Skype (N/A)

Michael

Michael

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CapeCodMichael
Has anyone had experiences with Skype?
http://www.skype.com/
What are the differences between Skype and Vonage?
Looks like skype is free to use, if the person you are calling also has skype. but you pay for calls to a regular line. I havnt tried either service yet. I do know about 5 years ago when i first tried internet calling the delay was so bad the service was really unuseable. Have things changed now?
 
I've used Skype with pretty good success. My main purpose in using Skype was international calls to Europe.

Skype is "free" if you call from one Skype computer to another Skype computer. There is a charge of something like 2-3 cents per minute if you call from your computer to a regular phone number. You can also get a phone number on there system for a monthly charge. (note: Skype is being bought by EBay - who also owns Paypal... given their dismal record of addressing customer complaints and customer service, as well as raising costs for users of EBay/Paypal, I am not very confident of the future of Skype). If you call internationally, I am convinced that Skype is about the best deal out there at the moment.

Vonage (and other similar services) provide an interface box between the internet (your router) and your telephone. It's much more like the traditional phone service - you pay a monthly fee, you get a certain number of minutes of calls to pretty much any regular telephone in the US. I think the costs are much higher for international calling. For the monthly fee, you also get a phone number so people can call you.

Both services have their place. Skype is great computer-computer, and it is cheaper internationally. Vonage is probably the better choice as a replacement for home telephone service.
 
Michael said:
Has anyone had experiences with Skype?
http://www.skype.com/
What are the differences between Skype and Vonage?
Looks like skype is free to use, if the person you are calling also has skype. but you pay for calls to a regular line. I havnt tried either service yet. I do know about 5 years ago when i first tried internet calling the delay was so bad the service was really unuseable. Have things changed now?
Click to expand...

I (amy wife, actually) use Skype frequently to call family in Eastern Europe. It works well but not perfectly. We also use Skype Out, the service to call the hard-wired phone when the person on the other end does not have broadband access. You post a 10 Euro deposit to your account, and talk until that is exhausted. The service is very inexpensive... it costs us one Euro (about $1.25, plus or minus) total for 20 minutes of talk.

It is not a replacement for a hard-wired phone, but it works pretty darn well. They also have new features like voicemail and conference calling that I have not used.

-Skip
 
What Bill said. And you can get Skype (works - mostly) on Windows Mobile phones. Skype alse has Skype In where you have a number that people can call..and you can have a conference call with up to 10 participants.

There are also standalone Skype phones and regular phone interfaces that connect to your computer, but you need a broadband link on the computer for it to work. Radio Shack sells the phones if you want to see one. Don't expect anybody there to know anything about it. See the Skype web site: http://www.skypemart.com/direct/skypeusa/welcome.jsp

It works best if you open a port on your firewall to your PC for it. It's a random port so you have to look at the settings to know what it is. It works by a peer-to-peer system, meaning while you're running Skype your computer may be relaying calls for other users.
 
I have and use both, Michael. They're very different services and you can read the above posts for their descriptions (Bill described them nicely).

Vonage is great, but when cable goes out [AKA: Internet] we have no telephone service. We still kept one landline because of that. We also kept the landline since Vonage takes quite longer to reach 911 than a regular line was. So when calling 911, use the landline. The quality has been very good and consistant and don't hear much break up. You can't beat the price for the service, but you need to make sure you have a *very* stable internet connection.

Vonage is also very user-friendly. You can remotely control your vonage service on the internet and forward all of your calls from [a] certain line to other numbers. You can also download Vonage click-2-call that allows you to login, select the phone number you wish to call from (we have 2 vonage lines) and the number you want to call. After you press "place call" your phone will ring and when you pick it up, you will hear it is ringing the other party.

Vonage also allows you to do *so* many more features, so check out their website: www.vonage.com.

I use skype mainly for computer-to-computer use, but not SkypeOut. It is a nice, free, good quality service.

Jason
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
I have and use both, Michael. They're very different services and you can read the above posts for their descriptions (Bill described them nicely).

Vonage is great, but when cable goes out [AKA: Internet] we have no telephone service. We still kept one landline because of that. We also kept the landline since Vonage takes quite longer to reach 911 than a regular line was. So when calling 911, use the landline. The quality has been very good and consistant and don't hear much break up. You can't beat the price for the service, but you need to make sure you have a *very* stable internet connection.

Vonage is also very user-friendly. You can remotely control your vonage service on the internet and forward all of your calls from [a] certain line to other numbers. You can also download Vonage click-2-call that allows you to login, select the phone number you wish to call from (we have 2 vonage lines) and the number you want to call. After you press "place call" your phone will ring and when you pick it up, you will hear it is ringing the other party.

Vonage also allows you to do *so* many more features, so check out their website: www.vonage.com.

I use skype mainly for computer-to-computer use, but not SkypeOut. It is a nice, free, good quality service.

Jason
Click to expand...


You can set up your Vonage to also ring your cellphone at the same time as your Vonage landline or to only ring it if the cable is out.
 
smigaldi said:
You can set up your Vonage to also ring your cellphone at the same time as your Vonage landline or to only ring it if the cable is out.
Click to expand...

Yes, we have it set up so whenever the cable goes out, it forwards all calls to the landline.

Jason
 
I use Vonage, and I've had such good service with them that I completely did away with the landline. I have Vonage and my cell phone. One of the features I like best is a virtual number. You can get additional numbers in other area codes that ring your main line. My mother lives in another area code from me, so I have a virtual number in that area that is a local call to her so she doesn't pay long distance to call me.

You do need a pretty stable internet connection to use it though.
 
** Try Sunrocket, if you have high speed internet. **

Michael said:
Has anyone had experiences with Skype?
http://www.skype.com/
What are the differences between Skype and Vonage?
Looks like skype is free to use, if the person you are calling also has skype. but you pay for calls to a regular line. I havnt tried either service yet. I do know about 5 years ago when i first tried internet calling the delay was so bad the service was really unuseable. Have things changed now?
Click to expand...
Not Skype, but I do have VOIP and no longer have a typical phone.

It's all broadband.

I use a company called SunRocket.

http://sunrocket.com/

I paid $199 for a full year, which comes out to $16.58 a month. It also includes an international credit of $3.00 a month which would be 100 minutes to the UK. When I got it, they also gave me an expandable Uniden Phone system with two handsets, both with speakerphone. Works great for me.

I have it intertwined with my Broadband cable, High speed internet, a wireless router, and my fax machine on distinctive ring.

I have not experienced any problems thus far. My back up is our cell phones, and the system works fine with 911, I called and checked. I also have been on several hours long conference calls, and have yet to have any disconnects while also using Cytrix GoToMeeting at the same time on the 'net.

Here is what Sunrocket provides.
I looked at Vonage,(= RIPOFF, IMHO), verizon, packet8, and after looking at them and others, I went with Sunrocket. Just remember with Vonage, somebody has to pay for all those fancy commercials, and that person is you.

With SunRocket, you also get the extra 2nd phone number which can be in any area code , so you can set one up so the caller is making a local call to you.

If anyone is thinking about Sunrocket, ask away. I did not port over my old number, I chose new ones, but I have heard of delays with VOIP when porting numbers over. (Sister-In-Law). I advise you get a new one, and you can usually choose your last four within a range, which is what I did.

Also, with Sunrocket, if you refer someone who signs up, after 30 days you get a $25 gift card from a choice of places. So if you plan to sign up, let me know ahead of time by PM, as I love their gift cards. :D

Vonage averages out to $100 more per year, with no International credit. Not for me. Also be careful with Vonage Int. rates, they are really messed up when calling to the UK, from what I read on their website.

Hope This Helps,
Joe
 
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Ok, I went to the site, apparently they are no longer giving away the phones, but are giving 15 months for the price fo 12. (Saves $49.74).

If you want a good expandable phone system with speakerphones and tons of fetaures, the same set I got from Sunrocket for no additional charge is also on sale at Wal-mart for $48.88.

Uniden 2.4 GHz Cordless Phone, DCT646-2

Includes two Phones, system is expandable up to four handsets total. (you just plug them in anywhere)

We love this phone, and my kids use it to intercom me in my office upstairs to avoid yelling when dinner is ready, or to ask me silly questions. :yes:

I do plan on buying a couple more handsets, maybe if they get cheaper in a couple months.

Keep in mind if using VOIP, you don't need an answering machine, it is all configured like a cell phone vm and is included in your service.

Regards,
Joe
 
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