View Full Version : Skype phones
El Saxo
14-06-06, 05:08 PM
Has anyone bought one of those Skype / VoIP handsets for their PC?
I don't have a mic on my pc at the moment cos I gave it away #-o, so I was thinking of buying something like this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-new-on-UK-market-USB-Voip-phone-Skype-certified_W0QQitemZ9740229385QQcategoryZ131565QQrd Z1QQcmdZViewItem), but wondered if it's worth bothering?
I also noticed this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Adapter-phone-TEST_W0QQitemZ9731459483QQcategoryZ61841QQcmdZView Item) which i could use with my existing DECT phone.
Useful or tat? Your views please... :D
Quiff Wichard
14-06-06, 05:11 PM
Big Ape has one!!..
me finks..
it says Skype me at the bottom of his posts!
El Saxo
14-06-06, 05:14 PM
Big Ape has one!!..
me finks..
it says Skype me at the bottom of his posts!
Yeah I noticed that, hopefully he'll see this thread :wink:
I was going to add mine to my sig as well, but not much point at the mo seeing as I can't speak to anyone! :roll:
creamerybutter
14-06-06, 05:28 PM
I use Skype at work to speak to the IT guy up in Edinburgh but I only use a call centre style headset. Sometimes it is usefull other times it is ****e. like today there was a huge time delay.
Yup I use a Skype phone and it's simple and excellent. Just make sure it's a USB phone, then all you have to do is plug it in and it works, no driver needed. You'll never bother setting up a clumsy headset/soundcard again.
.
rpwoodman
14-06-06, 06:20 PM
My dad is obsessed with phones and phone charges (he spends ages working out what is the best time to use each of the operators), and used Skype up until fairly recently. Now he uses 1899.com which is cheaper. I think you can just prefix your calls with 1899 and it'll bill through them (in a similar way to using 1280 for BT), but check that - I may be wrong.
normal headphones with mics are good enough aren't they?
El Saxo
14-06-06, 06:27 PM
My dad is obsessed with phones and phone charges (he spends ages working out what is the best time to use each of the operators), and used Skype up until fairly recently. Now he uses 1899.com which is cheaper. I think you can just prefix your calls with 1899 and it'll bill through them (in a similar way to using 1280 for BT), but check that - I may be wrong.
Thanks mate, i might look into that at some point for my parents.
TBH it's not really call cost etc that's the issue, at least not for me, more so for friends & family etc (except for the odd international call that I make to my cousin in Canada). I get enough free minutes & texts on my mobile to last me ages, i never use them all. But for people to call me, they may as well use skype to skype if they can, so it's free. Whenever I'm at home my pc is switched on, so I might as well use it.
El Saxo
14-06-06, 06:30 PM
normal headphones with mikes are good enough aren't they?
Normally yes, but I only have one headphone / speaker socket on my pc, so it means unplugging my speakers & pluggin in headphones whenever i want to use skype, which is a major pain cos it's in an awkward place to get at.
ahh i see, well the way i got around that is use a split connector like one of the ipod ones
http://images.dinpris.com/product_images/global/767/31031.jpg
i got one if you want it. make me an offer :)
El Saxo
14-06-06, 06:47 PM
didge - ahh, i see. could be a cheaper solution... :smt115
I got a dualphone which does skype and normal calls, purely because I needed a new cordless anyway and so killed 2 birds etc. Hunted round and found the Skype site shop (try saying that quickly! :oops: ) was the best deal available.
I reckon skype is great, not perfect, some hiccups and glitches now and then, but free for PC-PC anywhere anytime can't be bad.
Skype-out (calling to landlines) works sort of OK, not particularly good quality but I can call my sis in the US for a tad over 1p/min anytime, so still decent value.
I did get some weird chat calls from Vlad in Belarus and Igor in Ukraine until I reset the filters. :?
normal headphones with mics are good enough aren't they?
No. Trust me.
.
normal headphones with mics are good enough aren't they?
No. Trust me.
.
Why?????
normal headphones with mics are good enough aren't they?
No. Trust me.
.
Why?????
because he was once america's most wanted.
El Saxo
14-06-06, 09:07 PM
normal headphones with mics are good enough aren't they?
No. Trust me.
.
Why?????
because he was once america's most wanted.
what the... ?
Must have missed that one :lol:
I think I'll get the adapter thingy, that way i can use my cordless instead of having to be sat at the PC.
Unless yours is a cordless skype phone Bikage?
well, i could cut off the cord and send it to ya, if that helps.
El Saxo
14-06-06, 09:13 PM
well, i could cut off the cord and send it to ya, if that helps.
:lol:
Not quite what I had in mind mate! Thanks for the offer though...
I got a webcam with a microphone in, put it well away from the speakers (or put on headphones) and Skype worked just fine. Then skype got bought (by wallmart me thinks) and it seemed to go downhill within days, almost impossible to communicate due to delays and dropped packets. Haven't tried it since
mysteryjimbo
14-06-06, 09:30 PM
Personally i think specialist companies such as Vonage are the better option. I've got rid of my landline to go totally digital
No doubt, sometime in the future, i'll do the same with TV.
normal headphones with mics are good enough aren't they?
No. Trust me.
.
Ok, i cant be bothered to get proper stuff. I only speak to 1 person using skype.
fiveacres
14-06-06, 09:40 PM
be warned if you have a mac... that the usb handsets pretty much arent supported very well by any handsets.
fiveacres
14-06-06, 10:36 PM
that theres fightin' talk ;)
hehehe
normal headphones with mics are good enough aren't they?
No. Trust me.
.
Why?????
Because there's no messing about, the sound quality is far better, and the voice levels are perfect. It just works.
Ok, i cant be bothered to get proper stuff. I only speak to 1 person using skype.
Yes and I can hardly hear you :lol: .
.
BernardBikerchick
15-06-06, 04:58 PM
skype is brill 5p a min to call south africa!!!!
Another neat thing with Skype is being able to do conference calls with mixed PC-PC connections and Skype-out at the same time. Do this with my 2 sisters and parents sometimes.
skype is brill 5p a min to call south africa!!!!
Unless they've got Skype too, and then it's fabulously free ;).
For anyone that's interested, I've now gone the full Skype route as regards my business telephony. Okay it's only me, but I now have my old numbers redirected straight to my PC via my London number (which I rent from Skype) so it's my PC that rings and not a telephone 8) , excellent voicemail, and cheap calls to landlines and mobiles. I also have several clients on Skype so their calls are completely free. Good stuff.
Vonage might be slightly better, but isn't as portable as Skype, as technically I could have a laptop, be at a pavement café sipping a latte, while using a wi-fi connection to browse the web, send emails, and then my USB Skype phone rings with a call from a client's landline. See, technology is now starting to get exciting.
VoIP is ultimately the way to go, just a question of finding the right provider/solution to suit your own particular needs.
.
skype is brill 5p a min to call south africa!!!!
Unless they've got Skype too, and then it's fabulously free ;).
For anyone that's interested, I've now gone the full Skype route as regards my business telephony. Okay it's only me, but I now have my old numbers redirected straight to my PC via my London number (which I rent from Skype) so it's my PC that rings and not a telephone 8) , excellent voicemail, and cheap calls to landlines and mobiles. I also have several clients on Skype so their calls are completely free. Good stuff.
Vonage might be slightly better, but isn't as portable as Skype, as technically I could have a laptop, be at a pavement café sipping a latte, while using a wi-fi connection to browse the web, send emails, and then my USB Skype phone rings with a call from a client's landline. See, technology is now starting to get exciting.
VoIP is ultimately the way to go, just a question of finding the right provider/solution to suit your own particular needs.
.
Im contemplating an Asterix PBX for here with IP phones arround the place </nerd>
Dan
Big Ape has one!!..
me finks..
it says Skype me at the bottom of his posts!
Yeah I noticed that, hopefully he'll see this thread :wink:
I was going to add mine to my sig as well, but not much point at the mo seeing as I can't speak to anyone! :roll:
I do indeed have one. It's cordless hands free dual phone. Means that I can walk around the house and take both landline calls and internet calls from the same handset. The first one I had went Fubar so a replacement one was sent. I've not had any problems with this one at all.
It's very handy.
This one
http://www.worldglobalservice.com/articoli/images/skype-dual-phone-voip-big.jpg
timwilky
15-06-06, 09:06 PM
I tried and rejected skype, I now usesipgate (https://secure.sipgate.co.uk/user/tarife.php), so calls cost about 1p/minute or 1.5p/min to the states/australia etc. Mobiles cost 10p/min.
What used to really annoy me with my old landline provider was the connection charges. I could spend 30 seconds on the phone and be charge about 7p. OK I know it is peanuts but my kids would/do make 20 calls an hour at times.
I have a sip ATA that sits between the house phones and the plain old telephone system. So I have an access code to dial if I want to go over the conventional network otherwise everything goes out on VOIP.
No need to leave computers turned on etc. of course calls to other peered networks is free. I can also call by entering the ip address of the far end in case it is not peered.
For a toe in the water test of sip I recommend voipuser.org. They have an interesting charing model whereby all your landline call costs are free. But because of abuse in the past they now limit the duration of a call to 10 minutes
Jon from Bristol
16-06-06, 08:46 AM
Hi
I was in the market for a cheaper phone deal and my brother recommended to me FREETALK. its an internet phone setup like skype but only better. The quality is as good as a normal phone line and you use a normal phone to use it. It helps if you got boradband of course.
I did the sums and Freetalk came out tops in value for money. They also have a good support service also.
And no..i dont work for them, just one satisfied customer. :-)
here is the link...if it will work.....
http://www.freetalk.co.uk/
or just google 'freetalk'. The sets can be purchased in Comet, Curries etc.
Big Ape has one!!..
me finks..
it says Skype me at the bottom of his posts!
Yeah I noticed that, hopefully he'll see this thread :wink:
I was going to add mine to my sig as well, but not much point at the mo seeing as I can't speak to anyone! :roll:
I do indeed have one. It's cordless hands free dual phone. Means that I can walk around the house and take both landline calls and internet calls from the same handset. The first one I had went Fubar so a replacement one was sent. I've not had any problems with this one at all.
It's very handy.
This one
http://www.worldglobalservice.com/articoli/images/skype-dual-phone-voip-big.jpg
Do you have to have the computer on aswell yer?
timwilky
16-06-06, 10:46 AM
Hi
I was in the market for a cheaper phone deal and my brother recommended to me FREETALK. its an internet phone setup like skype but only better. The quality is as good as a normal phone line and you use a normal phone to use it. It helps if you got boradband of course.
I did the sums and Freetalk came out tops in value for money. They also have a good support service also.
And no..i dont work for them, just one satisfied customer. :-)
here is the link...if it will work.....
http://www.freetalk.co.uk/
or just google 'freetalk'. The sets can be purchased in Comet, Curries etc.
Freetalk don't appearf to publish their peering arrangements if any. To me VoIP to VoIP should be free. but you need to know how to talk to the other operator (Peering). As you see from my signature I publish my peering number, dial **777 on most VoIP networks and the call would be directed FOC to my VoIP operator
skype is brill 5p a min to call south africa!!!!
Unless they've got Skype too, and then it's fabulously free ;).
For anyone that's interested, I've now gone the full Skype route as regards my business telephony. Okay it's only me, but I now have my old numbers redirected straight to my PC via my London number (which I rent from Skype) so it's my PC that rings and not a telephone 8) , excellent voicemail, and cheap calls to landlines and mobiles. I also have several clients on Skype so their calls are completely free. Good stuff.
Vonage might be slightly better, but isn't as portable as Skype, as technically I could have a laptop, be at a pavement café sipping a latte, while using a wi-fi connection to browse the web, send emails, and then my USB Skype phone rings with a call from a client's landline. See, technology is now starting to get exciting.
VoIP is ultimately the way to go, just a question of finding the right provider/solution to suit your own particular needs.
.
Im contemplating an Asterix PBX for here with IP phones arround the place </nerd>
Dan
I looked at that PBX stuff, looks fairly impresive for little money investment.
Most of the VOIP providers use Asterix as the base system, but sometimes its through the main co that produces it and also gives support.
Do you have to have the computer on aswell yer?
To receive internet calls yes. But your pc does not have to be on to receive land line calls.
Do you have to have the computer on aswell yer?
To receive internet calls yes. But your pc does not have to be on to receive land line calls.
kk thats what i wanted to know :D
vBulletin® , Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.