Prefered Skype / Instant Messaging Phones

[Rentakill]

Hi there.

I'm just on the virge of making an entry into the voip world, and have begun doing some research on the various Handsets available.
What i am ideally looking for is a Handset that handles Skype / MSN IM Voice chat and possibly also supports my standard Landline.

Does anyone have any reccomendations on a good quality reliable brand out there that i can look at.



Cheers

[rob916]

Just go straight voip.
Plug your landline and cordless into an ata box and you don't know any difference except in your phone bill.
Gotalk Aussie pack
$14.95 a month NO contracts.
300 local
300 national
and 100 calls to mobiles.

Skype is a pain in the arse.
You have to think of the misses factor.

[CoopsOz]

...... and you don't know any difference except in your phone bill.

That might be the case but the people on the other end can definitely tell the difference. I regularly speak to people in Canberra (I'm in Melb and they initiate the call) and the quality is shite. Maybe an isolated case but I'm still not sold. This is only my uneducated opinion so take it as it is.

[Oberg]

That might be the case but the people on the other end can definitely tell the difference. I regularly speak to people in Canberra (I'm in Melb and they initiate the call) and the quality is shite. Maybe an isolated case but I'm still not sold. This is only my uneducated opinion so take it as it is.

The call quality depends on a number of factors, the VoIP provider, the ata, the codec used, the quality of your internet connection, the available bandwidth. I use VoIP for 99% of calls and have been doing this for 18 months and the call quality has not been an issue, occasionally you get a call that is below par but it's rare. Set it up right and you will be happy with it.

Oberg.

[tristen]

I agree completely with what Oberg has said.

A few years ago when I first became aware of voip, I experimented with Skype using a headset c/w microphone.
I used the same setup with another Australian providor for approximately another 12 months before joining Freecall on other forum members' recommendations and using a Sipura ATA (analogue telephone adaptor) and ex-Telstra telephone.

It's true. that while you might be able to cope with using a headset, other family members, especially one's wife, will find this a real pain, so it pays to spend the extra money so that you can continue to use conventional telephone handsets.

On the subject of call quality, as rob19 has said, "you don't know any difference except in your phone bill".

I'm sold !