a bit of background noise.

6.The handset is very light and has a clip.

7.The ringer is on a low side, although you can select from a bunch of tones, and I think assign different ones to call from numbers in your store phonebook.

 

[Kwad Guy]

<< 4.Mine interfered w/ my X10 video sender. Since the phone is never connected to the base, the base is >>



Hmmm...This is the first I've heard of this, although once you
mention it, it seems obvious...It seems the pinging might
interfere with other stuff as well. Has anyone found this to
be the case?

It strikes me that since the answering functions only work with
the computer on and connected, the only reasonable way to use
this system would be to use a computer

1) With NT4/Win2000 installed (these are the only Windows operating
systems that can stay up for weeks/months at a time without
problems)
2) That is attached to a UPS (and where the UPS also powers the
phone hub)

If (1) and (2) aren't true, then with the first power glitch, or
just randomly, your answering system will go dead. This contrasts
with standard answering machines, many of which will go back into
working mode after a power outage.

One more question: Will I encounter any problems if I place the
base in, say, my attic or basement? Do these phones truly work
well though floors, walls and whatnot?

Kwad

 

[pennywise]

I got this stuff at OD on clearence a couple of monts ag obut was pretty disappointed with it. Sound quality was not great even my 900 mhz cordless had a better range and sound quality. The hand sets are real light and prone to be dropped down. You will need all the features it has if you have like a home office. Mine quit working after I dropped it once. Luckily I was able to return to OD for a refund without much problems but now u may not be able to return it and end up having wasted your money since there are no software updated or warrenty on this stuff.

 

[Ameesh]

the damn auction is finanly over some jerk kept on bidding on the whole set of 350 and the auction went 3 and half hours over...

 

[Wei2Cool]

Got two handsets for $29 each yesterday. Hmmm, I was thinking that since they went out business and destroyed all units it would be really hard to get these...

 

[SpeedTester]

If anyone needs the handsets there are a bunch all over Flea-Bay for around $29.00

 

[GnatGoSplat]

Yeah, I hate UBID and their stupid 10-minute extension thing. I coulda got the main unit at $39 if it wasn't for the extension.

I won 2 handsets, but lost the main unit. I checked on the auction again, it was STILL open, but the price was $69 (plus $11 for shipping). About &quot;full price&quot;, WAY more than I wanted to pay. I've even seen a couple of them go for cheaper than that on e&szlig;ay, but I already had 2 handsets coming that would be useless without the main unit, so I bit the bullet and bid on one (for full price). I think they planned it that way on purpose, making the handsets end earlier than the main units. They must have known that if you won a handset, you'd have to get a base unit no matter what the price.

I hate ubid.

 

[SpeedTester]

I hear ya Gnat, I was up to 3:00am making sure I would get the main unit in the fear Id be stuck with two handsets, got the handsets for $29.00, but didnt want to chance it so paid 59.00 for the main unit.
I agree that 10 minute rule pisses me off too, it made me late for work this morning.

 

[coomarlin]

I liked the cybergenie when I first got my at OD, but it just stopped working after about 2 weeks and now I'm screwed. I couldn't take it back and since the company is OOB I'm stuck with a dead unit. I thought $30 was a great deal at first, but it's turned out to be a rip off

 

[ObviousMan]

Kwad,


<< One more question: Will I encounter any problems if I place the
base in, say, my attic or basement? Do these phones truly work
well though floors, walls and whatnot? >>


Yes, it works through the floors, etc. fine. The manual recommend placing the base in the center of the area where you'll be using the handsets, high in the room (that makes quite a bit of difference, I had mine on the top of bookcase), but not near heating ducts or metal piping. I suspect basement would be bad, attic could be good.


<< If (1) and (2) aren't true, then with the first power glitch, or just randomly, your answering system will go dead. This contrasts with standard answering machines, many of which will go back into working mode after a power outage >>


That is not true. If your PC is set to reboot after power interruption (many could do that), CG will come right back with the PC. Yes, it'd take longer to come back than it'd regular answering machine, but which answering machine would forward your voice messages to work e-mail or read your e-mail when you call home ?
As it's been pointed time and time again, CG has valuable features, but if you are not planning to use them, you are better off with a plain reliable cordless phone. One thing that bugged me was inability to redial with one click. It'll let you redial up to 10 (I think) last numbers, but you have to go via the menues. Well, new Panasonic GigaRange phones are so fancy, you can't just hit redial either.

 

[Wei2Cool]

I once had me handset unintensionally locked, all the pass codes disabled. The manual says that you could use the handset serail number as a backdoor (IPEX code), it didn't work either. Taking the battery out for a week and it still prompted me for a backdoor code and rejected anything I could come up with. The worst thing was, company was OOB and no support at all. Since I had only one handset at that time, the whole system was useless.

If anyone else experienced the same problem, don't throw it away. You are lucky. I have a simple trick for you to get your handset unlocked, it took me 3 months to find out the trick (or rather a bug)...

 

[Tau]

Well Wei, how about letting the rest of us in on the secret?

 

[Perplexer]

Wei, I too have a handset which wouldn't unlock with the serial number. What's the trick?

 

[Wei2Cool]

<< Wei, I too have a handset which wouldn't unlock with the serial number. What's the trick? >>



Leave it in the refrig for 24 hours.

I am kidding. Try the IPEX code with less one leading zero than the serial number you find in the battery compartment, it should work.

 

[Wei2Cool]

OMG, can you believe this? $99 for refurbished ones and people are still making bid like crazy. They must have bought a lot of checp handsets in the last few days....

 

[Perplexer]

I couldn't wait 24 hours, so I stuck it in the freezer for 16. Now it doesn't tell me my pin is invalid. In fact, it doesn't tell me anything!

Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a shot.

 

[iwearnosox]

For those of you that got sucked into the bidding on one of these (like ME Here's a $20 rebate, provided you're a new user:

http://www.ubid.com/promo/rebate_forty/