Skype VOIP advice please.

I'm moving abroad soon (and the bike will not be going with me ) and I need to set something up so Mrs Cris can talk to the 'Monster in Law'.

We will have broadband, at a pretty average band width, but will be in a country that is not cheap to use a land line to call either way. Someone has mentioned VOIP/Skype etc. but I'm a bit of a techno 'muppet' when it gets complicated.

Please can anyone offer any simple advice on how best my Mrs can talk to her Mum regularly, as cheaply as possible? Do I need to subscribe to anything, and is there any hardware I should buy for each end?

Many thanks,

Cris.

Skype's easy but the qualitys not great.

On the plus side it's free unless you pay your ISP for data. All you do is install the program on computers both ends and with a webcam and microphone you can chat and see each other.

[anna]

I live in Portugal and am constantly on skype to friends/family back in the UK.

Sometimes you may find that it is intermittent with sound/video but 7/10 it is just fine (and for a FREE thing, I´m not complaining about the 3/10 times it isnt 100%)

[pookie]

I use a couple of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-AiGuru-.../dp/B002NUDLII

Works really well and doesnt require a pc.. also have one of these which works well as a normal phone as well as a skype phone

http://www.kikatek.com/product_info....source=froogle

Probably selling the skype dect handset as I have now moved over to SIP. Altho doesnt have video but use it for work. Check out sipgate if you are not bothered with video.

[timwilky]

Look at SIP.

I use sipgate.co.uk, so does my sister who lives in Spain, she has a Preston telephone number so friends/family can call her in Madrid local rates. Because we both use sip phones. I call her for free.

[flymo]

Skype is excellent, the quality is totally dependent on the quality and speed of the internet connection its using. In fact, with a good enough link I would say Skype probably has about the best quality call experience you'll be able to find.

Using it is simple, both parties need a Skype account (free at www.skype.com). Voice and video calls from PC to PC or other computing devices are free anywhere in the world. Obviously you need to pay for an internet connection in the first place. You can also call normal telephones but you pay for this, its very cheap.

As for equipment, it can be done with a built-in microphone on your computer but quality is improved with better equipment. There are hundreds of mics etc available, best to get a combined webcam/microphone. They come very cheap or you can spend more for a better quality item, personally I use the Logitech Pro 9000 webcam. They are brilliant, I get a superb quality HD video call from UK to Brisbane in Aus with no problem.

[muzikill]

Skype, especially if you can get a smartphone and use it on that. That way you can walk into a place that gives free wifi and use it there. My friends use skype for calls and viber to send messages.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[SoulKiss]

But Skype is Evil

Skype is great, I have a subscription for unlimited landline calls to the UK, costs about £4.50 a month, this means that I can make calls to people in the UK without them having to be on-line.

The other option that can help, if you're in the right country is for the Mother-In_law to get Sky Talk Unlimited as her phone package as that includes free calls to 20 foreign countries. If where you're going is on that list, it's brilliant.

[flymo]

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

But Skype is Evil

Skype is no more evil than Toys R Us.