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Skype adapters

C

coolVariable

Diamond Member
Like many of you probably, I am really interested in ditching my regular landline and use skype instead. I have a cell phone so why bother having a landline at all, except that reception is not ideal at my place.

Since I have a Media Centre PC that is basically on 24/7, I would love to install skype on it, get skype in/out and use it to replace the landline.
I definitely DO NOT want to be bound to the computer though - especially, since I have 3 wireless "regular" phones at the moment.
(And the GF would probably serve my privates for breakfast if I screw up our landline and she cannot use the regular phones like before.)

So I am looking for a transparent solution, something like an adapter, with which I can hook up my old phones to the PC to use with skype (or get "normal" USB phones/wifi phones to replace the current phones - but that seems to be a much more expensive solution).

I saw to adapters that seem to be doing that ... but they appear to have some caveats:

VoSKY Call Center for $69.99

Actiontec USB00020C01A Internet Phone Wizard for $39.99

RapidBox for $49.95
RapidBox Review

While the actiontec seems to allow you to use your old handsets with skype, it sounds like you have to program your skype contacts and skype-out #s into speed dial in order to use them with the regular phone.

The VoSKY Call Center I am not sure whether it is even possible to connect a regular phone to it directly ...

I also found a couple of other, similar solutions ranging from $39 - $99 but they offered even less explanations of their features.



Anybody have a setup like that?

I am hesitant to drop a lot of $$$$ on this without knowing that it will work and work well.
If I can drop the ~$40 for the landline with long-distance, I would gladly pay the $69 for the VoSKY box ... but before I know and have tried it ...
 
 
 
US Robotics? Didn't know they still existed.
My very first modem was from US Robotics ... aahhh, good old times when there even was no internet.
 
Originally posted by: coolVariable
Did a lot of research and found more products:

Actiontec VoSKY Skype Call Center for $45.99 from Amazon

USB VOIP Phone Adapter, Support SIP, Skype for $34.68

Skytone Gateway USB/pstn Calls By Radian Skype Remote Dial In/fwrd for $53.99 from Amazon

Yamamoto Easy Blue Skype USB Adaptor for $27.95 from Amazon

VONDOO V3500 USB Skype Vbox - Home/Office Telephone Adapter for Skype for $32.88 from Amazon

D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter for $39.99 from Tigerdirect

VoIP USB Skype Call Forward Box (Beige) for $24.95 from Geeks.com


Anyone have any experience?
Click to expand...

I have some experience.. so here goes:

I have the USB VOIP Phone Adapter, Support SIP, Skype for $34.68 from the above list. I do not use a land line. I hooked up my regular phone to this adapter, and it works great. We bought a skype in number and that service is actually pretty decent considering it is still in beta, and very cheap (think one month land line=one year skype in). I have one cordless phone base that has two handsets, so only the one needs to be hooked up near the computer. If you have multiple bases that need to be plugged in to a jack, this would not work for you. It has worked great for me. You should be able to find this adapter for less on Ebay.

Using skype out to make calls is tedious at best. it goes something like #011(555)555-5555, or thereabouts. It is easy enough to program the speed dial function on skype though.

I guess it should also be important that PSTN phone calls continue to operate even if the PC that the adapter is connected to is powered down.
Click to expand...

as for this, it sounded like you were ditching the land line.. is that not correct? anyway, I think that this adapter will not work unless it is getting power (ie. USB cable plugged in to running comp.) Not sure on that one as I do not have a PSTN line.

I may have created more questions than I answered here... I wasn't exactly clear on what you are trying to accomplish, so...

hope that helps.
 
Originally posted by: Cuhulainn
Originally posted by: coolVariable
Did a lot of research and found more products:

Actiontec VoSKY Skype Call Center for $45.99 from Amazon

USB VOIP Phone Adapter, Support SIP, Skype for $34.68

Skytone Gateway USB/pstn Calls By Radian Skype Remote Dial In/fwrd for $53.99 from Amazon

Yamamoto Easy Blue Skype USB Adaptor for $27.95 from Amazon

VONDOO V3500 USB Skype Vbox - Home/Office Telephone Adapter for Skype for $32.88 from Amazon

D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter for $39.99 from Tigerdirect

VoIP USB Skype Call Forward Box (Beige) for $24.95 from Geeks.com


Anyone have any experience?
Click to expand...

I have some experience.. so here goes:

I have the USB VOIP Phone Adapter, Support SIP, Skype for $34.68 from the above list. I do not use a land line. I hooked up my regular phone to this adapter, and it works great. We bought a skype in number and that service is actually pretty decent considering it is still in beta, and very cheap (think one month land line=one year skype in). I have one cordless phone base that has two handsets, so only the one needs to be hooked up near the computer. If you have multiple bases that need to be plugged in to a jack, this would not work for you. It has worked great for me. You should be able to find this adapter for less on Ebay.

Using skype out to make calls is tedious at best. it goes something like #011(555)555-5555, or thereabouts. It is easy enough to program the speed dial function on skype though.
Click to expand...

Do you really need to push the # button before each call? I though you can program the box, so it is automatically set for Skype use first and you do not need to push the button ... just dial 001 (xxx) xxx-xxxx. (And I thought you needed to dial # at the end to complete?)

I guess it should also be important that PSTN phone calls continue to operate even if the PC that the adapter is connected to is powered down.
Click to expand...

as for this, it sounded like you were ditching the land line.. is that not correct? anyway, I think that this adapter will not work unless it is getting power (ie. USB cable plugged in to running comp.) Not sure on that one as I do not have a PSTN line.

I may have created more questions than I answered here... I wasn't exactly clear on what you are trying to accomplish, so...

hope that helps.
Click to expand...

I do want to ditch my landline eventually ... but not until I know that it works and that I like it.
Do you run skype and the software for the adapter as a system service?
Seems like a big issue that nobody talks about is that skype/the adapter otherwise only function when the computer is on AND A USER LOGGED IN.

Do incoming Skype calls wake the computer from Standby? Probably not.
 
Originally posted by: Cool Variable


Do you really need to push the # button before each call? I though you can program the box, so it is automatically set for Skype use first and you do not need to push the button ... just dial 001 (xxx) xxx-xxxx. (And I thought you needed to dial # at the end to complete?)
Click to expand...

You are correct. The pound is after the number. Either way, its fourteen freakin' buttons. Again, the speed dial is the way to go here.



Originally posted by: Cool Variable

I do want to ditch my landline eventually ... but not until I know that it works and that I like it.
Do you run skype and the software for the adapter as a system service?
Seems like a big issue that nobody talks about is that skype/the adapter otherwise only function when the computer is on AND A USER LOGGED IN.

Do incoming Skype calls wake the computer from Standby? Probably not.
Click to expand...

Yes, incoming calls do wake the computer from standby, but not sleep or hibernate. I do not use multiple user accounts, so there is always a user logged in when the computer is on, so I can't help you there.. I've never been quite sure what the system service vs application thing is all about, so obviously I'm running them as apps. If anyone would care to explain I'd certainly try running them as a service.
 
Originally posted by: Cuhulainn


Yes, incoming calls do wake the computer from standby, but not sleep or hibernate. I do not use multiple user accounts, so there is always a user logged in when the computer is on, so I can't help you there.. I've never been quite sure what the system service vs application thing is all about, so obviously I'm running them as apps. If anyone would care to explain I'd certainly try running them as a service.
Click to expand...


Seems like with this skype and the adapter driver start with the computer ... even if no one is logged in or the user gets logged of by going into standby/screensaver mode.

Thread on this at the Skype Forums

 
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