ozzieeagle

As I'm just about to lose my IInet voip connection via changing over to Telstra. I'm exploring the Skype voip alternative. Can someone confirm that I've got the following information correct here please.

I purchase a skype in phone number at 5.95 per month, which gives me a Skype number that anyone can dial. Included in that are all my calls to Landlines all over Australia. I can buy credit so I can call Landlines overseas.

What I'm not 100 pct clear about is... How do I attach a phone to a computer so that I can receive a call on it... would that be a USB Skype phone or a phone connected to my router. Just to make things really complicated how does the three skype phone work in with all of the above.

I really need a phone as a voip service, basically as a 2nd line into my house. Can I use the above skype network this way.... Will a phone attached to my computer ring, and will my three skype phone work when I'm away from my house on my skype in Number.

If I do get a phone to work on the skype service attached to my computer, will my Skype Three phone and the phone on the computer ring at the same time. ?

It's a bit hard to get my head around the above.

Help, I'm sure it's easy once its set up.

Bernieboy

Hey oz what ever happened to two empty bean cans and a long piece of string

ozzieeagle

LOL, I'm trying to save money on my kids mobiles, via stopping them using their handsets when the other landline is busy.

spottydog

My understanding is that you cannot use SkypeIn or SkypeOut on the 3 mobiles that support Skype.

We have a wireless skype phone that connects directly to our wireless router so we don't need the computer on but if you have a cheaper USB phone then you will also need the computer on to make or recieve calls.

I have a UK SkypeIn number so our friends & family can call us and only pay the cost of a call to London and we use the SkypeOut functionality for overseas calls, both seem to work fine.

From what I can understand you would need a different login for each Skype device if you want them all to be connected at the same time.

HTH

ozzieeagle

So people around Australia can call you at the Sydney rate as well at any time ?

IE: it's a fully bone-fide 2nd number ? If so it's cheaper than most voip alternatives.

My teenagers hog our phone, so I need a 2nd line, I'm looking for the best alternative, and if that Skype No, is 100 pct secure, IE: I can give it people with confidence that it will ring when they dial it, then I'm probably going to go down that path over say..... Engin.

Engins service is pretty good, plus I can use it with my exisiting modem, but it costs 10 bucks a month v Skypeins 6 bucks... not a lot of difference, but I'd only use about 4 bucks worth of calls so Skype would be much better value as it would Equate to Engin plus free calls.

People with Teenagers I would imagine should be interested in this subject.

ozzieeagle

Ok after a lot of searching, Skypein is not going to be my product of Choice, mainly because I cannot use it with the Three skype phone, plus there seem to be a lot of complaints re delay etc in reviews I've seen. So skype stays skype to skype,

The product I'm going for is this...

http://www.faktortel.com.au/products-9pm.shtml

5.95 per month, for a DiD number (2nd phone line), and 9 cent calls to land lines around Aus, and 20 cents per minute to mobiles. The main reason I'm choosing this product is so people can call me on my 2nd phone number if the first is tied up by my kids.

Also full technical support via phone and email... you dont get that with skype. Plus I've already got all the exisiting hardware.. most importantly the IInet supplied Voip enabled modem/router.

spottydog

For call in Australia I only use my mobile so people call on that. I use Skype purely for international calls for which I find it works extremely well even on a slow broadband connection and talking to a mobile in the UK

Hutch

We conduct two businesses via Skype and Skype Pro and have had very few problems. The missus has a UK local number which all her customers call her on. She makes and receives calls to UK numbers and has had no issues with delay though the line does drop on occasion after about 30 minutes. I have an Oz number which I advertise and people can call me on. If I'm at my PC I answer it there - if not it automatically diverts to my mobile and I get the call there. If I'm not taking calls at all it goes to voicemail.

With Skype Pro you also get a Skype to Go number which is a 02/03 or whatever (local) number you pick. You ring that number and then enter the number you wish to call (in whatever country) and you pay the usual low Skype rate, plus whatever your local call costs you. The other morning I had a 30 minute conversation with a friend in the UK on my mobile phone which cost me the grand total of about three dollars.

With the Skype Out - Australia calls are all 'free' (well you pay a subscription) and I have never had a problem with them whatsoever. Skype to Skype is, of course, excellent - and we love the new higher defiinition video calls we can make. Have been using Skype pretty much since it came out (in fact we have superb short usernames we've been using it so long) and it continues to improve. We wouldn't be able to run our businesses as cheaply, if it all in the missus' case, without Skype.

We do plan to buy one of the third generation Skype phones that plug directly into the back of the router, so we can untether ourselves from the headsets on the PC when required.

DunRoaminTheUK

Our Skype phone (Netgear) only needs to know about the wireless router. There are quite a few of these on the market now.

ozzieeagle

I'm still working my way through all the information on this subject. Apparently there is a company called voip discount, that gives you all calls Australian landlines for free plus free calls on landlines to the UK, and places like America Canada and NZ.

Now whether you can use this company without changing the settings on your voip enabled router to receive calls on your DiD number I'm still working on. You can use your SiP device, which I assume is my Modem/Router.



http://www.voipdiscount.com/en/index.html

Most people wouldnt have a clue about this, especially how to set it up.... Smells like a money making enterprise to me, for someone thats got the patience to put a installation package together.

I do know that faktortels 2.50 Aud per month DiD number and companies like them are crucial in making these packages work.

It's a hell of a dynamic market this Voip.

Matlissa

Hi

I have a prepaid Skype mobile with 3. Sometimes the calls do cut out, but I think it is worth it especially as you are getting free calls. They cut out occasionally if you do not have great recception.

I think that being able to call England from Australia for free is fantastic!

It also means that you dont have to be stuck on the computer all the time whilst you are on the phone/ waiting for a call.

There is a new Skype phone as well by Nokia (my dad and has got it, and really likes it) Think it costs $500 though!!!!.