Free Phone Calls

[Minnie M]

does anyone know anything about this
Free calls - Skytype:-

Just can't believe you can get something for nothing

[Missy D]

Originally Posted by Minnie M

does anyone know anything about this
Free calls - Skytype:-

Just can't believe you can get something for nothing

I am on the phone right now and my friend who is not on the forum is just telling me about this. Its sounds brilliant! She has been with them for a few months and runs her international business though Skype.. I will definately try it out!

[WittyBird]

Originally Posted by Minnie M

does anyone know anything about this
Free calls - Skytype:-

Just can't believe you can get something for nothing

Friends of mine have been using it for quite a while since Feb this year I believe, its quick and its free

[Clive Long]

Originally Posted by Minnie M

does anyone know anything about this
Free calls - Skytype:-

Just can't believe you can get something for nothing

I have used Skype a bit

I think PC to PC is "free" because the voice is carried over the internet. Remember you are still paying for whatever internet connection charges.

A friend of mine in a small business has converted all his international calls to Skype.

From what I remember, you pay a relatively small fee to go "off-net". So you call Gambia - the call is transported IP to nearest point-of-presence and the voice is carried to the conventional subscriber using standard telephony. So you only pay in-country cal charges - not exhorbitant international rates.

You can buy a conventional looking handset that sets up all calls through Skype.

I think there is lots of concern in standard telephony operators as to how much voice traffic and revenue IP telephony will syphon off

Downside to IP telephony. Unless you have dedicated lines you are vulnerable to IP congestion and dropped packets at any point along your path to the other subscriber. The impact is the voice quality maybe compromised compared to standard telephony or you may experience "drop-outs" (silences) or "delays" (think conversations to astronauts in space) in speech - which ranges from unnoticeable to irritating to making the call unintelligible.

I have almost always found voice quality for person to person IP over skype (or yahoo) to be good to excellent with few delays

Clive

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by Missy D

and runs her international business though Skype..

I run a small (soon, hopefully, bigger ) software company with two other guys, one based near Birmingham, one in Totnes, Devon.

We've used Skype for about a year now, and it just gets better.

Whether it'll stay as good now that Ebay has bought Skype out, who knows.

[ducasi]

One thing to be aware of with Skype is that (because of it's peer-to-peer nature) if you have broadband it can sometimes use your internet connection to relay other people's phone calls.

Theoretically this isn't a big problem, unless your broadband connection has strict usage caps.

I've no idea how much of a problem this is in practice for home users, but it's one reason why we've had to ban its use within our network at work...

[Zebra Woman]

I use 18866.

I dial 18866 - then the number I'm after. There is always 3p connection charge then the call is free to landlines even during the day. Mobile calls are 12p/minute, and foreign calls are cheap too.

It very reassuring, at the start of each call a nice lady says 'Zero pence per minute'. The only proviso is that you pay your bill over the internet, mine is usually about £2.50 per month.

http://www.call18866.co.uk

Have got skype too and it's great but I don't always want to stay at the PC , using 18866 means I can move around while I'm on the phone.

Has anyone got a phone that you can walk around with that is Skype enabled? Now that would be something.

ZW

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by Clive Long

I have almost always found voice quality for person to person IP over skype (or yahoo) to be good to excellent with few delays

Clive

Absolutely; my mother uses Skype to talk to family in Israel, as well as with me and friends in London; the national and international calls are much clearer than regular telephony.

[djtrev]

Am I right in assuming that Skype only works if you have Windows XP?

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by djtrev

Am I right in assuming that Skype only works if you have Windows XP?

No, it's available for Mac (OS X) and Linux

http://www.skype.com/download/

as well as Pocket PC. My brother has it on his PocketPC. He was demonstrating using a neighbour's unencrypted wireless internet connection to make free wireless phone/skype calls on it.

[Gojive]

Originally Posted by Zebra Woman

I use 18866.

Has anyone got a phone that you can walk around with that is Skype enabled? Now that would be something.

ZW

Yep! I have a Siemens S645, which is is combined standard cordless phone, and a VoIP phone (via a USB dongle on the PC). Apart from it's dual use role, another cool feature is the ability to assign different ringtones to different known callers (and voice announement too!).

An expensive phone (around £250 for 2 handsets, and 1 handsfree base station), but a great gadget to have!

[Dreadful Scathe]

VOIP phones start about £25 each for the USB ones (so you have to be next to your computer) but the wireless ones are only £70 and they work as normal phones too. My next phone upgrade is sorted

Heres one but you may get it cheaper elsewhere

[Zebra Woman]

Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe

VOIP phones start about £25 each for the USB ones (so you have to be next to your computer) but the wireless ones are only £70 and they work as normal phones too. My next phone upgrade is sorted

Heres one but you may get it cheaper elsewhere

Thanks DS that's exactly what I was looking for .

[djtrev]

Sorry ESG I meant as against Windows ME or Windows98

[Lory]

Originally Posted by Zebra Woman

Has anyone got a phone that you can walk around with that is Skype enabled? Now that would be something.

Has anyone got any new recommendations for Skype enabled phones, i've just set my parents up with Skype but for some reason they don't like wearing a headset.. apparently it feels weird

P.s. its great but I just wish I knew more people on it!

[Dreadful Scathe]

I use Skype for our phone over here so i just bought a wireless handset - this one in fact - only £39 and its very good - no hands free though, they cost a bit more

[philsmove]

Skype ( free calls) seems very good
If the person you are calling is at their PC, its switched and they are logged on
Its very good if you need to make a long phone call e.g. Australia and the other person is expecting your call
Quality seems excellent

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by Zebra Woman

I use 18866.
It very reassuring, at the start of each call a nice lady says 'Zero pence per minute'. The only proviso is that you pay your bill over the internet, mine is usually about £2.50 per month.
http://www.call18866.co.uk

Like Zebra I use 18866 or their sister company 1899
http://www.call1899.co.uk/index2.php
Landline to landline UK free
Landline to mobile Mon-Fri - 10p a min.
Landline to mobile Sat-Sun - 3p a min.
Landline to landline eg. Finland, Argentina, Czech Republic, NZ, USA (including mobiles) anytime 1p a min.
4p connection fee for all calls

Hope this helps. (I don't have any comnnection with this company)

[Dreadful Scathe]

Originally Posted by Miguel

Like Zebra I use 18866 or their sister company 1899
http://www.call1899.co.uk/index2.php
Landline to landline UK free
Landline to mobile Mon-Fri - 10p a min.
Landline to mobile Sat-Sun - 3p a min.
Landline to landline eg. Finland, Argentina, Czech Republic, NZ, USA (including mobiles) anytime 1p a min.
4p connection fee for all calls

Hope this helps. (I don't have any comnnection with this company)

thats cheaper than skype
calls from skype to a landline cost 1.2p a minute for most countries
calls to mobile 14p a min, i think at all times
no connection fee for calls but you do pay VAT on top of those prices (taken when you buy credit)

i assume you still have to add vat to your prices too ?