PC-PC or PC-Phone Thread (Feel free to add)

[KeyserSoze]

Alright, I've been checking out some of these sites where you can make calls. Lately, I've seen a few threads with some sites listed, if we could just start a NEW thread, and have everyone add their two cents in about experiences they have had.

The one I use is Dialpad

Also, if you all could include the kind of Connection you all have, would be appreciated.

 

[Healey]

I have a ADSL coonection 350 up 1.2down. I've tried a couple of pc to phone systems, Dialpad and Phonefree. So far I've been very disappointed. All calls have been like kids with cheap walkie-talkies....over, can you hear me?

Hello?

You still there?

 

[Raj]

I've used the one on msn messenger. with a good headset, and a bad headset. the difference is tromendous.
on dsl with a good headset. I got great results. could hear and talk fine. occasionally on a phonecall
there would be echoing but, for the most part it was good. I was using the free headset from myivan that
every one got a few weeks ago.

Thanks,

Raj

 

[bakassi]

I have a cable connection... not sure about the upstream/downstream but I probably am the only person in a couple of blocks with that because I have been blowing up every single chart (connection on average better than a T3 ).

Anyway, I used to use Dialpad. Since MSN has included net2phone (recent versions of MSN messanger) I use MSN. I would give it a 6.5/10 compared to regular phone. That one would only work in the US and Canada... For international calls to France and Japan, I tried Hottelephone.com, difficult to get a call through but it works (4.9/10).

I heard there is some hardware out there, PCI cards, that would have optimized voice compression, specially done for Voice over IP... you can connect your regular phone to it... don't have to use a headset... is somebody using anything like that? is it woth the US$150?

 

[Bohemian]

Even if it's not OK with the mods, it will probably be here a week before anyone does anything about it. I have a 56K connection and use (gasp!) Netmeeting for video conferencing. The audio is pretty good, but both PCs have to have good full duplex cards and good microphones.

 

[KawLiga]

I've looked into getting a PC card that I could plug my telephone into to make long distance calls with. There are a few cards on the market.

Check here to learn more

Basically, using one of these card can get you very cheap long distance. Around 4-5 cents/min.
The actual charge comes from connecting the caller with the card (computer) to the caller with a regular phone. If both parties have a card, then you can make free calls. The link above has some links to company sites that sell these cards. If you can find them elsewhere for less, then you should definitely post them in the forum. I'm not sure where more technical info should be posted, but I'll leave that up to the mods.

 

[BLoop]

KeyserSoze, if your nick is from "The Usual Suspects", it's actually Kaiser Soze.

I don't know if this thread will be locked, but it might because it's not a "hot deal". You should think about changing the thread title to something like "Dialpad = Hot Deal??? Any other suggestions?"

Just my $0.02

 

[rub4luv]

There is another place like dialpad and phonefree called HotTelephone.com that looks promising. I've test it by calling myself through my pc and it seem pretty fast. Unlike DialPad and Phonefree, it offers free long distant internationally to 31 different countries.
Also, I've used Dialpad and i think HotTelephone is much when it come to quality of the call. Dailpad is design for regular modem user but HotTelephone seem to work well with broadband. I uses AnalogX Netstat Live to monitor my speed. Dialpad max up/down never pass 2.0Kb/s. Hottelephone.com max up/down depend on how active you are on the telephone. I used to talk to this girl long distant. I could not use Dialpad because she's a very fast talker even when I have broadband. I think it would be better long distant service for broadband users.
BTW, I have DSL.

 

[wjones]

KeyserSoze, if you want to keep this thread open, maybe you might want to change the title to "The one and only PC-PC and PC-Phone thread" and you have to update your first post with any info that is related when someone posted a company that's not in your first post.
Or else, this is just asking for other suggestions and not a hot deal thread.

 

[Lex Luthor]

Bakassi,

Not important, but just trying to help you out on your bandwidth definitions. You are not getting T3 speed. You might be getting T1 times 3 speed. A T3 is 28 T1s, not 3 T1s. Just another crazy telecom definition.

Lex