Any Skype users

[zunkus]

hi guys,
I`m trying out Skype
Has anyone here registered?
Just did and would like to try it out

[Kilted Ginger]

yes

[zunkus]

how do I contac you then?

[timwilky]

Forget Skype, and use a proper SIP voIP system

The advantages are

does not require a computer
Provides a proper telephone number
quality is far much better

Internet to internet calls are free.

You can start with a free client that you run on your pc, but once bitten you will quickly put either a SIP phone or an ata to connect your existing handset to your internet connection.

I use sipgate and have 4 telephone numbers which cost me nothing to own. My sister in spain also uses sipgate and has a uk telephone number on which her friends phone her etc.

I got rid of my home telephone as sip works that well

[zunkus]

I got Skype on my PDA. is sip available for PDA?

[timwilky]

Although I have never tried this product a quick google comes up with

http://www.sjlabs.com/sjp.html

[SoulKiss]

Forget Skype, and use a proper SIP voIP system

The advantages are

does not require a computer
Provides a proper telephone number
quality is far much better

Internet to internet calls are free.

You can start with a free client that you run on your pc, but once bitten you will quickly put either a SIP phone or an ata to connect your existing handset to your internet connection.

I use sipgate and have 4 telephone numbers which cost me nothing to own. My sister in spain also uses sipgate and has a uk telephone number on which her friends phone her etc.

I got rid of my home telephone as sip works that well

Also Skype is evil.

The people who are behind it also came up with Kaaza, the File Sharing program - which in itself was ok, well apart from the spyware they coded in it.......

I understand that Skype is Spyware free, but well once scum always scum..........

Also Skype does funky things to avoid firewalls etc, also its closed source, so you dont really know what its doing, or how your calls are routed - or even how interceptable it is.

Not good things

David

[Demonz]

Use it all the time to chat with my folks in NZ. Easy to use - speedy connections on both ends needed for quality. Olds had dial up but recently upgraded its greatl

[jonboy]

I use it as my main telephony system. Works reasonably well, and I do have a proper number with it (though I paid for that), so that, for business, clients call me straight to my PC, which is rather cool. Think about it, if I have a laptop (and a small lightweight Skype phone), then my whole office can go anywhere around the world with me, yet still appear to be in one place, especially with the amount of wi-fi zones appearing.

So it really depends what you want it for. For me, it's excellent, but for some peeps I can see it being a pointless exercise. It certainly isn't perfect, but then it's still a nascent technology. Oh, and it saves me a few hundred quid a year ;).


.

[embee]

I use skype with a dual phone (does skype and conventional landline calls). I found their web-shop had some reasonably competitive prices, though you might get cheaper elsewhere.

Skype pc/pc quality has improved quite dramatically recently I've found. 6months ago it was just OK, and skype-out (calls from pc to landline) was iffy, but there was step change in quality recently and now pc/pc is not far off traditional landline quality. Skype-out is still a little flawed but quite acceptable.

It might not be perfect but it works and it's free and seems to be getting upgraded and improved regularly (video/SMS etc).

They also have a deal going on skype-out at the mo' where buying credit (£10) for skype-out calls gets you 6 months free skype-out to 01- and 02- landline numbers (basically they sit on your £10 for 6months, which is what pays for it).

[600+]

I use Voipbuster it's free to call abroad to various countries or very very cheap i.e. 1p/min

You don't get a number though for people to ring you which is the good thing with Sipgate.....though their prices to ring abroad are a bit on the HIGH side;)

[timwilky]

I use Voipbuster it's free to call abroad to various countries or very very cheap i.e. 1p/min

You don't get a number though for people to ring you which is the good thing with Sipgate.....though their prices to ring abroad are a bit on the HIGH side;)

concerned you think the Sipgate prices high. See the Tariff (http://www.sipgate.co.uk/user/tarife.php)


Most high prices are the result of the far end rates not Sipgate as the US for 1.5p/min Australia for 1.8p/minute would indicate. Plus of course voip to voip is still free, plus peering with other providers such as

Gradwell, iaxtel, freeworlddialup, freenet iphone, freephone, iptel, siphone.com, telio, calluk etc.

Other features I like are any voicemail messages are emailed to me to listen to as well as beeing available on the phone. I have control to see what calls have been made/recieved etc.


Big issue to me with some providers is a connection charge. My home telephone provider before I dumped them in favour of voip was telewest who had the nerve to charge 6p per call as well as rent and usage

[AlanSv]

anyone tried that Tesco VOIP set up?

[timwilky]

It is my understanding that the Tesco system uses a proprietary system and therefore cannot interface directly with industry standards. Thus the ability for free VoIP calls accross service providers is diminished if not completely removed.

[Baph]

After reading this thread, and using Skype (A lot!), I've signed up to the sipgate system. However, it's now been around 4hours 30 & still no account verification email. Surely it can't be that difficult to send an automated email out. So far, not impressed, but then, I judge easily.

Yes, I'm with Skype, and I use skype via PSTN for both inbound & outbound (meaning I have a real phone number to the account, and call other folks). I've not seen any bad quality calls really.

I also use systems like Asterisk though as well. And anyone in my company can pickup a line & dial an extension number, which calls my Skype. This can then be forwarded out to my house or mobile, as I see fit. If I'm not in work, I don't forward calls. In the past, our clients used to ONLY speak to me, because it saved them the cost of the international call, by calling via Skype.

[600+]

anyone tried that Tesco VOIP set up?

true but I only pay 1p/min to call greece or cyprus so it would go a bit ott with sipgate charges