Raymate

Where can I get one in Canada?

This VOIP 8410B is great as you just plug it into the computer network and you do not need the computer switched on.

Want to use this for Skype with my family back home in the UK.

The big boys do not have it, BestBuy FutreShop,

Any ideas

ray1968

www.Tigerdirect.ca has a number of Skype phones - not the Philips though - you could get one sent to you from the UK if it would work here

Ben W Bell

I got the Linksys iPhone from ncix.com. Very good Skype phone, also can be used for a normal landline phone and an intercom at the same time. We like it.

TheCanes

Okay - what's this Skype thing then?

Cassie 10000

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/

I have posted a link.

Souvenir

I have a Siemens Optipoint 410 VOIP phone on my desk. My boss got it for me recently because she wanted me to be more closely integrated with the office in London. It's linked directly to the company's phone system, so I'm extension 220. If I make outside calls, I just dial 9 first and I'm calling from London, at the company's expense. The sound quality is excellent, better than my land line. I ring my mum more than I used to

Originally, the company intended to just buy me one, through their IT supplier, and ship it over. We realised that there were issues regarding the power cable, so the IT people got me one in Canada from a Siemens dealer. I'm not certain but I think it was Black Box (blackboxcanada.ca), which has offices in Montreal and Toronto. You could try them. They are mostly geared to business users (as is my phone) but I think they do home office stuff too.

XCMTBer

The option of using a business IP phone will only be viable if you have thousand's of pounds worth of phone system located in an office somewhere.

We use Skype for all our calls, when we moved over last year I took the plunge to not rent a land line which would hardly get used for domestic calls. We bought the Linksys CIT 400 skype phone that does both skype and land line (future proof) and bought a UK number for friends and family to call us on. It seems an easier barrier for them just to dial a UK number than an international.

I also found it quite hard to track the device down, ended up paying a fairly high price online - at a Canadian voip store. It then got shipped from US and we got hit with import duties! (must read small print!)

The last piece of the solution is getting Skype to support numbers in Canada so I can add a 613 number to the account.

My wife also has extensive video calls with her Mum using skype - the quality really is very good and worth every penny!

G77

Is skype any better quality for video calls than MSN/Windows Messenger? Have used Messenger briefly for video calls and the quality is ok, but not amazing, likely that video calls will be in high demand once we get over there...

windward

It may be a problem with my line but I've found Skype unusable even for voice calls. I use msn for voice and video.

Used Skype before and had same issues re: dropped calls, delayed voice and just poor quality compared to elsewhere. ... You can't hide on Skype either. Maybe I don't use it right but I don't rate it at all.

XCMTBer

You can easily "hide" on Skype, either go invisible - hide from all - or block individuals, very handy for the inlaws!

We find it is very bandwidth and equipment Dependant , one sent of parents its perfect and the others with a £10 web cam and dodgy upload speeds its pants, but they think its great as we have great camera and they have good download speeds.

At the end of the day skype and msn are free to use so try them out on your PC and use the one that performs better. both do physical coordless phones...at least i think you can get msn ones?

G77

Yep, Philips make one of those too, at least here anyway.

What I will probably do for voice calls is the same as I do here - get a VOIP capable router and plug a normal phone into it, then use it with something like www.voipbusterpro.com lets you ring for €0.05 for as long as you like...