SKYPE
 

OH flys out to Melbourne tonight, he has a job that gives him a laptop but with limited personal use to the internet.:(

So we were just wondering how easy is it to find and be able to use skype in an internet cafe, until he can sort out personal internet.

thanks for reading and helping us out.

Re: SKYPE
 

Pretty easy...

If it is to call home I would suggest trying to get something like a lebara sim card as these give v.cheap international calls from a mobile (he will need an unlocked mobile phone and these are not to expensive if he doesn't have one already). Maybe better than talking from an internet cafe... I think phones 4u sell them, or if in the CBD check out some of the shops on Lonsdale/Swanston Street intersections..

Re: SKYPE
 

Can't you ask his employer for a bit of grace time to use skype only until he's sorted with internet himself? No harm n asking?

Re: SKYPE
 

ok, thanks for quick reply....he's got his Iphone unlocked.

next question then, is the v.cheap phone calls home to a land line?

Thanks.:)

Re: SKYPE
 

Hi,

Yes he will ask, but just seeking out other options. Just incase they say no.

As up until last Friday, in last job, no one was allowed on FB.

Re: SKYPE
 

skype tp skype is free so why worry:D

Re: SKYPE
 

Yep and its not quite so cheap to uk mobiles but still not too bad...

He could also consider getting a 3 sim in Australia and using skype on his Iphone with a data pack (not quite so good a solution as lebara etc. but means he can use the internets as well.) He can also use part of the cap to call back to the uk..

If he hes a proper address and bank account pennysim from pennytel is very good as it does 8c untimed calls back to the UK.

Hope it helps...

Re: SKYPE
 

Skype to Skype uses data however (which has a cost) and is often viewed as a security risk by many IT departments and often blocked...

Re: SKYPE
 

Quite right never thought of that;)

Re: SKYPE
 

Hi ya

If he's got Skype on his iphone then he just needs to get a whizzy new gadget out on the market. It's a pay-as-you-go mobile wifi. I think it's just Virgin who do it over here at the moment but I saw it in Dick Smiths just before we went back to the UK so I wondered if they did them in the UK.

Anyway, only 3 do them in the UK at the moment so we got one and it was wonderful! We did have a dongle but then kept fighting over the laptop to use the internet but with this you can operate upto 5 wifi items on it, you can use it in the car - wherever! Absolutely brilliant device! We then got in touch with 3 and they unlocked it for 15 quid so when we got to Singapore we bought a local datapack for it and saved us $20 a day in hotel internet charges.

So even if he gets a local sim card with a datapack you need wireless to operate Skype. The other alternative is to hang out in McD's a lot!

KK

Re: SKYPE
 

I second that, we've been using the lebara mobile simcard to phone home for months now and it's soooo cheap! The beauty of it as opposed to skype or other methods is that it can be carried around and used whenever...you're not limited to using it in a wifi zone or anything....

Re: SKYPE
 

Is there a "use it or loose it" with credit on this lebra card like some others?

We move over in Oct and are looking at this and internet options (needed for international work) for in our rental which we have for 6 months. We use skype just now and it is good but can cut out a lot.

Re: SKYPE
 

Just checked their FAQ - 90 days, so it's very good...

http://www.lebara-mobile.com.au/en/faq.php

Re: SKYPE
 

Thanks everyone for you help and information.

OH lands early Tuesdsay morning OZ time, I'll tell him to check this thread out.
he has to go to CBD on wed to sort out bank etc, so he should sort out mobile and internet while there.:fingerscrossed:

Re: SKYPE
 

I have the Virgin mifi one and second that, its great! Used it as our personal broadband until we got our home phone sorted out. $150 which includes 5Gb of data (a lot) but only for the first month (still I managed to use it up but it took some effort). I used it for skype and got good call quality. Got it from Dick Smith, Link

Another option is a Pennytel SIMM straight into his mobile, seems to be 43c per min to call the UK (landlines and mobiles), so quite a bit more than skype but maybe an easy option http://www.pennytel.com.au/Mobile-Ph...all-Rates.aspx

Re: SKYPE
 

The mifi (although its a good idea) isn't necessary as Skype on the iphone will work over the inbuilt 3g http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-...one-for-skype/ so no need to buy the extra device unless you really want to share an interconnection on the move.

The issues with using skype over any 3G connection will be the cost of the data it uses (it will use data when you aren't even calling) so if this is your chosen solution make sure you get a reasonable data cap and potentially call quality due to some of the aspects of using 3G data connections. McD's is a good idea..

There are also solutions to use SIP (proper voip) over 3G ( I would expect this to work better than skype and use potentially less data) such as iSIP which is free in the app store.

I would still suggest for the OP use something like lebara or get a 3 sim card for the iphone. Most reliable easy and probably best quality solution.

Re: SKYPE
 

All true, however I've been using the native skype client on my S60 and the call quality was horrible at times, probably down to CPU speed so maybe not a problem on the iPhone (depending on the model). When I used the same 3G connection on my Macbook with a headset quality was 100% better, so not a badwidth issue.

The mifi is a useful little unit and certainly more flexible than tethering.

Re: SKYPE
 

Also, I meant to add, you can get a lebara uk sim, I sent one of these to my dad from the website and he thinks it's fantastic!

Re: SKYPE
 

There is or was an app to do the same as Mifi for Series 60 phones with built in Wifi in that you can use your phone as hot spot.

The 3 skype for S60 phones implementation is pretty good one as it uses a voice connection back to 3's servers (as opposed to the native app.)

Re: SKYPE
 

If you look into Pennysim in more detail you can call back to a UK landline for 8c per call. You need to set up the smart dial numbers, the calls to the smart dial numbers are free from your mobile and then the call is charged at your pennytel plan rate.

Re: SKYPE
 

Funnily enough I just discovered that, I'm using Pennytel via my VOIP router and some UK DID's routed back through them to my home phone, just found the smart dial option for mobiles too. Do you by any chance know anyone who does free Ausralian DID's?

Re: SKYPE
 

Yes, its called Joikuspot,http://www.joikushop.com/ but kills the battery and I didn't find it worked that well.

Skype on the S60 for me anyway suffered if the 3G signal was anything less than superb (was OK most of the time in Sydney CBD but awful in the burbs), really nasty digital artifacts and often unusable, that was the native skype client on my old N95, not on 3 but one of the other telco's.

Re: SKYPE
 

That's really the weakness the 3 skype implementation works around (the limitation is you have to be on 3 to use it).

S60 has an in built SIP client that you can use on Wifi or 3G, I used it quite successfully with an E65 and a number of SIP providers over 3G just make sure you get you codec setup properly.

I have never found free Australian DID's but you can use 03 8683 5800 or 02 8282 6234 and then people can dial your account number as an extension (on Pennytel that is).