Fring is pretty nice on the iPhone.
Looks like you're going to have drop better part of $200 upfront (to get skype-compatible equipment) if you need multiple phones. If you needed just one, you could get one of the $130 wifi skype phones.
Looks like you're going to have drop better part of $200 upfront (to get skype-compatible equipment) if you need multiple phones. If you needed just one, you could get one of the $130 wifi skype phones.
funboy6942
Lifer
- Nov 13, 2001
- 15,368
- 418
- 126
If you go with skype, be sure not to buy a phone, but get a PSP for around $150~, then you can do skype, and everything else like GPS, pictures, and etc.
I sold my phone to put towards getting a PSP slim just to use skype on it, though I have a fat psp, I will just give one of my kids my old psp.
You can make a phone call no matter where your at, just as long as there is a internet connection you can make a call, which Im hoping to use many personal and business unsecured calls with it in place of having a cell phone with me everywhere. And we all know there are a ton of unsecured wifi places no matter where you go.
That to me will be wort the $60 a year I have to pay to ditch not only my home phone, but a cell phone too. Just need to put a old unused cell phone in my van if I need to make a 911 call for they are free on any cell phone activated or not.
I sold my phone to put towards getting a PSP slim just to use skype on it, though I have a fat psp, I will just give one of my kids my old psp.
You can make a phone call no matter where your at, just as long as there is a internet connection you can make a call, which Im hoping to use many personal and business unsecured calls with it in place of having a cell phone with me everywhere. And we all know there are a ton of unsecured wifi places no matter where you go.
That to me will be wort the $60 a year I have to pay to ditch not only my home phone, but a cell phone too. Just need to put a old unused cell phone in my van if I need to make a 911 call for they are free on any cell phone activated or not.
What do you mean by delay?
Also I will test out having two computers signed into Skype at once for you when I get home this afternoon and calling into my Skype number.
Golgatha
Lifer
- Jul 18, 2003
- 12,402
- 1,078
- 126
I got rid of an AT&T landline, once we got U-Verse IPTV/Internet, for Skype and haven't looked back. I run it 24/7 from an old laptop sitting in my entertainment center. My only issue with the Skype handsets is that the USB adapter installs its own sound driver and it takes over sound for the system. This isn't an issue for me because the laptop is basically an email, Internet, and Skype client running box. Now there are some Skype phones that have the Skype client running on the base station and don't require a computer at all.
As far as call quality, I haven't had any negative issue. The service has only gone down once in the year we've been using it exclusively (and probably for the total lifetime we've been using the service). Definitely much more reliable and better quality than most cell phones for sure. My wife and I have cell phones as backups for 911 calls.
I just tested having my laptop and desktop signed into my Skype account and dialing in. Both locations "rang" at the exact same time.
As far as delay I never had any delay/sync issues. Maybe it has to do with the iPhone?
Pliablemoose
Lifer
- Oct 11, 1999
- 25,195
- 0
- 56
Yep, no delay I've noticed...
I just renewed my Skypein & Skype Pro for another year. I'm shocked eBay hasn't completely hosed Skype yet, they seem to be doing a fine job running their core business into the ground.
I noticed that my Philips Skype phone is out of production & selling for 2X what I paid for it, am going to list mine on eBay & will likely use my Bluetooth earpiece, or an adapter or something.
I just renewed my Skypein & Skype Pro for another year. I'm shocked eBay hasn't completely hosed Skype yet, they seem to be doing a fine job running their core business into the ground.
I noticed that my Philips Skype phone is out of production & selling for 2X what I paid for it, am going to list mine on eBay & will likely use my Bluetooth earpiece, or an adapter or something.
is there any hardware out there to stick skype inbetween the router and modem.. and be able to plug into the house phone wiring? Basically what other VOIP providers seem to have.
I'm entertaining the idea of either going to vonage or skype. no 911 scares me a bit, and I have not had good luck w/ QoS on the router, so I'd like whatever VOIP choice to take priority.
I'm entertaining the idea of either going to vonage or skype. no 911 scares me a bit, and I have not had good luck w/ QoS on the router, so I'd like whatever VOIP choice to take priority.
- Jul 19, 2001
- 38,572
- 2
- 91
I've been trying to find the same thing, but as far as I can tell, ALL of them require a PC to be on all the time, or you have to get a Phone System that can work without a PC. But as for just a box without a PC, no luck thus far afaik.
kalrith
Diamond Member
- Aug 22, 2005
- 6,628
- 7
- 81
This is not possible with Skype, but it is possible with other companies such as the many betamax companies. The betamax companies basically work by paying a certain amount for 300 minutes/week of "free" call time for 3-4 months. You're charged extra for minutes over that amount. Most only offer 90 days of "free" call time, but voipbuster, voipstunt, and internetcalls offer 120 days for about $16, and that seems to be the best deal. As to how to get it to work without having a computer on, the following quote is from this post on Fatwallet:
I have a Palm LifeDrive that I'm going to use as my phone. For $20 I'll buy a program called Articulation that will put SIP protocol on my PDA and allow me to use it as my phone connected directly to my wireless router. This will allow me to switch to pay-as-you-go cell phones and save about $50/month.
- Jul 19, 2001
- 38,572
- 2
- 91
So I have to say, i'm not terribly impressed with Skype. Voice quality is good and the service sure is cheap, but the lag is just killing me. I have a fairly fast laptop (2.2ghz MacBook), 802.11n wifi, and a 15/2 cable internet. Even with everything seemingly at its top notch settings and nothing else using the network, there is a noticeable delay when I call any landline. Most of the time its at 1-2 seconds (still annoying, but usable), but at times it seems to stretch to 3-4 seconds making conversations very difficult.
Vonage has absolutely 0 delay in the 5 years i've been using it. It does have its issues as i mentioned in the OP - mainly call quality as of late (might be my box) and slow connections, but well, it was always transparent to the person I was calling. With skype, every single time I call someone they ask me if i'm somehow calling from somewhere odd.
I've thought about OOMA, but the questionable privacy doesn't bode well for me, not to mention no caller ID on the outgoing calls and who knows how long they will be around for. Maybe I just need a new vonage box and maybe a new phone system afterall. I really want Skype to work well, but I dunno.
I dunno, maybe an odd setting in my router somewhere.
Vonage has absolutely 0 delay in the 5 years i've been using it. It does have its issues as i mentioned in the OP - mainly call quality as of late (might be my box) and slow connections, but well, it was always transparent to the person I was calling. With skype, every single time I call someone they ask me if i'm somehow calling from somewhere odd.
I've thought about OOMA, but the questionable privacy doesn't bode well for me, not to mention no caller ID on the outgoing calls and who knows how long they will be around for. Maybe I just need a new vonage box and maybe a new phone system afterall. I really want Skype to work well, but I dunno.
I dunno, maybe an odd setting in my router somewhere.
Honestly, instead of trying to switch off of Vonage (which I have had the past 2 years and no issues whatsoever), try finding out the reason for the sound quality issues. If you have the v-portal from vonage, it has diagnostic tools you can run to try and test the quality. And from my experience, sound quality problems are a result of the internet connection, not the service. VOIP requires a low latency connection, any problems will cause sound quality issues. Router problems, bad modem, etc.
- Jul 19, 2001
- 38,572
- 2
- 91
Well now that's interesting. We just tried calling the family in Costa Rica with our Vonage line, horrible connection. We couldn't hear anything of what each other was saying. Tried calling back 3-4 times, no luck at all.
Decided to try Skype out (direct to the Costa Rica phone line), worked PERFECTLY. The line was crystal clear and the lag was almost non-existant.
Hrmph
Decided to try Skype out (direct to the Costa Rica phone line), worked PERFECTLY. The line was crystal clear and the lag was almost non-existant.
Hrmph
- Jul 19, 2001
- 38,572
- 2
- 91
I have the Linksys PAP2, though its about 5 years old now.
My line quality seems fine, low latency afaik -
http://www.dslreports.com/linequality/nil/2462129
Jeff7
Lifer
- Jan 4, 2001
- 41,596
- 20
- 81
The lag I experience with Skype is no worse than I've seen with any cellphone. I find myself interrupting a lot when I'm on a cellphone, especially with another cellphone. The lag starts to get pretty bad then. It's already at least a half a second when calling to a landline.
Still, for the price per minute, Skype pays for itself with a single call home - which can usually last an hour or more, about once a month. A landline just isn't worth it for me.
Still, for the price per minute, Skype pays for itself with a single call home - which can usually last an hour or more, about once a month. A landline just isn't worth it for me.
- Jul 19, 2001
- 38,572
- 2
- 91
Ok, just got off the phone from a 45 minute phone call to vonage. We tried everything possible to get the static to go away to no avail.
He offered to send me a new V-Portal box for $30, but I would have to pay a disconnection fee if I still decided to leave within the first 12 months. Whereas if i leave right now, no fee.
Hrmph
He offered to send me a new V-Portal box for $30, but I would have to pay a disconnection fee if I still decided to leave within the first 12 months. Whereas if i leave right now, no fee.
Hrmph
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